Aleppo's Echoes: Dust, Dates, and a Drummer's Lament

okay, so. aleppo. right? it’s…a lot. i just checked and it’s hovering around sixteen degrees celsius, feels like fifteen. a bit brisk, honestly, especially when you’re lugging around a snare drum and a whole bunch of cymbals. i’m leo, by the way, touring session drummer. usually i’m bouncing between stadiums and festivals, but my agent suggested i “broaden my horizons” and “find some inspiration.” inspiration, huh?

this trip…it’s different. it’s not about the music, not really. it’s about the silence between the notes, you know? the weight of history pressing down. the city itself feels like a half-remembered melody, beautiful and broken all at once. i’ve been wandering around the old city, trying to soak it all in. the smell of dates is everywhere, which is amazing, don't get me wrong, but also kind of overwhelming after a while.

I’m staying in a tiny guesthouse near the Citadel. it’s run by this lovely woman named Fatima. she makes the best cardamom coffee i’ve ever had. seriously. i’m thinking of asking her for the recipe. she doesn’t speak much English, but we communicate through smiles and gestures and the universal language of caffeine.

Someone told me that the souks are the place to be for authentic experiences. Apparently, you can find anything there - spices, carpets, antique jewelry…and probably a few scams too. I haven’t ventured in too deep yet, to be honest. It’s a bit…intense. I did grab some amazing baklava though. Worth the potential hassle, definitely. Check out TripAdvisor for some reviews, but honestly, half the fun is just getting lost. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g297662-Aleppo_Aleppo_Province-Vacations.html

I’ve been trying to find a decent place to practice my drumming. The guesthouse courtyard is a little too…public. I overheard some guys at a cafe saying there’s a music school on al-Farah Street. Apparently, they’re always looking for guest musicians. Might check that out tomorrow.

“Don’t trust the taxi drivers near the Great Mosque,” a guy slurring his words told me at a kebab stand. “They’ll take you on a scenic tour…of their relatives’ shops.”

if you get bored, antakya and idlib are just a short drive away. i’m trying to be respectful, you know? this isn’t a vacation in the traditional sense. it’s…a pilgrimage, maybe? to a place that’s been through so much. i’m trying to listen more than i’m talking. to hear the echoes of the past, and maybe, just maybe, find a little bit of hope for the future.

*the citadel is incredible, by the way. the views are… sobering. you can see the whole city spread out before you, a patchwork of ancient ruins and modern reconstruction. it’s a stark reminder of what’s been lost, and what’s still standing. I found a little cafe nearby with amazing views. Yelp has some reviews, but honestly, just wander and see what you find. https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=cafe&find_loc=Aleppo%2C+Syria

I’m also trying to document this trip through photos. It’s proving difficult. The light is harsh, the streets are chaotic, and there’s a certain… fragility to everything. But i’m trying. I’m trying to capture the essence of this place, before it fades away completely. I've been posting some on my Instagram, if you're interested. https://www.instagram.com/leothebeat/

pro-tip: learn a few basic arabic phrases. it goes a long way. always haggle in the souks. seriously, watch out for those taxi drivers. and* don’t be afraid to get lost. that’s where the real discoveries happen.

I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring. Maybe i’ll find that music school. Maybe i’ll just wander the streets and listen to the silence. Either way, i’ll keep you posted.

ps - the humidity is surprisingly low, considering. twenty-three percent. who knew?

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