In addition to hearing about the wonderful food, people, and place of Lebanon from Hani, I also continuously heard about how Lebanon had a great gold market. Anyone who knows me knows that I love jewelry and especially yellow gold. So after much convincing, we decided to check out the gold market in Burj Hammoud. It's a crowded little section with block and block of little shops. While I didn't find my jewelry at these shops, I bought most of my souvenirs from them. On the way home from the markets, I finally got to taste the REAL falafel. Hani makes [View Full Entry]

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After five fun-filled days, we decided to spend the sixth and seventh days just relaxing. So we spent Saturday and Sunday at the day at the house in Roumieh. Hani has always raved about his mother's homemade pizza, so I finally got to taste it. And it really is just as good as he described it. So we lounged, ate pizza, and Hani and Kamil played backgammon with Saad. Backgammon is a serious event in the Saad household. Both boys accuse Saad of cheating incessantly and arguing and laughing can be heard across the house as they hash out the game. [View Full Entry]

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On the eighth day of our trip we visited the infamous cedars of Lebanon. These are the same cedars that King Solomon built his temple with in the Bible. It was quite a ride to get to the cedars, but they were definitely worth it. We walked a trail through the trees to see the beautiful landscape and forest. We then visited the shops that lined the roads in that area to buy gifts and souvenirs. After returning home, we met some of Hani's friends at a restaurant in town. Again, there was more food than you could possibly eat (at [View Full Entry]

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After relaxing at the beach in Jbail, we returned the next day to check out the ruins of Jbail. The city was inhabited by the Phoenicians circa 5000 bc. It was named Byblos by the Greeks. It is located right on the Mediterranean coast with spectacular views. After Hani's sister yelled at the the worker for trying to charge me more for being a foreigner, we made it into Byblos. We spent the afternoon wandering in and out of the ruins. After exploring the ruins, we headed to the "souk" or market. The marketplace is probably a tourist trap, but I [View Full Entry]

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From the day I met Hani, he told me about his beautiful Lebanon. Finally, five years after meeting, we traveled together to Lebanon where I met his immediate family for the first time. Our first attempt to travel to Lebanon on May 10th was squelched when fighting erupted just days prior to our departure. The airport was closed, so our trip was cancelled. We prayed the situation would calm down and soon it did. We then crossed our fingers and booked another trip for June. We drove to Washington, DC on Saturday, June 28th, flew for 13 hour to Qatar, spent [View Full Entry]

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After a good night's sleep, we drove up to Roumieh, the mountain town where Hani and Hani's brother have a home. On the highway, I had my first realy glimpse of Lebanese driving. Driving in a lane is optional, lines don't exist, reverse is always an option, and exit ramps may or may not exist. We then turned onto a tiny, curvy road that reminded me of the back roads in many places in West Virginia. Soon we entered the village of Roumieh. The temperature was noticably cooler even though we were only 15 minutes from downtown. Instantly I fell in [View Full Entry]

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For our third day in Lebanon, we visited the Basilica of St. Paul and Harissa. The Basilica is Greek Catholic church, and it's amazing beautiful. The mosaic artwork is stunning. Harissa is a large statue of the virgin Mary above the town of Jounieh. She's referred to as Our Lady of Lebanon or Notre Dame du Liban. Many people will walk the long windy road to reach the statue each year as a religious pilgrimage. While we drove up the hill to the statue, we did climb the stairs to the top of Harissa. The view from the top was amazing. [View Full Entry]

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For our fourth day in Lebanon we decided to relax at the beach in Jbail. Amazingly, the beach is only 30 minutes from the mountains. We found a great spot to relax on the sandy beach and take a swim in the warm water of the Mediterranean. Because the climate of Lebanon is hot and humid during the summer, the beach was a welcome respite. The weather was definitely dependable in Lebanon; you can count on the hot, muggy days. It doesn't rain in the summer, so we never had to worry about bad weather ruining our plans. After drinking in [View Full Entry]

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