MY Favourite Beaches in North Lebanon

Driving back to Tripoli from Beirut on weekends, I alwaYs notice how beautiful the coastline gets as I near home, and how it especiallY calls out to me right after I exit the tunnel in Chekka and drive further North. When You take a closer look along that coast, You’ll see that it’s lined with a haven of special spots for sea lovers of all kinds. This summer, I made it a point to visit as manY of those different beach spots as I could, and with a little help from Instagram, I ended up discovering places that made me fall even more in love with mY North!

Let’s start with Batroun, a citY just before the infamous tunnel leading North. It’s home to Pierre and Friends, which also doubles as a pub and restaurant. I've known the place for a good ten Years now, ever since high school, and what I love most about it is its verY laid-back and chill atmosphere. But mY favourite reason to love it, are it's incredible sunsets, behold:

Not too far down that coast, is another gem of a spot: White Beach. Like P&F, it's also got a pebblY shore but the water is cool and it's got a mini rockY island in the middle of the sea with a Lebanese Flag proudlY poled to it. White Beach is also a surf school, and You can alwaYs catch windsurfers in the waters. 

Kfaraabida (the area between Batroun & Chekka) is trulY one of the best locations I got to discover this summer, especiallY after the #SaveKfaraabida Campaign, that was launched to raise awareness about the recent project that aims to turn the area into a private Yacht Club. But for me to describe to You how incredible the area is in just words, I’d be doing it no justice... 

One of MY favourite spots there is Joining Beach. And to be honest, if I hadn't come across a few pictures of it on Instagram and known where to look, I'd have missed it completelY! All You can see from the road is a sign that reads "Joining" in Arabic. And even standing from the edge, You'd never have thought it to be an actual beach spot. It's 100% comprised of rocks, most of which is downwards slanting, not a verY comfortable place to laY down and tan (though a lot of people do) but the reason I loved it was because of everYthing that was underneath those rocks! It's also a great spot for cliff diving, and once You're under that water, You'll see an entirelY different world down there!

But if You want to swim awaY from all the rocks and pebbled beaches, then You've got to take that tunnel in Chekka and You'll end up in El-Herri. And here's a little secret: If You're willing to make a little detour on Your waY, if You take Your first exit after the tunnel and head up, You'll end up at the monasterY of Our LadY of Light (SaYdet El Nourieh) where You can catch a breathtaking view of the sea from up above:

Of course You've got the most famous in the area: Florida Beach, but You've also got an endless collection of smaller beaches that include BennY Beach, SandY Beach, and mY personal favourite: MiraLand. I love the latter because of its huge sandY shore. It's also one of mY favourite spots to rent a paddle-board (haské) and row it out to the sea. The water is usuallY calm and just knowing that a holY place rests in the cliff above You gives You a magical kind of feeling...

After Chekka comes a little area known as Anfeh. And boY has it ever grown in popularitY this summer! You’ve got the most well-known beach resort in the area, Las Salinas, and the slightlY less popular, Marina Del Sol. But right adjacent to those two, is the now-popular Ta7t El Ri7, which is comprised of a collection of private chalets on a rockY cliff that is open to the public. The location has been painted in white and blue, reflecting Santorini-like vibes and nicknamed Anforini. All You’ve got to do is dive in! 

FinallY, it's back to mY hometown, Tripoli. If You want to talk beach resorts in the area, You’ve got the big three: Palma, Naji, & Miramar (in Kalamoun). Each resort has got it’s own charm, and nice beaches (& pools) to swim in. 

But if You reallY want the best beach experience ever, take a boat (for as little as LBP 5,000) from Mina's Port out to Rabbits Island!

El Mina is home to nine islands, four of which have been declared as nature reserves, the most popular of which is Palm Island (better known as Rabbits Island). It’s the second largest of the islands with a beautiful sandY shore and crYstal clear blue waters. 

You’ll want to make a full daY trip out of this one. You’ll need to pack some snacks and drinks to take with You as there's no food on the islands, and an umbrella for shade if You need one. Nothing beats a breakfast here (preferablY a man2ouché):

While I've listed some of mY favourite Beaches in North Lebanon, I'm sure there are still a lot of more secret spots to discover! If You'd like to share, please leave a comment!

Our Lady Of Light

I've driven past the green mountains of Chekka a countless number of times before, on my routine city escapes to and from Beirut. And with each time I passed, I'd look to those mountains and wonder what lay on the other side, that looked out to the sea. "Our Lady Of Light", they'd all tell me, breath-taking views overlooking the coast. And it's in the North, "my North"...

