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Published: January 3rd 2010
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Lebanon is one of those countries that seems to always be making headlines (and not for the most favourable reasons) but when it comes right down to it what do you really know about Lebanon? When the opportunity to take a day trip from Damascus to Lebanon arose we found ourselves asking the same question. We came to the conclusion that we didn’t know much about Lebanon, it’s people, culture, history or current day triumphs and tribulations… so with that in mind we decided to spend the $120 USD per person and cross the border from Syria into Lebanon to try to gain some insight first hand. We departed Damascus at 6:00am and were at the border by 7:00am. By 8:00am we had entry stamps in our passports, a fist full of Lebanese Lira and were rolling past western chains such as Dunkin’ Donuts (seriously… no joke!!!). Our guide for the day Hassan (a Syrian) then started into a 30 minute lecture about the merits of Hezbollah (“The Party of God” which is an Iranian backed Muslim fundamentalist group), how their leader Hassan Nasrallah is a true national hero and even attempted to justify and liken suicide bombers to individuals who
feel the necessity to move from a hot crowed room to a cool spacious room… Ok, so not exactly the welcome to Lebanon we were anticipating but with open minds and ears it was interesting (to say the least!!!) to listen to the very opposite side of our “western coin” which let’s be honest we have all heard over and over and over again on TV programs such as CNN, ABC, 20/20, MSNBC and Dateline just to name a few. Hassan, in trying to justify his point of view, started pointing out the yellow and green Hezbollah flags that were steadily increasing in number (flying from street lamps, shop windows and car antennas) as we drove into the heart of Baalbek. It was only then that the seriousness and obvious stronghold that the “political party” posses in this relatively poor neighbourhood became apparent. The heart of Baalbek (believe it or not) was our first destination for the day and while it is the centre for Hezbollah it is also the home to one of Lebanon’s most impressive ancient sites- the “Sun City”.
The temples of the Sun City were built on an extravagant scale that outshone anything in Rome
Hassan Nasrallah
Leader of Hezbollah. Recoginize him by any chance??? (including our personal favourite the Temple of Bacchus - The God of Wine!) that still reveal the splendour and opulence of the Roman Empire. The sheer size of the columns and cornices, intricate detail in the craftsmanship were quite stunning but what we found most interesting was that the Romans put in over 150 years of design, engineering and hard labour to then abandon the project just before completion. However, it was not all for nothing, as today Baalbek and the ruins of the Sun City host Lebanon’s most famous annual arts festival which includes opera, jazz, poetry and theoretical production. After the a few hours exploring the ruins and a traditional Lebanese lunch we made a swift exit from Baalbek and drove toward Beirut.
Around 3pm Hassan dropped us off on Avenue de Paris which runs parallel with the waterfront promenade in the heart of Beirut. It just so happened that when I stepped off the bus I was greeted by a quote from the Beatles (which was painted on the side of the Hard Rock Café) that read: “The time will come when you see we are all one”. Slightly ironic considering where we had just come
from and the fact that the Hard Rock Café was flanked by a McDonalds to the right and scores of 5-Star Hotels to the left… oh, and did I forget to mention that parked outside of those 5-Star hotels were a fleet of Mercedes Benz’s and even a Bentley and a Lamborghini. We may be all one, but equal in Beirut is far from true. We spent the afternoon awe struck by the obvious wealth of Beirut- the flashy cars, modern amenities, sophisticated cafes and luxury accommodation but beneath the glitz and glamour a few tell tale scars remain. We visited the infamous Holiday Inn which is essentially a bombed out building that was a sniper stronghold during the civil war and even though it is just a building the visible bullet and rocket holes in it’s concrete shell act as a painful reminder of a less peaceful and prosperous time. Also, on the way to the Holiday Inn we stumbled across another site of more recent and ongoing conflict: the skeletons of two car bombed buildings (one on either side of the street) where the Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri was killed in 2005. And while this event was
Temple of Bacchus
The God of Wine... Baalbek the tipping point which lead to Syria removing their troops from Lebanon, it’s a sad reality that their withdrawal only happened because of violence and loss of life.
Dan and I spent the remaindered of late afternoon and early evening walking along the promenade watching the expensive cars roll by, window shopping, checking all out the glamorous people drinking coffees at Starbucks and all the eager students from AUB (the American University of Beirut) go about their daily activities. After a full day of actually getting to Beirut and putting our feet to the pavement it was already time head back to the border.
So what did we actually learn in Lebanon about Lebanon? Did we come to any major conclusions about the state of their nation? Did we gain any major insight into what divides their people? Can we honestly say that the future of Lebanon looks peaceful and prosperous? To be honest we are still asking ourselves these questions and it is obvious that Lebanon with it’s complex history and current fragile state is not going to reveal any solid answers from a 12 hour visit. And with statistics such as 24% unemployment rate, a 32
Billion dollar debt and one of the highest national rates of depression it seems that Lebanon’s road to stability and peace is still going to be a long, tumultuous journey. However, with that said… we went and we saw the situation first hand and while it didn’t lend any answers it did provoke questions which sometimes in travel makes the journey just as worthwhile.
Until next time…
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anonymous
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I always enjoy reading your blogs! Keep up the good work guys! xoxo ;)