Deir Mar Mussa, gate to the desert

The monastery of Deir Mar Mussa is located 50 miles away from Damascus, a third of the road is through the desert. I can tell you the landscape is stunning, because the desert never ever disappoints you. If there is one awesome thing about it, it’s that it is in constant change, it is always different from the previous day and from the following one. You will never find the same scenery twice in the desert.

As you approach the valley where the monastery hides you can’t really see much, other than an orange mountain. Once you go around it, on the other side of it, you suddenly discover two tiny buildings on top of the mountain. These are the monastery and the chapel.

But to reach them you need to climb 344 steps literally carved in the mountain itself. In a hot day such as when I visited it (around 120F) the ascension is tough, but my motivational technique was to assume that it would be much harsher to do it in the winter with snow on the steps.

The whole valley and surrounding areas have been inhabited since prehistory by hunters and shepherds. Christian hermits have used the neighboring caves for meditation for centuries, and this is actually how the first monastic center was created.

Actually, legend has it that the founder of this place was actually Saint Moses, son of an Ethiopian king. Saint Moses wasn’t interested in inheriting his father’s crown or the honors that came with it, and decided to give himself to God. He emigrated to Egypt, then to Holy Land, and he ended up in Syria as a hermit in the valley of what is today the monastery.

In 1058 the tiny church (30ft x 30ft) was built. Today we can still admire gorgeous frescoes dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. Later on the monastery was built.

Sadly the place was abandoned in the 19th century, but in the 20th it was decided to both renovate it, and to start using the complex again. The monastery is today inhabited by monks and thus cannot be visited; however the church is open for several daily masses. Nevertheless it admits non-Christian visitors as the centre strongly promotes and encourages Islamic-Christian dialogue.

Getting to the top of the mountain is definitely difficult and it requires a big effort, but the views from the balcony next to the small chapel, as well as the frescoes in it, are worth the effort of climbing every single step.



 

* All pictures by laelfa
 

Any given weekend in Damascus

You might wonder what it is like to go out in Damascus. Well it is pretty similar to any Western country, or maybe more like a Mediterranean one, like Spain or Italy. People love to get together with their friends and families and there is always time for both.

The evening can start quietly with dinner and a narguile (shisha) and then comes the usual, bars and clubs. There are hundreds to choose from. I like rooftops because the views of the city at night are beautiful and because it is nice to enjoy the breeze, when there is one.

Cafés that have narguiles usually do not serve alcohol, however bars and clubs would be empty if they didn’t serve it! But watch out, going out is not cheap in Syria. Actually life in general isn’t cheap. You might be able to find cheap food but probably as an expat you don’t want to eat in those places. As for bars and drinks, it is common to pay a cover which includes an alcoholic drink (or two soft drinks), usually you’ll pay around 15$. I was out last weekend and we had a table reserved, we had to pay 40$ each, which included three drinks, not so bad I guess, but let me tell you, they pour very little alcohol in your glass!!

Don’t expect too many people out before midnight, again this is a Mediterranean culture and it seems like it is always too early to go out, and way earlier to go back home ;) I am not sure what time places are supposed to shut down because I have never stayed until the end, I am out of practice!

Women, I have said it before, always dress up really nice, they obviously take their time getting ready, fixing their hair and make up; but men are not less and they are always well dressed, again in a Western way: short dresses usually for women, jeans and shirts for men. Women are beautiful and very sexy, especially when they dance.

It is quite common to see old expats just staring at Syrians dancing, and Syrians seems to love being watched, after all that must be one of the reasons they take their time to look so good.

People here love dancing, and they do it like pros. It must be in their blood, like Latinos. They have a fabulous sense of rhythm and no self consciousness, and they are able to move their hips in a way that reminds me of Shakira, who has Lebanese roots. Hands, arms and head movements are also part of the dancing exercise. As for the music, there is always a mix between Arabic tunes, disco music that would sound anywhere else in the world, and a lot of salsa. They love salsa and they always assume I can dance it well, I am not sure why. But trust me, I can’t! And when I see them I certainly don’t even dare trying!

The city is extremely safe and you can walk around any time of day or night, even if you are alone. Taxis will try to make you pay extra if you are an expat, but if you insist they will use the meter and then you should just tip them. Anyways a taxi can take you to the other side of town for just 4 dollars.

So if you ever decide to visit Syria make sure you keep some energy for the evening and night, you will need it! But no worries, they spend the mornings of the weekend sleeping, which I admit didn’t take me long to adapt to!
   

