With the temperature hovering at 45 degrees and not a hotel in sight we ended up heading to Eva Cafe Raqqa for some liquid and a bit of a chill. It turns out this might be a bot of a hidden gem.
This followed on from us being a bit depressed by Raqqa Football Stadium, as well as sampling Raqqa Street Food. It also happened when we were out on a limb and waiting for the one hotel to let us in,,,,,
Rojava is bureaucratic…..
Rojava might be singing the tune of a carefree anarchism, but un fact the bureaucracy has much more in common with communism,
Thus there is one place in Raqqa that will let in journalists and we need permission from he Peoples Commissar to go there….
I suggested finding AC, internet and more. Eva Cafe offered this.
But first a street haircut!
Always a fan of a street haircut and shave when the group weren’t in to get their drinks I hung back and got not just a shave but a haircut. This cost like $1.50 and was epic.
One again I look like a hooligan, but with a side of gay venison of Freddy Mercury (the mustache).
Eva Cafe Raqqa
Eva Cafe is actually not the special in that it sells juice, tea and soft drinks with no refreshments. What does make it different though is that in a post Islamic State world it is the only one of its kind within the city.
And that is a place where both men and women can come to relax together and to drink coffee. Unsurprisingly it sane after 2017 and the end of ISIS with such a thing frowned upon back one the day.
I am no fan of any kind of extremism regardless of the flavor, but you must wonder what stick up their ass ISIS, IISL or whatever had to basically hate any ind of fun.
Time though they are a changing and one can only hope that places like Eva Cafe Raqqa alongside Al Fakha are more indicative of the future of Raqqa city.