So with each drive to and from, I'd look and long to go up those mountains, and finally see what they'd all been talking about...

Last week, I promised myself I'd finally make the drive this weekend. And Mum promised she'd be the one to go with me. And so, after a pancakes Sunday breakfast and a few chapters of "The Forty Rules Of Love", we set out. I had checked for directions online, all we had to do was take the side road just before the infamous tunnel of Chekka, and drive up to Hamat. It took about 15 minutes to reach the monastery, where people were just finishing up their Sunday prayers. We walked on towards the blue we saw right behind the convent, which turned out to be one of the most breathtaking sights I've ever seen in Lebanon... 

 

 I also learned of The Lady Of Light's legend, where "It is believed that two sailors built the shrine in the 4th century. One winter night, on a very stormy sea, the two sailors found themselves in peril. They began praying, and the Virgin appeared to them as a light and guided them gently to the shore of Theoprosopon near modern day Chekka in North Lebanon. The grateful sailors carved a cave in the cliff and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and called the shrine, Our Lady of Light. A Greek Orthodox monastery was built in the 17th century. The miraculous icon of the Theotokos has been venerated for centuries for having glowed with light to attract wayward ships.^"

Lebanon really is full of hidden wonders, and if you haven't visited The Lady Of Light, I encourage you all to do so. As for me, I'll always be on the lookout for the next hidden gem... stay tuned! ;-)

Tripoli In The Sky...

I was having my hurried mid-day snack in the kitchen when I saw him coming out of the washroom. A minute later, someone else came up to use the washroom after him. They were making ablution (“wudu”) I realized, getting ready for Friday Prayer. The bank closes for an hour during Friday’s noon-time prayer and so I went back downstairs to finish the pile of work pending on my desk. I was so wrapped up in reading an email on the computer that I merely heard the glass next to me shake. “Was that an explosion?” she asked me from the other side. “No,” I said mindlessly, and carried on. My phone rang, “Nour, did you hear the explosion?!” it was Mum. “What, Mum? I felt the glass shake but…” Seconds after we hung up, an even louder one exploded, this time shaking the entire bank. I froze…

It didn't take long to get news of the twin explosions, and all I could think about was the proximity of Al Salam Mosque to my house. The phone lines went dead, no one could get a hold of another, and the panic began to rise. Me? I was still frozen. It still hadn't sunk in, how could an explosion have just rattled my hometown?! Yes, we've had gunshots and bombs before, but this one had hit closest to home…

I don’t know where I get it from, but I have a tendency of remaining calm in chaotic situations. I don’t panic, even when everyone around me is, but my mind was blank as ever. I started mindlessly packing up the files and papers on my desk, filing, locking up. I didn't leave until after most of the bank had emptied. I knew they were alright, I felt they were alright, but that was my heart working, not my brain…

When I stepped outside, the streets were half empty. I walked to my car which, that day, I had found a parking place for in the backstreet. It was on an intersection that was now sealed off by the army’s barbed wires. One of the army men, who know me because I walk that street daily and ask me about interest rates almost every other day, came to pull the barbed wire aside, “Allah Ma3ek,” he waved me off. I rushed home, and when I saw the television screen, I felt a sting in my heart as tears began to well in my eyes…

Photo By: Mustapha Hamoui

This is only at the far end of the street parallel to ours. 200 meters away, that’s it. That’s how close I lived to the mosque, the stores, the café shops, the buildings. But I was one of the lucky ones, because our building was just tucked away from the devastation. People I knew well had their homes shattered. Car parts had flown 10 stories up and into some people’s bedrooms, glass everywhere, balconies collapsed…

And then the heartbreaking stories of those people, like the grandfather who went to pray, asking his three grandchildren to wait for him outside, and how he came back to find their fumed corpses. I knew people praying inside, people living outside…

But again, I was a lucky one. I was a lucky one because I wasn't there at the time, because I didn't see the smoke and the people dead and dying and crying, but my heart is burning. Because as much as I hate this city, I just as much I love it. And I'll always read your name in the sky Tripoli, won't I? All I have left to say about yesterday’s tragedy is God bless all the innocent souls, heal all the hurt, and protect what’s left. Tripoli & all Lebanon, always in my prayers… 

The Cedars of Lebanon

Last year, while in my second year at BankMed, Jinan and I planned a work trip to the cedars. It really turned out to be a fun filled day in the snow, but the one thing I regret was that we didn't have enough time to visit the Cedar forest (which closes at 3:00PM). So this year, to make up for last time, Jinan and I planned the same trip with the first stop being the forest!

