Hi All,
Many thanks to ALL of you who have e-mailed this past week asking if we've made it home safely. Yes, we have!!!! My best intentions were to write this blog last Friday, just after we arrived home from Lebanon, but frankly, my brain still isn't quite sure what time it is and my body is just following along. I might still be recovering from jet lag, or at least that strange mixture of euphoria and malaise that follows a long, wonderful trip. Can't seem to focus, and the fact that we are leaving for California in 10 days doesn't help. The CA trip was planned before the Lebanon opportunity surfaced and staying the extra 3 weeks in Lebanon definitely made the trips pile up on each other - but NO complaints, mind you!
Flying back Business Class made a world of difference! It was so comfortable and roomy; we could sleep, move around the aircraft and the flight seemed about half as long. Being treated like royalty is addictive! Of course, the last leg on Jet Blue from JFK to Tampa snapped us right back into sardine flight reality! Ah well.
We had a great layover in Dubai and being in Business Class, Emirates provides a chauffeur from the airport to the snazzy Le Meridien Hotel where our comp room and a voucher for dinner in our choice of 8 restaurants was waiting. We had enough time to take a tour of Dubai, which is a fascinating city that has literally risen from the sand over the past 15 years or so. You may have read about the developments here that have been created just off the coast where land has been pumped from the sea and formed into the shape of palm trees, crustaceans and an entire replica of the world (!!!!) connected to each other by tunnels, not bridges - bridges would ruin the design, you see - and upon which mega hotels and resorts, huge multi-million dollar villas and snazzy malls are built. At the tip of the first Palm Tree, there is a massive Atlantis Resort which looks exactly like the one on Nassau's Paradise Island, except on steroids!
In the past 3 years, more than 600 skyscrapers of 50 stories or more have been constructed in Dubai - many of them still empty due to the economic downturn and the declining oil prices. The world's tallest building -a spire that soars over 300 stories!!! - is here along with some of the most intriguing and exciting architecture we've ever seen. We wondered though whether Dubai would become a ghost town if the world's economy continues to be depressed. Remains to be seen, I suppose. Some of the coolest things they've done involve infrastructure - terrific roads, light rail, air-conditioned bus and train stops, a monorail system. This must have been so much fun for the engineers, architects, planners and construction firms, where else can you design and build an entire city from scratch with what appears to be endless financial resources? After 6 weeks of chaotic traffic, terrible roads and no public transportation whatsoever in Lebanon, Dubai looked like Disney World!
After our tour, we returned to the hotel, had a nice dinner, showered and were picked up by the chauffeur for the short drive to the airport. At the curb, we were met by a lovely Emirates ground hostess who escorted us to check in and then on to the lounge. I LOVED IT! In Dubai, Emirates has a brand new, humongous, ultra-modern terminal all to itself with the world's largest Duty Free shop - the entire 2nd level is a huge mall of duty free shops - and travelers in First or Business class have a separate entrance, we board the plane from a special gate, the lounge has a full service spa, 4 or 5 buffets, several bars, etc. etc. Certainly a nice way to travel - thanks again, Huda and James!
Once on the flight, which left at 2 a.m., our seats, which were separated by these cool dividers that could be moved up and down for privacy, either reclined into a comfortable easy chair position with full foot rest and a zillion different settings - which the seat would remember! - or reclined completely flat into a bed. We were given a nice foam mattress for added comfort, full size pillow, bedding, mask, socks, toiletries, noise canceling headphones, 7 gazillion channels of music, TV or movies, more food and drink than we could consume and just about anything else we wanted. Oh, and the entire seat is a massage chair as well...oh my!
Once we landed in New York, reality returned, although the wait at immigration wasn't too bad and we breezed through Customs with a cheery "Welcome Home" from the Inspector. Then on to Jet Blue where I am convinced they determine who gets the employee bonuses based on how many passengers can be ticked off each day, who scowls the most and how many bags get damaged. It was night and day from Emirates! After managing to make it all the way from Lebanon, via Dubai, to NYC and through US Customs without a second look, our checked bags were opened, pawed through and damaged by TSA at JFK on their way to Tampa! Guess all those TSA folks standing around JFK needed something to do.
All was well at home, thanks to my super terrific neighbor, Jean, who kept my plants happy and healthy and kept an eye on the house for us. Charlie had a struggle when we returned to get his computer repaired and back on line. It needed a new hard drive and that meant reloading all the software, but fortunately all his data was backed up and able to be reloaded. Whew!
