Lebanon!

So Thailand was supposed to be my last big side trip outside of China, but when you have family and a free place to stay in Lebanon, how do you say no to that? You don’t. So abandoning all hope of saving any money, I bought a plane ticket to Beirut and spent 8 days in the “Paris of the Middle East.” And lucky for me, my lovely aunt Sharon played the perfect hostess and tour guide. I’m not even sure where to begin; the entire trip was absolutely, ridiculously, out of this world amazing. I feel a little guilty saying this, like I’m cheating on China, but daaaaaaaaaaamn. The Mediterranean, the people, the food, the clean air, the Roman ruins, you name it, I loved it. Maybe I should just list a few of my favorite things, or does that sound too much like the song in the Sound of Music?

Well let’s start with my first night; after a long and exhausting flight, my aunt greets me and immediately takes me to her apartment that has: A) a kitchen sink B) a mattress that doesn’t resemble a plank of wood C) food that isn’t Chinese. It’s like my own personal heaven. Touring around Beirut the next few days was such a breath of fresh air, literally and metaphorically. The sky is bright blue, we are walking along the Mediterranean, people aren’t staring, babies are wearing diapers, and Middle Eastern men are pretty damn easy on the eyes. Turns out I’m the one staring. Beirut is such a fantastic blend of Eastern and Western cultures, historical and modern, optimism and a reminder of the past. Bullet laden buildings still stand as a reminder of the civil war and detriment that Lebanon underwent so recently, but the new and remodeled down town area represents progress and survival. Mosques and churches line the streets and gorgeous archaic buildings are tucked amongst the budding sky rises. I enjoy meandering around the city taking pictures down hidden streets, eating in cafes in the downtown area, and shopping in stores that carry my size. This city has character, and I just know eight days will not be long enough. (My God, I sound like I’m about to burst into song; I should take the cheese factor down a notch or two).

Just when I thought it couldn’t get more awesome, my aunt arranges for me to take a trip to Syria for a few days with some other Americans my age. Other than being detained at the border for four hours and having to hitchhike with some guards, the trip kind of rocked my world. We take a long, windy drive (with me attempting not to hurl in the backseat) to Krak de Chevaliers, a crusader castle in the hillsides. AWESOME. The architecture, the views, the landscape, everything about it is intensely gorgeous and mesmerizing. Next up, a quick stop to visit the water wheels that are hundreds of years old for some amazing pictures. (Well mine are pretty amateur, but I’m sure somebody with talent would have taken amazing shots). My favorite part of Syria, besides the hummus, would definitely have to be the day at the Souks. As a huge fan of shopping, I thoroughly enjoy shopping when you can talk your way down from the original price. For this, I have to thank China for beefing up my bargaining skills. Everywhere in China you must bargain as if your life depends on it. I was planning on being thrifty and buying just a neat little souvenir or two, but who are we kidding. I had to feed my scarf addiction and do my part to help the Syrian economy. I’m pretty sure if Syria wasn’t thriving before, it was after I came through. Had I more room in my suitcase and more money in my wallet, I probably could have emptied some of those stalls of their entire inventory. FYI, my apartment will be homage to my travels; looks like Barrett’s stuff is going to have to find a new home in the storage unit.

My few days in Damascus and the Syrian countryside quickly come to an end, but that means I still have more time to spend in Beirut. The next few days each start out the same: drinking tea and reading a book on the balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. After that I wander around the city by foot- peering into shops, walking along the Corniche, and ogling Lebanese men. Did I mention they’re good looking? My trip also would not have been complete without the amazing day trips my aunt planned for me. One would be the day I spent in Baalbeck; a site dedicated to ruins that date back to the Phoenician era complete with some of the most impressive ruins and temples I’ve ever seen. Next highlight would be the afternoon I spent at the American University of Beirut. Did you know they have their own private beach on the campus? All of a sudden, my alma mater is looking quite crappy in comparison; all we had was a damn rodeo. And, last but not least, the highlight of not just my trip, but probably of my life is seeing the Jeita caves. This cave and grotto is a couple hours outside of Beirut and up for one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It has my vote. Walking in there is like entering an Indiana Jones movie; the most amazing natural formations I’ve ever seen in my entire life – stalagmites and stalactites the size of full grown men. It’s just bad ass; I don’t know how else to describe it. And the grotto has this piercing jade colored water that I could never ever forget if I tried. It’s truly one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my 26 years of existence. It’s too bad that photography isn’t allowed and that I tend to abide by the rules. Bugger.

So, sadly, after 8 glorious days of soaking up Middle Eastern culture and smoking my first hookah with Aunt Sharon, it’s time to go home. And I wish with all my heart that I could say my journey home was as smooth and enjoyable as my whole vacation, but alas I cannot. It seems that on my last day in Beirut I ate something that didn’t quiiiiite agree with me. I was fine on the flight to Dubai, but somewhere during my 10 hour layover, this mystery food caught up with me. And it caught up with me in every bathroom in the Dubai airport, and unfortunately on a passerbyer on the path to the toilets. Sir, you know who you are, and again, I apologize. And wouldn’t you know it, when you have to puke and pee at the same time, they don’t always take turns like they should. So as I’m boarding the plane to Beijing, everyone around me is kind of holding their nose because I smell of almost every bodily function known to man. Yep, I guess this is how I choose to represent America – smelling like piss and vomit. It concerns me that this is the second blog in less than a year that has a large section dedicated to puke. Did I do something in a past life? Is this karma? Anyways, after arriving in Beijing exhausted and smelly, I want nothing more than just to get on the 2 hour train to Shijiazhuang and pass out in my own bed. But there are no trains. Wouldn’t you fucking know it? So guess who gets stuck on a 7 hour sleeper bus complete with old men urinating in the aisle? If you guessed me, contact me for your grand prize. I think this was China’s own special way of welcoming me back with gusto. Strangely enough, it does kind of feel good to be home. Who would have thought? So thanks for tuning in for my spectacular Lebanese adventure, and I bid you adieu until next time.