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Other entries in Damascus

It is all about Halal

It is slightly surreal coming across a group of men casually slicing open a goat's head in the street - stray hooves in thick mucosae of blood puddles strewn in an alley, fuzzy fur wisps blowing along the ground in the evening breeze... oh yes, and the rest of the goat's body informally piled up in large chunks on the sidewalk.

It is one of those images which somehow wipes clean the rest of the mental pictures you might have been mulling over throughout the day.

Though I do have to say, Mabrouk to all my fellow Ismailis on this special day! We are off for prayers, food and dancing tonight... and let me just say, Syrians have to be some of the most attractive people on the earth - all those green eyes and haltingly shy displays of etiquette.

On a boringly practical note (for those of you ballofdirters searching for travel advice): I was looking for something fancy to wear tonight (as I brought only casual things, only three shirts and three trousers with me... and now that I'm down to 2 trousers things are getting a bit... shall we say, grubby) - but it seems to be nearly impossible to buy cotton here. The ladies here like their synthetic fibers, which is just unthinkable for me in this heat. So, if you are heading this way, don't be swayed by stereotypes! And if you don't want to buy synthetics here, bring enough - your knee length skirts, and short-sleeved blouses... even tank tops! Almost anything goes in this city - full hijab to have-you-just-stepped-out-of-a-Christina-Aguilera-video? My floaty linens seem so... afeminine!

Righto - off for my hammam. x