- Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese artist, poet, and writer born in B'charre.
Recovered from our hike of Mt. Sinai we prepared for a "leisurely day" crossing into Jordan via the Egyptian ferry. Arriving at the terminal at 11:30am and ready to take the 2pm boat due to arrive on the Jordan side at 3pm we were all set. So we thought. Fast boat tickets were sold out so we opted for the 2 hour slow boat at 3pm. We have been in this region long enough to know that all those times are estimates at best but this was a personal record. The boat didn't leave till almost 7pm and dumped us on the other side at 12:30am. On the bright side the boat was well kept and we traveled with a great Danish/American couple that kept things fun.
A bus up to Amman and a bag full of DVD's later and we were off for our next destination - Lebanon.
Arriving in Beirut were were smacked in the face with how different it all was. On one hand it was a city of opulent lifestyles - huge expensive SUV's, numerous pool bars around the Mediterranean Corniche, elegant fashion, expensive restaurants, art galleries and luxuries shopping. On the other hand there are tanks rolling in the streets, soldiers armed in bunkers at street corners, frequent power cuts, heavy air pollution, begging street children, refugee camps and bullet ridden buildings.
Walking around you can't help but wonder how does this all work? Equal amount churches and mosques, people fully covered and others wearing virtually nothing, incredible wealth beside staggering poverty. Does it work here? Can it work here?
A few days in the city is hardly enough to comment but it seems the only way this works is the people that inhabit this place. They seemed resilient and welcoming regardless of the situation. We soon had our fill of this busy, hilly, humid, hot city and set our sites inland.
(Beirut Cornish and sunbathers)
(Martyr's Square and Mohammed Al-Amin Mosque)
(Beirut Holiday Inn post-civil war)
(Beach Clubs and Barb Wire in Beirut)
(Pigeon Rocks, Beirut)
We hopped in a cramped mini van and headed for Baalbeck in the Bekaa Valley. The beautiful drive up and over the mountains immediately took us back home as the terrain matched that of the interior of BC in the summer months.
We headed to Baalbeck to see arguably the most important and well preserved Roman ruins in the Middle East. Baalbeck's temples were initiated by the Phoenecians, and the Romans extensively developed this grand complex well into the 1st century AD. Always used as a site of religion - be it pageon or christian - it was a place of great importance for hundreds of years.
This tiny cobble stoned town was again very welcoming, and home to the best hommous of our trip so far (no small feat). It is also well-known as the head quarters of Hezbollah. The flags and images of this party are all over the city and the prayers over the loud speakers seem laced with party messages. It was slightly unnerving to wander through the ruins, listening to the loud speakers while "booms" of the military "practicing" echoed all around us. As safe as we felt in the city it was still time to go after a day at the ruins.
We headed to Baalbeck to see arguably the most important and well preserved Roman ruins in the Middle East. Baalbeck's temples were initiated by the Phoenecians, and the Romans extensively developed this grand complex well into the 1st century AD. Always used as a site of religion - be it pageon or christian - it was a place of great importance for hundreds of years.
This tiny cobble stoned town was again very welcoming, and home to the best hommous of our trip so far (no small feat). It is also well-known as the head quarters of Hezbollah. The flags and images of this party are all over the city and the prayers over the loud speakers seem laced with party messages. It was slightly unnerving to wander through the ruins, listening to the loud speakers while "booms" of the military "practicing" echoed all around us. As safe as we felt in the city it was still time to go after a day at the ruins.
(Baalbeck Ruins)
Finding our way out of the Hezbollah countryside and into the Christian dominated hills offers no public transport. A few service taxis later we found a guy willing to take us up into the beautiful mountain villages of the Cedars. We headed straight for the tiny town of Bcharre which most resembled a village in the Alps then one in the Middle East.
The town is home to the famous poet Kahlil Gibran and many ancient Maronite monasteries carved into the mountain valley below. We spent two days hiking through this gorgeous region stumbling upon grottos, monastaries and elaborate churches. Gibran is buried in the hills here and a museum was put over his tomb. Art in the Middle East is something that we have not seen a great deal of but here in Lebanon they champion artists and it was refreshing to see. Joel still can't figure out why this guy was so famous when his poems didn't even rhyme! There's no accounting for taste.
The town is home to the famous poet Kahlil Gibran and many ancient Maronite monasteries carved into the mountain valley below. We spent two days hiking through this gorgeous region stumbling upon grottos, monastaries and elaborate churches. Gibran is buried in the hills here and a museum was put over his tomb. Art in the Middle East is something that we have not seen a great deal of but here in Lebanon they champion artists and it was refreshing to see. Joel still can't figure out why this guy was so famous when his poems didn't even rhyme! There's no accounting for taste.
(Bcharre and the Qdisha Valley)
(St. Elisha Monastery)
(Hiking in the Qdisha Valley)
(Khalil Gibran Museum and Tomb)From the hills we headed back to Beirut for a day of rest and then another "leisurely day" of travel back to Jordan. Wanting to skip the cost of a taxi we opted for a public bus to the airport. Assured of our destination by the driver off we went. Needless to say it was the longest 2 hour, 6km drive of our lives. Time was ticking and the route and traffic just kept getting worse. Soon we were in the south of Beirut in an area we were told not to walk in (refugee camps). We realized quickly (not quick enough) that we were well past the airport and the driver had forgotten about us.
We jumped out of the bus, departure time approaching and needing to get a ride. We ran to some vans and arranged a ride through two guys and off we went. We thought. We were explaining our rush in Arabic and they began fighting with each other. They blocked each others vans and argued. Time kept ticking. We continued in our broken Arabic and finally it was agreed we were off with the second guy. So we thought again.
Now speeding down the highway the first guy drives up and they shout at each other, he cut off our van and slammed on our brakes. Jumping out of the van in the middle of a highway we switched to the first van and off we went with the first guy. Crazy finale to a unique Middle Eastern country!
We jumped out of the bus, departure time approaching and needing to get a ride. We ran to some vans and arranged a ride through two guys and off we went. We thought. We were explaining our rush in Arabic and they began fighting with each other. They blocked each others vans and argued. Time kept ticking. We continued in our broken Arabic and finally it was agreed we were off with the second guy. So we thought again.
Now speeding down the highway the first guy drives up and they shout at each other, he cut off our van and slammed on our brakes. Jumping out of the van in the middle of a highway we switched to the first van and off we went with the first guy. Crazy finale to a unique Middle Eastern country!
Our next stop: The Holy land
Inshallah things will be smoother...
Je t'aime Lebanon!
Inshallah things will be smoother...
Je t'aime Lebanon!