On the drive up, we spotted a cart of cotton candy, which Jinan insisted on getting! Here’s the story in two shots :-P

The scenery on the way up to the Cedars is just wonderful, snow covered everything!

The entrance to the forest (and when I say entrance, I don't just mean the door but the entire way in) was blocked with snow! A local shop owner told us that some people were getting in from an open wire fence a couple of feet down and so we followed the snow prints…

It was a long hike up to the forest, and the walk up took half the energy out of us. But when we reached the top, the view was worth it! We took a rest on a nearby Cedar branch, which was also drowned in snow! We took pictures and had fun and I definitely made it a point to come back here in summer, where I can imagine the view would also be majestic without the snow…

On the drive home, we stopped for a late lunch in Ehden, where I also took the opportunity to shoot the winter scenery…

Shoot As You Walk 29

Today, I woke up to fireflies. Owl Cities’ “Fireflies”, which is one of the most soothing alarm tones to wake up to. As today, was “Shoot As You Walk 29”. Taha N had messaged me the path last night and like last time, it was to “Dahr El Megher”. But, unlike last time, we took a different route this time…

Ymn asked me if I knew why it was called “Dahr El Megher”. I obviously didn’t, and as she informed me, it was because of the cave shaped blocks that made up the area. “Megher” was supposedly the plural of the word “Mghara”, which means cave. Neat*, huh?

The inhabitants were quite friendly, as most didn't mind having their photos taken, though, I did encounter this one shaggy old man who yelled at me for pointing my camera in his direction. He scared the daylights out of me when he shouted, but I immediately apologized and told him that I didn't take his picture (though I actually did, but am too frightened to post it online! :-P)

Despite that one fellow though, I've always loved taking photos of people, especially of children. Here are three of my favorite shots of the day, via instagram:

You can view the rest here. It was a lovely morning indeed, and I’m looking forward to our 30th journey, which should be right around the corner! :-)

*Note-To-Self: Next trip there, I should try concentrating my photography on the cave concept!

A Remembrance...

Lately I've been posting a lot of anti-Valentine’s statuses on Facebook and BBM: “Valentine's Day is cancelled, here's the mathematical proof: 14-02-12 = 0”, “Some call it Valentine's Day ... I call it Tuesday”, and to all my friends who are committed: "Happy Valentine's Day" ... and to all my friends who are single, "Happy Independence Day". And though I couldn't help but chuckle at the posts, there’s a little part of me that thinks there’s something sweet about this holiday…

Mich called me and A last night, asking if we’d want to go to Beirut with him today. Since we didn't have any prior plans, we were on the way there by 10 AM this morning. Our first and foremost stop was Hariri’s memorial site…

It wasn't too crowded yet there were a good amount of people there. As soon as I stepped in, I had a flashback… It’s been 7 years since the assassination. 7 years since I was sitting in our AUB dorm room with Nadine, when a deafening explosion shook us both. We looked up at the sky to see dark black smoke from the distance, and so we ran out of our rooms, trying to find out what had happened. The TV in the common room was already turned on with live footage, and more than half the residents were gathered around it. Moments later, we somberly learned that Hariri’s life had been claimed. And that all hell had broken loose…

I can’t believe that it’s already been 7 years. A lot has changed, yet in a way, nothing has changed at all. But if I could sum up the entire present day, it would be in this picture I took, this heart shaped arrangement of roses that his wife had placed on his grave this morning:

I took these two pictures at the memorial as well before we each said a prayer and went back to spend the rest of our work-free day in Beirut… HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY <3

Pictures from Tripoli’s Car Free Day!

So, I know this is a few days overdue, but as I’d posted last week, last Sunday was “Tripoli and Mina’s Car-Free Day”, and what a day it was! I spent most of it at our BankMed stand, handing out gapples (organic apples), which were, all bias aside, the best tasting apples I've ever had!

I also got the chance to see Mr. President Michel Suleiman up close in the VIP section, and I got these two shots of him:

All in all it was a wonderful day, and it was beyond wonderful seeing Tripoli actually car-free! And instead of it being an annual event, I really hope it’s done a lot more often than that… :-)

TRIPOLI & MINA'S CAR-FREE DAY!

Description Of The Project:

The Mina-Tripoli Carfree Day is an initiative of the Tripoli Youth Network, and supported by BankMed, and Maurice Fadel Prize. It aims at promoting an environmentally friendly culture in Tripoli and Lebanon by banning cars in 2 major axes of Tripoli and Mina and organizing, within this track, sports, cultural and entertaining events, to which all inhabitants of Tripoli and beyond would be invited to participate.

