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Published: August 6th 2007
Hariri In Soap
Assassinated former president, Rafik Hariri, made from soap; TripoliBy the end of our first day in Beirut we have found ourselves sat in a tent making polite conversation with alleged terrorist leaders, sharing tea with teenagers while being shown posters of martyrs, watched an Arab megastar filming a Coca Cola advert, passed numerous civil war bomb sites alongside brand new boutique shops, been searched by soldiers with machine guns & tanks, eaten sushi and had a big night out on the town drinking beer & wine and dancing.
Lebanon is expensive & Lebanon is small. We planned for no more than a week in the country, perhaps just a couple of days, if that, in Beirut. It wouldn't work out quite as we expected.
We began in Tripoli, a Mediterranean city a few hours north of the capital Beirut. Much like many places we've seen lately, Triploli is largely a modern town growing around an ancient heart of a citadel (old city), mosques & souqs (markets). Perhaps most memorable about the city is that once again it is a town full of Mercedes - at times every car on the road is a beaten up vintage Mercedes.
It is believed by some
Mosque
Beirut that soap was invented in Lebanon & in Tripoli in particular a few local craftsmen still make soap by the traditional methods in the souq. Beyond the souq & it's ancient alleys & buildings, Tripoli feels like a western city. There's modern shops, fast cars & expensive eateries - all a far cry from what we have become used to in the region. Strangely, the corniche, the neverending walkway where the town meets the Mediterranean coast, is very uninspiring. Far away, somewhere on the horizon is Cyprus.
Tripoli is a pleasant enough town, but it is perhaps the scenery around it that makes the area worthwhile. If you don't mind swimming with plastic bags & sewage then this is the place to come for sea & ski all in one day. It's just a short ride up from sea level into the Qadisha Valley, home to the ski fields. Apparently the Lebanese ski like they drive & having never skied, but seen Lebanese driving we decide to give it a miss.
The cedar tree is Lebanon's national symbol, and although there aren't as many left as there used to be, there's still a few in the Qadisha Valley.
Hole In The Road
I read that this was the longest bridge in the region. It's currently out of action due to bomb damage. Between Beirut & Balbeek I never thought I'd throw a snowball in Lebanon, but here amongst these majestic trees there is still snow & where there is snow there are snowballs.
Heading south on along the coast to Beirut we see the first signs that only eight months ago this was a country at war. Twice on the journey we take detours from the fairly standard highway onto makeshift looking slipways & side roads that lead down into gulleys & then back up to the main road. It took me a little while to realise that this was because the bridges we should have been using had been bombed.
Were it not for the tanks & soldiers throughout central Beirut there would perhaps be few other reminders of last year's war, although you don't need to head far into the suburbs to see bomb damage. Strangely there's actually more to remind you of the bitter civil war of the 70's & 80's than or more recent history. There's also plenty of evidence to remind you of other recent & current troubles - the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri & the ongoing dissatisfaction with today's leaders.
On our first night
in the city we head out to look for food. The guide book tells us that although prices can be high, there's still plenty of cheap street food. Walking the streets in the same well worn trousers & tshirts we've been wearing for months on end we start to feel a little out of place. This is not just a relatively expensive city, this is a trendy, modern & cool city. For the first time in almost a year we are walking past trendy cafe's & bars full of upmarket decor & expensive looking food & drinks. I would say they were full of trendy looking people, but they weren't - they don't even think of going out to eat & drink until way after our bedtime.
Eventually we find a place that we think we can afford - it's called Le Chef & the very surly waiter translates the menu for us way too fast for us to ever understand what is on offer. The food that comes is good & I enjoy the one cold beer that I can afford with it. We later read in the guide book that the place is a well known insitution
Nancy!
Filming for Coke, Beirut & that the said waiter is famous on the local scene. As we head back to our tiny three bed room with a bizarre shower in the corner & bad satellite tv for company, the rest of Beirut comes to life. We would love to stay out & be part of the scene but we decide that funds don't allow.
On our first proper day we set out to explore & to find breakfast. The cheap street eats again fail to materialise. Instead we find ourselves in a rather eerire downtown that is full of grand old buildings, brand new but desserted shops & a couple of mosques. The streets seem to be devoid of people & there is a distinct lack of traffic. We decide to head towards Place D'Etoile which on the map looks like a town centre of sorts. The whole area is cordoned off, but although the the roads are blocked by barberd wire & concrete blocks, a few pedestrians are still coming & going. We have our bags searched for the first time by a disinterested soldier with a machine gun.
