Finally! Beirut, Lebanon

Many friends have just raved about Beirut, but we've held off going there for a while as they've just had a bit of unrest over the years.  Things have been quiet for a while and it seemed like a good time to make the quick hop (about 3 1/2 hour flight) for an Eid holiday trip.  We couldn't spend a full week there as I needed to get back to work, but the kids and Jake had the whole week off, so we managed to go from Friday through the following Wednesday.  Wish we could have stayed 1-2 more days!

We spent our first full day on our furtherest drive - all the way nearly to the Syrian border in the Bekka Valley to the Roman ruins of Baalbek.  Although the altitude was high, the temperatures were, too, so it was a bit of a steamy walk around the ruins.  We were pretty intrigued by having the Syrian border so close.  When we saw a mosque that had some serious security around it, we asked our driver why - he just shrugged and said, "Hezbollah."  Eek!  But all was quiet and we had the ruins nearly to ourselves.  There were lots of military check points along the drive which I guess made us feel better... Or not...  Not exactly sure!

Day 2 was also a lot of driving as we went up to the mountains to see the famous Cedars of Lebanon.  They were pretty but we would have preferred a slightly longer hiking trail as they only allowed us on a short one unless we hired a guide (which we hadn't done at the bottom).  Oh, well - views were still beautiful and the air super fresh of the scent of the cedar trees.  The pine cones on the trees were very unique - looked like white egg-shaped dirt dauber nests on top of the branches rather than dangling below.

Day 3, we stuck closer to our home base and stayed in the city.  We visited the church of a pastor who had visited our church and we had a great time there.  We went out to lunch with him and his family afterwards.  We were supposed to visit a foster home/ orphanage that our church supports, too, but they were moving to a new location so our timing ended up not working out.  Fortunately we could leave the suitcase of school supplies we brought them with the pastor.  We also made it to the Beirut Corniche that night and explored their outdoor spaces a bit.  Lovely walk and quite crowded with the Eid holiday folks wandering the city as well.

Day 4 we were back on the road (but not as far) and went to the Jeitta Grotto (a large cave with stalagmites and stalagmites).  It was the first time our kids had seen something like that and we all loved it.  Then we spent the rest of the day in a charming seaside town called Byblos.  Nice winding streets with an old marketplace.  We ended up at the beach and wish we had brought swim suits.

The rest of the time we were able to explore Beirut a bit.  Thanks to a coworker of mine, we had some excellent restaurant recommendations.

Overall a great time and we would definitely go back.

Jake just reminded me of an absolutely hysterical thing that happened to us on the way out of the country.  The lines were absolutely atrocious at the airport.  In fact we when arrived, there were just two giant lines that took up most of the very large and wide atrium.  One line went left and one when right with no signs (or people in charge) to tell us which was which.  I finally just asked a stranger who helpfully told us they both went to the same place.  The first line was moderately okay - just long and slow.  There was a bit of jostling as people would sometimes try to edge around us, but we discovered a benefit of having four kids - we could just spread them and ourselves out a bit and block the way quite well.

So we made it through line #1 (which just got us into the airport), stood in line #2 to get checked in, made it through short line #3 which let us into the immigration/ passport control room and *this* is where the fun began.  The first challenge was to pick which line to be in as there were probably 12-15 lines. We picked one that didn't seem to move at all and after 20 minutes, we bailed and moved to another one.  There were lines but it was crowded enough that it also kind of felt like just a very crowded room and then a few couples/ small groups would just mosey on through the crowd and join  a 'friend' nearer the front of the line.  This happened a couple of times and then Jake started very nicely asking people not to cut in line as we were all waiting, too (we're actually starting to get a bit worried about missing our flight at this point).  Then he says it a little louder but didn't have a great effect - they just looked at him like they didn't speak English.

So I decide we need a bit of authority to take charge.  Over Jake's objection, I walk over to one of the security guys who checks your ticket when you enter the room. I explained the situation thinking he would have a sense of propriety to his room and be a bit upset that there were those who were messing up what should have been his nice and orderly system.  But no, that's not what happened!  He looked at me like I had just landed from another planet and gave me some good Lebanese advice.  He leaned into me and said, "You know what you do?  You *fight*!" and he raised his fist as he told me.  So apparently Jake and I were the problem.  We were failing by letting people pass us in line and it was our responsibility!

