Lebanon Day 4
Dog River
The day began at Dog River – Area where the mountain meets the sea and the choke point where conquering armies must pass to get to other cities to the south. Each army would carve a monument as they left the city. The first one from 1267 B.C. And the last one from 2000 A.D. This is Toufic’s favorite spot to take visitors.
Jeita Grotto
A series of caves one of which can only be reached by boat.
Lunch
We stopped for lunch by the sea at a small little fish spot. For lunch we tried the local fish dishes as well as a few Lebanese specialties. The waitstaff and everyone around us was stressed because they were pretty busy. Being in no hurry, we just sat back and watched many arguments between the wait staff and the owners. Our check was taking forever to come so Ismat had to step in and “fix” the situation.
Our Lady of Nourieh Greek Orthodox Church
Our next spot was Our Lady of Nourieh Greek Orthodox Church. An amazing church on top a mountain. There was a Muslim couple there getting their wedding photos made because the women cannot take photos with their heads uncovered in the mosques.
Nabu Museum
A musuem of modern Lebanese artists in a weathered steel building.
BATROUN
A quaint little town known for their small streets and lemonade. In Batroun we saw the following.
- Marionite Church
- Ethiopian Ceremony
- Sea Church
- Phoenician Wall
Ice Cream
The traffic was crazy on the way back into Beirut. Everyone heads to the mountains for the weekend. To relax a little, we took a small break from the traffic to enjoy a Lebanese ice cream.
Dinner
It was a super long day so we finished the night at the hotel bar, Duke of Wellington, and then a simple dinner around the corner. After dinner, we met the Finnish Ambassador to Afghanistan. She has been visiting Lebanon for vacation since 1994. Learned that when it is your turn to pay the dinner bill, the waiter will check with the Lebanese native to make sure it is okay. If it is not approved, then no matter what you will lose the argument against the Lebanese native and Lebanese waiter.