The Place D'Etoile is centred around a clocktower where about six roads
Snow
The last thing you expect to see; Qadisha Valley all meet. The architecture is grand & despite a few old bullet holes the whole area is in pristine condition. The tables & chairs of streetside cafes overflow onto the street but there is no one around to use them. Some cafes are open, but many of the shops are closed. We eat overpriced crepes at one cafe & then some more at a cheaper place down the road.
At the time we assume the security & lack of people is perhaps all related to last year's war, but it's not. We leave the area & decide to head towards two sights that we'd noticed around the corner; a beautiful new looking mosque & some kind of bombed out war relic, which turns out to be what was once a cinema - standing as one of many reminders of the civil war that ended years ago.
Across the road is part of a rambling tent city that fills a number of downtown streets, car parks & open spaces. Although there's soldiers & checkpoints dotted around, the mood is calm & wherever we go we are waved through after a brief bag search. The place seems to be quite
Bullet Holes
Downtown Beirut safe. We approach a couple of young guys & ask what they are doing there. One of them speaks good English & explains that the tent city is made up of numerous political organisations, groups that would normally be enemies but for now are united against the current government. We are invited in to chat - not just about politics, but about music & life in general too. The current leaders are apparently getting too involved with the US & are too busy pocketing the people's money for themselves. The tent city will apparently stay until the government goes.
They show us the basic tent where they live; two matresses on the floor, a table & lots of photos & posters. Above the head of their beds are not just family photos, but also images of their leaders & what they call martyrs. There seems to be a fine line when it comes to these so called martyrs - there are those who died as a result of bombs or fighting & then there are those who deliberately took the lives of others as they blew themselves up. I get the chilling impression that the pictures I am looking
Cinema
Bombed in the civil war, still awaiting repair; Downtown Beirut at are all suicide bombers.
One of the guys is just seventeen years old. He seems to be a normal educated young man, dedicated to his belief which at the moment is for a change of government. How far would he go for the cause? He tells us that now it is safe in Beirut, but that in a few weeks trouble is planned - the groups that are currently united will soon be fighting each other again. He says he wants peace but that a few other people want to fight. I ask if he has a gun. Yes, this seventeen year old does - although it's not kept here at the camp & he has been trained to use it to defend himself rather than attack.
He offers to show us around Beirut, so after some strong & sweet Turkish coffee we set off with this young radical to see a few sights. We pass the mosque at the bottom of the road; it is seperated from the camps by barbed wire & soldiers. The mosque was built as part of assassinated ex PM Hariri's downtown renovations, he is now buried in a mausoleum beside it.
Keyrings
Balbeek This is a man who's image we will see everywhere, from small hastily pasted posters on walls to the giant billboards that count the number of days since his death. It's hard to see exactly why he is revered quite so much - although he may have done great things for the nation, he too was perhaps guilty of making his millions by stealing from the country.
As we walk past boutique shops closed because of the camps, the tents stretch out beside us. We reach a large stage & some huge billboards & posters. The stage is for nightly rallies, the billboards show photo images of huge protests & on the posters are more martyrs - these ones seem to be people killed rather than those who 'gave' their lives.
We are now at the entrance to the Hezbollah camp; our young guide talks to the Hezbollah guys & tells them we are just curious passers by & we are invited into the camp. It's still before lunch, we are in Beirut & we are sitting supposedly making polite conversation with the local Hezbollah leaders. I wish I could say that we talked & talked, them justifying
Angel
Balbeek their means & us finding holes in their story. But we didn't - they spoke little English & us less Arabic so we didn't get far at all. Having sat on their couch for awhile as they thumbed through our pasports the surrealness of the situation started to hit home & we thought that perhaps we should move on.
During the civil war - a seventeen year battle between Muslims & Christians that ended in 1990, Hezbollah (Party of God) made a name for themselves with their fanatical suicide bombs & kidnappings. When the war ended they apparently managed to transform into an efficient political party, implementing popular policies such as social welfare programmes. Supposedly no longer a fanatical militia, they are today seen in the Middle East region as a legitimate resistance movement. Although some western governments still recognize them as a terrorist organisation, they are widely supported in Lebanon by normal people of all ages & all walks of life. Many talk of their support & love for current leader Hassan Nassrallah.
