Beirut: A City Of Glamour And Fashionable People
The devastation and suffering then, which continued unabated through Israeli invasion and Syrian occupation, was on an unprecedented scale. But believe me, despite all that, the city has refused to lie down or play dead. Vestiges of this inglorious past can still be found in some few bullet riddled solid structures that have somehow escaped […]
The devastation and suffering then, which continued unabated through Israeli invasion and Syrian occupation, was on an unprecedented scale. But believe me, despite all that, the city has refused to lie down or play dead. Vestiges of this inglorious past can still be found in some few bullet riddled solid structures that have somehow escaped the demolisher’s ball around Hariri mosque, in the downtown. A few other buildings around the downtown have deliberately been preserved to give tourists a taste of the city’s importance through the ages.
No visitor to Beirut should miss dining in the downtown, originally destroyed by the civil war but which is now looking like the Champs Elysees in Paris, all thanks to their assassinated former prime minister, Rafic Hariri, who initiated and saw to its re-development. Beirut was at one time, the hub of the Middle East. Most people, especially the elderly from the northern part of the country traveling to Europe or Asia, used to pass through Beirut. It is a highly cosmopolitan city and its residents are equally so. They are the most cosmopolitan and fashionable people I know, as of today.
‘Yan Birni ne sosai’.To date, I have not met and mingled with a people who know how to put their God given wealth to good use [ and here I am referring to the permissible] and enjoy life more than the Beirutians, if there is any word like that. May be that explains why they pursue wealth, even in their dreams [I think] with single minded determination and even reckless abandon, sometimes. I have been to Beirut so many times that I have actually lost count. What I do clearly remember are the first, some glimpses of the in betweens and this last one. It was after this last visit that I decided it’s about time I put my pen on paper and share Beirut.
The first time I went to Beirut was way back in—–, sorry can’t remember, have to cross-check my old passport. Our [me and my wife] destination then was Dubai. It was my Lebanese friend and brother, Ahmed Abdallah, in Beirut then, on vacation with his wife, Randala who convinced us to take MEA [Middle East Airline] and stop over for a few days in Beirut to see them. Eager to go to Dubai, which was by then taking over from Beirut as the hub and ultimate destination in the Middle East, we reluctantly agreed. It was a decision I never regretted.
On arrival in the night, Ahmed picked and took us from the airport to a small nice hotel called Dreams, owned by a Lebanese based in Nigeria. The following day in the morning, he came to take us to his newly acquired flat in Mar Elias street. Driving through the cobbled streets of Hamra, passing by the trendy bars/restaurant and shops gave me the first impression of Beirut as a truly cosmopolitan city and Beirutians as a people who have long been civilized.
We parked the car behind the apartments and walked to the building. I started shivering before we got to the entrance because of the cold weather. Don’t forget we were headed for Dubai, so didn’t expect the temperature in another part of the Middle East could be so different. Upstairs, Ahmed gave me a sweater, which I still keep as a souvenir and outlined a programme for our three days transit visit. A little over an hour later, we came down and headed for Jeita, along with his wife, Randala, stopping to ask for directions at intervals because they were also visiting the place for the first time.
Ahmed took the trouble to enquire about places that needed to be seen by any first time visitor to the city in order to make our stay memorable, not knowing that by that singular act of hospitality, he had opened a barrage of visitors to that place. I can’t now recollect the number of people I had personally taken and recommended to be taken to see the Jeita grotto. I am not saying this because he is my friend.
The Lebanese are generally very hospitable and can often go out of their way to help foreigners they don’t even know. Jeita is a grotto inside a huge mountain about 20 minutes drive from the centre of the city, currently in the race to become the 7th natural,[ mark the word natural, for I will use it again] wonder of the world.
The road to Jeita, which is by the edge of a mountain cliff, would make your jaws drop, either because of the danger, or it’s offering of most spectacular scenery. I subsequently travelled on much more dangerous roads, but co-incidentally, in the same country, Lebanon.
Jeita grotto also offered me the opportunity of seeing what I had read and studied way back in secondary school, ‘stalactites and stalagmites’, displayed in staggering shapes and sizes that give meaning to the wildest of the mind’s imagination. No amount of description will do justice to what I mean, in addition to the spectacular beauty of this place, until one sees for him/ her self. Jeita also gave us the fist opportunity of riding in a cable car. The grounds are designed in such a way that you access the entrance by the use of a cable car and come back down to the car park on foot or by train. There is a smaller, and to me, a more spectacular grotto at the foot of the mountain which can only be accessed by a small metal/wooden canoe or boat.
It’s much more fun especially when traveling with children or a loved one. Take it from me. Out of Jeita, we stopped for an unbelievably tasty Shawarma somewhere that I can’t now remember, visited a few shops and retired back to the hotel. On the second day, we explored the streets around the hotel on our own before Ahmed came to pick us for another adventure at Journieh.
I must however, warn you here that Beirut isn’t the easiest city to get around in. First time visitors can easily get confused by the spaghetti sprawl of streets and may find it difficult getting back to their hotel if they stray too far. It nearly happened to us. Anyway, Journieh is in the Christian side of Beirut and it is from there we took a ride to the mountains in a small pumpkin like cable car that’s much smaller than the one at Jeita, in a place called telefric. The car travels at snail speed across a major highway, making cars down under look like match boxes, which adds to ones anxiety.
At a point, we dropped at a platform and took a steep train for the rest of the journey. At the top, we took another set of spiral stairs that took us to the statue of the Virgin Mary, I think, can’t really remember.
The killer up there that would make you forget the danger you went through is the spectacular view of the city along the Mediterranean. To me, that view was compensation enough for the anxiety I went through. I would advise you to look down only once or preferably not at all whilst in the pumpkin like cable car. It was looking down that brought about the thought of how long those cables had been going up and down, and the fact that they might give way, along with what if nepa [any system that takes away electricity is nepa to me] knew we were there, into my mind. Ahmed and our spouses had a good laugh when I voiced out my thoughts.
However, my pessimistic thoughts should by no means discourage you from taking this adventure. By all means, please do when you are in Beirut. It’s the kind of adventure one should do once in a lifetime. Ahmed dropped us at the airport early on the third day for our connecting flight to Dubai. I decided right there at the airport that our next holiday would without any contention, be in Beirut.
Alhamdu Lillah, it came to pass. Besides, not long after, Ambassador Ringim, a close friend got posted to the Nigerian embassy in Lebanon. We met, and from then on Beirut became like second home, at least for the duration of his sojourn. The visits in between were like the Lebanese Mezza. Sometimes with the whole family, other times the family went on their own, sometimes with my wife or in-laws and other times alone or with a couple of friends. Let me fill you in with some of the things we did with these Mezza of people on different visits, and which I will highly recommend you also do when you find yourself there.
Now, what you find in Beirut depends entirely on what you are looking for. For some, it could be the Mediterranean, in which case you look for a hotel around Raouche, in order to enjoy walking by the sea side, or sitting along the pedestrian walkway to gaze at the distant horizon where the sky merges with the sea. For others, it could be the food and night life.
Lebanon has a reputation which I find well deserved for the best cooking in the Middle East region. It’s in Beirut that you will get a true taste of what Arabic cuisine is really all about. This coupled with the fact that the Lebanese love to eat makes lunches or dinner something of a gourmet experience always. I relish eating in their restaurants, and enjoy seeing western tourists visiting the region for the first time eating like thirsty men just arriving from the desert. Let me recommend a few eateries for you. If you want to sample the best of Lebanese home cooking, then dine out at Tawlet. The Lamb house is also another favourite place of mine.
Tiger restaurant, with a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean, in east Beirut, is a must for any lover of chicken because they do them right. But, by far, one of the best places I have eaten is ‘Al Arabi’ at Birdaouni café in Zahle, situated at the foot of a mountain, along a river that roars down and flows gently by the restaurant, is about 30-40 minutes drive out of the city.
This restaurant dishes out more than 100,000 meals every season, and has had many celebrity visitors from Oum Kaltoum, [the most popular old school Arabian woman singer, in the moulds of late Dr Mamman Shata], the famous poet Ahmed Chawki, to several diplomats and President Jimmy Carter, pictures of whom are all on display at the reception.
For some, it could be religious tourism and the history. If this is your interest, then I will recommend visits to the following places. 1. Byblos. Byblos, just like it sounds, is an old biblical city that contends with Damascus as the oldest inhabited city in the world. The cobbled streets coupled with the huge wooden doors very much make it look so. For me, a visit to Byblos where every moment you spend is like a step back in history, is a must for any visitor to Lebanon. 2. Niha. Niha is a village situated along the Druze inhabited mountains, about 1700 meters above sea level, almost one and half hours from Beirut.
The grave of Prophet Ayyub, and the cave in which he recuperated after affliction with sickness, loss of wealth and children are in this village. Other places of religious significance we visited in one of the in-between trips with Senators Bello Maitama Yusuf, Salisu Matori and Ambassador Ringim are; Britel, Prophet Salihs grave is here, El-Minieh, Prophet Yushau, Qubb Elaiya, Prophet Iliyasu, Nabi Shitu [son of Adam]. Others are Bqaa Safrine. Baalbek with its Roman ruins is also a place worth visiting. The national museum, though small, but with a showcase of the best of Lebanon’s antiquities, should be in your sight also.
In that trip, we were also privileged to pay a courtesy call on the Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Mr. Nabir Birri. Mr. Birri, a veteran politician whose parents had a stint in West Africa, told us more Lebanese live outside Lebanon than in the country itself. He went on to say, ‘there are more than three million in brazil alone, more than the population of the country, which stands at about three million’.
Most of them flock back into the country patriotically during the summer, much like the Ibo annual migration during Christmas here in Nigeria. It is in one of those in between visits that I, along with several friends and our spouses, enjoyed the wedding of [Hiba and Issam]. The best organized wedding I have witnessed to date.
It took place at the pool side of the Movenpick hotel, which is in itself partly situated inside the Mediterranean sea. To give you an idea of how good and grand the wedding was, let me just say; the authorities had to be informed beforehand of the fireworks that were to take place, and Ragev Alama [one of, if not the best, Lebanese singer] performed at the wedding. Some people visit Beirut because of the weather, which no one can say of about Dubai. There are times when you can go up to Faraya in the mountains to ski, then come down to the beach and swim in the same day, passing through some of the most breathtaking sceneries to be seen anywhere.
Faraya is any winter sports enthusiasts dream. Traffic to the place is usually bumper to bumper during the peak winter season, when the place becomes a beehive of activity, pressing the snooze button only when the snow disappears. I visited with the whole family one time in December, and that’s when the children had their first glimpse of snow. Such is the variety of weather in Lebanon.
Now, this is why I earlier said you should mark the word ‘natural’. Given a choice of where to visit between Beirut and Dubai, my choice will always be Beirut. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against Dubai or indeed any other Arab country in the desert. They also have their own attractions which appeal to many young men and women, but its just that for an old school like me, its better to follow not anything artificial but natural.
Beirut, which has a combination of both nature and modern glitter, offers a lot of natural places to reflect, ponder, meditate and take stock of this life. It’s only when you visit Beirut, which is originally part of Sham that you will understand what I mean. The city is infectious and the food is dangerously addictive. That is to say, once you step into it, you can hardly stop going. Apart from the cities of Mecca and Medina, Beirut is the only city I can repeat several times over. With Beirut, I can comfortably borrow former President Clinton’s words or quote on seeing the Taj, and say; the world is indeed divided into two, those who have seen Beirut, and those who haven’t. The question is, where do you want to belong?