Sight Seeing

Getting into some serious sightseeing now back in Northern Lebanon and we are up way in the mountains. We have driven back from Beirut into the Bscharreh district and kept going further up to Ehden where B is here. Can't go much higher from here and on the very top of the mountain there is a church of course.

We are in real Bible belt area now and every village you go through has an old church (usually very small and dating back one - two hundred years) and a new church (usually very big and equally impressive).


This scenic photo is a view of Diman from the other side of the mountain on our way to Ehden. Look carefully and you can see the Church of the Maronite Patriarch which is the largest structure in the village and look even carefully and you can see the Daher house, ok maybe not, but I know where it is.

From here we headed down to Tripoli (Lebanon's 2nd largest city) for lunch. Sorry no photos of Tripoli and if you have ever been you will know why. Lunch (Italian) was really nice and me and B did find a Zara store in the city that was awesome but there wasn't much else there.

Partying in Beirut

This is Asia Bar in Beirut.

Hard to tell from this photo but we are on the roof of a commercial building overlookingt the city, a worls class venue. This place has a restaurant on the other side which we will be visiting next week but tonight we are just drinking.

I decide to drink vodka & redbull as the beer in Liban is not the best and if you ask for wine you get a funny look. This is our first night out in Beirut and I am on a high. "I'm actually in Beirut".

People are certainly enjoying themselves. This is a wednesday night around 1am and the place is certainly not quiet. I can only imagine what it's like on weekends - we will find out next week after a week back in the village. We leave for Diman tomorrow.

Dinner in Solidere

ok we are in Beirut now and I mean downtown Beirut, doesn't get more central than this.

We are in Caram Restaurant enjoying our first Lebanese meal since arriving. I am more concerned with smoking argeelay and people watching but we have a great meal and then go on to party.

In the shot are (clockwise left - right) Knuckles, Spring, Danny, George, Ferris, Susie, Natasha, Teresa, D & B.

p.s. there was a chick in the bathroom keeping it looking nice & clean and who obviously expected tips. I was drinking beer that night so spent more money on going to toilet than I did on the meal.

Edde Sands

ok It's looks like a flashy resort in the South of France, well it's not. Well it is and it's not. It's a flashy resort all right but it's not the South of France, It's Beirut.

So we leave the village and head into Beirut, Byblos to be exact - not quite as far as Beirut which is just down the road (Autostrat 66).

The girls talked of shopping for the day which filled me with dread so the boys went AWOL and headed to 'Byblos Vibes' ala Edde Sands.

$US15 to get in the door and another $US20 for one of those beds behind us which is yours for the day, and what a day. This place is awesome. Sit by the pool all day warming your bones in the sun, forcing yourself into the pool to cool down. Get hungry and thristy then head to the bar just behind us for a burger avec Almaza beer. If all of this is just too much too handle then walk 50 metres down the path and fall into the Mediterranean and lie there for the rest of the day. Jet ski-ing, bars, restaurants, pools, cabanas & beach party's. What more could you ask for on the second day of your holiday?

In the photo are D & Danny

St. Charbel

We are still in North Lebanon here but I have actually prised myself from the balcony and got in the car for a drive. Where was I going? No idea.

We drove for about thirty minutes and ended up in Bakafra at the home of St. Charbel the famous Lebanese saint.

St. Charbel (1828-1898) spent most of his life as a hermit and after his death on Christmas Eve 1898 dazzling lights were seen around the grave. As a result it is now a place of pilgrimage for all Christians. He stands behind us in this photo.

Also in the photo (left - right) are Raymond, George, D & Danny.

Told You So

No I'm not in a hot air balloon and no I'm not in a helicopter flying through the mountains. I'm on the balcony I was telling you about.

I'd heard about this view for about four years from the folks in Sydney who had seen it for themselves but nothing prepared me for this. Truly awesome.

We are still in the Bsharreh district of Northern Lebanon and it's a quiet old place around here, not that much happening. With views like this around every corner who wants anything to do. I'll sit here for two weeks thanks.

Arrival In Lebanon

This is the first photo of our holiday, 10 minutes after our arrival in the mountains of Northern Lebanon. In the picture are (left - right) Aidan, Anwar, Danny, Natasha, B, Ahlem, Teresa & D. This is the Daher house where we were staying and possibly the best position in the best village in Lebanon. Hard to see from this photo but the view from this balcony is breathtaking. This exact spot is where I would spend one hour every morning, immediately after getting out of bed, eating fruit and watching those Syrians chipping away at rocks the size of a car.

We stayed here in the district of Bsharreh for eight days and this magnificent house was our base. From here we travelled all over North Lebanon seeing some amazing things and generally experiencing what life is like in this part of the world.

Everybody asked me "what the hell are you going to Lebanon for"? Well watch this space and I'll tell and show you exactly why I did, and exactly why I will be going back.