Home » Lebanon » Beirut, Baalbek, Jeitta Grotto

Middle East - part III

Beirut, Baalbek, Jeitta Grotto

Hector Yague
2005-10-07 15:33:50

Displayed times (last time: )

22m high pillars remaining, and the platform base upon which the temple was erected is still there. Imagine how freaking huge this shit was, that there is another temple next by, Bacchus' temple -the God of wine- which was popularly nicknamed " Little Temple ". Please have a look at the picture below: this is the little temple , and please note that there are some humans standing next to it. Now, with that human-size reference, try to picture the size of that little temple, and now try to imagine the size of the big temple . I know, makes my head spin too!

Jeitta Grotto

If I had to choose one place where I would like to die, that'd be the Jeitta Grotto. Well not really, it'd be the Wadi Rum desert in the southern Jordan, but I had not known about that one at that time.

Jeitta Grotto is a natural cave with stalactites, stalagmites, inner lagoons, and all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a grotto. Now imagine the rightfully-claimed most stunning grotto on Planet Earth, and you are half way to picture how beautiful this grotto is. It's like taken from The Lords of the Rings or such a fantasy environment. The lights and shadows dance with each other here among vast inner spaces, with the ever-singing water drops leaking through the stone. This is a place that you've got to see with your own eyes, because my faulty english will do nothing but lower its splendor. Truly unbelievable.

Entrance fee was an outrageous 13 euros, no discounts for filthy students such as myself. But what the hell, 13 euros for a once-in-a-lifetime natural spectacle? gimmie two of those please!

Unfortunately, due to UNESCO's preservation rules, photo cameras are banned so I cannot show you any of this, but please hear my advice and open a new Explorer browser, go to Google.com and flip onto the pictures tab. Now type Jeitta Grotto Lebanon, and serve yourself. Watch it! you're messing your pants with your mouth-drippings!

Another PITA (pain in the ass) bus-ride from Beirut to Damascus, and then from Damascus to Amman, and there I was entering into a whole new territory: Jordan was awaiting ahead...

Country's high-light!

Jeitta Grotto, no doubt. An underground beauty not to be missed if nearby.

Country's thumbs up!

* Beirut surroundings: greeny and exuberant, specially if we take into account that this is a Middle East country.

* Beirut is a fun city if you can afford it: lots of terraces, bars and clubs.

* The city's french feeling. Quite amusing.

Country's thumbs down!

* Beirut is expensive as any European city.

* And once again pollution, noise, traffic, etc makes it to the Thumbs Down list.