Life in Damascus

Many of you have asked me about life in Damascus, what a day here is like. Well I can tell you a few stories.

For instance, today we have reached 115F according to the Internet, 120F according to the Government- which is completely abnormal!! I believe statistics say the average temperature in August is 90F, and this is the hottest month of the year (but it is only the 1st of August… can you imagine in a couple weeks?). Apparently the government has issued a warning because temperatures are expected to reach 122F and perhaps up to 131F in the next few days, an all time high.

Now imagine this heat while wearing a suit… mmmh, appealing, right? And then picture yourself in a taxi with no AC, going to a meeting. Sometimes I don’t know what is worse, to have the windows open or closed. People joke and say it seems like someone has placed a huge hairdryer on top of the country and it just keeps blowing hot air.

Then when you finally get to your meeting or to the office, trying to look nice and fresh, surprise! There is no power! Because there are now way too frequent power-cuts, which mean no charger for your computer, no internet, no cold water in the fridge, and of course no air conditioning. Power cuts weren’t too common a couple weeks ago but now demand has dramatically raised and also, I just found out, when heat goes up power production goes down, so if there is more demand and less production, you end up melting in your office, or in your house (it was 97F in my room yesterday after a 2-hour power-cut).

And that is not all; there is a shortage of water in Syria, a typically dry country, which usually is no problem in Damascus because all houses (or at least the ones for rich locals and expats) have big tanks on the roof that are refilled a couple times a week. So when there is no water coming from the government pipes, the one stored in the reservoirs is used. However, these reservoirs are like huge plastic kegs and they are in the roof, under this merciless and cruel sun, 115F… can you guess? The water is too hot, it burns! So you can forget about taking a shower until night, when if you are lucky temperatures go down to 95F (35C). I swear this is true (check the picture).

So this is how I have spent my day today. But tomorrow I will tell you about my weekend nights out, which are pretty fun. Oh, fyi weekends here are Friday & Saturday instead of the usual Saturday & Sunday, so Thursday night is a big night out, and Friday night is Salsa night!

Midan, all you need, any time of the day or night

I have a few months ahead and many places to discover in Damascus and in Syria. The only problem is the heat, it is 45C degrees (120F) today and even though we have been told this is not normal for the month of July, it will be in August. The heat is dry, which is easier to deal with, but still it seems like I will only be doing cultural stuff at night this first couple of months (also keep in mind during the day I work!).

My colleague’s friends took us driving around a cactus farm the other day and I was impressed by their shapes, colors and size! I had no idea you can eat their fruit, which they call figs (but they don't look like our figs), and that same night I tried them in Midan. These figs are actually delicious, juicy and refreshing.

Midan is a long but narrow street full of crowded tiny restaurants that serve mainly shawarmas. They are delicious and we have a few, first chicken then meat. We are told if we come back here alone we should only eat in the same places where they have taken us, just to be safe and sure that hygiene is taken care of. 

As I said the street is packed, there are people everywhere, eating, chatting, laughing. Everything is open 24 hours a day and families with kids are also enjoying, even though it is late at night! Some approach us, they want to talk a little bit, they are curious about where we come from and they also want to practice their English and their French. One family with two beautiful little girls sits behind us and while they wait for their food they tell us they are both doctors and their daughters study in an English school. They used to go to the American one, but it was shut down by the US government a couple years ago. The girls are way to shy to talk with us.

But the street doesn’t only have restaurants; there are also a few meat shops and one of the owners wants me to buy some fresh cuts. He insists, but there is no way I am buying anything in his shop. The guy is nice and ends up wanting to take a picture with me but I am seriously concerned about cleanliness in his shop, and I leave promising I will be back, even though I know I never will. 

Finally, one of the best parts of the street are the many shops that sell delicious little sweets typical of Syria. Each shop wants you to try theirs, for free, to prove theirs are better. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth as many of you know so after the third shop I just give mine to Marc when the shop owners can’t see me. 

These shops are mostly old Damascene houses and the decoration in the inside is beautiful and breathtaking. Also the display of the sweets itself is well taken care of and I just feel like buying boxes for my family. 

 

* Pictures by la elfa

  

World Cup in Damascus

I never thought watching the World Cup in Syria would be fun, mainly because I knew nothing about this country and had so many preconceived ideas of what I would find here, so many misconceptions created by the media.

Well I can now say it was a delight to watch the games in Damascus. People LOVE soccer here and I guess since Syria didn’t make it they were happy to simply cheer for other teams. I still remember the first game I watched here, it was Netherlands-Brasil and half the people in the bar had t-shirts and flags of Brasil, the others of the Netherlands. And they would cheer, and suffer and enjoy just like if it was their country playing. Because for them it wasn’t about who was playing, but about soccer itself. That is why after Spain defeated Germany there was no doubt, the whole country was with Spain, they deserve it they would tell me day and night, at work and in cafés. 

Another thing that has surprised me in Damascus is how westernized they are. It is such an open and tolerant city. You would probably expect to see most women covering their hair (I already knew they don’t cover their faces but this might come as a surprise to others), well it is the opposite, just a few women cover their hair, and even those who do most often wear a skirt!! Here they dress like we do; you see jeans, sandals, skirts, dresses, even tank tops. Ladies are pretty, they take care of their hair and makeup and several times I have found my self quite underdressed in a café. Men and women go out together, they enjoy smoking shishas (which they call arguile) and when night comes dancing is a favorite for Damascenes. 

The first time we went out I had to take pictures because I couldn’t believe I was in Syria. First of all we were in a beautiful rooftop, the entrance was around 15U$ and you could get either one alcoholic drink or two sodas. The views of the city once again were magnificent, and the view of the dance floor was too much to be real. It was salsa night, and also the night Ghana was kicked out of the World Cup after missing a penalty in the last minute of the game. Here no one really cared about the game even though there was a huge cinema-style screen in one side of the dance floor. 

People were just dancing in such a fancy, trendy and amazing way that I could only sit back and admire them. Then when the game got to penalties because neither Ghana nor Uruguay had been able to untie the game, the dance floor cleared and the music was turned down, the TV up. Everyone was now paying attention to the game. 10 kicks, Ghana was out, most of the bar seemed upset for about 10 seconds, and then the music was back, and so was the dancing.

Welcome to Damascus!

 * Pictures by la elfa

  

Small World

How many times have we heard it, the world is a tiny place! And I guess the more you travel the smaller it becomes. I have been in Damascus for a few days now and I am invited to watch a World Cup game with my colleague and his friends. When we get to the bar the two guys waiting for us look quite familiar, but I fear I am mistaking them with some other Arabs and I don’t say anything. Then one of them asks me if I have ever been to Damascus, he thinks he knows me. I tell myself this is too much of a coincidence, he looks familiar to me, and I do to him. So we start talking and 30 seconds later we know what is going on here….. he used to work in Abu Dhabi in 2008, I visited Damascus in 2008 coming from Abu Dhabi…. Well he was the one who processed and prepared my visa back then! I was not allowed to get a visa in Abu Dhabi because I was not a resident, but some well connected friends made a couple phone calls and bang this guy was asked by his boss to process my visa quickly and without asking questions. His signature and stamp are indeed in my passport!! Seriously, what are the chances of something like this happening?

 

Welcome to Damascus

As I land in Damascus I am stopped by customs’ agents who want to search my bag. Here is the situation: it is 2am, I have just landed in an unknown country and I am alone. After I pick up my bags from the belt and as I am getting ready to exit the terminal I am stopped by two customs agents who want me to open the bag I have had on board two different planes today and that has gone through security scanners in three airports already.

I am not too sure what is going on, but I certainly want to stay calm and let them do, I know there is nothing forbidden in my bag. Then, one of the agents, with very poor English (which is a million times better than my Arabic) says to me:

- Are you a professional?

Of course such a question concerns me... what does he mean?

He keeps asking

- Professional, technician, electronics?

What the hell is going on here? Still using his terrible English he manages to ask me if I have any kind of machine in there….. Finally I understand!

- Yes, I have a Wii.

- Wii? They ask while they try to figure out what I am talking about.

So I take it out of its pouch and show it to them, then I show them the remote and I crack them up when I show them the wheel of Mario Kart. While they are still laughing they welcome me into their country: MaRHba.

There is a driver waiting for me outside and he tells me he was quite concerned he would not be able to recognize me. Then while he lights a cigarette he laughs and says it was actually quite easy: not only was I the only woman traveling alone, I was also the only white woman in the plane.

As we drive towards the city he opens the roof of the car and I can see millions of stars welcoming me into this new adventure. In the horizon I can now see the city of Damascus. I get to the hotel around 3am and I am so tired and lonely that it is hard to fall sleep, but through my hotel window I discover the most amazing view of Damascus and I stay awake until sunrise, wondering what the future holds for me.

* pictures by la elfa