Aleppo!
by ano on Mar.14, 2009, under everything
I’m back in Damascus after an excellent, well needed week away in Aleppo (Halab in Arabic). I’m also at about the halfway point, and have met three major milestones:
- I’m no longer afraid to take pictures. It took me a full five weeks to get back to my old self.
- My Arabic has improved to the point where I can read the signs on buses fast enough to flag down the right one before it blurs by.
- I have had the best shawerma of the trip so far, in a little town called Afamea, about 100m south of the intersection that leads up to the ruins.
The trip also took an interesting turn in the cafe attached to a little hotel in Aleppo. I met Adam, a fed-up-with-the-man, job-quitting, TED-talking, Mac-toting, 300 video-editing, world-traveling, open-source Australian. We spent two days visiting Roman, Byzantine, and Hittite ruins, taking videos and photos (which will be up soon). He’s also much faster at updating his blog than I am, so check it out for some more photos (I make a cameo appearance, fancy that!). He’s inspired me to take more videos to go along with my project, and I may have inspired him to join me in the refugee camp in Damascus to collaborate. Maybe we can put together something impressive.
Hitching a ride through the Syrian countryside
No crosswalks, no stoplights, no patience. Only one rule: use your horn as often as you possibly can.
My life flashes before me every time I try to cross the street
But up close, they look so harmless
Traffic police: not there.
Yes, those are chunks of cheese. And yes, they live in very old, dirty, rusty barrels.
Really puts the overpriced olive bar at Whole Foods to shame
Before the rain over Aleppo
Fresh fruit in the Aleppo souq
A pancake-a-teer
A pyramid of cumin, decorated with paprika and salt
the nut store.
Child labor: working the sewing machine at midnight.
Shoe repair outside the souq. There are about 40 of these guys spaced every six feet.
Fresh fruit juice! I always stop for a tall cold glass of freshly pressed blood-orange juice.
A little beard trim before Friday prayers
Seems he has some fans out here.
Yup, that goes there.
Cinema with awesome movie poster art
Soccer at the Aleppo Citadel
Super tiny Chinese buses that wait until 12-15 people pack inside before taking off
One of the nicer police cars I've seen in Syria.
Hitching a ride to Qala'at as-Samaan. From L to R, Adam, me, Muhammad, Muhammad, and Ahmed. Seriously.
Six on one motorcycle. 125cc of fury.
March 14th, 2009 on 4:28 pm
Ano,
I am proud to say that I am loving it! You are now becoming a real blogger. Once you arrived in syria, your blog was dark and lackluster in hope. With the newly added photos and experiences you bring reborn hope to my mind.
keep it up
March 17th, 2009 on 12:16 am
Nice photoes anobel. I see some liveliness there.The patern on tiles in the cheese store is like the decorations on the doors in the olive store. Don’t be scared of rust try that fresh cheese, your immunity will go up.
You thought only San francisco coffe co. had fresh roasted coffee, how about fresh roasted nuts?
March 18th, 2009 on 2:48 pm
dearest cuzo,
i love the pictures! they make me feel like i’m in on the action. the life and vibrancy you were able to capture is amazing, keep it up! hope the rest of your trip goes well.
<3