Excited knowing I'll be walking into Damascus today I'm up and about early. The problem is the store owners aren't and I'm starving...I seem to have completely lost the highway, which isn't a bad thing, but it means I now have no idea where I am or where I will enter the city. I always imagined walking into Damascus through Mezze, but with the Mezze apartment buildings in view 8kms north it's not to be.
Taking a rest outside a military facility a police car pulls up behind me. The officer doesn't even say a word and just motions for me to follow. Without realizing I've set myself up on the lawn of a police station :) Entering a small office another officer is at his desk watching television...
"Here, take a seat"
I sit, waiting for the questions to start regarding why I'm sitting with two cameras on their front lawn across from a military facility, but both seemed captivated by the TV. It's then that I realize Noor is on and I know I'm safe. This Turkish soap is watched with religious zeal by men and woman alike throughout this part of the world. I don't know if this is just an urban rumor circulated within foreign circles but the word on the street is Noor shows three episodes a day which all run on from each other. I join them watching for ten minutes before politely taking my leave...
"Where are you from?"
"Australia"
"Welcome. Welcome"
There focus returns to the television and that's that :) Reaching a small river, which I never new existed, I a locate a small shop for a breakfast of chocolate and juice. This will give me the energy I need till Damascus...A beautiful restaurant perched over the river appears before me and I can't resist stopping for a rest. The owner comes for a chat and I notice some backgammon boards on the counter...
"Can you play?""What, you can play backgammon?"
"Yes, do you want a game?"
Laughing "Okay, sure"
Unfortunately he doesn't know the game I play, rather another version I know the rules of but haven't much strategy. He obviously wasn't expecting that I could play anyway so he's not too disappointed when he beats me convincingly.
The walk up the river valley is wonderful and before long I make Al Umawiyeen square...Aaaaaahhhh....Back in Damascus :)
Finding a cafe for lunch I sit and wait till 3pm, when Adel will arrive home. Adel and Fay are two wonderful young woman who are here in Damascus for the long haul. They rent an amazing apartment in Rowda and are kind enough to let me stay a couple of days...
Walking to their house Adel is waiting and it's great to catch up, neither of us can believe it's been five months since we last met! She is about to take a friend down to a juice bar, which I was meant to go to for the entire time I lived here and never managed to, and I happy to tag along.
Wasseem use to work a juice bar in England and bought the concept back here. His shop is amazing with literally hundreds of different juice cocktails to choose from. Divine!!!
Arriving back to the apartment Fay's home and we decide to do dinner, settling on Chinese it's a short taxi ride to Mezze. The meal is superb, enjoyed with a couple of glasses of wine and great conversation it's a perfect evening...
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