Reflecting the area’s perennial prominence at the core of civilization, another distinguished archeological site in the Beqaa Valley is the city of Anjar: one of the most notable assets of cultural heritage bequeathed to humanity by the Umayyad Caliphate. Since its foundation in the early 8th century AD, at the dawn of the Islamic Golden Age, the city gradually lost its … [Read more...]
Two Days in Baalbek, Lebanon
A week had gone by on the searing and crowded coast. Now I would return to the cooler and uncongested hinterland. Between Mount Lebanon and the Syrian Anti-Lebanon Mountains, marking the north end of the Great Rift Valley that extends all the way to southeast Africa, lies the Beqaa Valley. In contrast to my previous short transfers, today I had a long journey to the country’s … [Read more...]
Two Days in Byblos, Lebanon
Seduced by the comfort of the egg chair and the serenity of the sea view, I dallied over my coffee and set off in the later, hotter morning. Thankfully, the tuk-tuk dropped me off under a bridge to wait for the bus, which took longer than usual to pass. A while later, some ten miles south along the coast, I got off in the center of Jbeil city, also known by its ancient name of … [Read more...]
Two Days in Batroun, Lebanon
The tuk-tuk dropped me off right in front of the van’s door. I hopped onto the latter after making one step on the intervening ground between the two vehicles. And no sooner than I was in, we began driving south along the scenic coastal highway.A short while later, just before entering the town of Batroun, I requested a stop at a random spot on the roadside. It was the closest … [Read more...]
Two Days in Tripoli and Mina, Lebanon
The road was empty, and the quiet reinstated when I got up at dawn and settled on the bench for my coffee. The sublime landscape of the Lebanese mountains looked different today. It bore the transcendent quality of an exhilarating experience the moment before it wanes into a memory. I regarded it with a tad of anticipatory wistfulness as I mulled that this thrilling trekking … [Read more...]
Qadisha Valley to Ehden: Trekking the Lebanon Mountain Trail
Following a calm morning, we continued through the gorge. The river and the road gradually deviated until the former receded into an invisible abyss off the brink of the latter. Then we stopped for coffee and brunch at a lone restaurant we happened upon. It comprised a shaded concrete terrace over the cliff and an outdoor kitchen. Unlike yesterday’s one, it had set tables … [Read more...]
Bsharri, Qadisha Valley: Trekking the Lebanon Mountain Trail
A large animal, likely a boar, that hung around our tent at dawn was gone by sunrise, leaving the grove in perfect stillness. In the cedars’ generous shade and at a 2,000-meter elevation, which was the highest we’d reached on this trip, the morning was cool. With a dose of reluctance, we packed and started our descent.This time we took another route back to El Arz through the … [Read more...]
El Arz, Cedars of God: Trekking the Lebanon Mountain Trail
The sun reached our tent early and forced us to pack and go quickly. This morning, for the first time on this trip, we saw snakes, not one, but two. The first was a water one. We disturbed its basking as we passed along the concrete rim of an artificial pond, and it spryly retreated to the invisible depths of its aquatic habitat. The second was a big, black, terrestrial one … [Read more...]
Tannourine Cedar Reserve: Trekking the Lebanon Mountain Trail
Waking in such a heavenly setting, we ought to loll for the better part of the morning. Then, a contingency during prep delayed our start even longer. While cleaning them, Sophie dropped her transparent teeth aligners in the stream. Since she feels for them particularly strongly, we made an effort to search. There was a chance, however slim, they got stuck someplace downstream. … [Read more...]
Tannourine: Trekking the Lebanon Mountain Trail
The lack of shade and water compelled us to set out very early. Natch, five minutes into our course, we met a wide stream rushing beside turfy flatland and under a dense forest canopy. The trail soon veered onto the road that entered the region’s principal town.Tannourine consisted of age-old, gracious stone houses and narrow, declivitous stair pathways winding among them. A … [Read more...]
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