June 12, 2009 – Day 169 – Aleppo, Syria

Since we are really just in transit to Turkey and don’t have enough time to really see Syria this time around, we checked out early and caught a bus to Aleppo. Unfortunately, we spent most of the day traveling and didn’t get to Aleppo til early evening.

The drive north

Aleppo is a very strange place. It feels unlike any other middle eastern city we’ve yet traveled to. Overall it feels very sketchy and the people don’t resonate friendly warmth. Sidewalks are severely congested and the stares are more than the typical ones. They are a hint aggressive and unwelcoming.

Another thing about Aleppo, it can be incredibly difficult to find any place to eat! There seems to be more auto parts stores downtown than anything else. The hotels are either really crummy and cheap or really, really expensive. We weren’t here to sightsee; we’re just taking a 5AM bus into Turkey tomorrow but we did take the time to wander up to the Citadel and watch the nightlife from a cafe in the plaza.

The Citadel lit at night