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!

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 Magic of My Tripoli...

It's been a while since I've written anything worthy of my city. Over the past few months, I've kept my head low and my expectations lower with all the shenanigans and trouble that's been cooking up in the city. I didn't recognize it anymore, and if I called it by name, you'd only hear it a whisper: Tripoli…

Two weeks ago, the holy month of Ramadan graced us. With it, the gunfire quietened, the burning tires and blocked roads stopped burning and opened up, and a fresh breath of faith breezed through the city. In this light breeze, I heard a voice. It sounded familiar, from not so long ago. It was my city, Tripoli, calling again. It was barely a whisper, but I heard it, I listened. And I answered... 

This calling was from a group and event I oh so love, We Love Tripoli's "Ramadaniyat" Shoot As You Walk. Every shot of every corner, street, place, and person in this city, every new lens test, and photographic learning experience, I am forever grateful to this group, esp. to it's head, Taha Naji. Our latest meeting was last Sunday, after the Taraweeh Night Prayers. Taha had decided we gather at a new checkpoint, The Municipality of Tripoli (i/o Nawfal Palace). It was quite a crowd; some there to socialize, some to walk, and some to take pictures. When we started, as we do every time, I like to make my way to the front of the group. I think you get better pictures of the streets and spirits as they are from up front. And that's where it all begins...

We walked as we always do, and I always start off frustrated with the difficulty in taking good night photos. After several darkened and blurry snapshots, I finally find an acceptable camera setting and scout my eyes for "moments". I sometimes don't have words to describe what I see and feel. But when we entered the old souks, to the children, that's where my heart started beating for Tripoli again. From the drummer kids in the street, to the children playing with fireworks, to the mischievousness and carelessness on their little faces, that was their real life, raw. And for a moment, I was a part of it. See there's a quote about photography which speaks from my heart. It reads: 

"WE ARE PHOTOGRAPHERS. We are not here to show people what they can already see. We are here to give them experiences they would otherwise never have experienced. We are here to preserve moments that otherwise would have been forgotten. We are here to capture things which have no words to describe." 

And then, I saw him. I hadn't seen him since last Ramadan, at this exact same location in Moussa's Cafe. I wouldn't mistake his cute face anywhere, and God, how he'd grown... 

I don't think he remembered me, as the only words I've ever told him year after year were "can I take a picture of you?" And he'd flash me his cute grin and enjoy the spotlight I'd give him. I later learned that his name is Omar. Omar had grown up so much since I first met him in 2010. He'd also gotten his hands on a motorbike, which he seemed to be enjoying more than anything. And his beautiful smile never left his face...

Omar in 2013

Omar in 2010

We walked through the crowded cafe, bustling with hubble-bubbling locals, kids with toy guns, and of course, Omar circling around on his motorbike. I knew when we reached this point it was the end of our tour.  But it was in that moment that I found it, I found that though I love shooting people candid, I loved shooting children candid even more. The souk kids, all of them, they just stole my heart. And I just can't wait to see them again!

So if you're still reading this, then with all my heart, I invite you to join me on some of the most beautiful experiences anyone can go through in Tripoli, and that's "Shoot As You Walk". And for double the magic, join a "Ramadaniyat" event because I still haven't shown you how beautiful it is… :-)

The Old Man And The Sea

Back in 2009, I discovered a little sea-food restaurant in El Mina, thanks to a good friend of mine, Rawaa. It's been there for many years but I never really took notice of it until she pointed it out to me that day. We went and it turned out to be one of the yummiest fish restaurants I've tried (and I don't even like fish!)

Over the years, I introduced my family and friends to it, most of whom loved the place as much as I did. And this afternoon, I went there for lunch as well...

It's still the same as I remember it (though I haven't been there in well over a year). It's got a dusty collection of seashells and miniature sea ships and dried seaweed on the wall. A little pirate's hut if you ask me... 

We picked our fish and took a window seat, overlooking the cornish. It was crowded today, with dozens of pedestrians. I guess they were mostly Syrians though, out for a walk in the sun after a week of rain and storm... 

While we were eating, I heard a light tapping on my side of the window. It startled me, and as I turned to face the noise, I noticed an old beggar with one hand leaning against his cane and the other outstretched to my window. I tried to ignore him, but he kept on tapping. After all, it's a little difficult to eat with a strange hand glued to the window next to you. I mean, had the window not been there, he could have simply just grabbed a french fry from my plate...

The table in front of us noticed the old beggar and beckoned him over. He limped to their side and they opened the window, handing him LBP 2,000. I noticed him stash the money in his pocket, limp a little further, then stand up straight and scurry off to find another group of people to beg from...

You're probably wondering what's the point of this post. And really, it's quite simple. We were planning to spend the day in Beirut today. But due to a change in events, we stayed in town. This would have probably never happened in Beirut, especially not in the top restaurants we'd probably have frequented. But this is the sad reality of my city. It's full of poor and helpless people, worlds away from the capital city. But in it's downside, it's still got it's charm... 

