Eid al Adha

It's really just like Christmas here but more so.

We are in the middle of Eid al Adha and everyone is involved. People are visiting their families and their friends, buying gifts, eating and talking.

Thursday night - the last night before Eid - was stunning. Religious people had been fasting all day but this was not apparent. Streets were shut to make space for more stalls and more shoppers. Everyone came to shop. We left our flat at 11pm with Rami as our guide and just wandered through the Old City and City Centre. Almost every shop was open - and the extra ones.

Everywhere was crowded, hard to get around because of the throngs. We gave up at midnight but others apparently carried on until 2 or 4am.

It was noisy and messy, piles of packaging strewn everywhere - even Scottish rubbish (see photo). But when we came back tomorrow every bit of it had been swept up and removed.

People were so excited. We stood out like sore thumbs and everyone welcomed us, asked How are You? and What is your Name? Some of they younger boys were a bit too boistrous - following us and wanting to talk - but all in high spirits and friendship. We became one of the toys of Eid.

Even the mosques were ready for Eid with special prayer calls.