Damascus and much needed rest. Thanks to our Finnish friend S (and the future hairy male immigrant; four-legged though), we could just sleep, eat and enjoy their excellent company – and not to forget Finnish women magazines, oh Heaven!
From Damascus, we did also a 2-day trip to Palmyra Roman ruins, which are in the Syrian desert. The ruins themselves were of course magnificent, but the town around them not so much. It is a small town which sees way too much of tourism, and people’s attitude is… um… shitty.
I don’t mind too much of kids shouting photo, photo, except when EVERYone of them we walk by does that. Not to mention the kids trying to sell postcards/cheap jewelery/”authentic” handicrafts etc. Their older brothers and fathers on the other hand are trying to insist to come to their restaurant/hotel/taxi etc. And I mean, EVERYone of them does that. It was virtually impossible to walk on the main street of the town.
What comes to so called tourist facilities in the town they were non-existent. All the hotel personnel in every places we went to ask the prices were really arrogant, and waiters in the restaurants and coffee-shops were rude. Am not asking for any special treatment, just basic manners like saying hello and not throwing the plate to the table (expensive and almost uneatable food on top of that). I had constantly the feeling that someone is going to spit on my face, so bad it was. And of course, the verbal sexual harassment and suggestive looks were constant even if I was with my Arabic-speaking husband (this didn’t happen to me anywhere else in Syria, by the way – curious looks, yes, but not harassment).
We came to a conclusion that it is because of tourism. It is always the worst in the places which huge amount of tourists go to – tourists with thick wallets. They give impression that all the Westerners have huge amounts of money and are easily to be ripped off. It is truly a shame that Palmyra is like this, since it is the place most of the tour company tourists go to, and it really gives a bad image of Syria. Syrians are friendly, kind and hospitable people, not rude assholes like in Palmyra. I highly suggest to go to Palmyra only to visit the ruins, not to overnight in there.
Also, we had a long conversation about the Arab male manners with S in Damascus. That is something we unfortunately cant have much of effect, so we just have to tolerate the occasional harassment (which luckily is not so bad in Middle East as it is in India).
But the curious thing, we thought, is the dressing habits of some Western female tourists. It is not that they dress too sexy, just the opposite. For example, I was in Aleppo dressed in a normal way – modest t-shirt and jeans – and two European female tourist looked at me much much angrier than locals have ever done. They themselves had long tunics and skirts on them.
I, and also S, who both have more experience about the culture in Middle East than occasional tourist, we just think it is stupid. We have seen tourists even wearing head-scarfs, which is the peak of it. It is not our culture to wear it, and quite many of the local women don’t also wear one. Especially in cities like Aleppo, Damascus or Amman, which have huge Christian minority, its totally unnecessary to dress up like in Iran. Locals dont respect tourists more, actually they laugh at them – believe me, I understand what they say behind your back!
I also think it is a sort of racism not to be able to see the diversity in Middle East. Furthermore, it can actually harm the local girls who want to dress like – well, Britney Spears (and yes, you see girls like this a lot in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, and I suppose in Egypt, too). If they choose to wear clothes like that, let them do that.
Of course, am not saying that we should wear hot-pants or mini-skirts since, unfortunately, that is asking for trouble in here. But modest Western clothing in the cities is not an issue. In the countryside, especially in the Bedouin areas, am wearing long sleeves and long skirts, too.
Maiku, who finally had to get rid of her favourite pair of jeans since they broke fourth time. Bohoo!
