Welcome to Syria

Amad and I in Aleppo's souk

I arrived in Aleppo, Syria, late at night. The flight was not without drama as many of the passengers were in a big debate with the flight crew to change the flight schedule to land in Damascus first rather than Aleppo. We sat on the tarmac for what seemed for ever while the passengers who lived in Damascus debated the merit of dropping them off first rather than flying direct to Aleppo. It got a little heated at one stage and the stewardess showed great patience to get things under control. Though I didn't know it at the time, I was in for an amazing time in Syria.

A walk down the street proved to be one of many experiences of generosity that I found disarming and surprising. Through my travels, I've become used to being approached to buy things on the street but my first day had a twist to it. I met Amad, a Kurdish man who ended up teaching me German in Syria..... don't think I could have come up with that one if I tried. For Amad, English was his fourth language and he wanted the practice. After giving him 200 Syrian lbs for a shirt that was 12 US dollars (In Syria the local currency and the US dollar are often quoted, just remember to ask which one), he didn't blink an eyelid and bought it without question. I realised my mistake but he refused my offers and simply said welcome to Syria. It was a great day walking through the ancient and endless souk. I shared a taxi with another Syrian who I had figured out was going my way. He refused any attempt to pay the fare and, once again, that common catchcry of “welcome to Syria” came my way.