Nablus "Kenafe" is different

Although the weather was beautiful at the beginning of the day, as we arrived in Nablus it started to get worse, even worse than the UK! Why did we go in winter? Perhaps we could complement the rain with the atmosphere of the Turkish baths and shisha smoke? We browsed the bargain price household goods - from toy guns to giant radishes and musical instruments, but the rain got progressively heavier. At least one of us was thinking about buying dry socks at any price! 

We squeezed through kilometers of tiny alleys, twisting and turning, and only narrowly survived the great shopping trolley crash. Waiting at a corner, we spoke to a charming young man and his kid brothers, interrupting their work in the bakery. The smell of bread could have kept us there. Can a smell keep you warm? 

Kenafe. Some of the Brits had heard about it before. The one in Nablus was supposed to be particularly special and we were going to eat Kenafe at the right time (a well-kept Palestinian secret). We didn't follow the example of some, leaning against the wall. Instead we ate inside at tables; with the cheese making strings and the honeyed syrup sliding from the spoon to our lips.

The two mountains either side of Nablus brought the rain down upon us. But, perhaps, it was actually holy water and we were being blessed for our trip. How else can it be that we had fun walking in the rain, with drops splashing from our noses?