Up the road from Baalbek

So, long time readers of BiB might well recall that I have a bit of a thing about Lebanon’s antiquities. Well, we all know about Baalbek, but I recently discovered something that, I’d imagine, all too few of us will have seen… all thanks to my parents’ wanderlust.

Just up the down the road from Baalbek lies a little village by the name of Niha. There’s absolutely nothing remarkable about the town, unless you happen to have a decent guidebook, or an out-of-date copy of The Lonely Planet. Suffice it to say, there’s something quite stunning about the village.

Niha: Point A

Drive through a labyrinthine set of back streets, aided occasionally by a brown tourist information sign, and you’ll come across two temples. Greek in origin if an inscription at the site is to be believed.

This is what you’ll be treated to:

A site few of us will have come across, I’m betting.

However, there’s more to come. A little bit of off-roading, aiming higher into the valley, through some apple orchards and vineyards and you’ll see something stunning. This is what awaits you in the hills above the town:

My only recommendations, drive something a little more robust than our rented Seat Ibiza, and don’t, as I did, go climbing in your sandals.

How to write about Beirut 101

I just found this piece by Angie Nassar on the Daily Star's blog. Given that I recently posted this little discussion about the British press, I thought it appropriate to share.

Here's an excerpt:

This is a cliché article about why “Beirut is back”

First, I will romanticize Lebanon into a chic, post-war brand so you can buy into this cliché article about why “Beirut is back.” I will tell you that there was a 15-year civil war in the country from 1975-1990, and then contrast several buzzwords and phrases like “battered” “bruised” and “once-divided” with notions of “rebirth” “glamorous” and “united.”

This paragraph begins with one of the four “p” metaphors: pawn, playground, pearl or Paris. Beirut is like one of these. I could also use Switzerland as an analogy, but that is *so* overdone. And take note: I will repeatedly refer to Lebanon’s capital throughout this article as if it is representative of the country as a whole.
 

Well, it made me laugh.

The British Press and Lebanon

There’s been a recent rash of travel articles written about Beirut, or Lebanon, in the British press.

Here’s another, in the Independent, which rates The Four Seasons.

The Guardian’s been in on the action recently, too. Here’s a short plug, and also a piece on Beiruti cuisine with a short “Where to stay, what to do” section.

I’d like to point the following out to my colleague at The Beirut Spring:

The buildings range from the occasional pretty Arabian apartment block with French-style ironwork to hundreds of ugly white and pastel concrete buildings and spectacular modern developments, while gold mosques and big churches poke out wherever they can.

It’s not just the Americans.

But, thankfully, kind of, the Guardian also got out of the big smoke and talked about The Bekaa, here.

Although, the use of the word tribe is a little odd.

Methinks there’s an effort being made to get Beirut into the press. Alternatively, the British travel press have cottoned on to the fact that Lebanon is very much "now" in terms of interesting holiday spots. Let's face it, if you got told to go away and lose yourself at the Four Seasons with their 24-hr butler service, I'd imagine you'd jump at the chance. A lot of this kind of stuff is paid for, the Four Seasons piece being a prime example I'm willing to bet. Not that that matters in terms of getting Beirut on the map.

My point is, for such a small country, and one that's been in the press a lot recently, it seems a little odd that Lebanon's popping up all the time. Odd, but good. As long as they're mentioning the right type of columns.

But either way, it’s nice to see the city, and the country, highlighted for reasons other than to say, “Beirut’s a fleshpot, go and drink.”

Remembering the past

On the Damascus Road, on the way to Aley, there’s a rather large concrete memorial that I’ve always wanted to check out. I knew it had something to do with the Civil War, but had never got off the highway to give it the once over. I still haven’t … but my folks have.

A bit of context: My parents are intrepid “off the beaten path” types. They’re the weird foreigners you bump into in the middle of nowhere who end up telling the locals more about the history of the country than they know themselves. Additionally, dad served with the Sultan of Oman’s Army in the 1980’s, so he’s, a., interested in militaria and b., can blag his way past unsuspecting sentries and officers alike in pretty decent military Arabic.

Anyway, here are the shots, taken from inside the base:

I Googled the site and here’s what I’ve found (via Nowlebanon and some obscure British sites):

It’s called Hope for Peace, it was designed by a local artist, known as Arman, in 1995. It sits in the Defence Ministry site at Yarzeh. Originally intended to sit in Downtown Beirut, it was deemed a little too raw and moved up the mountain.

It contains, among other AFVs, the remains of some British Charioteers and various artillery pieces.

My wife attended The London School of Economics in 2006. Upon her acceptance they sent her a copy of the university magazine, the cover:

*The folks are here at the moment, hence the touristy pieces. Normal service will resume shortly.*

National pride

I took a trip up to the nature reserve at Al Barouk today. It’s predominantly a site dedicated to the preservation of the Lebanese Cedar (Cedrus Libani to all you arborphiles out there). It appears on the national flag of Lebanon and, to my experience, holds a special place in the hearts of most Lebanese.

In a country that so often fails to maintain its natural environment, or its history, it’s always a pleasure to see somewhere like Barouk. Given that I've ranted about preservation before, it's only fair I share the good side too.

Before entering the reserve proper, I couldn’t help but laugh at the following sign:

Talk about highlighting the negatives

Here are a series of shots from Barouk:

No, this is not going to turn into a photo blog, have no fear.

On the way out, I saw something that sparked my interest:

Divided, but still going

 Apt, no?