Bonjour Beyrouth...

last weekend i went to Lebanon for 4 days 3 nights..kt lebanon..first language die arabic then french..as for us ni nasib baikla si rizal bole ckp arab..klo x..mau ktorang dh terbabas masuk israel dh agaknyer..reached Beirut around 7.30pm on thursday eve..disbbkan flight ptg..kalut gilelah ktorang..kak wa & che la half day..(aku pn!!unofficial..hihi..)..pas2 si rizal plak stranded kt office..anyway..everything went smoothly after we reached d airport..kt airport Beirut pn dh kelakar dh..driver yg spatutnyer amik ktorang tuh salah eja nama kak wa so ktorang menunggu jugaklah..skitlg minah tuh nk mengamuk..hihi..yelah..dkt sign dyrang tulis TAKYOU WASSIFA..aku ingat jepun mane ntah!!pas2 kak wa trtinggal beg die plak kt arrival hall..nasib baik xnaik keta lg..kelakar gile makcik tuh..si rizal duk mengomel psl driver ktorang yg agak xbrape fasih english..for me..ok je..(read: mamat tuh kacak..)hihi..mmm..pas check-in hotel..(hotel ktorang agak ghetto..area mmg tgh bandar..tp hmmm...) (note: sape nk g lebanon jgn tanye i kt mane hotel nk stay ok??hihi..what a heck..it's cheap man!!)..we went to have dinner (aku xtau kat mane tmpat tuh..tp kt tepi2 lautlah..)kt restaurant tuh ade wedding reception..so dptlah catch a glimpse of Lebanese lifestyle..we headed to HRC for our souvenir-must-have..bought 2 t-shirt & 2 caps..(niz..i bought u cap dis time..but still wondering which one to give u..hihi)..then we went back to d hotel & rest..excited to start our exploration the next day...

Since lebanon nyer time difference one hour behind doha..agak confusing gaklah..bile alarm aku bunyi kul 615(Doha time) & aku ngan mamai nyer bangun nk mandi..& bgtau dyrang..i mandi dululah..dlm mamai2 kak wa tanye..itu time doha ke sini chek?ayakkk!!!malu gue..trus smbung tdo blk..puas aku kna bahan spanjang kt sane..mak jet lag lg senahh oiii!!!driver smpai kul 7 smething..we headed to the north-east of Beirut..Balbaek..before pg tuh keta ktorang accident..minor je..tp sejam gak nk tunggu..since ktorang xdelah rush sgt..so..chill je lah..journey took us 2++ hours..on d way nampaklah snowy mountains..weather sunny & warm..so mmg best jalan..the tallest bridge in the far-east (menurut driver ktorang seorang student civil ye..) previously bridge tuh kna bombard by Israel in 2006 war..we spent quite sometimes in Balbaek..enjoying&mesmerizing the ruin..trying hard to relate the history..fail tul bab sejarah..pas2 ktorang ke Anjar..Umayyad ruin..tp agak kurang best..pas2 brlah ktorang pg lunch kt area anjar gak..biase jelah makanan die..padanlah ngan kami yg lapar tahap dewa tuh..singgah zahle..ghost town..sbbnyer town tuh happening mase summer je..ade byk gile restaurant kt situ..since ktorang pg mase winter..smua kedai tutup..blk dr zahle dh ptg..so ktorang straight ke Beirut..lgpn driver ktorang tuh xbrani drive mlm2 area tuh..katenyer bahaya..blk dh penat..trus tdo..penat gile..

day 3..new driver...alaaaa!!! ktorang decided nk pg southern part of lebanon..so first stop kt Beit-Eddein..old castle tp still digunakan smpai arini..klo nk info lanjut..sila lawati lonely planet/website yg berkaitan..panjang nk explain..nice castle on top of a hill..our route from Beit-Eddein to Saida through all those windy & hilly roads..enjoying d scenery..& alhamdullillah..weather was on our side that day..castle yg cantik & ancient..huhu..ooh..btw..ade org kna ngurat mase tour guide tuh bwk ktorang jalan..hahaha...& si zila dpt bunga rose..kt Saida..we went to the sea castle then to the souk & historical area around souk tuh..ade castle, mosque & church..lunch yg mencekik darah then headed to Sur or Tyre..gaduh jap ngan driver..turn off jugaklah..pas2 kak wa pn naik hantu gakk..takutt jap..hiii..mamat tuh xleh ckp english sgt..so..rizallah jd translator kitorang..(klo si rizal tuh tipu ktorang pn..ktorang main anggukk jeelahh..)..smpai tyre xde ape sgt..cume ade satu roman ruin yg agak besar..mina excavation area..then driver ktorang tunjuklah seberang laut 2 mengadap tanah israel..we went back to beirut after that..pas freshen-up..ktorang g jalan2 area Hamra..we had our highlight-dinner kt Hard Rock..kebetulan HRC berdepan ngan corniche..so..ktorang pn went for a walk sambil posing2..

Finale-pepg ahad ktorang pusing Beirut amik gambar kt smua monument & pigeon rock..around 9 driver ktorang bwk pg Jeita Grotto..(limestone cave-stalactite and stalagmite) (no pics inside d cave..) after dat..pegi Harissa..ade statue yg mcm kt Brazil tuh..ramai gak org kt church tuh sbb sunday kan..mase dyrang smayang..kt situ xleh nk beza yg dyrang tuh christian sbb ade gak yg pakai tudung cam org islam..memula amik gambar skit2 je..pas2 pakcik driver tuh suruh naik kt statue tuhlah..& posing2 lg..ktorang pn menikuslah ikut ckp pakcik tuh..dr Harissa ktorang headed to Byblos..old city that has been continuosly inhabited for the past 5000 years..on our way there..singgah beli roti KAAK..sedapppp gileee!!!berebut makan..hahaha..smpai Byblos..pglah souk die..haaaa...kt sinilah masing2 mencurahkan smua Liban dollar & US dollar yg tinggal utk shopping sakan..ade org tuh smpai kering abis USD..hahaha..ade plak beli bedsheet harga 150USD..crochet yg mengambil mase sthn nk siap..(crochet tuh vocab br utk aku..thanx nyah..ngee)..i bought alas meja utk mama..& alas meja lg..rug & buku Khalil Gibran..pas2 ktorang pn blk..singgah kdai beli sandwich & mkn kt tepi laut..best gileee..cume weather agak cloudy ari2..slowly pakcik tuh drove us to d airport..singgah beli roti KAAK tuh lg..(but this time dh kenyang..so xmkn sgt..) flight back to doha 8 something & arrived around 1 plus..mase tuh xrase penat lg..next day tuh..nak bgn..ya allahhh...ampunnn!!!berat gile rase mata..

Itulah trip aku kali ni..overall..puas ati..enjoy & kelakar all d way..to Kak Wa, Che-Lah & Rizal..Thanks for the memorable trip..now dh ari khamis..pnat dh xde..cume penat nk compile gambar yg beribu ni...3 cameras+1 camcorder..xcampur lg gambar bunga2 kak wa..haiii..