As well as pictures of martyrs & leaders, one of our friends also keeps a collection of photos of all his favourite female singers
in the tent. Alongside popular Arab legends as Nancy & Haifa sits Britney Spears & co. These kids may hate America in principle, but they still love many aspects of American culture. Having said goodbye to our friendy guide we walk five minutes around the corner & stumble upon the filming of a new Coca Cola advert - the star being none another than the legenary Nancy Ajram, one of his idols, a Lebanese singer who is very popular right across the Middle East region.
Could the situation be any more ironic? Minutes after hanging out with kids that supposedly despise all things American, kids who look up to people like Hezbollah, we are standing watching their idol, a Lebanese & Arabic megastar, filming an advert for Coke, the drink that as good as defines The US of A.
here's the finished advert Nancy's Coke Advert As it happens we waited about three hours for Nancy to actually show her face while the numerous extras went back & forth through their pretty average routine. As teenagers danced around with Coke bottles, small kids looked lost & confused pretending to catch butterflies in the foreground & an old man (The
Decay
Beirut Conductor) refused to follow the script & kept dancing rather than conducting. On more than one occasion his arms hit bemused teenage dancers.
The shoot was suddenly interrupted so that some politician or VIP could drive past & we moved on. A little further down the road stands Beirut's Holiday Inn Hotel. Finished just as the civil war started, it never really stood a chance & soon became a prime spot for snipers to shoot from. Seventeen years after the war ended it still stands defiantly empty & riddled with bullet & mortar holes, waiting for renovation.
After weeks & weeks of almost nothing to eat but falafel, hummus & bread, Beirut is a great place to come for a break. Just eating normal cheese sandwiches makes a welcome change. To top off the surreal events of the day we head for sushi. Not at the most authentic Japanese restaurant - most of the Asians in this part of the world are Filipino, but good all the same.
More strange events follow. On leaving the Japanese a twenty one year old Lebanese woman as good as kidnapped us. Our lives would revolve around her for days to
Pigeon Rocks
A popular place to hang out, drink coffee & smoke water pipes; Beirut follow.
Minutes after finishing dinner we are in Burger King, in Beirut, watching a teenage heavy metal band covering classic metal tracks from the 1970's. From there we head to a bar, where we stay until the small hours, drinking far too much beer & wine (that we can't really afford) for the first time in months.
Beirut is expensive; we'd planned to see the city in a day. Our new friend had other ideas. As well as seeing the tourist side of Beirut we catch a glimpse of the lives of the young & rich in Beirut. By the time we left we had been moved from our 'three beds in a tiny room & shared bathroom' guest house, to staying in suites at the hotel / residence owned by our new friend's parents. Most days are a hazy blur that revolve around broken promises, plans falling through & a lot of eating & drinking. For days we try to plan a day trip up the coast - every day things fall apart. Finally we set off in the chauffeur driven jeep. A few miles out of the city it's decided that we need to stop for
lunch, which is an average Chinese.
Moments after setting off from lunch we have to stop for ice cream. We drive a little further, only for our driver to point out that it's too late to actually get anywhere, we'll have to turn back. We hit the city again & head straight to another cafe for another drink. We may not have seen the sights, but perhaps this is what Beirut is all about; food, drink & socialising.
In the past year we'd made it to bed after midnight about twice. Suddenly we are up at all hours, every night. We go for drinks; by the early hours we are tired & we want to go to bed. Instead we have to go for food - 3am in Beirut & the city is buzzing with the youth, out & about enjoying life. Is this dinner or breakfast?
We'd always planned to try & go clubbing in Beirut & having our new friends made that easy; there's a lot of clubs & a supposedly a very cool clubbing scene. As we hit the club of our friend's choice, the place is packed, the people going crazy. Arabic dance
Barbed Wire
Separating the camps & the city; Downtown Beirut music has the kids dancing on the floor, on the tables & on their podiums. This is Beirut. Somewhere down the line it goes a little pear shaped, the music drifts into Grease Lightning, Cotton Eye Joe (bad 90's pop) & Lemon Tree. At least we have been clubbing in Beirut.
One day we manage to set off alone for a day trip to Balbeek a few hours away from the city. Here, with a backdrop of snow covered mountains, is the site of one of the regions most important ruins. Once upon a time this was a major city at a major international crossroads. Today the ruins are nestled beside a small town that is perhaps best known for being a Hezbollah stronghold. Hence at the shops outside the ruins, you don't buy postcards of the sights, instead you can buy Hezbollah tshirts, cd's & lighters.
