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Middle East - part III

Beirut, Baalbek, Jeitta Grotto

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

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Beirut

I arrived at midnite at Beirut after the nightmare of going through different border officers to get my visa into the country. I took the 48 hours free visa. Lebanon is a very small country, and since I heard it was terribly expensive I decided to only stay two days to explore its capital.

The taxi driver that took me from the bus station to the hotel ripped me off badly and charged me 5 euros for a 10 minutes ride. But like I said it was late at night and I did not feel like wandering around asking for directions.

Since I only had two days, I decided to visit the country's number two attractions: the ancient temple of BaalBek and the natural grotto of Jeitta. I also spent an evening exploring Beirut and its surroundings.

Beirut itself was known in the 70s as the Paris of the Middle East. In the 80s, the place became the center of a terrible war that completely destroyed the city. Now a days, there is little wreck left from those days, as moneyed constructors have gone berserker rebuilding the town up to its former glory. They say that Istanbul is the meeting point where east blends with west, but let me tell you this: I saw more west in one district of Beirut than in the whole Istanbul. It's amazing: American and European trendy chains elbow-melee each other for a piece of land in here. McDonalds is set next to Benetton, which is right next to Virgin music superstore, which is next to Gucci, and so on. The central district of Beirut make you believe that a spaceship had beamed up a piece of any european capital and placed it right in the Middle East. All around you see bars and outdoor terraces packed with people sipping cappuccinos at the price of 3 euros per shot, dressed in designer clothes and looking as smart and cool as it gets. Girls are all fit and tanned, and there is a general atmosphere of wealth and coolness. Parking lots are Mercedes ...