After five years of fighting and a quarter of a million dead, the Syrian conflict continues despite the ceasefire, with fears that it may intensify. There is also much speculation on how the Russian military draw down might affect the outcome of a conflict that has changed the lives of Syrians. All previous peace talks have failed, but delegations from the government and opposition still gather in Geneva for the latest round of peace talks.
The five years of war may have brought the Syrian tourism industry to a grinding halt but the ceasefire has managed to bring more people out of their houses and into this popular restaurant in the old part of Damascus. That's good news for the owners but it can't make up for five years of bad luck.
But just meters from the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant, the mood was more anxious. Many people fear that Russia's decision to withdraw the main part of its military forces in Syria could render useless the gains that the Syrian army managed to make in the past few months.
It has been five years since protests broke out in Syria ushering the country into an era of bloodshed and misery. And yet prospects for peace remain as distant as ever. On the streets of the Syrian capital, opinions vary on how the war has changed everyday life.
The Syrian war has been full of surprises. It turned quickly into a regional conflict that soon after became an international issue, and with the decisions changing the course of the war decided in world capitals there is little that these people on the streets of Damascus can do or say to change their destiny. fully knowing that whatever international decision is made, they will be the ones paying for it and bearing its consequences.
The slow rhythm in the city streets and markets does not mean that Syria's bloody conflict is less likely to escalate at any minute.
