Aleppo Day 1

So after moving hotels I eventually set off to explore Aleppo and got lost which was a fab start and my morning descended downhill from there! Aleppo appears to be a city that does not eat or drink and as I was desperately in need of water it was not much fun. Anyhow I finally found a coffee shop and bought some water and rehydrated I walked towards the citadel. Outside the citadel is a nice row of cafes but so I went into one to have a late breakfast early lunch - spying a cupcake I thought ooh yummy and was most disappointed to be given a cup of whipped cream with one of two cakey bits floating in it!

Anyhow went into the citadel which was pretty awesome as I waited for all the tour groups to leave for lunch before entering the citadel and I therefore had it to myself bar the archeolgy people and a couple of Syrians wondering around. One of the things that I love about the ruins is that you are able to wander all over the place and despite not knowing what you are viewing you can have a rough idea and then you turn a corner and are greeted with a fantastic view or an intact ruin or even in the case of the Citadel a throne room lavishly decorated with one very bored man sitting waiting for any visitors who may happen to stumble upon it!! Climbed up a few towers and then went for a drink in the citadel cafe which had an amazing view overlooking Aleppo though it was a pretty sheer drop the other side of the fence.

I had agreed to meet the couple as me and the girl were going to go to the Aleppo Hamman which is meant to be beautiful and worthwhile. Anyhow at the meeting place I bumped into Pauline who I had gone to the last Hamman with! We got chatting and she told me the Hamman was shut at which point the couple turned up and so we ventured to the souk together. As we walked along a lot of people were saying to Thomas - 3 wives i am impressed and so on which was kind of bizarre - at least we were all wives and not children or mothers!! One of the shop keepers remembered Pauline as she is researching Aleppo and had interviewed him in the past when we asked about the Hamman he went and got us a card and so me and Pauline seperated from the couple and went to find the Hamman - we managed to pick up two children who guided us to the Hamman. The woman in the Hamman said it was 600 each which was blooming steep considering it was empty and in Damascus we had paid 300 SYP. Pauline speaks Arabic and noticed there was a price list which listed the price as being 400 SYP but the lady wasnt budging so we left it at that!

I then got a great tour of Aleppo and my day started to look a bit brighter especially when we turned one corner and found lots of stalls selling rotisserie chicken and sandwiches - yum! Unfortunately a lot of the museums and so on were closed so we could only wander around the outside but at least I know where they are and what is worth seeing etc. Pauline had to do some things so I came online and we agreed to meet around 9 ish for food.

We went to the Jdeideh quarter for food and went to a reception which had a rooftop terrace ordered a selection of Mezze which were all yummy washed down with a nice glass of wine! Anyhow finally got the bill and found that we had been overcharged so on querying the waiter we were informed that there was a 50 SP charge for sitting in the restaurant and listening to the music!?!?!? We both agreed that it was ridiculous and we would boycott it - the restaurant was called Khan Zamaan.

My computer just turned off but I have been able to rescue this entry or I would have cried and I therefore feel that I may tempt fate to try and update any more.

Arabella and Em's if sisterhood of the travelling pants isn't in my cupboard it is likely to be in England or packed sowwy!

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