The ruins are impressive - perhaps the widest Roman columns in the world , the largest solid rock foundation stones. Lost of intricate carvings. Lots of graffiti from the 1800's.
Our friend's mother is keen to show us a suburb of Dahyeh, Haret Hreikan, an area that was heavily bombed
in last year's war. She is a strict Muslim & avid Hezbollah & Hassan Nassrallah fan. We are taken for lunch to a restaurant that was completely destroyed, but has already been rebuilt & reopened. Although much of the area was bombed, a lot of reconstruction has taken place - it is a Hezbollah suburb & has a lot of money behind it. However there's still plently of obvious bomb damage & plenty of buildings yet to have been repaired. We eat a feast at the restaurant which is apparently Hezbollah owned. Another great irony - the individually packaged hand wipes all carry an advert for huge US money transfer company, Western Union. The Hezbollah made ice cream that we eat for dessert is divine.
Although triggered by Hezbollah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, the war is still seen here as an Israeli (& US) war against Lebanon. It's said that the kidnappings were retaliation & that all Hezbollah & their supporters wanted was for Arab (Palestinian) prisoners who have not been charged with any offence, but are being held in Israeli jails to be released. Instead, Israeli leader Ehud Olmert went to war against Hezbollah & a lot
Holiday Inn
The 'el' of hotEL still intact; Beirut of innocent people (women & children included) were killed. Neither side achieved their aim.
It's hard to have an open minded discussion with anyone here, it would certainly be interesting to hear the Israeli side of the story. Either way, in this case Olmert was seen as the bad guy by both sides.
The young Lebanese that I spoke to have varying opinions on what happened & where the future will lead. The only thing that truly unites them is their dislike of Israel - sadly they fail to even see that regardless of your opions of the Israeli leaders, there is a big difference between those in charge & the every day people. I wanted to provoke a reaction, so told a couple of people that in the past I'd had Israeli girlfriends & that one of my best friends married an Israeli, but I get no reaction at all. Looking back this doesn't surprise me, a lot of these kids weren't really interested in much that we had to say, they are too absorbed in their own worlds where they are always the centre of attention. Inbetween the interesting stories such as one woman who's brother
was arrested as a suspected terrorist when they lived overseas because he was playing with fireworks, are the frightening admissions that they all drive drunk believing they are better drivers after a few drinks.
Some of the young people are resiged to the fact that more war may be imminent. Others don't think it will happen. While many people fled during last year's war, many are also coming back. One person told us that her mother lives in an area that was heavily bombed; she refused to leave because she felt if she left then it would have been equal to surrendering & losing the war.
We finally leave Beirut, Lebanon & our often extremely hospitable hosts to head back to Damascus, Syria. Although in many ways everywhere we have been in the Middle East look & feels far more European than the places we've been further east in Asia, Lebanon could easily be in the heart of Europe. The food, the clothes, the culture & the people; Damascus may only be a couple of hours away from Beirut, but it's one of the biggest cultural divides I've ever seen for such a short distance. This is a
797
They are counting the days since assassination. Not sure what happens when it hits 1000; Beirut place where one of the major banks advertises 'loans for cosmetic surgery' across the country. You would never see something like that in Syria.
Lebanese people will tell you that their country is safe; the war drove tourists away, but locals are keen for them to return. Despite the tanks & guns on the streets it feels like a safe place - these soldiers weren't involved in last year's war & today they are only there as a deterrant. Some people will tell you that the tourists never left, that there are more than ever, but these are the same people who really think that Lebanon is the centre of the world.
Just before we left Beirut a young man & a twelve year old boy were kidnapped. The night before we left they were found dead. Although we hadn't seen the news, we had guessed that something was going on. The streets were quiet. The soldiers were no longer just hanging around their tanks looking bored, they were now alert & walking round with fingers on their triggers ready to shoot. Although people tell us it is still safe, there are fears that this will provoke more
Popstars & Models
Same tent, other end of the bed. Arab icons like Nancy & Haifa as well as Britney & co. Downtown Beirut sectarian troubles. In reality it may still be safe, all the same are happy to be moving on.
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Maj
non-member comment
Looks cool
I cant believe its the same lebanon I see in the news and papers. It looks beautiful and thats why I have put it in my next destination list. Nice work Tim and carry on mate.