There are police, and barriers, in Beirut. Our first 2 days in one neighborhood were quite peaceful. Yesterday we walked further, to see more typical signs of concrete barriers and razor wire and military guards around the former President's house, and then today around the Saudi Arabian embassy. We also note the flurry of construction activity, both buildings and roads; yet in amongst the renovated sleek apartment buildings and shopping malls are old walls pockmarked with bullet-holes, and empty shells of buildings including the bizarre alien-looking building in the center of town.
Cole and I attended a lecture by Tariq Ramadan at the American University of Beirut -- educational, fascinating even though Prof.Ramadan was speaking quite academically and not wanting to get tied down. The question-and-answer session was even more enlightening, to hear the emotional and articulate ripostes and sallies. About 400 people attended. He noted, by the way, that he is persona non grata in 7 Arab countries, including Syria and Saudi Arabia. He did not note, but I remember, that the Bush administration refused him a visa to deliver a lecture in the U.S. I agree that he could be irritating, by his way of rhetorical questioning;but that exemplifies the notion of free speech.
On Saturday we hired a taxi for the day to take us to Jeita Grotto, Jounieh, Harissa, and Byblos. The grotto is spectacular and well kept up, well worth a visit--it seems to have been the inspiration for the Lord Of The Rings cavern designs! The cable-car up to the view overlooking Jounieh and the Mediterranean is more standard tourist fare, but quite pleasant: the Virgin-Mary statue and modern church are prominent on top of the mountain. And the weather was gorgeous, just perfect.
Byblos, so called because of the papyrus made here in Egyptian times, is now called Jbail. Still it is obviously an easy place to live--it stakes claim to the longest continuously-inhabited place, what with evidence of neolithic settlements under Phoenician, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Mameluke, Crusader, Turkish, French buildings. The archaeological site is a wonderful mix of modern museum-like presentation of certain artifacts, and a shamble of paths and stairs through piles of columns and stones and poppies and daisies overlooking the calm Mediterranean Sea. I can see the charm, see why it was a popular stop for wealthy yachtsmen in the 60s and 70s. The Audis and BMWs still cruise the narrow harbor road.
Returning to Beirut, we sought out a student drama production at Lebanese-American University. But after several chats with helpful guards and students, we came up empty--but will return on Tuesday night to see the student production of "Baghdad Monologue". Watch this space for the review!
So we hailed a taxi to find Theatre Monnot and a performance by the Dance Theater of Beirut. More on that next time.
Cole and I attended a lecture by Tariq Ramadan at the American University of Beirut -- educational, fascinating even though Prof.Ramadan was speaking quite academically and not wanting to get tied down. The question-and-answer session was even more enlightening, to hear the emotional and articulate ripostes and sallies. About 400 people attended. He noted, by the way, that he is persona non grata in 7 Arab countries, including Syria and Saudi Arabia. He did not note, but I remember, that the Bush administration refused him a visa to deliver a lecture in the U.S. I agree that he could be irritating, by his way of rhetorical questioning;but that exemplifies the notion of free speech.
On Saturday we hired a taxi for the day to take us to Jeita Grotto, Jounieh, Harissa, and Byblos. The grotto is spectacular and well kept up, well worth a visit--it seems to have been the inspiration for the Lord Of The Rings cavern designs! The cable-car up to the view overlooking Jounieh and the Mediterranean is more standard tourist fare, but quite pleasant: the Virgin-Mary statue and modern church are prominent on top of the mountain. And the weather was gorgeous, just perfect.
Byblos, so called because of the papyrus made here in Egyptian times, is now called Jbail. Still it is obviously an easy place to live--it stakes claim to the longest continuously-inhabited place, what with evidence of neolithic settlements under Phoenician, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Mameluke, Crusader, Turkish, French buildings. The archaeological site is a wonderful mix of modern museum-like presentation of certain artifacts, and a shamble of paths and stairs through piles of columns and stones and poppies and daisies overlooking the calm Mediterranean Sea. I can see the charm, see why it was a popular stop for wealthy yachtsmen in the 60s and 70s. The Audis and BMWs still cruise the narrow harbor road.
Returning to Beirut, we sought out a student drama production at Lebanese-American University. But after several chats with helpful guards and students, we came up empty--but will return on Tuesday night to see the student production of "Baghdad Monologue". Watch this space for the review!
So we hailed a taxi to find Theatre Monnot and a performance by the Dance Theater of Beirut. More on that next time.
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