damascus: broke student's survival guide

i’ve been in damascus for a week now, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride.

i just checked and the air’s doing that thing where it’s 10.83 but feels like 9.74, so pack a jacket that’s thinner than your textbook budget.

walking everywhere is cheaper than my tuition, but the old city alleys twist like brain teasers.

"heard from this sleepy cafe owner that the real shawarma battle happens at sunset near the umayyad mosque-look for the guy with the extra garlic sauce."

food’s shockingly affordable if you avoid the tourist traps. try these local spots on yelp for under $5 meals.

crash at this $8/night hostel where the bunk beds double as social networking events.

"some drunk guy at a hookah bar warned me the grand mosque gets ‘holy traffic’ by 9am-said to go early or risk becoming part of the human parking lot."

museums are free on thursdays if you can stomach the bureaucratic maze. if the crowds start grinding your gears, beirut and amman are just a bus ride away for a change of scenery. check out hidden gems on the lonely planet forum before you go.

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