The Oldest City in the World

The oldest city with the slowest Immigration lines at an airport!.....Business took me on a short visit to Syria over the last couple of days. Ive been there previously and this visit confirmed it, I like Damascus very much. The city is great, the climate fantastic and the food is wonderful.

Had to "slum" it a bit - Stayed in the Fours Seasons hotel, in a room overlooking the city, very nice. Its one of the hotels which prides itself on attentive service, must admit I find it a bit disconcerting. We worked much of the day at the company offiices, however it was not all business...I did manage to fit in 2 Iftar meals (these are the "breaking of the fast" meals the muslims look forward to after fasting daylight hours during Ramadan) with my Egyptian collegues, one in the hotel and one in a nice rooftop resturant in the old Town. Also had the chance to go shopping with them in the fabulous souk and watch masters of negotiation at work! Even the egyptians complained about the starting prices! - still they were getting final prices at about 30% of the original quoted price. It was fascinating, only pain is it take sooo long to buy anything - I leave that for next time as we did not get time to visit the antique area of the souk that I know.

I know i must have been in Cairo long enough, Damascus by comparison looked very provincial and organised, much less tooting of horns, better driving and cleaner streets!

I also wanted to visit the famous Umayyad mosque again but as it was Ramadan it was getting ready for the next prayer event. Still next time....and Ill bring the family. Most mosques do not have pictorial materials on the wall, only the beautiful arabeque patterns. This most has some great mosaics on the walls, probably the influence of the Romans. The boys would like to se them Im sure.

The british concept of the orderly queue has not quite reached syria! And when they do exists boy thy can be slow. I joined the queue at Damascus airport passport control clean shaven and left with a heavily stubble! and then arriving in Cairo it was Iftar so we had to wait some more for the guys to eat. Ah! traveling in the Middle East, you've gotta love it, and gotta have your ipod and a good book!

The view from the office window....

Some veiws of the Hamadiyeh Souk, the roman arch and the mosque.