Lebanon land

I just got back from a 5 day trip to beautiful Lebanon. I hadn't done a whole lot of research before I left... ok ok, for those of you who know me well, I hadn't done any research/planning before I left. Just got a couple of recommendations from friends and coworkers. Luckily I traveled with a great group of friends who coordinated day trips to Baalbek, Harissa, and Byblos.
We arrived in Beirut at around 6 am. With little sleep and not being able to check into our hotel until 3pm, Christine, Nick, Peter, Adam and I decided to wander around Beirut city and check out some sites. Immediately you notice how rich Beirut is in culture and history. We walked along a popular area called Rouche. Lebanese men were selling coffee on the Corniche, fishermen were testing their luck to fill up their buckets, and couples were giggling on benches and sharing romantic Arabic phrases. All of this was happening on a lovely morning surrounded by the Pigeon Rocks...a perfect spot to join the relaxed environment, sit close to the water and enjoy some good shisha and cafe con leche.

Day two was spent in Baalbek. Nato joined us for this one! We spend the day in a magnificent site that represents the monumental Roman period. Temples and ruins more than 9,000 years old are still standing in this site. Something I was struck by is how central this place is. As we pulled up in our 20 plus seater bus, I thought I was in any old neighborhood packed with apartment buildings, dirty balconies covered in hanging clothes, and one or two pharmacies on the corner. The minute our bus driver pointed to the right and said Baalbek, I was amazed to see two completely different time periods partnering each other and belonging in the exact same location. Muy increible!We spent day 3 in Beirut. We walked around the city and got to see a European influenced Beirut. In the middle of downtown where all modern hotels stood tall, and fancy restaurants embraced the water, it was again amazing to see how this modern time period meshed with an older, sadder part of Lebanese history. Close to the Intercontinental hotel stood the Holiday Inn, not occupied by guests but standing as a symbol for the 2006 Lebanon war, stained with thousands of bullet holes and burn marks.
Day 4 was Byblos. Another relaxing day in the Mediterranean city surrounded by ancient ports dating back to 5000BC. Byblos has the reputation of being the oldest city in the world! This day ended with delicious camarones and a fabulous sunset:)

Now I can add one more middle eastern country to my traveling list. I am looking forward to expand this list and keep enjoying the incredible high that comes with traveling.
Next trip Kochi, India...