I don't think we were quite up for the task, but luckily Jake's remonstrations seem to have gotten the attention of a few others and the next interloper that came along got the attention of someone two people in front of us and the guy two people in front of them.  And aha!  We had a united front and our line held firm.  I must say, I was quite proud of our line at that point (the line we left couldn't quite pull it together and had a few queue-jumpers).  I wish I could say that the united front meant that we made it through immigration with time to spare. Alas, we were late, but fortunately the queue jumpers seemed to have created a situation that the security guards weren't willing to deal with but that the airlines were - by delaying their flights.  So we *did* make our flight but only because they held the plane for the 20 or so of us needlessly delayed by not fighting hard enough at immigration.

So a word to the wise when lining up in Lebanon.  You fight!

Some yummy Manakeesh bread that the girls all ate up.  We bought cheese and zatar and each girl had her favorite.

Fun stop at a winery that's been around since the mid-1800s.  It feels like an odd location for a winery (a bit in the middle of a town), but there is a huge set of caves behind the building that goes into the hillside.

Chilly in the caves

In the caves

Nice and cool - it's a hot day

Amazing Roman ruins called Baalbek.  The drive there was a little longer than I expected but it was great to get to see the Lebanese countryside.

See that ridge off to the right?  That's Syria!

The girls with our ver chit-chatty guide.  Although we were at a high altitude (where I thought it might be cooler!), it was quite hot.  We had hoped to quicken the pace a bit, but this great guy just couldn't skip anything as he was so incredibly enthusiastic about it all!

Really fantastic meal at an amazing outdoor setting overlooking the Bekka Valley.  Thanks to my coworker Sami who told us about Tawlet.  Definitely recommend.

The restaurants's view.  It was a super green design and that gray rectangle off the left has to do with a passive air conditioning system.

Kids room for making art

Our table at Tawlet - except for a Nordic looking/ sounding small group, it looked like we might have been the only other non-Lebanese group there.

Laura, Jake and the Bekka Valley

A bit o' fun for the girls

Fun visiting an English speaking church.  Seems to draw people whose wives are expats (met several of them) as well as people who want to improve their English or just like what's going on at Christ the King English Church in Beirut.  Great service!

Our church in Abu Dhabi provided support for them to redo a couple of children's rooms there.

Lunch with Pastor Milad and (part of ) his family.  Their two daughters are studying in Australia

Rooftop terrace (seems like a 'thing' in Beirut) where we had dinner one night

View of the largest mosque there from the rooftop terrace

Syrian(!) wine on the menu.  From 2012.  We guessed that the winery was no longer making wine - but I just looked them up and somehow they are managing - even though they send grapes on ice across the Lebanese border to the winemaker since it's too dangerous for them to be there.  (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11703623/Syrian-vineyard-making-the-worlds-most-dangerous-wine.html).  Probably our most interesting bottle of wine!

Special stop at a very popular bread place - can't remember what this special bread is called (as the menu was entirely in Arabic) - but we can get the girls to translate if needed).  Long lines nearly out the door to get this bread.

Making the bread.  You could get different flavors but they were basically shaped like purses and the bottom part of the purse had cheese and/ or spices instead.  He's putting cheese inside this one before putting it back in the oven.

Mere likes hers

The name of the shop if you want to go sometime (recommended by my foodie coworker).

Cedars of Lebanon

Lunch at a cute mountain village on the way back from the Cedars hike

Dinner along the Corniche after walking along for a while (along with seemingly 1/2 of Beirut - walking along their seaside boardwalk is clearly a popular pastime!)

Taking the gondola up to the Grotto (deep cave with stalactites, stalagmites and water deep/ broad enough for a boat ride in the case)

No pictures allowed in the cave - so this will have to do.  They have a diving expedition going on trying to figure out how far back the cave goes.

Dancing and singing on the sidewalk

Byblos - heading in to the main souk for a bit of shopping

Jane found a hat

Picking out our own fish for lunch

Great place for a seafood lunch (also recommended by my foodie friend - he never steered us wrong)

Heading down to the Byblos beach

American University of Beirut - super well-regarded university in the Middle East.  My company hires many new graduates from here so it was fun for me to see the campus.  Beautiful campus right on the Mediterranean (and where we were when Tim & Vanessa called to tell us about the arrival of Baby Silas!)