My brand new Canon PowerShot A1100IS died after less than 60 days, with all the photos still on the memory card which my computer can't read!!!!! So I spent three days communicating with Canon, Dell and Microsoft this past week trying to solve these issues, but to no avail. The camera, which had great ratings and was highly touted as being reliable and easy to use, is neither. It has been sent back to Canon for repair, with no guarantee it will be fixed in time for the Ca trip, and although I've been a Canon camera devotee for years, I will no longer buy Canon or recommend either this camera or any other Canon to anyone after the way I was treated this past week. Amazing how little customer service there is these days. Fortunately, I downloaded almost all the photos onto James' laptop before we left Lebanon so I know they exist in another format. I promise you will see them eventually!
Well, I just realized this blog is getting snarky - sorry. It's late, but I want to write so much more about the trip, which I will this week. I had a lovely phone chat with Huda today from Yemen and got all excited again about going there for our next adventure to the Middle East! Also dragged out my stack of Lebanese cookbooks - I will blog about the two really neat days I spent in Lebanon cooking -- first with Huda learning some wonderful Yemeni dishes, then with Hilda to cook some Lebanese dishes I haven't had in years. Anyway, I perused the cookbooks and found all the recipes I remember my Mom making when I was a kid. So my goal is to start making those yummy dishes again! Tonight we had a Fattoush salad and I used my new mortar and pestle to blend the garlic, lemon, mint and spices for the dressing. It was fun. We also saw the movie Julia & Julie about Julia Child, which we loved! If you haven't seen it, do. It's funny, warm, and delicious! All of this has really inspired me to cook all this wonderful food again!
One last tale on myself - I brought home some fabulous spices used in Lebanese and Yemeni recipes - zaatah (a spice made from thyme, sumac and sesame seeds), sumac, allspice, cardomon, saffron, etc. and was making room in the pantry. Now, I do tend to keep food around longer than is wise,(as many of you know), but what I found in the back of the spice shelf really takes the prize. There, way back in the back was a little Mason jar marked "Zaatah, 3/85" I swear to heaven, it was 24 year old spice. I'm pretty sure my friend Kathy Ehrlich found it for me in LA and brought it to San Diego when we lived there in the '80's.
Now, since 3/85, we have moved from San Diego to DC, then to the boat, then me back to San Diego for a year, then back to the boat, traveled all around the Caribbean, back to the US and St. Pete, then moved off the boat and into this house - and this silly jar of zaatah has gone with me every step of the way. So, you might be asking, 1) Why didn't I use it?.....I have no idea, I'm sure I was saving it for "something", 2) How did it look, smell and taste after 24 years?.....looked fine, smelled amazingly good, tasted a little bitter, and, 3) Where is it now?....oh yes, of course I was tempted to save it, (I'm still Lari, after all), but since I have yummy new zaatah that is so much better and I needed the jar, I reluctantly tossed it. And then I got really crazy and threw away lots of other herbs and spices hiding out in my pantry which no longer resembled what they once were in any way, smell or taste! It was empowering!
So confession is over, I am signing off. Stay tuned for more Lebanon adventures and hopefully those elusive photos!
Love to all, thanks for keeping us in your thoughts!
Lari
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Finding My Family!
Hi Everyone!
Well, so much has happened since my last submission, but the MOST exciting has been making a connection with Sheik Walid El Khazen, who might very well be a distant cousin of mine!!!!! Here's the scoop!
Remember Hilda Mardelli, who lives here now but who lived with my Florida friend and neighbor, Judy Johnson as a college student in the 80's? Well, Hilda's husband, Adel is business partners with Nabil El Khazen (my grandmother's name was El Khazen, Americanized to AlKazin). I spoke with Nabil by phone from Hilda and Adel's garden a few weeks ago. Nabil's brother is Walid El Khazen, a prominent attorney and entrepreneur here in Lebanon. They are both descendants of the large and powerful El Khazen family who ruled, owned and controlled much of the central mountainous section of Lebanon called Keserwan (not always in a peaceful, benign way, I was told). While this large family controlled much of the land in this part of Lebanon, they also suffered great persecution under the Turkish Ottoman rule in the late 1800's, which may have driven my great grandfather to the US in 1900.
A meeting with Sheik Walid in his office was an eye-opener! He is extremely powerful, it seems, and his large staff is quite deferential to him, happily accommodating his every request. Walid has amassed a wealth of information on the El Khazen family, including a large family tree, genealogical charts and DNA testing, which traced the family as far back as Jericho in about 29 BC. (Okay, by now I am thinking, why did my ancestors ever leave here???....but you know families!) After seeing the charts, website, etc. I was thrilled that I might be finding a true connection to my ancestors. One vital piece of missing information is where my great grandfather actually lived in Lebanon - the village name is crucial to trace his roots. I am hoping one of my US cousins has the all important "box of stuff" with some documentation of Lebanese origins.