Take this view for example, I wouldn't trade El Mina's cornish for the world… :-)

September Bike Ride - Ride for Peace in Tripoli

It's been a while since I've joined, let alone blogged about El Mina By Bike. Which is quite a shame, as these supposedly bi-monthly events really have a special place in my "Love Tripoli" side, right after "Shoot As You Walk"

But late is better than never, and so like last time, Sura picked me up this morning at 8:30am and we drove off to the meeting point in front of La Sirene in El Mina for September Ride Bike - Ride for Peace in Tripoli. Since we arrived a little earlier than we normally do (blame my nagging at her to be on time for once :-P), we were able to pick out from the better bikes, and I found myself drawn to this red one (which ended up being the nosiest of the bikes, with its helicopter-like rattles, as Sura put it! :-P): 

There's something so good about riding a bike. Personally, riding a bike in Tripoli specifically, brings back memories of me and my brother biking with Dad back when we were living in Canada (hometown to hometown). But other than that, biking brings me closer to Tripoli, which I've been having a love-hate relationship with as of late. Thankfully, our ride led me to the former, to the love side of this city...

Biking on the same paths that I drive on gives the road more meaning. From the starting point in El Mina all the way to the city, to Tripoli, the road, the speed bumps, and even the potholes, it all makes me feel more grounded, more in root with this city, when I'm on it with two wheels rather than four… :-)

Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 3 - 2012)

Finally, a Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 3) to remember! Last night was indeed one of WLT's the best adventures yet! We went to the busy streets and souks of old Tripoli which were bustling with night life. Honestly, I have more pictures than words to describe it (view full album here):

Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 2 - 2012)

So last night was the second of WLT’s Shoot As You Walk (Ramadaniat 2) series. I couldn't attend the first one due to the shenanigans in the city last week, but this week, I was determined to make it against the odds…

As usual, we met up infront of Nawfal Palace at 10:00pm, and it was good to see familiar faces again, especially Taha N, who always puts the adventure in all our outings. He also gave us little lanterns that light red, in the Ramadan spirit, which I now have resting on a shelf in my room. And so it began…

Now I have to admit, I’m still a little flustered at how difficult night photography is turning out to be. I’d think after at least 10 night time outings, I’d have gotten the hang of it but still my camera seems to be outsmarting me! Despite the lack of good nightshots though, I still enjoy taking in the “Ramadan Street Spirit” throughout this holy month…

One of the highlights, at least for me, was walking by my gran and gramp’s (may their souls RIP) old house (the haunted house, as some members of the group called it). I didn’t tell anyone it was their house but standing in front of it made me feel safe, and I couldn’t help but smile and remember how gran would stand at that window, and wave out to me. I don’t think anyone lives in that building anymore but their spirits all remain and wave at me as I pass…

Come to think of it, I hadn’t passed by their house since last year’s Ramadaniat shoot-as-you-walk, here. My brother was with me at the time, and we both stopped and said a prayer for them. I did that too this time, I miss you both so much…

We continued to Bab-El-Ramel, which also gave me a couple of better photo ops (probably because there was more lighting in that area!) and so I leave you with my favorite shots of the night: 

Tripoli Sky Time-Lapse

Here’s my first attempt at recording a time-lapse video! I set it up just before Iftar and kept it rolling till just after nightfall… gotta admit, I’m quite happy with how it turned out, eh? :-)

Background Music: Explosions In The Sky

* Idea Inspired by Rami from plus961.com, recorded with TimeLapse Camera HD :-)

TEDx Beirut Salon in Tripoli 2012

I just got back from TEDx Beirut Salon, which, for the first time was held in Tripoli at the CCIAT (Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture), and it turned out to be one of the most inspirational events of my life! Whoa, mind = blown!

Before the event, I had no idea what TEDx was. As it turns out, TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is, in a nutshell, “a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate ‘ideas worth spreading’”…

I first heard of TEDx thru a social media invite on Facebook. I registered for the event and I have to admit, I was a little hesitant about going alone. Nonetheless I printed the online ticket and mustered the courage to go, and was happily surprised to see several familiar local faces…

As the Facebook event promised, they wanted to “spread inspiration all over Lebanon, not only in Beirut. And we could not think of a better place to start than in Tripoli.” Let me pause here for a second. That’s a big promise right there, spreading inspiration. How hard is it to spread inspiration? Well, believe me when I say TEDx Beirut Salon delivered beyond expectation!

After a warm welcome, in which they gave out complementary TEDx Beirut Salon CDs of previous talks, we took our seats as the event began right on schedule, at 3:00PM. It started off with a short video on Success, followed by a short discussion on the video, involving the audience. Then, the highlight of the event took place when I watched one of the most inspirational videos I’ve seen from one of the most inspirational people I know, Mrs. Hala Fadel. Here’s the video, entitled “God is an entrepreneur”:

Her words, her experiences, she just struck me. Though she was speaking to us all, for a moment I felt like I was the only person in the room and that she was talking directly to me. I have a newfound appreciation and respect for this woman, she’s absolutely down-to-earth brilliant!

