"Lebanon - July 2009" a Lebanon Travel Page by Delia_Madalina

Lebanon was a dream come true for me, after waiting for three years for the political situation to calm down and actually plan the trip.

It's easy to fall inlove with this country especially when you meet Lebanese people living somewhere else: you can read the pride and the love in their eyes, rare feelings you find expressed in other nations. The funniest gift I ever received was an empty sealed can with the lebanes flag and cedars on it. I was told that some love this country so much that they'd even take the local air with them. Actions speak louder than words....

Politically speaking Lebanon is a puzzle game but pieces that don't match to create a whole, but, thank God, there are so many other things that keep this country together. For up to date news about Lebanon, local media in English and French couldn't be more useful.

23rd of July 2009: This is the date when I'll finally set foot in Lebanon, a country I've longed to visit for more than 3 years now.

Dabkeh, tabbouleh, Fayrouz and the Rahbani brothers, ceders, Khalil Gibran, the Pigeon rocks are just a few of this country's symbols that flash in my mind every time someone mentions Lebanon. They also made me praise its beauty and glory in front of all the people who think that Lebanon is a war region that it's better to stay away from.

Praise the army (Lebanese respect army and its heroes more than anything else: it belongs to the country, and not to any religious group), dress well, very well, be fluent in both English and French, don't talk about politics unless you know the labyrinth (and as a foreigner in Lebanon that's almost impossible) and you'll most likely be liked by everyone. That's the simple guide of surviving there.

Let's see what the future holds!