Walid invited us - Huda, James, Charlie and I - to a "small" family dinner at his home last Monday evening. He and his wife, Gloria, a truly beautiful, gracious lady, live in Rayfoun, a town about halfway up the mountain on our way to the chalet. He sent his driver to meet and escort us to his home and as we drove in, I realized my relatives should have NEVER LEFT Lebanon!!! The El Khazen home is in a compound of beautiful old Lebanese mansions that stretch over several acres. Their home, built by Walid's grandfather, is an exquisite stone and marble villa with a half acre garden whose focal point is a huge round pool built around natural rock and mammoth trees. It is designed to make you feel as if the pool is a natural lake, surrounded by lush green grass and beautiful landscaping. Set around the pool were several perfectly set tables and hundreds of candles which flickered throughout the garden and made the evening seem magical.
As soon as we arrived, Walid began introducing us to more than 45 El Khazen family members, from the 80-ish matriarch of the clan (who looked remarkably like my grandmother) to recent college grads home from Universities in the US and Europe. The entire experience was amazing and wonderful and emotional. I truly felt a connection to this family, and even if Walid doesn't find the link, he has already welcomed me into the family. He said he knew right away I was a part of the family because of my eyes!
After a fabulous dinner, copious wine and more delicious Lebanese desserts than should be legal at one time, we went into Walid's study and looked at more potential family links. Walid promised to continue searching for my great grandfather's family which should get us started on the exact branch of my family tree.
What a magical evening! Walid and I will talk again this week before I leave. I have tried to convince my friends here that I might actually own the land their house sits on!!!!! No one is buying it yet, but you never know!
Fate is amazing and the things that had to fall into place to make this connection between Walid and myself occur are mind boggling. Yep, I'm convinced this trip happened for a reason.
More to tell on daily power outages; a trip to Tripoli and Kobayat last weekend; moving from the mountain chalet/castle to the town flat/castle this weekend; the upcoming flight home; our trip to the Cedars, one of the last groves of ancient cedar trees left in Lebanon; visits to the myriad of festivals held for the feast of the Assumption, and a lot more on the Stone family. I realize I might be writing some of these after I get home. Hope you don't mind. I can't even begin to get it all in even doing it that way.
Hope this format is better!
Love to all,
Lari
Well, so much has happened since my last submission, but the MOST exciting has been making a connection with Sheik Walid El Khazen, who might very well be a distant cousin of mine!!!!! Here's the scoop!
Remember Hilda Mardelli, who lives here now but who lived with my Florida friend and neighbor, Judy Johnson as a college student in the 80's? Well, Hilda's husband, Adel is business partners with Nabil El Khazen (my grandmother's name was El Khazen, Americanized to AlKazin). I spoke with Nabil by phone from Hilda and Adel's garden a few weeks ago. Nabil's brother is Walid El Khazen, a prominent attorney and entrepreneur here in Lebanon. They are both descendants of the large and powerful El Khazen family who ruled, owned and controlled much of the central mountainous section of Lebanon called Keserwan (not always in a peaceful, benign way, I was told). While this large family controlled much of the land in this part of Lebanon, they also suffered great persecution under the Turkish Ottoman rule in the late 1800's, which may have driven my great grandfather to the US in 1900.
A meeting with Sheik Walid in his office was an eye-opener! He is extremely powerful, it seems, and his large staff is quite deferential to him, happily accommodating his every request. Walid has amassed a wealth of information on the El Khazen family, including a large family tree, genealogical charts and DNA testing, which traced the family as far back as Jericho in about 29 BC. (Okay, by now I am thinking, why did my ancestors ever leave here???....but you know families!) After seeing the charts, website, etc. I was thrilled that I might be finding a true connection to my ancestors. One vital piece of missing information is where my great grandfather actually lived in Lebanon - the village name is crucial to trace his roots. I am hoping one of my US cousins has the all important "box of stuff" with some documentation of Lebanese origins.
Walid invited us - Huda, James, Charlie and I - to a "small" family dinner at his home last Monday evening. He and his wife, Gloria, a truly beautiful, gracious lady, live in Rayfoun, a town about halfway up the mountain on our way to the chalet. He sent his driver to meet and escort us to his home and as we drove in, I realized my relatives should have NEVER LEFT Lebanon!!! The El Khazen home is in a compound of beautiful old Lebanese mansions that stretch over several acres. Their home, built by Walid's grandfather, is an exquisite stone and marble villa with a half acre garden whose focal point is a huge round pool built around natural rock and mammoth trees. It is designed to make you feel as if the pool is a natural lake, surrounded by lush green grass and beautiful landscaping. Set around the pool were several perfectly set tables and hundreds of candles which flickered throughout the garden and made the evening seem magical.
