Seidnayya

I visited the Greek Orthodox Convent of Our Lady of Seidnayya with three travelers who have been backpacking through several countries since last summer. This convent is famous for having a portrait of the Virgin Mary painted y St. Luke. It took less than one hour for a minibus ride from Damascus to get to one of the most important places of Christian Pilgrimage in the Middle East.

Maalula

Maalula is a predominantly Christian village. We took a minibus for one hour to get there. It is the home of two ancient Christian convents: Mar Sarkis and Mar Taqla. The rocky hills around the village make the scene intriguing.

Palmyra-People & Streets

While walking on the streets in Palmyra, we were often invited to have tea with them. People here were friendly and always tried to be helpful. We also saw a lot of Bedouin people (nomadic tribes) and their tent houses here or there. People and streets seemed more attractive to me than the ancient site.

Palmyra -Roman Ruins

I went to this small desert town with Ellen and fell in love with the beauty of the landscape around this ancient Roman ruins. We stayed here two nights to explore more and take a lot of photos.

Being in Damascus

This is one of rooms that I had stayed in a budget hotel near the old city.

How many cats are there on the rooftop?

College students in a cafe at Damascus University

Feeding birds outside a mosque

I have been in Damascus more than three weeks. In the first two weeks, I had some trouble to settle myself into a new life here. After living in a budge hotel for 15 days and traveling with others to some nearby towns, I figure out a little by little how to survive in this unfamiliar but friendly country.

New York City Dog

It was extremely cold when I visited the city. A few people walked their dogs outside and dressed their dear friends in a cute way, especially this one wearing red shoes.

A Walk in Central Park

In a cold and snowing morning in New York City, I walked through Central Park with friends after a visit to a photo exhibit of Robert Frank's The Americans at Met.