Bon voyage, Beirut...

After three and half action-packed, sight-filled, highly-fulfilling days in Beirut and beyond, it's just about time for Ben and I to wrap up the first leg of our journey and move on to Part II, Syria. But first, a recap of our last day in Lebanon and our overall impressions of the country and its capital city.

Today was a day simply devoted to wrapping up a few loose ends and seeing all of the sights in Beirut we hadn't quite gotten to(as well as those we'd seen at night and hadn't been able to get quality pictures of).

Our first order of business was printing out our hotel reservations for Aleppo, Damascus, and Amman, as a precautionary measure to help our chances of crossing the border into Syria successfully. Although you are "officially" supposed to acquire a Syrian visa from the embassy in your home country, many travelers have been able to obtain them at Syrian border crossings. It's not necessarily a guarantee that you'll get in, but it's a gamble that we were willing to take, especially considering that visas at the border cost $100 less than ones obtained from the embassy. Don't ask me why. Having proof that we would be staying at hotels in Syria and, perhaps more importantly, would be exiting for Jordan after only three days, would certainly help to facilitate the visa-approval process, which can apparently takes about 5 hours on average. Fortunately, we've devoted an entire day to crossing the border.

After that busy work, we grabbed some cheap breakfast (a cooked cheesy wrap for 2000 LL) and took a cab to the National Museum of Beirut, a "most see" according to our Lonely Planet travel guide. The museum didn't disappoint. It was an astounding collection of art work and artifacts from the ancient world, much of it coming from 2nd century BC through 4th century AD. Although the sculptures and images had a recognizable Roman or Egyptian or Byzantine flair to them, it was interesting to note that they had all been produced in the Beirut vicinity. In fact, many of them had been discovered in Byblos, the town 30 km to north that we had visited just two days before. The fact that so many different types of artwork had been produced in Lebanon highlights the great variety of imperial influences that have shaped the country's history and culture over the centuries. For some great pics (and a movie) from inside the museum, head to the Beirut album and scroll about halfway through.



Next on our agenda was a trip to the Robert Mouwad Museum (spelling is off), a private mansion that houses an impressive collection of jewelry and impressionist art. However, though our Lonely Planet guide was spot on with regards to its recommendation of the National Museum, its directions to the Robert Mouwad Museum were very poor. Despite being convinced that we had arrived at the location the book illustrates, there was no museum to be found. Although, to be fair, we did discover an old mansion, not in use, across from a office tower entitled "Robert Mouwad Building." Perhaps the museum was once housed in the mansion and had simply closed?

Though a little disappointed, we moved on and attempted to locate another museum. We eventually came across this one (name escapes me), but it was unfortunately under construction, and not open. Bummer. We had spent over two hours trying to track down museums that were either closed or non-existent.

Our wanderings had been fruitless, but at least they had placed us smack dab in downtown Beirut. We were able to revisit many of the sights that were unphotographable a couple of nights before, such as the al-Amin Mosque and St. George's Maronite Cathedral (pictured right next to each other in the picture below), although we were prevented by security from taking pictures of the prime minister's residence, a bit of a disappointment. We headed back to Hamra, grabbed some dinner, and called it a day.



Beirut, and Lebanon as a whole, is a highly complex place. Throughout my brief time here, I was overwhelmingly struck by the dualistic nature that defines this country and its capital. For instance, although many areas of Beirut carry a distinctly European vibe, walking a few kilometers from downtown will bring you to an area that is far more similar to Cairo than it is to Paris.The Muslim-Christian dichotomy is also very noticeable. For the most part, the two religions seem to come together to form the complete picture of Lebanon, as I've attempted to illustrate with the image above. Churches and mosques are spread uniformly throughout the city, and Muslim and Christians live side by side in relative peace. However, it is difficult to forget the sad consequences that have emerged when the country's religious factions were unable to resolve their differences. Also striking was the contrast between the new glitzy and glammy developments in Beirut and the scorched and bullet-ridden buildings that often stood a few feet meters away. A similar visual of this apparent paradox is the sight of Porsches and Ferarris driving down streets lined with razor wire and guarded by armed guards and a tank.

