Beirut, Lebanon-Day 1

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Hello All!!

First, sorry I have not updated my blog in almost two months, I have been incredibly busy with:

1. Following the news updates about Egypt (I'm addicted to knowing what's going on in my current home country). I promise I am COMPLETELY SAFE! AUC campus is 40 minutes from Tahrir, and you're only in danger if you're on the front lines in Tahrir. That being said I am not arrested, nor was I arrested and later released for throwing anything off any roofs, but that's a story for another time..

2. Doing homework. Sometimes people forget there is a study part to studying abroad, that includes students too, haha.

3. Teaching English. Twice a week I venture into Coptic Cairo via the bus and metro to teach English to high school graduates in Coptic Cairo who want to improve their English for jobs and personal reasons. I felt this was a great way to give back to the country that has given me so much and so far I really enjoy it!!

Now, to the actual blog part! For fall break (or Eid Holiday for Muslims) I ventured to Beirut, Lebanon and Israel & the Palestinian Territories. Both trips were fantastic, and I can't wait to share my experiences! The first leg of the journey took me to Beirut, Lebanon. I have always wanted to go to Lebanon for some reason, probably because I remember hearing about Lebanon from Lebanese Americans who always talked about how beautiful it was and I just had to see for myself (and I want to explore pretty much every country in the world). For this trip I went with three girlfriends from AUC, two from Montreal, Canada and one from Texas. We left Cairo on the day we were done with classes, Thursday Nov. 3rd and took a one hour long flight to Beirut. We landed in Beirut around midnight and went off to our hostel in downtown Beirut. The first thing we noticed about Beirut was that there was a strange substance on the ground...water...from...RAIN?! Yes! It rains in Beirut, shocking, I know. Besides the rain the traffic was also less crazy (not surprising since I can't picture anything being worse than Cairo traffic) and there was barely any garbage anywhere on the streets (again not too surprising). The first big site I saw from the taxi was the famous Blue Mosque in downtown Beirut, which was completed in 2005 (more to come in another blog post) and it was thankfully right near our hostel! After checking in we all collapsed into bed and fell asleep only to be awakened at approximately 5:00AM by...Thunder? Yes, a thunderstorm! For some reason hearing rain for the first time since July was extremely calming and eased me right back to sleep After waking to a drizzle (sorry the rain was really a big deal after living in Cairo) we went out to explore downtown Beirut!

The first thing we did was take spending money out of ATMs (or attempt to but again that's another story) and get breakfast at the local mall. If there is one thing that I absolutely love about Beirut, it's that you can walk around everywhere without the need of a taxi if you wish (though they are plentiful). After breakfast, we ventured to the Corniche to walk along the coast of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. The weather was a little chilly after the rain, but it was nice once the sun came out. The coastline is beautiful and packed with people walking together, walking their dogs, running, or enjoying the serenity sitting on a bench. Beirut definitely lives up to its status of being the Paris of the Middle East.

Our goal was to walk to the Pigeon rocks, or the Rock of the Raouche' (a district of Beirut). These rocks are famous both with visitors and locals and have been featured in many travel magazines and shows. The site is really quite beautiful following the long walk to get there! After all that walking we decided to take a taxi back to our hostel, which took an hour with the traffic!! However, once we got back, we plopped down to take a little rest before heading off to dinner (all that walking really cooks up an appetite). We were advised to go to Le Chef, a restaurant run by a Lebanese man with a French name who serves Lebanese food. Sounded good to us, and it was a short walk away from our hostel. The owner was extremely friendly, and much to the delight of our Canadian friends he spoke French as well as Arabic. The food was delicious, hot, and cheap (the food trifecta in the Middle East). We shared Kofta (a lamb type shishkabob), Fish, Chicken Curry, and Mulukhiyah (a dish with rice, chicken, and smothered in a soup like mixture of jute leaves and corchorus spices). Along with delicious hummus, baba ganoush, pita, and desserts called Moghlie (a rice pudding eaten when a child is born in Lebanon) it was definitely one of the best meals I have had since being in the Middle East. After saying goodbye to our host, we went back to our Hostel, showered, and passed out after an exhausting yet wonderful first day in Lebanon!

I hope to have the other blogs up by the end of next week, sorry again for the delay. Nearing the end of the semester I have 3 research papers I am trying to write as well. Thanks for understanding, and I hope you enjoy!

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Photos

Beirut
Waiting in the Airport

Beirut
Beirut is going to be hosting a marathon soon, these statues were all over the city!

Beirut
Rainy day in front of the Blue Mosque

Beirut
On the Corniche

Beirut
The Pigeon Rocks

Beirut
Dinner at Le Chef