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Published: November 13th 2009November 13th 2009
Islam & Christianity
Im trying to take different photos of downtown this year, you can just scroll down on the Beirut page of travelblog.org and find my last years blog of Lebanon..
Ive been in Lebanon for over two weeks now, no i wasn't kidnapped by Hezbollah, ive just been... 'busy'... I still cant believe im in the middle east, for the first week here that's all i was saying, "WHOA..." even though ive been here before, its like i am now seeing Lebanon in a new light! I can now compare it with the rest of the middle east and definitely say that Beirut is an extremely cosmopolitan city in comparison to its neighbours. Lebanon in general has a much more relaxed vibe to it, and i cant believe how green this country is!! Maybe because its getting into the winter months, but everything is soo GREEN! For the first week i was here, there was a major cold snap with rainy and windy weather, but now its cleared up and the 'cooler' months are a pleasant sunny 20
Downtown Beirut
Downtown Beirut is on a whole different level, its by no means a reflection of what the rest of Lebanon is like. Everyone walking the streets are glamed up, dinning in fancy resturants near shops that are being freshly built!
What have i been doing?? WELL i havent been doing the tourist stuff as ive already seen a majority of the tourist sights (although i haven't been down south to Sidon, thats on the check list this year) Ive been staying with my cousin Zozo in Bourj Hammoud, 10mins away from Downtown Beirut. On the weekends we've been going up to the mountains to visit family. During the week we've just been lazing around eating and drinking ... the first week was great to just stop and relax, towards the end of my travels i must say i got a bit tiered and that probably shown through in my blogs, apparently i was a bit bitter towards the Egyptians in my last blog!? ehehe
It was a bit of a task, but I found a apartment to live in Beirut. its in Mar Markiel 10min walk to Downtown, near Ashrafieh. Its a massive apartment and the location is even better! I flat with 2 French girls and 1 French dude, i just moved in yesterday so am still settling in. I start my arabic classes on next week and will
Downtown Beirut
Nice building, i would say its Euro/arab influenced! Ohh and the Lebanese love to flash, majority of the cars in Downtown are extra flashy Merceedes and BMWs...
There are more photos below
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This Trip will see me re visit Italy. Its almost been a year to date since i returned home, and im off agian! This time the plan is for 6 months.
It really wasn’t my fault. The opportunity arised to go on a family holiday to Italy. Though i didn’t see the point in going all the way to Europe and then returning home. And after last years holiday im dying to see more of the Middle East!
So Italy will be done at a slower pace, as im playing chaperon to my Grandmother, Mother and Aunty! After that I think I might need I holiday? So i plan to travel around the middl... full info
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Lebanon
Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions since 1991 and the end of the devastating 15-year civil war. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable po...more info
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Beirut Museum
was pretty cool, actually one of the "fancier" Museum ive visted in the Middle east, as in, it had nice lights and a gift shop! They also played an interesting 15min movie on how the artefacts where kept safe during the war. They built massive thick concrete box's over the statues and so forth during the 80's , and then they broke open the box's in 1991 and start to rebuild the Museum which had been pretty much ripped apart from all the shelling!
Bourj Hammoud
Where ive been living with Zozo for the past 2 weeks, although it has a large Armenian population, Bourj Hammoud is a more modest reflection of what the surrounding areas of Beirut look like. I love Bourj Hammoud!
Me n Zozo making Arak
Yes... ARAK... "Tears from the Virgin Mary" ahah that was my favorite one, "Haram she cries Arak! Enjad!" This brew was pretty good, but Nabils Arak was much more refined!
Aslout - Village Life
Only last week i was sweating it up in the friggen desert, and now its 10 degrees in the mountains of Lebanon, bloody cold, windy and wet!
Sita and Jidu
Looking well indeed!!! They leave to go back home to Sydney next week... i wonder if that means no more weekends in the village? ;)
Cousins by the (half a) dozen
Me, Natalie, Dolly, Maggie, Charbel, Julie, Aunty Soad, Zozo
St Pauls Chalet - Tabarja Beach
Trying to capture the moment, freezing, windy, wet and the sea crashing like ive never seen it before! Compared to summer last year, the Chalet hardly looks enticing right now....
St George Church - Tabarja
On All Souls day, celebrating St George, the church made "Hanesie" i think im spelling it right? Stews made from wheat and meat that have been brewing for hours to make a gravy like mixture...
Nabil and the Hanesi
Hardly looks enticing but trust me it was yummi stuff! The pots had been cooking since lunch time!
Nabil and Lillian proud granparents
Last year there was a wedding! This year there is a baby! Maria!!
Me and Zozo
a foggy day in the village
Tripolli
in contrast to Beirut, Tripolli is much more 'arab' It looks much more like the rest of the middle east
Tripolli
Tripolli has my favorite sweet shop in all of Lebanon, "Rafaat Hallab" MMMM dammit i should have taken a photo of the sweet shop!!!
Natalies 26th Birthday
no celebration is complete without alcohol, you pay $20US for a bottle of vodka or scotch, Lebanon is abundant with spirits incomparison to the rest of the middle east!!
Ashrafieh
Taken on the bridge to Ashrafieh from Bourj Hammoud
My street !!
Its a little fancy living near the Ashrafieh, its full of french expats, and some of the surrounding buildings have been restored to their former glory days... that little picture is just one of the many political images around beirut, this house seems to be with the Gemael's, a pro christian party wihtin Beirut...
My hood!
Rather picturesque
Gemmayze St.
Beiruts main club and cafe strip, up the road from my house !! YEYAH!!!... these narrow st's look rather similiar to ones in Europe! Am i in Napoli again ?
Some ruins in the middle of downtown
its amazing how low the ground level use to be ... or... amazing how high the ground level now is....
Martyrs Square.
i guess this isnt the best shot of Lebanons ocean and the mountains, but you get a glimpse of it every now and then when driving, or on the bus, or walking around... and i am still captured by its beauty, i cant believe this type of landscape is within the middle east!
Beirut
I cant blog about Beirut without taking a photo of Hariri Mosque...
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Najlah
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you're alive!!!!!!!
you made it nathan!! you sound soo excited and happy. wish i was there, living in an apartment and getting a taste of beirut. never even got to see it... damn getting stuck in the war lol you better teach me proper arabic when you get back! need to get rid of this bogan village accent i have (yukkk) keep writing! xx
From Blog: " Hi! Kifec, Cava ? "