Ramada Beirut Downtown

... glimmering harbor. It has beautiful bronze, lithe bodies in skimpy swim-wear draped over white day beds or dipping into a myriad of newly remodeled swimming pools. The DJ plays Ibiza style tracks, whilst people chill in the water sipping exotic cocktails or champagne under Beirut's cloudless blue sky.<br><br>As we were lounging on our day beds and looking out along the rocks ebbing the Corniche, the scene was a stark contrast. The Muslim men are taking their sons ...

... 10pm we left to go to our Hotel. The hotel name is Lancaster and quite honestly, isn't all that. The service stinks, our room didn't have all the amenities, and the wireless is non-existent. Oh, and the door won't close shut unless you slam it. Regardless, the city looks awesome and it's very beautiful, even though it was raining. I haven't taken any pics yet but plan to take a lot tomorrow so I will have stuff ...

... to be like the locals and just combine the passports. It didn't make sense for 4 people to wait in line. So the Russian guy and myself waited in line while the Brazilian and Scottish guy relaxed at the back of the room. This was a big mistake. When we got to the front of the line, we slapped 4 passports in front of him even though there were only 2 of us present. The border official said that foreigners had to be present at all times. They would ...

... next day we hung out at Najib's apartment complex for awhile. It's on the sea and has some nice pools and a great view. His family's apartment is in the north (north of Beirut, not northern Lebanon), which is a predominantly Christian area; whereas in the south it is predominantly Muslim. It takes forever to get there and back though because there is only one main road that is probably about 5 lanes. Traffic in and around Beirut has been extremely annoying. The ...

... guy's passport was completely full, with no room for even a single stamp - his passport was literally thrown back at him, and he was sent back to Syria with a flea in his ear. And to me? They were pussy cats. There's an incredible difference between Syria and Lebanon. The first thing you notice is how green the countryside is, and the Lebanese scenery is just fantastic. In some places it reminded me of Croatia, in others the French ...

... that their route is not marked or fixed. They honk incessantly to get your attention and as they drive up, you say your destination. If they are going that way, they wait for you to get in, if not, they say nothing and keep driving. Generally a dollar gets you where you want to go, but difficult to use for tourists because you generally need to know landmark names near where you are going and pronounce Arabic fairly well. Also ...

so - Ok, I've decided to go to Sana'a to study Arabic. One because it's cheap, two because it's Yemen and I have this attraction to places not so many people go to. But where should I study? What should I do? A google search gives me several hits, so does a round of emails among friends and couchsurfers. In the end, after getting quotes from several language centers in Sana'a I decide to go for CALES ...

... next to where Hariri was bombed) with Kassis Nuhad. Very nice, down to earth man, good visit, lots of food! Back in Hamra, Dave walked us around some looking for a map. At one point, he got this funny look on his face as we approached an intersection with 2 security checkpoints and we asked where we were going but he wouldn't say. It kinda freaked us out! He finally told us it was Hariri's house which was pretty cool to see.

... is creeping upward, and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. And it provided us a glimpse of just how much construction and reinvention the city continues to engage in to wipe away the carnage of the war and, in its stead, plant beautiful new buildings and complexes. Indeed, the city fathers plan for such expansion that they have embarked upon a very ambitious poddling project of land reclamation from the sea, land on which more and new hotels, offices and apartments ...

... 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 ...