SECRET POLICEMANS BALLS

just back from Three Greyhounds, electric went off mid blog type at teatime, had dinner at pub plus a few pints!, unfortunately my stomach is still not a 100% and I'm now paying the price!

So where were we, ah yes Aleppo, we arrived early evening at the Sheraton Hotel, not up to much after the Four Seasons in Damascus and terrible outside noise but a large room on the club floor although the happy hour free drink had already finished, didn't miss much it was only half a bottle of local beer when I got it next night, service was poor all round. East at the Italian in house, good coffee and ice-cream rest was dodgy, sent spuds back for chips which was edible. Next day set out around Souk sightseeing, bought a couple of table cloths in Damask linen then visited the museum of the first mental hospital min world, seen it featured on UK television. After this a tea break outside the castle, Mandy was too tired to tour and I left the guide behind as I didn't want to be all day. Some good panoramas from on high otherwise too many plastic bottles, bags and rubbish, needed a clean up, a man who had asked if it was a TV camera turned out on my return to be the buildings director, said I'd been round too quick, told him if he wanted something to do he should go and collect some litter.

In the afternoon Mandy went poolside while I headed into town searching for a good bus spot, the bus stations were near the hotel and I had no bother at first everyone was very friendly. The bus drivers were all waving, the city services like in Damascus were now mainly Chinese King Longs painted green, older buses were on suburban services, village buses parked up were sparse, otherwise a bit of a mix with origins not always obvious. Then I made the mistake of venturing a few yards up towards a minibus station for out of town services, got picked up by police who were after cash, managed to get myself out of that scrape and decided to call it a day. Walking back to hotel I paused at a road junction not sure which fork to take towards the clock tower adjacent to hotel which I could see over the buildings. I was just going to ask a traffic cop for direction when I was grabbed on the arm by some guy, turns out to be secret police but how would I know, dragged away by two of them, ended up in spy HQ a shop front which must have been their HQ. Eventually hauled off again around to a hotel where they requisitioned a room, big chief secret police head honcho eventually turned up, I was praying I wouldn't lose all my film and photos. After examination they fixed on the morning museum shots in the hospital, though it was some secret synagogue and I was Israeli spy, or some such rubbish. Anyway after a few hours I got an apology and let go, the hotel staff were all very sympathetic and gave my hospitality and the manager ran me back in his own car, constant contrasts in hostility and hospitality marked Syria throughout.