More on Syria

Today was our third day in the city of Aleppo, and the city and the people continue to grow on me. I've never been to a place where people have been so aggressively friendly. The sidewalks are packed with bustling people and shouting vendors. The streets are packed with cars that seem to have no regard for your existence as they brush your legs when you cross the street. The air is filled with the screech of car horns and the scent of freshly cooked felafels. I can't tell you how many times people have come up to me and try to talk to me, or how many times I've walked down the street to a chorus of hellos and welcome to Syria. I was walking down the street with a Syrian friend when I shook hands with an enthusiastic street vendor. He tried to speak to me in Arabic, and I just nodded my head as I was swept away by the sea of people in the streets. My friend then told me that he said to me "Hello, welcome to Syria! We want to show you that Syria is not a dangerous place!"

Everything that I have experienced so far has given me no sense of danger. In fact, quite the opposite. I feel safer here then I would in downtown Minneapolis or Cincinati. I've walked the streets with food in hand during the Moslem fast, and have not received a single look of disapproval. The worst I've seen are a few sneers from Syrian teenagers that seem to have a little too much to prove. It seems that the US government exaggerates when it advises, "This Travel Warning warns U.S. citizens of ongoing safety and security concerns in Syria. American citizens are urged to consider carefully the risks of travel to Syria and to take adequate precautions to ensure their safety."

Then again, the warnings are not to be entirely disregarded. While the Syrian people are perhaps the friendliest I've ever encountered, there seems to be a lot of undercurrents to the government. Syria is a military state run entirely by the government. The country has been under emergency law since 1963, stripping the citizens of essentially all their constitutional rights. For now, because of oil production, the Syrian government is very rich and can provide for its citizens. All it asks in return in unwavering trust and no questions asked. The Syrian leader, Bashar Al-Assad, is pictured on every street corner and every shop, reminding every citizen of who is watching.

Furthermore, one can see the natural propensity for volatility in the streets of Aleppo. Chris Beddor put it best when he said that in order to start a riot, one would simply have to walk into the street and start shouting mutinous claims, and the anarchy would descend, whereas in the US any sort of protest must be organized prior to its execution.

That being said, I haven't seen anything that would lead me to advise anyone against traveling to Syria. This could be my favorite country that I've ever visited. Historically and culturally it could be one of the richest places I've ever seen.

Tonight, the fast of Ramadan is breaking, so the streets will be packed body to body with endless streams of Syrian celebrants. It's a very strange phenomenon, because many Moslem will appropriate their schedule to fit the Ramadan fast, and sleep during the day, while staying up all night. In previous nights, the streets have been more crowded at 4 in the morning than they are at noon. And tonight is the mother of all celebrations. I'll be sure to update you all about it!

P.S. More pictures are on their way, but today I forgot my other memory card. Sorry!

P.P.S. I got to use my Italian yesterday!