"Lebanon after the blast" a Beirut Travel Page by malasli

The city itself is not as homely as the capital of its neighbor, Damascus, but already before and on the flight to Beirut different Lebanese people asked me if I needed any help. I could tell people were tense because of the recent bombings. I had planned to share a taxi from the airport wıth another foreıgner—they are expensive, 25 $ for 2 kilometers, into town, if you arrive at night. But instead I ended up being invited to the home of a Lebanese lady, she also dropped off the other foreigner. . I absolutely had not expected that kind of hospitality.

Beirut is not cheap, if coming from Syria, so keep in mind that a falafel will at least cost you 1500 Lp=1 Dollar, and Fresh OJ 2500. You can buy fresh veggies and fruits all over (except downtown.) Many American chains, like Hardees or Flying pizza.

The tourıst visa at the airport was free at that time. Coming in from Syria and only staying 48 hours it’s free, too.

The Beirut I saw has 3 distinct differences:The corniche or waterfront, with expensive restaurants right at the water, joggers in the morning, and strollers, food-vendors in the cooler more pleasant evening with the mountains in the distance that makes for beautiful postcards. . In Lebanon, you can go skiing and to the beach on the same day, they say. A very European, Mediterranean feel, though this is an outright lie if you have never been to the Mediterranean in Europe before…But they supposedly call Lebanon the Lebanese Riviera.

The second area I saw was Hamra, the university district—I saw abýt oo much of it, wandering around for hours ýn vain to find a cash exchange place. They are not exactly strewn all over the place, and no rates etc., posted outside so it would jump into your face. Plenty of restaurants-unfortunately the Western fastfood chains are all over now taking away business from the Lebanese restaurants and stalls—which means they are disappearing from this neighborhood in favor of Hardees and Flying pizza.

Plenty of American English spoken, the American University of Beirut has been here since the 19th century: “Why?’ I asked. “The Americans were also here—we had everybody here” was one answer I got. They have had plenty of historic turmoil and occupation.

The third district I went to see is downtown—along walk from the corniche area—IN that area, better bring your water bottle if you are on a budget—otherwise there are mainly only European-style cafes. It looks exactly like Brussels city center. Plenty of construction—buildings destroyed by the civil war—going on. Again, plenty of Western chains, this time the upscale variety. Business was said to be down as people are unsure of what will happen next—i.e. perhaps war, or an American invasion, so nobody is buying anything. One local upscale store owner told my friend he hadn’t sold one item since the bombing. Because of this, all the restaurants and cafes in that area offered 50% on everything. People had already come back to those places when I went out with my friend though, especially after the demonstration and visiting the graves of the bombing victims in the city center. They have posters of the killed former prime minister all over, many are afraid of war, suspect anybody--from the US to Syria to Israel. . The food is distinctly French, many people speak French, as the French occupation began in 1918 and ended in 1953.

You can see Beiruti people, probably because they are so fashion, (and car…) conscious, getting in shape for their expensive clothes in the much cooler morning at the corniche. IN the evening, I also saw a great deal of passengers, old and young, in jogging suits—even on the local bus I took, that goes all around the corniche, nice if it’s too hot to walk ( #15 bus, stop it anywhere you see it, westbound)