This morning Savannah and I headed to Beirut, Lebanon. Chris has been there most of the week for work so we decided to take advantage and meet him there for a fun weekend away. Chris is done working so we have a free weekend to explore.
Beirut is about a 3 1/2 hour flight from Dubai and is located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline. This small country shares its borders with Syria and Israel.
Chris was actually outside of the city while there for work and was able to go skiing in the mountains on morning. He said the skiing was along the same lines as skiing in Northern Michigan instead of Colorado but the views were amazing. As you are standing on the mountain you can look out and see the Mediterranean Sea!
Lebanon has a lot of history mainly including a civil war that destroyed most of Beirut and poor relationships Israel. In 2005, the prime minister (who was well liked and the catalyst for rebuilding much of the city) was assassinated in a car bomb outside a popular hotel. You can actually go visit the grave site of Rafiq Hariri in downtown Beirut. Oddly, it is inside a large tent. The government says it will build him a proper memorial when there is more information regarding who was the source of the assassination. Although, it is believed that they know which group committed the crime, information is not being shared in fear that it will cause another civil war or war with Syria.
We are very excited to spend the weekend away, but to also see somewhere else in the Middle East. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of places within the region right now that are welcoming tourists so this is a great opportunity.
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