Honking, Tissues and Fireworks!

Middle East » Lebanon

Hello everyone,

I thought I would improve the ratings through the medium of innuendo, hence the title.

This is my final Lebanese blog.

Honking - referring to the constant noise of the middle east

Tissues - every room, car, street seller issues tissues with their products. I thought it a little presumptuous when I found a huge box of tissues on my dorm bed, but later realised this it is countrywide.

Fireworks - at around 5 or 6 every day someone is letting off fireworks, sometime semi-automatic ones.

So quickly and briefly I will mention some politics, concentrating on non-reported facts as best I can.

1. Hezbollah are not entirely Muslim and many Christians are supporters, similarly there are many Shiite Muslims that support other parties.

2. The Hariri (just elected president) spent more on his campaign than the whole of the US campaign from all parties.

3. Hezbollah have more than 50% of the resident population's votes but less than a third of the seats!

Okay, it's sounding awfully one sided, and I don't really know how to fix that, I'm more politically confused here, its not as simple as Britain.

Tourist Facts

Byblos is beautiful but really damn humid.

The big virgin Mary on the hill - like Rio I guess but not Jesus. You can't fail to have a good view and fun.

Tripoli there is less to do than in the south, but you can go up to the Cedars (ski in winter, hike in summer) This is a must. The Kadisha valley is beautifully, the cedars are a little disappointing, but with some Dutch courage (or in my case I was travelling with a Dutch couple) its a good laugh, some great sculptures into a tree made the visit worthwhile.

The weather there is also brilliant.

I got bitten to bits in Tripoli. I also chose to take a lift to the border rather than into Syria, this meant a 4km hike and some pretty hot border control point work. I did however save what works out to be approximately 3 GBP, whoop!

Might be a little time before my next blog, as this website( as well as facebook) is banned in Syria! Having said that everything else about Syria is brilliant and the people are chivalrous, its a good Krac! You may find the reference and then I'm sure you will laugh heartily!

Plan now is Hama - Damascus - Deir es Zor - Aleppo - Turkey(Adana) - Find Carolyn ...

I'm going to leave you all with a religious conundrum...

If people do what's best for them, and the whole of the powerful world is Polytheists why bother being a Jew and letting people screw you over for centuries? unless of course they are right?

Answers on a postcard please.

This is my theologian's friend's question to me, he did say it a bit more elegantly but I can't remember how.

Toodles,