Blogs from Beirut, Lebanon, Middle East - page 2

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Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut November 11th 2014

As some of you know we just embarked on one of our biggest journeys in providing Passion Foundation's leadership programming, in a multi-faceted partnership, for young women in Canada and Lebanon. Nine months ago we partnered with Sarah Jamieson ; a Vancouver based woman who set a 10 year project to raise $1M for charities through running. After watching May El Khalil’s TED talk about starting the Beirut Marathon Sarah said she knew that race was what she wanted to run to end her 10 year passion project called RUN4ACAUSE. For her final race she chose to partner with our Global Sorority initiative. Together we raised friends and funds to create a partnership between the Beirut Marathon, a school in Surrey, BC and two schools in Beiru... read more
Baabda
Baabda
Global Sorority Superheros

Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut July 8th 2014

Beyrouth, malgré les apparences, est une ville dans laquelle il est très plaisant de se balader, en raison de ses rues. Que ce soit pour les tags magnifiques ou les graffitis révélateurs des préoccupations des habitants, en passant par les escaliers colorés, les rues sont un moyen d'expression pour les Libanais. En voilà un rapide aperçu.... read more
Graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti

Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut July 8th 2014

Liban, bilan. Je ne suis parti que quatre jours pleins. Pour visiter un pays, ça fait très court, et forcément, j’ai dû faire des choix. Ils se sont portés sur les cinq plus grandes villes côtières, grands ports chargés d’une histoire millénaire, mais j’ai de ce fait laissé de côté tout l’intérieur du pays. La plaine de la Bekaa, les cèdres du Mont Liban, le site de Baalbek, autant d’excursions que j’aurais faites avec beaucoup de plaisir et de curiosité. D’où bien entendu, mon projet d’y retourner. Je ne pouvais que supposer, et deviner ce qui m’attendrait. J’avais une idée très vague de l’ambiance, des gens et des paysages. Je n’aurais par exemple jamais pensé passer des checkpoints, faire mes ablutions dans une mosquée, ou faire du stop en plein milieu de l’autoroute par exemple. Qu’est-ce ... read more
Cèdre du Liban
Baalbek
Plaine de la Bekaa

Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut July 7th 2014

Beyrouth, Saifi hostel, 00:15. Je m’accorde une petite grasse matinée, d’abord parce que je suis crevé, et ensuite parce que je visite Beyrouth aujourd’hui. En effet, après avoir « fait » quatre villes en deux jours, j’ai envie de passer mes deux journées restantes (la première et celle-ci) à bien visiter la capitale et m’en imprégner. Encouragé par mon expérience d’hier, j’ose enfin entrer dans la majestueuse Mosquée al-Amin. Je laisserai parler les photos pour vous décrire à ma place ce mélange harmonieux de courbes et de couleur. L'étendue du lieu et la température naturellement douce qui y règnent, conjuguées aux fidèles qui prient et dorment, donnent au lieu une atmosphère pleine de sérénité. J’y déambule à mon aise et admire le faste et la splendeur du monument. Lancé, j’en profite pour visiter la grande église ... read more
Lustre Mosquée Al-Amin
Eglise Saint-Georges, intérieur
Bourj Hammoud, quartier arménien

Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut July 5th 2014

Tripoli 11:12, bus vers Byblos. Aujourd’hui, j’ai prévu de visiter le Nord du pays. Visiter est un bien grand mot, étant donné que je ne passe qu’une journée, mais j’ai sélectionné deux villes que j’ai jugées dignes d’intérêt : Tripoli et Byblos. Tripoli (Trablos), à 85km au nord de Beyrouth, est la capitale du Liban-Nord et la seconde ville du Liban. C’est une ville d’une hospitalité légendaire où le présent s’accommode de l’histoire et où l’activité économique trépidante se double d’un style de vie décontracté. Tripoli recèle d’innombrables vestiges pa... read more
Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli

Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut August 24th 2013

I decided this morning to go visit Sidon and Tyre thinking I could do it myself cheaper and control what I wanted to see and do. Well it was a lot of hassle and discomfort for little gain, oh I saw what I wanted to see but there is a shortage of guides and literature regarding tourist sights here which is no surprise really. I travelled in local transport and paid taxi drivers to much to get to places because the heat here is just unbearable near the coast. I went to Sidon first which is only about 45 km south of Beirut to visit the Sea Castle a fortress built on a small island by the crusaders in the thirteenth century, the castle had a number of Roman columns imbedded in the walls. I then ... read more
Crusader sea castle
The castle mosque
Sidon's old town

Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut November 11th 2012

When I told my Lebanese barber back home I was hoping to swing by the "mother country" on our world trip, his response was lifted straight from Lebanon's patriotic script, infused with that Lebanese/Australian accent of the young that I don't quite get; "MATE! Lebanon is fooly seek MATE". His next line was a given. The Lebanese cliche of; "Mate. You can ski in da mawning and go sweeming at da bich in da aftanoon mate". With those adulations in mind and Istanbul in the plane's rear view mirror, we were Beirut bound. We call it chaos. The Lebanese call Beirut home and it began at the airport. Our flight coincided with a plane load of devotees returning from the Hajj and the terminal resembled a ticker tape parade for a victorious sporting team. In the ... read more
Blue domed mosque, central Beirut
Byblos
Tea delivery

Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut September 10th 2012

10 September Our last evening Beirut was very low key. After our adventure to the ABC mall, we went back to the hotel as Bill had really come down with whatever bug I had. I went to dinner to le Chef (a ho hum experience – the hommus and wine was good. Can’t vouch for the half cold bland kibbe smothered in white sauce!) The next day, after breakfast (and with Bill feeling better) we set out for our last half day in Beirut. We visited the Mohammed Al-Amin mosque, where assassinated prime minister Rafic Hariri is buried. Yaye, so happy we visited it was so beautiful. No matter how many mosques I visit, I am still in awe of the large domes, gorgeous chandeliers and the intricate artwork. Once the call to prayer was called, ... read more

Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut September 8th 2012

We are at the end of our sojourn in Lebanon. I left the last blog at Bacharre. As it turned out we didn’t go to play billiards the last night at Bacharre, rather we had a nice evening under the grape vines chatting with the hotel owner and shared a bottle of wine. The next day we were on to Byblos, but first we went for another hike (!) in Tannourine reserve, which is the second largest cedar tree reserve in Lebanon. After that we arrived at Byblos. Byblos is a lovely medieval town on the Mediterranean. Not long after we arrived, we hit the beach and rewarded ourselves with a couple of bottles of Almaza, Lebanon’s beer. Then we went for a walk through the medieval souk. Byblos is such a pretty town I wish ... read more

Middle East » Lebanon » Beirut September 4th 2012

I am restarting my blog for our 2012 trip – Lebanon and Europe for 2 months with my boyfriend and travelling partner Bill. We have now been in Lebanon for 4 days and are well into our intrepid trip. After an epic flight from Brisbane we arrived in Beirut eager to explore this one country in the Levant region of the Middle East we have yet to visit (with the exception of Israel & the Palestinian territories). Our hotel in Beirut turned out to be the perfect location for nightlife in Beirut. Gemmayze, and in particular, rue Gouraud, is filled with bars, nightclubs and eateries. The next day we set out on foot to theneighbourhood and Hamra. What surprised me with Beirut is the amount of money centered on centre ville and the Hamra area with ... read more




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