As soon as we arrived, Walid began introducing us to more than 45 El Khazen family members, from the 80-ish matriarch of the clan (who looked remarkably like my grandmother) to recent college grads home from Universities in the US and Europe. The entire experience was amazing and wonderful and emotional. I truly felt a connection to this family, and even if Walid doesn't find the link, he has already welcomed me into the family. He said he knew right away I was a part of the family because of my eyes!
After a fabulous dinner, copious wine and more delicious Lebanese desserts than should be legal at one time, we went into Walid's study and looked at more potential family links. Walid promised to continue searching for my great grandfather's family which should get us started on the exact branch of my family tree.
What a magical evening! Walid and I will talk again this week before I leave. I have tried to convince my friends here that I might actually own the land their house sits on!!!!! No one is buying it yet, but you never know!
Fate is amazing and the things that had to fall into place to make this connection between Walid and myself occur are mind boggling. Yep, I'm convinced this trip happened for a reason.
More to tell on daily power outages; a trip to Tripoli and Kobayat last weekend; moving from the mountain chalet/castle to the town flat/castle this weekend; the upcoming flight home; our trip to the Cedars, one of the last groves of ancient cedar trees left in Lebanon; visits to the myriad of festivals held for the feast of the Assumption, and a lot more on the Stone family. I realize I might be writing some of these after I get home. Hope you don't mind. I can't even begin to get it all in even doing it that way.
Hope this format is better!
Love to all,
Lari
Monday, August 10, 2009
Blog format frustration
Hi All,
Despite my best attempts at making this more readable - I have written it with paragraphs, spacing, headers that don't crowd and end up in the middle of text, etc., the blog still posts like this - and I can't figure out how to edit it. Anyone have any clues. Shoot, I wrote it and I'm even having trouble reading it. Sorry for the blogger ineptitude. Also, I forgot to post the photos, so I may do that here.
Well so much for that.....I waited 7 minutes!!!! to load one photo and it still wasn't done, so I think we'll have to figure out a better way. Thanks, Jen for the tips, I'll try that tomorrow.
Now I have to go get beautiful. We have been invited to a party at Sheik El Khazen's home tonight and about 40 of my potential family tree occupants are expected. I am looking forward to this very much! Just wish I had the 3 Bigs! Oh well, as an American Lebanese, maybe it's okay to still have all of my own body parts!
Love to all,
Lari
PS I just previewed this and it has all of the paragraphs, etc. AGGHHHH!!!!
Despite my best attempts at making this more readable - I have written it with paragraphs, spacing, headers that don't crowd and end up in the middle of text, etc., the blog still posts like this - and I can't figure out how to edit it. Anyone have any clues. Shoot, I wrote it and I'm even having trouble reading it. Sorry for the blogger ineptitude. Also, I forgot to post the photos, so I may do that here.
Well so much for that.....I waited 7 minutes!!!! to load one photo and it still wasn't done, so I think we'll have to figure out a better way. Thanks, Jen for the tips, I'll try that tomorrow.
Now I have to go get beautiful. We have been invited to a party at Sheik El Khazen's home tonight and about 40 of my potential family tree occupants are expected. I am looking forward to this very much! Just wish I had the 3 Bigs! Oh well, as an American Lebanese, maybe it's okay to still have all of my own body parts!
Love to all,
Lari
PS I just previewed this and it has all of the paragraphs, etc. AGGHHHH!!!!
Baalbek, Ksara Winery and more
Where Have I Been?
HI Everyone,
Here’s the blog I started last week (Aug 3) and have yet to finish it. If I say we’ve been way too busy having fun, it would be a massive understatement! This past week, after the wonderful trip to Baalbek which I’m writing about below, I have been to Beirut 4 separate days; met with Sheik Walid El Khazen, a very prominent attorney, diplomat and possibly a distant family member in his office in downtown Beirut; spent a day with Hilda and her daughters at the beach, south of Beirut; shopped; spent a day with Rhada, a lovely Lebanese friend of Huda’s; and ate, drank and laughed myself silly. And that doesn’t take into consideration the week before….
We have confirmed our reservations back to reality, we’re leaving here on Thursday, Aug. 20, arriving home the 21st. James and Huda upgraded us to Business Class for the trip home, which will make for a much more relaxing flight – what a treat! We have a long layover in Dubai, but we will be chauffeured from the airport to Le Meridian Hotel to relax, have a nice dinner, then be driven back to the airport for our flight to New York. Now why can’t I live like this ALL the time? I’m afraid I have become way too used to this lovely way of life and will have a difficult time making my own bed, doing my own laundry and cooking my own meals again. Guess we’ll have to bring one of the maids home in our extra bag!
Anyway, here’s the trip to Baalbek that I started last Monday. It’s already 2:30 p.m. and I’ve been trying to finish it since 10, but would rather talk to Huda and the girls. I am resisting going into the hot tub with the ladies as I write, so please appreciate my sacrifice!
Baalbek, Bekaa Valley and Ksara Winery – August 1, 2009
Well, we’ve just had another wonderful weekend in Lebanon with James, Huda and the girls. We feel like we’ve known this lovely family for years and have been invited back in the winter when the snow covers these mountains and we can play in it with the snow sleds that James invented or in the Jeep he has converted from tires to tractor treads. He is a true Renaissance man, amazingly bright, creative and pragmatic at the same time. He owns an R&D facility in the Philippines that I am certain will ultimately develop numerous “big” ideas into successful products or systems that will make a difference in our world. Huda, as I mentioned earlier, is a wildly successful business owner, overseeing seven companies with more than 500 employees. Remarkable on any level, her success is more notable due to the patriarchal Yemeni society that doesn’t easily conform to women in powerful roles. She takes it all in stride, wondering why the rest of the business world regards her achievements with both admiration and awe. I am so impressed at how centered and comfortable she is about all of this. What a great role model for other Arab women who face major challenges to their independence and freedom of choice.
But back to my travelogue! I haven’t forgotten about our trip to Byblos, but since I can’t access the blog I wrote on it due to the computer crash, I’m going to postpone that one for now and move on. I promise to get back to it one of these blogs, as the ruins and the history they represent, our climb into one of the royal tombs and a visit to the archeologist who discovered perfect marine fossils in a quarry in the mountains is too good not to share.
Since the guys work long days on the boat from Monday-Friday, we have been trying to cram in as much sightseeing as possible on the weekends, and this past Saturday (Aug 1), we went to another ancient cultural site, Baalbek, designated a World Heritage Site for it’s remarkably well preserved temples and 5000 year history, and visited one of Lebanon’s premier wineries, Ksara….you KNOW I enjoyed that.
Baalbek
Baalbek is located to the east of Beirut, over the mountains where we are staying and in the Bekaa Valley, an area now peacefully controlled by the Hezbollah party. We encountered the usual checkpoints along the way, all staffed by friendly soldiers. The only difference between the Lebanese and Hezbollah soldiers is the color of their cammies and berets. Signposting of roads and attractions is iffy, especially if you don’t read Arabic, and my guide book admits there is no good road map of Lebanon in existence! Fortunately, our multi-lingual family takes care of the translating when signs exist. Otherwise, we stop and ask whoever looks unarmed!
The road over the mountains is narrow, serpentine and unencumbered by guardrails. The scenery is dramatic, and we quickly forgot the sheer drop-offs and washboard conditions of the roadbed. In some places, the road is wider and newly paved, then suddenly it reverts to ruts, potholes and broken edges with piles of rocks here and there which have fallen from the cliffs. We all agree that the good road is located in the favored political party’s district and the crappy road belongs to some outgoing and unpopular mayor. Not unlike the US in some ways!!!
As we dropped down into the Bekaa Valley, it reminded me of California’s Central Valley with squares of rich, dark soil, bright green produce, dark green fruit trees and golden grains. This fertile valley supplies a large portion of the fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts consumed by the Lebanese. Potatoes were being harvested as we drove by, and they appeared to be the size of footballs! Everywhere you look are produce stands along the road with piles of watermelons, red cherries, purple figs, herbs, green and red tomatoes, peaches, plums and nectarines….yum! We have been enjoying our fruits and veggies….remember what a tomato or peach tastes like when it’s just picked? Amazing what we’ve gotten used to in the US – beautiful looking produce with little or no flavor. Maybe I can cram produce in my other suitcase!
Driving through the modern city of Baalbek is both depressing and hopeful. It is mostly a poor town of rundown houses, industrial and retail shops and cafes with flats above, and empty lots, but there are also many new homes, churches, mosques, schools and hospitals, and many nice homes under construction. Hezbollah has built most of the public facilities in the past few years in an effort to bring much needed social and medical services to the valley. A new, 4-lane road is nearly completed, which has eased the horrendous traffic issues, especially this time of year, when the Baalbek Music Festival is held right among the ancient ruins.
Arriving at the ancient city, we were frantically directed to a parking area by two guys laden with tourist souvenirs, ball caps, maps, scarves and Chiclets. We were surrounded as we left the car, and of course bought a few things. (I really look hot in my Lebanon ball cap). I was reminded of the street vendors in Cuzco and Tijuana…..very persuasive! The short walk to the entrance revealed a full scale Roman religious site with the largest Roman temple in the world. Still considered the most important Roman site in the Middle East, its extravagant temples outshone those in Rome.
We secured an excellent guide at the entrance who brought the ruins to life. Originally Phoenician, a large temple was constructed here during the 1st Millennium BC, dedicated to the god, Baal. Yep, Bek means temple, so there you have the city’s name! Because it was located at the intersection of main east/west and north/south trade routes, the ancient city grew to a population of 250,000 people! Alexander the Great renamed the city Heliopolis – city of the Sun – after his conquest and in 64 BC, Emperor Pompey made it part of the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar founded a large Roman settlement here (geez, everybody who was anybody wanted this place!) in 47 BC and construction of the massive religious temples began, taking more than 150 years to complete.
We entered the ruins up a monumental staircase cut from stones so huge that an entire flight of 20 steps, 16 feet wide could be carved from one stone. These were put together to form a staircase that was 600 feet long. At the top, you are standing in an outer temple which was originally roofed in cedar and floored in mosaics. All of the stone was quarried nearby, but the massive columns – the largest found in the Temple of Jupiter are 70 feet high and 7 feet in diameter – are solid granite from the Aswan Valley in Egypt. The columns were shipped from Egypt to the coast of Lebanon, then rolled miles and miles over the Lebanon mountains and into the Bekaa Valley on a track of two parallel stone walls built solely for this purpose. More than 100,000 slaves worked on the site over the years.
We continued into complex, entering the hexagonal court, its six sides surrounded by columns, with decorated niches for statues of minor gods. This was the waiting room for the Great Court, where animal sacrifices were made on a huge stone altar in the center of the open plaza. Covered by an arcade supported by 84 massive granite columns, you can see the where whole columns have toppled, almost intact, and look as if they’ve been sliced into pieces on the ground. A massive earthquake in 1759 caused many of the remaining columns and ramparts to fall, but large parts of the temples are remarkably still standing!
From there, we entered the Temple of Jupiter, the largest and most sacred religious temple in the Roman empire. Nearly 300 feet long, it is entered via another massive stone staircase. Inside the once cedar-roofed temple were 54 of the largest marble columns in the world. Six remain standing, with the connecting arch still intact. Due to the massive size of this structure and the stones used to construct it (one we saw is about 60’ x 15’ and weighs an estimated 1000 tons), it was once believed giants constructed the temple. As in many of the ancient stone structures still found on earth, there is no obvious explanation for how such massive stones were moved and positioned so precisely. No mortar was used between the stones, yet there is no space between stones, the cut being so perfect.
Our guide, Hussein, gave us time to wander these incredible structures on our own. Remarkably, there are no restrictions to where you can go or what you can touch. We climbed over fallen marble columns, posed for photos on sacrificial altars and touched the faces of ancient statues of Cleopatra, Marc Anthony and Julius Caesar. The Lebanese feel that this is their right and appear to respect the ruins, not taking pieces home with them or covering temples with graffiti. We were disappointed at how much trash seems to be around, but much of that stems from lack of funds to provide trash cans and staff, as well a population uneducated on litter courtesy!
My favorite temple is the smaller, lovely, much decorated Temple of Bacchus. Actually larger than the Parthenon, it is considered the small temple compared to the massive Temple of Jupiter. Almost completely intact, this temple shows the sophisticated carving and decoration on the walls, arcades, ceilings and entrances. Topped with a curved stone ceiling carved and painted with vivid scenes of Roman gods and goddesses, such as Diana shooting an arrow, winged Victory, Mars, Vulcan and of course, the wine man himself – Bacchus! Hussein pointed out the doorway to the inner temple, which is considered the highlight of the temple. Carved and decorated by multiple artists, it is almost completely as it was in 150AD, with only the half fallen keystone symbolizing the impact of nearly 1900 years of war, natural disasters and conquests.
Conservatively, I think we said “wow” about a zillion times during this tour. The opportunity to actually walk among this ancient structures, touch the stones, feel the smooth marble and stand where civilizations have stood for centuries is unforgettable. It wasn’t hard to close my eyes and visualize what must have been. Hussein led us to the museum, housed in a huge vaulted tunnel, shaped like a cross. The tunnel is thought to have been where the animals were prepared for sacrifice, as well as a place for pilgrims to await entrance to the temple. The museum has an excellent depiction of how Baalbek was built including innovative Roman building techniques used to raise the columns and move the massive stones into place. A lay-out, sketches of the completed complex and beautiful marble and alabaster statues and other artifacts bring the site to life. What an experience!
Other temples and ruins, including the Temple of Venus, are nearby, but inaccessible due to current excavations. What a paradox to see this exquisite curved temple amid a pile of fallen stones, fenced with barbed wire with the ugly modern city in the background.
Ksara Winery - Lebanon's Oldest
After buying souvenirs and cooling off in a small café, we headed for the Ksara Winery, located near the town of Zahle, south of Baalbek. Most of Lebanon’s wineries – and all of the best ones – are located in the Bekaa Valley (the Napa of Lebanon, I guess). We picked Ksara as it is the oldest and best known, and is located atop nearly 2 miles of tunnels, discovered by the Romans.
As with every driving experience with James at the wheel, we careened down the road passing cars, trucks, tractors, donkeys and ultimately, the winery!!!! A quick u-turn and with the help of bystanders, we found the roundabout (loaded with Ksara Winery signs which everyone but the driver had seen……) and in a few blocks, the winery. As we turned up the drive, we could have been at any small winery in Napa, Sonoma, or France. Beautifully landscaped grounds and green, grape laden vines led to the old stone winery building on a slight knoll. Four – count ‘em, four – wedding parties were there having photos taken in the vineyard. Have I told you about Lebanese weddings? I think so, but to add, the bridal gowns are always gorgeous, expensive, ornate, with huge skirts, trains and a zillion crystal beads. Watching all of this get dragged through the dirt and parking lot was a pit sad, but I’m sure the photos were worth it!
The winery wasn’t too busy, but there were tourists from Germany, Sweden, the US (us), England and Australia, as well as locals on our tour. Since Muslims do not drink alcohol, we weren’t surprised that we saw no Arab visitors. The tour started in the caves, where the temperature is an ideal 50-52 degrees, but very humid. Hundreds of barrels of wine rest along the tunnel floor, and individual bottles fill crevices and rooms carved into the stones by the Romans. The Jesuits, who started the winery in 1857, found the chalky soil and dry weather of this part of the Bekaa Valley to be perfect for grapes and today, the wines continue to wine numerous international awards.
Following the tour, we watched a very informative video on wine production, marveled at a number of rudimentary antique wine making devices and were taken to an ultramodern tasting room to sample an assortment of Ksara wines. I asked to taste the chardonnay as it wasn’t on the tasting menu and Carole, our guide, poured me a generous taste – it was fabulous and I bought 4 bottles. We also enjoyed and purchased the Cabernet, made in the Napa style. Sadly, with the restrictions on liquids in the cabin and the amount of handling our checked luggage will face, we decided not to bring any home, but have sure been enjoying it here.
We took the same route home, over the mountains and into Farqa, and were having our first glass of Ksara wine while watching the sunset from the Stone’s living room about an hour later -- remembering to toast Bacchus and his beautiful temple before the first sip.
A truly memorable day. Lebanon, with her beauty, diversity, history, warmth and variety, amazes me every day I am here.
Love to all,
Lari
HI Everyone,
Here’s the blog I started last week (Aug 3) and have yet to finish it. If I say we’ve been way too busy having fun, it would be a massive understatement! This past week, after the wonderful trip to Baalbek which I’m writing about below, I have been to Beirut 4 separate days; met with Sheik Walid El Khazen, a very prominent attorney, diplomat and possibly a distant family member in his office in downtown Beirut; spent a day with Hilda and her daughters at the beach, south of Beirut; shopped; spent a day with Rhada, a lovely Lebanese friend of Huda’s; and ate, drank and laughed myself silly. And that doesn’t take into consideration the week before….
We have confirmed our reservations back to reality, we’re leaving here on Thursday, Aug. 20, arriving home the 21st. James and Huda upgraded us to Business Class for the trip home, which will make for a much more relaxing flight – what a treat! We have a long layover in Dubai, but we will be chauffeured from the airport to Le Meridian Hotel to relax, have a nice dinner, then be driven back to the airport for our flight to New York. Now why can’t I live like this ALL the time? I’m afraid I have become way too used to this lovely way of life and will have a difficult time making my own bed, doing my own laundry and cooking my own meals again. Guess we’ll have to bring one of the maids home in our extra bag!
Anyway, here’s the trip to Baalbek that I started last Monday. It’s already 2:30 p.m. and I’ve been trying to finish it since 10, but would rather talk to Huda and the girls. I am resisting going into the hot tub with the ladies as I write, so please appreciate my sacrifice!
Baalbek, Bekaa Valley and Ksara Winery – August 1, 2009
Well, we’ve just had another wonderful weekend in Lebanon with James, Huda and the girls. We feel like we’ve known this lovely family for years and have been invited back in the winter when the snow covers these mountains and we can play in it with the snow sleds that James invented or in the Jeep he has converted from tires to tractor treads. He is a true Renaissance man, amazingly bright, creative and pragmatic at the same time. He owns an R&D facility in the Philippines that I am certain will ultimately develop numerous “big” ideas into successful products or systems that will make a difference in our world. Huda, as I mentioned earlier, is a wildly successful business owner, overseeing seven companies with more than 500 employees. Remarkable on any level, her success is more notable due to the patriarchal Yemeni society that doesn’t easily conform to women in powerful roles. She takes it all in stride, wondering why the rest of the business world regards her achievements with both admiration and awe. I am so impressed at how centered and comfortable she is about all of this. What a great role model for other Arab women who face major challenges to their independence and freedom of choice.