This type of dichotomous relationship also defined our experiences in Lebanon. On the one hand, there were several highs, most notably our day trips to Byblos, the Jeita grotto, and Baalbek, the delicious food we had in Beirut, as well as the sense of accomplishment we developed when we could use the mass transit with ease or make our way back to the hotel from kilometers away on intuition and sign-reading alone. But there were also some low points, including getting overcharged for our taxi ride from the airport, getting denied entrance at a club on Thursday night, getting ripped off at a bar, and staying in an expensive, but inadequate hotel. As Ben (who I'm beginning to realize is very wise) said, it's important not to weigh our overall time in Lebanon based on a few individual incidents, but instead, to reflect upon the overall experience. With this in mind, my Lebanese experience has been phenomenal. I've gotten to see several breath-taking, one-in-a-million sights and I've been able to get somewhat of a feel for this truly unique culture and country, that is distinctly Arab and European, Christian and Muslim, at the same time.

With this reflection fresh in my mind, I prepare to say good-bye to Beirut and Lebanon as we depart for Syria tomorrow morning. We're not entirely sure how it'll work, but we're planning to catch a bus at 7:30 am, get dropped off at the border, acquire a Syrian visa (God help us!), and make it to Aleppo by night-fall. Feel free to wish us good luck...we'll probably need it.

When in Baalbeck...

Who would've thought that some of the world's most impressive Roman ruins would be in Lebanon? Not me.

But after a day in Baalbek, I can definitively confirm that if you want to see ancient Roman stuff, don't waste your time in Italy, come out here to the Middle East. I've never been a huge ancient Roman guy, but I was blown away by the scope, the grandeur, and the durability of the Roman structures at Baalbek, which include a Temple of Jupiter that is the largest Roman temple in the WORLD. IN LEBANON. CRAZY.

The ride out there was two hours and 6000 LL ($4) and it was through some of the craziest, most treacherous mountain passes ever (foggy as crap on the way back!), plus Baalbeck is located in Hezbollah territory, but it was absolutely worth it! A must see for any Roman enthusiast or anyone out in this area, period. Follow the link to pictures and maybe even some exciting panorama videos if they've loaded.

Crusdaers, castles, cliffs, and caves...

Very action-packed, fulfilling day today in Lebanon, perhaps my best day yet so far in the Middle East! Highlights included a visit to the crusader castle and Roman ruins of Byblos, a spontaneous dip in the clear blue Mediterranean, a boat ride in the underground lake of the Jeita Grotto, and a beautiful scenic stroll along the Mt. Lebanon valley ridge.

I'll hopefully be able to do the day justice with a decent blog entry, but until then, feel free to take a look at some of the 160+ pictures from the day by following this link. William, David, and the rest of you, look at the ruins of the crusader castle and see if you can't wager a guess as to who I pretended to be as I was climbing around the rocks.

Touch down in B-town...

Well, one day into the trip, one day with internet access. So far so good.

Ben and I woke up this morning at about 8:30, grabbed a cab to Cairo International, and, after hanging out for a while, we were on board our 11:50 Middle East Airlines flight to Beirut.

The plane was pretty comfortable, and I slept for nearly all of the hour and half long flight. However, I did wake up just as we were descending into Beirut, and I'm glad I did. The view was breathtaking. The Mediterranean and the city itself merged together almost seamlessly, and the sprawling mountains to the east formed an impressive backdrop. The city is positioned so perfectly between the sea and the mountains that the three elements seem to blend together in a way that makes it difficult to tell where one ends and another begins.

