Our second stop was the Village of Twalid Dabaghein where we visited the unique vernacular architecture - beehive houses. Beehive houses are conical houses made with mud bricks. The mass of the masonry and the high volume of the dome are perfect to keep out the summer heat. We were invited to enter one of the houses for tea. Chickens and a herd of sheep wandered in front of the house. Our host showed us his guest-book and offered us mint tea. As we passed around the sugar and tea pot, I began to observe the interior of the beehive house. The interior was painted mainly in white. A fan was hung from the very top of the spiral brickwork. Several decorations were also hung on the wall, including a poster of former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad and a few textile works. As I finished writing my comment in the guest book, an old man who was the host's neighbour and his young daughter came in the house to chat with us. I brought out my sketchbook and let the old man and his daughter to write something down. I showed them a photo of my birthplace Hong Kong, and they seemed very delighted and curious. That's it. We had some pleasant moments in the beehive house, which was actually quite cool despite the late morning sun outside. At the end, we left some tips for the host.
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