3 posts tagged “beirut”
Arrived back in Seattle this afternoon. I was supposed to be back yesterday, but I missed my connecting flight home by a mere five minutes, thanks to both the lateness of my flight out of Beirut and the idiotically complex transportation system at Charles De Gaulle airport. (It involved taking three buses and one train... all to take me to a slightly different area of the same damn terminal my MEA flight arrived at. Gah!)
Anyway, trying to type anything of length on my phone's tiny keyboard proved too taxing for me to write much while I was away, hence the lack of updates. But I hope to write a bit about my adventures once the jetlag wears off. And I've got pictures galore of scenic villas, ancient ruins, bombed-out bridges and the sparkling Mediterranean sea... among others.
I finally landed in Beirut last night, after a 20+ hour journey from SF through Paris to here. It's the longest and farthest I've ever traveled.
M picked me up at the airport, where I breezed through customs (no questions, even). We decided to ditch the rental car idea and take a cab into town. (We can hire a car for day trips if needed.)
I wasn't able to see to much of the city on the way over, as it was already twilight. But I'd gotten an amazing view from the plane as we were landing, skimming over the water along the coastline, the mountains in the distance. And on a more sober note, there were also numerous abandoned/semi-destroyed buildings visible, too, a reminder of the troubles in the not-so-distant past.
M lives in a small apartment building in the Hamra district, which she says has been mostly rebuilt since the war that ended in 1990. And there are tall, new buildings everywhere: banks, shops and commercial and residential high-rises.
After dropping off my bags at her place and resting for a bit, we go out to a local bar, du Prague, for drinks and some food. The place is cozy, with small, low tables and stools, art on the walls and a mix of American classic rock and Lebanese music blasting from the stereo. But my rumpled, jet-lagged self feels like a total schlub among these hip, pretty Beirutis. Apparently most locals like to go out and dress up most nights each week, and the place is packed at 10:30pm on a Tuesday.
A plate of shrimp in a sauce with tomatoes, plus fried potatoes and a baguette, along with a carafe of wine runs us only around $15. And here, like most places in Beirut, will gladly accept American dollars. We pay and go back to her apt where sleep finally catches up with me -- after almost 30 straight hours of being awake!
Today I'm on my own for a bit while M is off doing some work related to her studies. We got the most delicious breakfast, street food: fresh, hot Lebanese bread with olive oil and spices, rolled up with cucumber, tomatoes and pickles, all for around 30 cents each! Then I walked around in the midday heat and sun before this Seattlite started to melt.
I'm now in an air-conditioned cafe, drinking iced coffee and occasionally using my weak high school French to talk to some of the people here. (Hierarchy of languages here: Arabic, then French, then English.) Oui, il n'y a personne avec moi -- assetez vous ici. Or yeah, you can take the seat next to me.
Anyway, time to check out what is supposed to be the best
record store in town, La CD-Theque. Then get more sunscreen. Hopefully my phone will save this properly so it can upload later when I'm at a proper connection...
In just over twelve hours I'll be on a plane headed to Paris, where I'll briefly stop before continuing on my journey to Beirut, Lebanon.
A number of friends, co-workers and family have wondered why the heck I'm traveling to Beirut, with the fallout from last summer's war with Israel still keeping a lot of tourists away. But I'm going to visit a dear old friend who is living there, and I know we'll have a great time as she shows me around the city, the mountains and beaches for the next week.
At any rate, it will be an adventure. And in case things get hairy, I'm traveling light. I've got everything I need in my new backpack, plus a small canvas carry-on with a couple of books, travel pillow, snacks and such.
I'll be taking lots of pictures and trying to (mo)blog while over there using my phone. I'll be at the cafe with the free WiFi, a Turkish coffee and a piece of baklava.