After landing, we made our way to customs. I approached the customs agent, presented my passport, and was swiftly granted a Lebanese visa. However, when Ben's passport was examined, there was apparently something wrong. We're assuming the fact that he doesn't have a student visa (AUC screwed this up) was some sort of problem. The customs officer contacted his superior and soon we were being grilled in broken English by an rather unpleasant chap. The fact that we didn't have either a return ticket or a visa into another country was problematic, as the officer said he needed proof that we would be leaving Lebanon before our tourist visa had expired. We tried explaining to him that we were planning on obtaining a Syrian visa at the border and that we were college students on spring break and would have to return to Cairo shortly regardless, but he still was hesitant to budge. Finally, we told him what hotel we were staying at while in Beirut, he placed a call, and then begrudgingly told us to be on our way. It was an anticlimactic and unceremonious end to what had been a frustrating, high-tension ordeal.

After that misadventure, we hailed a cab and made our way into Beirut, with the Mediterranean to our left and mountains to our left. We arrived at our lodgings for the next four days, the Regis Hotel, left our bags in our room, and headed out into the city.

Our first stop was the Corniche Beirut, a beautiful seaside promenade tracing the Mediterranean coast. The Corniche was well-maintained and pristine and allowed us to get up close and personal with the Mediterranean. It was wonderful to fill my lungs with the crisp sea air after living in smoggy Cairo for the past two months.

We walked along the Corniche for a while before deciding to head over to the American University of Beirut, which came highly recommended from our Arabic teacher back home, and check it out. We were little only feet from the campus, but unfortunately could only gain access as visitors through the main gate, which was on the other side of the campus. After a lot of walking later, including an ascent of possibly the world's longest staircase, we made it to the main gate. However, the expanse of eateries along the avenue opposite AUB was enough to get our growling stomachs' attention, and after changing out some Egyptian pounds for Lebanese lira, we grabbed some lunch. We each devoured a delicious kofta wrap, which was prepared by spreading a meat paste on flat bread and then cooking it on a domed heated surface. After the main course, we grabbed some absolutely amazing ice cream. The food all cost us 7000 lira (about $4.60), which was our first indication that Beirut was bit pricier than Cairo, but still certainly affordable by American standards (and actually, the $20 taxi ride from the airport to our hotel was the first indication; compare that to the $8 fare from our dorm to the Cairo airport, which was a considerably longer trip).

After appeasing our bellies, we entered the main gate and exchanged our passports for a visitor's pass, leaving us free to explore AUB to our heart's content. It might seem strange to visit a college campus when in a foreign country, and, admittedly, I thought it was a little odd that our professor had been so adamant that we see AUB. But after walking around for only a few minutes, it became obvious why AUB had been pushed as a must-see-destination. It was absolutely gorgeous. The plethora of fauna and greenery,the beautiful Mediterranean-style stucco buildings, and the beautiful scenic views provided by the campuses hillside location made it seem like idyllic little paradise nestled in the middle of a bustling city. I was authentically impressed and openly remarked how I preferred AUB's campus to its new, but sterile looking counterpart in Cairo. I've posted my favorite images from the campus tour below, but be sure to follow this link to see all of my AUB pictures.

After our campus tour, we collected our passports, and started heading deeper into the city. We hadn't really planned any specifics for the day, so we were free to explore at our leisure. After walking for awhile in the streets of Beirut, here are some differences between it and Cairo that I picked up on:

• Beirut is far more European. From the architecture to its ambiance, the city definitely has a distinctive European feel to it.
• Beirut is significantly cleaner. Didn't spot any heaping piles of trash sitting in the middle of the street.
• The Lebanese armed forces are significantly better equipped. Their sleek camo uniforms and their imposing M16's make the Egyptian soldiers, with their drab black clothing and ancient AK-47's, look like amateurs.
• The chaos associated with Cairo is definitely less rampant here. Traffic was tame, and people just generally seemed more relaxed.
• Despite the fact that Lebanese currency is beyond inflated (1,500 Lebanese lira roughly equals one American dollar), things in Beirut are a bit more expensive than they are in Cairo.
• Scars from recent conflicts can still be spotted in throughout the city, including bullet holes in walls and the hole in a building left from an artillery shell. Even so, the city's reconstruction efforts have been impressive
• The Mediterranean weather is refreshingly cool compared to the desert heat of Cairo.
• Lebanese merchants are far less invasive and pushy than their Egyptian counterparts. Aside from taxi drivers, pestering is minimal.
• The Catholic/Christian presence in Beirut is very pronounced. Although non-Muslims only make up 40% of the country's population, I think it stands to reason that there is a significantly higher proportion of Christians in Beirut than elsewhere in the country. Churches were in equal numbers to mosques (if not more numerous), and many cars sported crucifixes hanging from their rear-view mirror or even Christian images or stickers on the windows.

