LEBANON
Trip Start
??? 06, 2001
1
11
Trip End
??? 07, 2001
Beirut,
Lebanon
Monday, July 14, 1997
It had beautiful mountains,ancient Phonecian culture,and a Mediterranean coastline.
But it also held the extra fascination of a nation emerging from a twenty year civil war,with an ongoing occupation by the Syrian army,whose road blocks were everywhere,and by the Israelis,who still controlled the entire southern part of the country.A UN sector,called UNIFIL,patrolled the area between them and Hezbollah fighters.
Best of all to those who value their ability to see a lot in a short time,was the public transport system of shared cars,which usualy filled quickly with their five passengers,and travelled rapidly between the major towns.
"Beirut,Beirut,..honk,honk", the driver would call,accompanied by his car horn,as he attempted to recruit passengers.Or "Tripoli,Tripoli,"depending on the destination,but always with a double barrelled invective.For those reared on stories of the dangers of this war torn country,it was thrilling indeed to be rallying people to travel to such infamous locales,and it was difficult not to join in with the repartee.
Travel companions included headscarved Muslim women,old men who had seen it all in this historic arena,and,on one occasion a young American visitor,who had broken his own country's laws by coming to a place where Americans had been bombed and kidnapped not so long ago,and where their travel ban remained theoretically in force.
Everywhere in the South were large,personality cult style,posters of Islamic clerics,positioned along the highways,while the road blocks of both Syrian and Lebanese forces were uniquely decorated with national flags,posters,and a set of red and white painted car tyres along the centre of the road,marking their approach.