The Tripoli Youth Network is a coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations operating in Tripoli and run by young active citizens driven by a common mission to positively contribute to the city of Tripoli as well as the nation of Lebanon as a whole. The Network and its constituencies have thus joined forces for organizing their first initiative: “A Carfree Day in Tripoli Mega-Event” promoting a better environment and responsible citizenship.

During this Mega Green Event we aim at: raising awareness about the environment and the environmental challenges confronting Lebanon in general and the North in particular, educating people on how they can become eco-friendly, and demonstrating in particular ways in which they can enjoy their city without necessarily being dependent on their cars, which is a major cause of air, noise, and visual pollution, giving local citizens the opportunity to enjoy the space freed from cars and rediscover their city and the treasures within it, while remaining a politically neutral event!

Program Of The Day:

Carfree Day in Tripoli and Mina Cities is on Sunday the 13th of November 2011. Super shiny sun or shy sun hidden under tiny water drops, BOOK your calendar and plan for a FULLY BOOKED day from 12 PM till 6 PM!

Our program is simple! 6 hours of nonstop environmental, sports, artistic, urban arts, musical, cultural, entertainment activities for everyone!

At 12:00 p.m. – The Inauguration Ceremony Under the High Patronage of His Excellency The President of the Republic of Lebanon General Michel SLEIMAN. From 1:00 pm till 6:00 pm – The Launching of all the Activities…

Competition And Activities:

Have you ever thought that a huge stage will be placed in the middle of the cross roads near Dar el Chimal with famous bands and singers playing and performing for 6-8 hours nonstop and another humungous stage standing in Cornish El Mina sparkling with Lebanese star bands and rocking the place with the sea breeze playing with your hair and your heart pounding from joy? Did you ever think that BENETTON’s side walk will be altered to become a kid’s zone? Did it ever come across your mind that you can bring your couch and use the asphalt roads as your rug? Have you ever dreamed of exploring your city, walking, jogging, skateboarding, “scootering”, cycling without worrying about the horns howling and damaging your serenity and peace of mind or a crazy car or truck careless about your escapade hunting your path? Don’t you just simply wish to take a nice long walk with your friends and family, shopping, exploring, learning, enjoying and that’s in two major road axes in Tripoli and Mina when seeing them “Carfree” was only a far, far, far impossible day dream?

Unlimited activities, nonstop artistic performances, 6 basketball playgrounds, urban arts, graffiti, awareness stands, food, beverages, 10 km race, solar car race, bike promenades, air blown games, paint ball, and so much more; Tripoli and Mina Cities will be as never seen before!

Saturday Night - 12 November 2011: Performance by the Superstar Ragheb Alama, Ambassador of the United Nations campaign for the Environment Program. (Tickets sold at Virgin Megastores for $10, $30, $50, $200)

Sunday All Day Long - 13 November 2011: Drawings exhibitions, kids’ zone, photo competition, 6 basketball playgrounds, 4 football playgrounds, Grafitti, urban arts by Gilbert Extreme, more than 100 stands distributed among reputable green NGOs, your favorite foods and drinks and entertaining activities, scouts parades, 4 bus stations to pick interested participants from one location to another, 10 Km Race (in association with Ma’an Loubnan),

On Mina Stage Performances: Mr. Vergo (Arabic rap, Tripoli Band), Killer Muffin(Grunge and Garage, Tripoli Band), Toxic Trash(Punk, Tripoli Band), Venemy (Metal, Beirut Band), Kristen Hope (Folk, US Band), Hezb L Taleta (Electro, Beirut Band), Adonis (Arabic pop fusion, Beirut Band), The Incompetents (Indie, Beirut Band), Lazzy Lung (Indie, Rock, Canada, Beirut Band), Belime

On Tripoli Stage Performances: Demons (Rock, Tripoli Band), Mohamad Cha’ar, 7 Ta2aT (Rap, Tripoli Band), Capoera Howl (English Pop, Tripoli Band), Tirashrash, and many, many more…

Vote For Jeita Grotto

Two days ago, I received this text message: ‘Vote for Jeita. Send the word “Jeita” to 1070. The Ministry of Tourism is offering this SMS free of charge, however a cost of 10 cents will be charged by the organizers of the New Seven Wonders Competition.’

And since then, there’s been a lot of online buzz about it. I got BBM broadcasts, Facebook posts, and I’ve read several blog posts about the matter (some for, and shockingly, some against!). So I thought I’d step in with my two cents: Vote for Jeita!

Because by voting for Jeita, you’re voting for Lebanon! You’re not voting for a person or a political party or anything that has a possibility of disappointing you. No, you’re voting for a piece of your country, for a piece that belongs to you! And voting means giving your approval and your appreciation. And I do, and that’s why I vote for Jeita Grotto! Don’t You?

