Radisson Sas Martinez Hotel Beirut

... the rocks, there are no woman to be seen, however a few of the daughters (2 or 3 of them) have been included in the herd of males. Unlike the boys, the girls are dressed from head to toe, including the chador (head scarf), long trousers and shoes, and they have to swim in these outfits. The boys dive freely off the rocks and frolic in the water, wearing just shorts. The girls are put into life jackets so they don't sink (from their heavy clothing). Essentially their ...

... post. We left the hotel and went downtown to the bars. First bar we went to was a small rock bar that I wasn't feeling it at first. However, the more we stayed, the more I liked it, could have had something to do with the fact that they played Oasis... hahahah. Anyway, it was pretty cool and the people were really nice. Though I guess they gouge you if you say you're from the US, so I told them I was from Canada ...

... accept someone representing them. He threw the passports back at us and started serving some other people. So we motioned the Scottish and Brazilian guy to come back in line but this ******* wouldn't let them walk though to the front. He said it was too bad for them that they left the line. I asked the guy to be reasonable and he said that he had 2 kids in the car and it wouldn't be right for them to wait longer than they needed to. So I said that our ...

... in Beirut are typically small and only one-lane (such as in Hamra where I have mainly been), yet the number of people trying to get places is large so there are numerous traffic jams and it takes forever to get from one place to the other even though the distance is not that far. Traffic rules also do not apply in Beirut. Sometimes there are traffic lights, but electricity is known to go out at random times all over the city and throughout Lebanon, so the ...

... other thing that you will notice in Lebanon straight away is the driving - forget Mongolia, this is the Premier Division of crazy drivers. Fancy making a left turn? Then go as far to the right as possible, and then cut straight across three lanes of traffic at the last possible moment. Don't worry, they'll be expecting it. It's a reversal of UK driving - I was in a service taxi with four others when another driver refused to let us cut ...

... a reputation as one of the wonders of the world. Originally named after the Phoenician god Baal, the Greeks later called it Heliopolis (City of the Sun), the Romans made it a major worship site for their god Jupiter and it is now a World Heritage Site. Six massive columns are all that remain of the Temple of Jupiter, but the 150AD Temple of Bacchus (actually dedicated to Venus/Astarte) is VERY impressively intact. Its 42 ...

... harbor which is home to its sad fishing fleet and some derelict boats. The city has a promenade which stretches for miles to the northern suburb of Herzliya. It is filled with people any day of the week, bicycling, walking or just sitting in one of the many cafes enjoying the view.

... churn from breakfast. We saw the chapel that we were supposed to do some work on but that plans were never approved for in time. Next was Najlah at the synod in a nice relaxed office (more tea), relaxed conversation. From there, we went up to Hamana to Hamlin, a nursing home operated by the synod. The drive took us over and through the mountains and some beautiful views. Actually, we stopped at Dhour Choiure, the ...

... about everywhere. Naji later told us these are the descendants of cats set free by the biology department many years ago, but we suspect he may have just been fooling the gullible Americans... We concluded our tour of Beirut with a small hot air balloon "lift" (we were moored to one spot, and the balloon simply rose upward) that took us above the rooftops of the city to afford us a better view of the small ribbon of peninsula on which the city is built, the hills on which ...

... pleasant, the people warm and welcoming and the food wonderful. If anyone has got a free long weekend between now and eternity, then spend it in Beirut (you won't regret it). The only points of general interest to those of you who might consider going or those (few) who are worried about Combie and Sarah's mortal and mental well being are transport related observations. Firstly, Beruit has all the external indicators of a super-efficent modern city with ...