Golden Rules

When you get lost, you get desperate. When you're lost and penniless, you get really desperate. So went my first night in Damascus. For some reason I have been having troubles with my ATM card in some countries. I had major problems in India and I encountered the same problems in Syria last night. To compound the problem, Syrians aren't huge ATM fans so they're few and far between. To compound it even more, most ATMs close when the adjoining bank closes, which is around 4pm. So I'm hungry and penniless walking the streets of Damascus looking for any place that will dispense cash. Ok, so I wasn't completely broke- the 6'8" Texan had spotted me the equiavlent of about $10 so I was getting by on that. But with money running short I was getting really worried I would have to wait until tomorrow to get some cash. I started asking people on the street, but they had no idea. I spotted a young fellow that I pegged as someone who would speak good English. I was right. He offered to drive me around until I found something, so I broke a cardinal rule of childhood and hopped into the car with a stranger. I never even actually got his name, but he dropped me off in front of a bank and drove off. I walked up, inserted my card and the machine spit it right back out. No dice.

So I started walking. I used what little money I had left to buy a shawarma and a water and continued looking for ATMs. Suffice it to say I found about 4 more, but none would give me any money. I hadn't really been paying attention to where I was going so I was completely lost. I knew I was heading in the correct general direction, but I was winding through back alleys and completely lost. I stopped several people to ask directions and all were most helpful. In fact one guy reached into the bag he was carrying and gave me a handful of weird nut looking things. They were big and red. I had never seen anything like it. Breaking cardinal rule No. 2 of not taking candy from strangers, I thanked him and walked on. After a few minutes I put one of the things in my mouth. It had a truly strange texture and I had to spit it back out. I tossed the rest respectfully along the side of the road.

I got even more lost after that. But Patrick, just get a taxi you say. Well, I would have but all were full. Not even joking. Every single taxi was full. I kept walking in the general direction and found some open cabs, but I was so close at this point none of them would take me. I finally found a guy who walked with me to my hotel. He was most kind.

After I got back, Sameer (the guy from the taxi) came and picked me up and we (along with his girlfriend and the Texan) went out to dinner for her brithday. It was actually a very enjoyable evening and we shared a hookah and had some good food. It is very nice when you're a solo travler to have someone who will take you under their wing and take care of you. After dinner (which oddly started about 11pm) Sameer took me to an ATM that he knew would work, and it did. I am now flush with cash and ready to take on the city.

So all in all not the most interesting story to tell (or listen to for that matter) but it definitely made for an interesting evening. My first impressions of Damascus are positive ones. All the bad things you hear about the country are, as usual, totally wrong. I've found the people here to be truly nice and welcoming to Americans. Everyone I've talked to aspires to go to America one day. Now Damascus is quite different from Amman. Amman is a very Westernized city. Roads are in good shape, everything is labeled in English and Arabic. McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Applebee's dot the landscape. Huge malls and grocery stores are everywhere. Damascus is quite the opposite. Little English on the streets. No American fast food chains. The only traffic law is to wear a seatbelt. So for a first time visitor to the Middle East, I would recommend getting your feet wet in Amman and then, when you're ready, hop over to Syria. Here you will get the true scope of the region.

Alright, enough rambling. I am going to do a little sightseeing before I meet with a CSer tonight for dinner. I'll keep you up to speed. Take care.