1/20/2010-Beirut

The rain started in Damascus two days ago and hasn't really stopped since, even now, at 11PM on January 20th. In fact there's a thunder and lightning storm rumbling and flashing outside my window, and even if I don't have much of a view of anything else out this 7th story window, I can see that just fine, it lights up the night sky and parts of my room.

Rain was certainly not what I expected heading to the Middle East, even if it is winter time over here. I definitely never expected things to get so bad that I'd shell out 20,000 Lebanese Lire (about $13) for an umbrella. Haggled the guy down from LL 30... good for me. Funny how adaptable the street vendors are (as few as there are in at least this area of Beirut)... they were stocked full of umbrellas for sale, all shapes and sizes; all the colors of the rainbow...

Beirut has definitely been the easiest, and arguably my favorite spot (not a very difficult argument... in fact I think we have a winner)... not sure if it's because it's the last stop on what's turned out to be a bit of a long-ish, in some ways tiresome- I hesitate to say tarnished- journey (I don't regret doing any of it, but there are a few things I wouldn't do again); because it's a big cosmopolitan city; on the Mediterranean; or a combination of all of these things... the truth is often in the middle... While Damascus seems to stradle the line between Arabic culture and soviet-bloc communism; and Jordan straddles the line between, well, many things cultural, historical, and political; Beirut seems to bridge both the Arab and European worlds, and blend them together into a very interesting mix. Not sure what the official language(s) is (are) for Lebanon, but it seems very interesting to me that the streets of a major city in an Arab country would all have French names. Everyone here speaks Arabic, French and English. I stick to Arabic initially when addressing other people (my vocabulary hasn't necessarily broadened, but I'm much more comfortable with the six or seven words and phrases that I do know, and the contexts they belong to), and it's kind of fun, I'll ask my questions in Arabic, then they'll respond in English... lets me know that I'm saying basically the right things... and there's absolutely no way in hell I would understand a word if they responded back to me in Arabic. They've been very good to me that way.

Quite a lot of construction going on here- perhaps some of it is re-construction, not sure, haven't read my recent history or current events. Nothing dangerous so long as I've been here, though, and as far as petty crime I've felt just as safe here as anywhere else. A lot of really beautifully restored buildings, or perhaps brand new, a handful of glimmering steel and glass buildings, definitely a few formerly beautiful but now beaten and run-down buildings that hopefully one day will get some investment dollars poured into. The waterfront walk (called the Corniche) is very pretty, especially when you turn the corner, and you suddenly see Beirut and the surrounding suburbs and cityscape tumbling down from the mountains and seemingly into the glowing aquamarine blue colored Mediterranean Sea. It's everything perhaps you've ever seen of any other Mediterranean city. This is just my first experience, and I'm hypnotized. Very, very cool. Very beautiful. Took a lot of pictures. Got down to the Corniche by traipsing through the Lebanese American University- I appreciate my education, wouldn't trade it up for anything, but what an enviable place to spend a few years of your life...

Once again, perhaps it's obvious to everyone else, but I can't stress enough how much it helps to at least try to speak the language... took a couple cab rides tonight, out to a trendy part of town called Gemmayze (Gemm-I-zuh); quoted very fair prices (LL 10k- $7.50), about equal to- maybe even better than- any cab ride across town back home... I've paid $70 for a ride from Seattle back to Bellevue before... terrible traffic. I was young and stupid then... I would like to think that I haven't just gotten older... anyway. Gemmayze is an entire area of town, but the bars and restaurants are all on one street (Rue Gouraud). May have acutally been denied entry to one place- was reading the menu posted on the window, and one of the valets whistled at me, spat something in Arabic, I got the impression he thought I wasn't up to snuff. By that time I was sopping wet (forgot my umbrella), I could understand from that point of view. Wasn't really feeling like foie gras or whatever the hell they were peddling for $50 a pop anyway. Found a nice, dark amber-lit bar serving American hamburgers instead. And after nothing but chicken schwarma and felafel (and donuts), that's definitely what I needed.

I could definitely spend a few more days here, there are a couple other neighborhoods I didn't get a chance to see (the Central Business District; Achrafiye (not entirely sure how to pronounce that one), in case you're wondering, and are in the market for a trip out here). I understand the instability thing, and how it can be a huge turn off, and if a kid of mine or even my own parents decided to head over here, yeah, maybe I'd be a little nervous- I worry when they go to Hawaii (a little bit)- but this is really an interesting place with a little bit of everything, and a lot of natural beauty. I've enjoyed my stay. Despite the rain that soaked nearly all of my clothes throughout the duration of my stay, and is still pelting my window right now. It makes me look forward to Istanbul... even if it really is snowing there like Dan said.