She reminded me of this idea I have, an idea worth spreading, as the TEDx slogan goes, and I’ve never felt more motivated to work on it… stay tuned!

#SaveTripoli

Here’s a snapshot of life in Tripoli as of yesterday evening: closed roads, burning tires, gunshots and explosions…

Tripoli, spin me some sad story, sell me some excuse to help me understand the things you do... cause the way you treat your lovers, well I just can't relate... well where'd you learn to shoot your gun so straight?! :-(  

Cirque Du Soleil: Saltimbanco

The first time I saw Cirque Du Soleil was last summer, with my family in Montreal. The theme was evolution, entitled TOTEM. And as much as I’d like to say that I loved them, I didn’t. I liked them, but I didn’t love them. I think they’re so overhyped that I had this great expectation from them and they didn’t meet it…

Several months since then, I heard that they were coming to Lebanon. A couple of old friends from Toastmasters were interested in going and so I thought I’d give them another chance with a lighter themed performance, SALTIMBANCO…

We arrived a couple minutes late, with the unorganized parking at Forum. We presented our tickets and quickly found our seats to watch the show. And it was just as I’d expected it to be, good but not good enough. But maybe I’m being biased here, because it wasn’t the greatest night for me...

During the intermission, I got a text message from my boss that tomorrow’s marathon had been postponed due to the current security situation. Shortly after, Dad called, telling me that several main roads in Tripoli had been blocked with burning tires and that they could hear gunshots. I checked BBM and my Twitter and Facebook timelines were all filled with the violence that was erupting back home in Tripoli. And of course I couldn’t concentrate on the show after that…

On the drive back, we got stuck in Jounieh for 2 full hours because they had cut off the highway in order to demolish the burnt carpet factory. After we got out of the traffic and got back on the main road, it was smooth… until we reached Chekka’s tunnel of doom, as I like to call it. The roads got darker and quieter until we reached Tripoli, by then a ghost city. And it all went downhill from there… :-(

N.B. SALTIMBANCO is playing at FORUM DE BEIRUT till MAY 20^TH. 

Nadine in Tripoli

I just got back from Dubai two days ago, just in time to see Nadine visiting from Jordan! She was with her mum and so I invited them over to spend the day with my mum and I, and our friend Sura in Tripoli! I got my tourist on!

We took them on the traditional old souks of Tripoli trip, with of course the famous Khan El Saboun. And though I’ve taken many friends there before, this time I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were a lot more shapes and flavors of soaps than I’d ever seen before, including food shaped soaps! This is just amazing (keep in mind that this is soap!)

Featured in L'Orient Le Jour

I was at work when We Love Tripoli tweeted a link to an article in L'Orient Le Jour. I clicked on it to find that I had been featured in it! Let me start you off with the introduction, about Nawfal Palace's Winter Cultural Season and it's participating artists here:

And here's a more in depth look at one of those participating profiles ;-)

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!

Shoot As You Walk 28

The winds of change haven’t left us yet. This March has been the coldest month we’ve had this year, with snow and rain and blistering cold! Despite the weather, “Shoot As You Walk” is back with it’s 1st adventure of 2012!

This time, the path was a one less travelled, to Dahr El Megher, an area between Abou Ali River and The Citadel of Saint Gilles. I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

Featured in Annahar Newspaper

I just got a call from one of Nawfal Palace’s “Winter Cultural Season” organizers, Khaled Merheb, telling me that there was an article about my exhibition (written by Souhaib Ayoub) in Annahar Newspaper! :-)

Click images to enlarge or click here to read the full article on Annahar

"Uncommon Pictures" Photo Exhibition

Well, it’s officially over. The “Uncommon Pictures” photo exhibition I had at Nawfal Palace with a fellow amateur photographer, Noor Fattal. It was a pretty hectic, yet rewarding week. I got to develop twenty of my photos for the first time, in three different sizes: 2 A4s, 16 A3s, and 2 50*70. Here are two of my prized photos of the exhibition:

I first want to thank Mr. Elias Khlat and Khaled Merheb for giving me the opportunity to showcase my work. I then want to thank Taha Baba and Omar Bakkour for taking the time to help me hang up the pictures last week. The boards aren't very practical for displaying your work and so Taha came up with a creative way to display the pics. And a big thanks goes out to everybody from my family, friends, colleagues, and other visitors who came and showed their support and encouragement. It really means a lot to me when someone says that they admire my work. Thank You! :-)

Tripoli's Car-Free Day Photo Competition!

Dear Friends & Readers,

I need your help! About my last post, “Tripoli’s Car-Free Day”, there’s this photography competition, and there’s this photo that I submitted for the competition:

I really need your help! Please, Please, Please, go to this link:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=641407498342&set=o.296675003692929&type=1&ref=notif&notif_t=like&theater

and click “like” on the photo. I need to get the most amount of likes among the other contestants (from now till the end of the month) in order to win, the prize being a spanking brand new Canon 500D (more advanced than my current camera!) PLEASE, "LIKE" IT! :-)