Going Back to Haleb.

After taking care of some business in Damascus, I headed up to Aleppo (Haleb) this week. I opted to take the bus over the train this time, and it is clear that whoever made the seats in this country did not have Burton shoulders in mind. I feel bad for the little Arabs who have to sit next to me. And by the way that they glare, I think that they are not to happy with the situation either. I got here Thursday night, and after seeing it again, I was reminded as to how much I like the city. It has a different feel than Damascus, it is less crowded but at the same time more lively. There are less women and more boys on the street, and there are a lot more vagrants. It will be nice to have this be my base point to see Northern Syria. I got a little under the weather Friday night and all of Saturday. It was pretty bad actually, and for the first time in a long time I actually considered going to the doctor. But this morning I was blessed to wake up feeling fine, and I am on my way again.

Goodbye, Beirut.

I spent the last month in Beirut dog-sitting my good friend E.B.’s very playful Bernese mountain dog. It was great to spend Christmas and the New Year with new friends, and 70 degree weather! I am back in Damascus now, having left Lebanon for what may be the last time. I love that country, I love Beirut, and I'll miss it. I love the way the city sort of flows down from the mountains into the sea, and how though it is built all on hills; the streets are easy to meander through. Each street you walk down has a part of the history of the city. There were French apartments from the occupation, broken buildings with empty windows from war, and the cranes and crews in the midst of it all from the effort to rebuild. It has a wonderful mix of the West and the Middle East. Though only removed from Syria for a hundred years, it definitely has a different feel. It is more open, more cosmopolitan, more concerned with appearance, and definitely more fun. But it is expensive, and there were no jobs to be had, and if I would have stayed there instead of Damascus, my money would probably have never made it to 2010. I did have about 6 weeks to see the country and fall in love with the city. It was just what I needed when I had it. It is wonderful. But now there are other things to experience, as well as new places for me to fall in love with, so I am off to Aleppo to see what awaits me there.