Only 20 more days remain till 11/11/11, the date of the winning announcement, so come on people, VOTE FOR JEITA as one of the the New7Wonders of Nature!

Where Do We Go Now?

I’ve been looking forward to watching this Lebanese movie (Where Do We Go Now?) for quite a while now. Ever since Caramel, Nadine Labaki has been one of my favorite Lebanese idols…

A couple of days ago, my brother shared a link with me on Facebook: “Lebanese filmmaker wins top TIFF prize”. And after watching the movie this afternoon, I can say that she more than deserved it! In fact, I came out of that theater feeling so inspired, that I too had this desire to make a meaningful contribution to the world. I’ve always dreamt of writing and publishing my own book, but that’s a different post for a different day...

Back to the film, here’s the trailer (watch it, then watch the movie! ;-):

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go ...

It's Time! Yalla, Bye-Bye Lebanon, see you after 2 weeks! :-)
Let the Canadian adventure begin!!! :-D

The First Dance (Part 2/3)

hehehe, I’m starting this post off laughing because I did the unimaginable! Ok, so as I’d previously mentioned, today was wedding two out of three for the summer. It was the wedding for one of our colleagues at work and so I went with two of my work friends. We arrived, walked in through the main entrance and were politely welcomed in. I have to admit I was a little shocked when I first stepped in the room. It was… chaotic shall we say…

I quietly whispered to my friend, “is this what you were expecting?” because frankly, I was still not believing my eyes. All the tables and chairs were plastic, little children were running around, women and men in jeans, hubble bubbles, loud country music. “We’re from the bank,” my other friend told the hostess and she said “welcome, welcome!” and led us to an empty table. And I sat there, feeling so out of place. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging but it was a first “country wedding” experience for me…

About half an hour later, while sitting there, eating nuts and trying to make myself comfortable, my friend asked, “Where are all our friends from the bank? We can’t possibly be the only ones here” … OMG! What if we’re in the wrong wedding?! And believe it or not, we were!!!

We quietly slipped out and asked one of the guests outside, who’s wedding was this? And sure enough, he gave us two names we’d never heard of. “But there’s another wedding over there in that ballroom”, he said, pointing outside. And we ran!

When I stepped in that other room, everything fell into place, a real wedding, or at least a wedding I was expecting! People were dressed up, great tables, chairs, and decorations, and though we were late, our seats were saved and as we told our story, everyone laughed at us. It was after all, pretty hilarious!

Thankfully, we had made it just in time for the first dance, an Arabic song for Carole Samaha, and here’s my snapshot of their first dance:

Congratulations M&M! Best Wishes for a beautiful couple! :-)

The First Dance (Part 1/3)

I’m entitling this post with an (enter parentheses) because so far this summer, I’ve been invited to three weddings; one was last night, the wedding of my best friend’s sister, one is this Saturday, and the third is July 22nd. And from the three weddings, there is one moment that I go for: The First Dance…

I don’t really remember when or how I developed a fascination in first dances, but I guess it’s a mix of the slowness of the song, the closeness, the feeling; it’s a beautiful, beautiful moment. And what I love most in those dances, is finding out which song the couple chose to dance to…

Usually, the cliché would be to go for “I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You”. But it’s been so overplayed at weddings that I think both the couples and the audience want to listen to and watch something different. I remember the first different song I heard was at my uncle Moe’s wedding almost three summers ago, where he and his wife danced to Anastasia’s “Once Upon A December”. I've also heard some romantic Italian and Arabic music, but for me to connect to a song, or at least a first dance song, it’s got to be in English. And so, I was delighted to discover that Y&H had chosen a combination of Majida Roumi’s "Habibi", and Marc Terenzi’s “Love To Be Loved”:

As they were dancing, fireworks lit up around the dance floor, as smoke and sparks surrounded them, disappearing from our view, in their own private moment on the dance floor. Sigh… Congratulations, Y&H! All The Best! :-)

Saad Hariri In Tripoli

Saad Hariri is in town! And I love the energy and chaos he brings when he comes to visit Tripoli! The entire city wakes up and goes crazy, it’s so refreshing. And yesterday, I got the lucky chance of seeing him in person for the first time ever! He’s awesome in real life, he’s so charismatic, jokes with the crowd, completely down to earth. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a chance for a photo op with him because of the crowds of people and tight security, but this was the best picture I could get of him:

Then this afternoon, there was a huge festival for him in Maarad. I’ll let these pictures I took do the talking: