Sunday, April 29, 2012

au revoir Lebanon!

My last day in Lebanon. To summarize my experience of one week: it was surprising and intriguing.

Surprising: it is a small country but with so much history and so many sites to visit. I was impressed by Baalbek. It is the largest Roman temple in the world and it is listed as a UNESCO world heritage (for more info - click here). One can easily spend hours between the buildings and the stones. Several Embassies discourage visiting Baalbek at the moment because of its close proximity to the Syrian border. This is very sad, because there is no reason not to go - at least for the moment. But going to Lebanon without visiting Baalbek is going to Paris without paying a visit to the Eiffel Tower.
I was surprised by the beauty of the  Baalbek valley which spans between the two mountain ranges on the east and west of Lebanon. Seeing the snow on the top of the mountains while enjoying pleasant temperatures of 25 degrees celsius. The agriculture that is practiced in the green valley. There are a lot of wineries and the Lebanese wine is surprisingly good! The landscape dotted with the tents of the Bedouins who live without a nationality and are roaming from country to country in the region although the political and security problems in neighboring Syria must make them more stationary for the moment.
And there are many more surprisingly beautiful sites like the largest Roman hippodrome in Tyre; the grottes in Jeita and the beaches along the coast.
And last but not least, I am surprised that Pepsi is more widely available than Coca Cola..

Intriguing: almost everything.. I am intrigued by the glue that keeps this country together and by the plethora of religions and confessions. I was told there are a lot of Muslims and Christians but not many believers. However religion is at the heart of the identity of people and it is the linchpin of the society. Before falling in love with someone, one needs to be certain about the roots and origins of the other. There hasn't been a census in Lebanon for decades just to avoid that the results may cause a rupture in the accepted rules of the game to govern and organize this country.
I m intrigued by the proximity of Syria. When I switch on the TV it is impossible to miss out on the horrible images that are shown on the screen about what is happening in a country just a few hours from here. But when you switch off the TV and you wonder through the streets of Beirut one can only feel the happiness of spring and the start of a new season. However, apparently the number of tourists have fallen with about 75% compared to previous years. Knowing that tourism counts for about 60% of the national economy, it can't be a surprise that sooner or later the effect of what is happening in Syria will be serious here as well..
I m very intrigued by Hezbollah. They have opened an open-air museum from where they fought the resistance against Israel in 2006. They have a clear presence in several parts of the country which is marked by yellow flags and large billboards. In areas where their presence is limited, it is often more touristic with bars and pubs and lots of memorabilia for sale. I m just wondering what will happen 'if' the regime in Syria will go down..

My one-week stay was more than worth it. I recommend anyone who has the intention to go to Lebanon to visit this country. I have to engage in some serious mental gymnastics to realize that in three days I will be back in Haiti.. To sustain the memory and before I say'au revoir', I will eat another mezza while drinking a tasty Lebanese beer!

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