Lebanon – TOOT TOOT ALA BEIRUT

Tim, my uncle and I went for a stroll in downtown Beirut. Unfortunately the place was guarded because of the ‘rubbish crises’ and a riot against the government. The Lebanese parliament is located in the middle of downtown so Tim asked a soldier if he can grant us permission to walk around. The soldier agreed and advised me in Arabic to not do anything funny or any unusual movement or else we might get shot. So we said SIR YES SIR and continued walking.

The area was empty and felt haunted. The most beautiful thing to see in downtown is the church right next to a mosque, it’s where Abrahamic religions collide. Downtown is historical and was rebuilt after the civil war but you will still see bits and pieces that were destroyed during the war.

Lebanese should consider how blessed they are in so many ways, despite the corruption and internal conflicts. 15 years of war and the Lebanese heritage couldn’t be destroyed, it’s still historical, the culture is alive and the Lebanese people know how to enjoy life.

Personally, out favourite hangout areas so far in Beirut are Hamra St. and Raouche where the Pigeon Rock is located. Tim and I had breakfast, lunch and dinner with my family in Raouche and enjoyed our walk. Fact about Beirut is that it never ever sleeps, even when we arrived at 3AM, the city was AWAKE; loud music playing and people having fun AND SMOKING SHISHA.

Despite all the issues when we visited, we simply LOVE Beirut and can’t wait to go back. Our stay was extremely short and there are still lots of things to do and discover in Beirut. And on our next visit, we are planning to tour the South of Lebaon.