The region we first explored, Hamra, is a fairly relaxed, up-scale area, with mock cobble-stone streets to boot, lined with hotels and chic boutiques and refined eateries. Again, may I emphasize, a very European vibe. From Hamra, we continued to make our way east towards the heart of the city. As we climbed a hill, Mount Lebanon loomed up before us, peppered by the lights of innumerable buildings along the mountainside. Unfortunately, the quickly darkening skies prevented us from getting any decent pictures, but it was still quite a spectacle, observing how the city refused to stop at the foot of the mountain and instead became a part of it.

We continued our exploration, and were not disappointed by the sites that unfolded before us. Among them was the Grand Serail, also know as the Government Palace, an elegant yet expansive structure of neo-Ottoman design that houses the Lebanese Prime Minister and related offices. A little while later, we found ourselves in the Souks du Beyrouth, an absolutely charming pedestrian-only shopping area lined with the most high-class, sophisticated shops imaginable. Although it definitely exuded a European charm to it, this elegant area actually reminded me a little of the pedestrian-friendly avenues in Madison, Wisconsin.

The next thing to catch our eye after emerging from the Souks du Beyrouth were the majestic white-spires of a blue domed mosque, which, judging by its immaculate luster, was clearly a recent construction (started in 2002, finished in 2008). The mosque's official name is Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque, but most people call it the Hariri Mosque, after the prime minister who not only commissioned its construction, but was also laid there to rest after his assassination in 2005. As we circumnavigated the mosque, it became clear to me this was as close as you could get to a "Disney mosque." The colors, the grandeur, everything.The mosque itself actually sits smack dab next to St. George's Maronite Cathedral. This apparently bizarre proximity was put into perspective by the always astute Benjamin Gavel: what better way to discourage sectarian violence than by putting two religious buildings of different sects right next to each other? That way, if you try to blow up some members of the opposite sect, you invariably end up harming those of your own, and vice-versa. Seemed to make sense to me.

After soaking in all of these sights, we decided it was time to get back to the Regis Hotel. But as is usually the case when attempting to navigate a city you've only spent about six hours in, it was a lot more difficult than we surmised. After about 45 minutes of walking, we actually did make it to an area we recognized, and thought we could easily make it to the hotel. But apparently we let our guard down too prematurely, and a few wrong turns later, we found ourselves lost and incredibly sore. Following a consultation with an AUB student and our guide book, we realized where we were. We were astounded that one (or two or three...) wrong turn(s) could've screwed us up that badly. Nonetheless, we put our heads down and plodded the remaining kilometers, grabbed some dinner, and went to bed.

Despite wandering astray for a brief spot, our first day in Beirut was a smashing success. We had seen a plethora of sites, gotten a good idea for the feel of the city, and became more acquainted with the lay-out of our surroundings (though, of course, by a trial and error procedure). With only four days in this beautiful country, we got the most out of Day 1.

Next stop: Beirut...

Well, I've done it...I've gone to the dark side and made a video blog. Click here or on the picture below to check it out. It's got all my Spring Break travel details as well as the lucky winner of this week's contest, so you won't want to miss it. It cuts out at the end (memory card ran out of space- 15+ takes will do that), but it was getting pretty crappy towards there anyway. Enjoy. The next time you hear from me, I'll be in Beirut, inshallah!