As promised, here are Hugh's
words and photos of "Damascus away from that lovely mosque.
The image of President Bassar al-Assad is ubiquitous - banners on buildings, framed photographs in every shop I've looked into. It is illegal to criticise him publicly.
A lot of the old Damscene houses are ripe for renovation. This is what can be done:
The 'Old Damascus' Hotel. There are several like it. A bargain at around $80 a night. Almost total silence, apart from mosques and churches every now and then. And the splashing fountain.
Time for lunch. That's my meal in the foreground. Piping hot fresh pizzas - the one with zatar (thyme) and olive oil is really good. Total cost: £75. Syrian £s. ie, 75p.
Lunch another day. Bigger pizzas, 40p each. And here's who I met while I was waiting for my lunch to bake:
A man passing by saw me taking those photographs, and waited to ask me: "Do you have monkeys like this in Britain?" Damascus is gull of wonderfully friendly, confident children. And adults. Sadly, also, there is a lot of child labour. Those children look exhausted. One little boy stands at a corner near my hotel, with a small set of scales for passers by to stand on and check their weight. He gets about 10p a time. He stands there for hours, great grey bags under his eyes. I didn't photograph him.
This man wanted his picture taken: 
Ahmed, a refugee from the violence in Iraq. He spat fury about George Bush, and made gestures saying that he would shoot him, and stab him, and stamp on his head.
The leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshal, who lives in Damascus.
The editor of the Syrian government newspaper, al-B'aath, Elias Murad. And that's him in the old photgraph:
1973. Elias on the left, posing proudly by the wreckage of an Israeli plane. It was shot down during Syria's failed attempt to regain the Golan Heights - which were captured by Israel in 1967.
The new Assad Centre for the Arts and Culture.
Damascus is Arab City of Culture 2008. The Peter Brook production was powerful, thought provoking, and the actor Bruce Myers received a standing ovation.
After the show, time for a hubble-bubble at al-Rowda cafe. Water pipes, chess games, a clack of dominoes, and Euro 2008. Wild cheers when Turkey beat Switzerland.
And that's Georges. He kept smiling at me. So I promised to use his picture. I don't think he understood - he just went on grinning. Lovely place, warm-hearted welcoming people. Yes, there is some imprisonment without trial. But, as Elias Murad said to me: "Nothing worse than Guantanamo"."
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