But back to my travelogue! I haven’t forgotten about our trip to Byblos, but since I can’t access the blog I wrote on it due to the computer crash, I’m going to postpone that one for now and move on. I promise to get back to it one of these blogs, as the ruins and the history they represent, our climb into one of the royal tombs and a visit to the archeologist who discovered perfect marine fossils in a quarry in the mountains is too good not to share.
Since the guys work long days on the boat from Monday-Friday, we have been trying to cram in as much sightseeing as possible on the weekends, and this past Saturday (Aug 1), we went to another ancient cultural site, Baalbek, designated a World Heritage Site for it’s remarkably well preserved temples and 5000 year history, and visited one of Lebanon’s premier wineries, Ksara….you KNOW I enjoyed that.
Baalbek
Baalbek is located to the east of Beirut, over the mountains where we are staying and in the Bekaa Valley, an area now peacefully controlled by the Hezbollah party. We encountered the usual checkpoints along the way, all staffed by friendly soldiers. The only difference between the Lebanese and Hezbollah soldiers is the color of their cammies and berets. Signposting of roads and attractions is iffy, especially if you don’t read Arabic, and my guide book admits there is no good road map of Lebanon in existence! Fortunately, our multi-lingual family takes care of the translating when signs exist. Otherwise, we stop and ask whoever looks unarmed!
The road over the mountains is narrow, serpentine and unencumbered by guardrails. The scenery is dramatic, and we quickly forgot the sheer drop-offs and washboard conditions of the roadbed. In some places, the road is wider and newly paved, then suddenly it reverts to ruts, potholes and broken edges with piles of rocks here and there which have fallen from the cliffs. We all agree that the good road is located in the favored political party’s district and the crappy road belongs to some outgoing and unpopular mayor. Not unlike the US in some ways!!!
As we dropped down into the Bekaa Valley, it reminded me of California’s Central Valley with squares of rich, dark soil, bright green produce, dark green fruit trees and golden grains. This fertile valley supplies a large portion of the fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts consumed by the Lebanese. Potatoes were being harvested as we drove by, and they appeared to be the size of footballs! Everywhere you look are produce stands along the road with piles of watermelons, red cherries, purple figs, herbs, green and red tomatoes, peaches, plums and nectarines….yum! We have been enjoying our fruits and veggies….remember what a tomato or peach tastes like when it’s just picked? Amazing what we’ve gotten used to in the US – beautiful looking produce with little or no flavor. Maybe I can cram produce in my other suitcase!
Driving through the modern city of Baalbek is both depressing and hopeful. It is mostly a poor town of rundown houses, industrial and retail shops and cafes with flats above, and empty lots, but there are also many new homes, churches, mosques, schools and hospitals, and many nice homes under construction. Hezbollah has built most of the public facilities in the past few years in an effort to bring much needed social and medical services to the valley. A new, 4-lane road is nearly completed, which has eased the horrendous traffic issues, especially this time of year, when the Baalbek Music Festival is held right among the ancient ruins.
Arriving at the ancient city, we were frantically directed to a parking area by two guys laden with tourist souvenirs, ball caps, maps, scarves and Chiclets. We were surrounded as we left the car, and of course bought a few things. (I really look hot in my Lebanon ball cap). I was reminded of the street vendors in Cuzco and Tijuana…..very persuasive! The short walk to the entrance revealed a full scale Roman religious site with the largest Roman temple in the world. Still considered the most important Roman site in the Middle East, its extravagant temples outshone those in Rome.
We secured an excellent guide at the entrance who brought the ruins to life. Originally Phoenician, a large temple was constructed here during the 1st Millennium BC, dedicated to the god, Baal. Yep, Bek means temple, so there you have the city’s name! Because it was located at the intersection of main east/west and north/south trade routes, the ancient city grew to a population of 250,000 people! Alexander the Great renamed the city Heliopolis – city of the Sun – after his conquest and in 64 BC, Emperor Pompey made it part of the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar founded a large Roman settlement here (geez, everybody who was anybody wanted this place!) in 47 BC and construction of the massive religious temples began, taking more than 150 years to complete.
We entered the ruins up a monumental staircase cut from stones so huge that an entire flight of 20 steps, 16 feet wide could be carved from one stone. These were put together to form a staircase that was 600 feet long. At the top, you are standing in an outer temple which was originally roofed in cedar and floored in mosaics. All of the stone was quarried nearby, but the massive columns – the largest found in the Temple of Jupiter are 70 feet high and 7 feet in diameter – are solid granite from the Aswan Valley in Egypt. The columns were shipped from Egypt to the coast of Lebanon, then rolled miles and miles over the Lebanon mountains and into the Bekaa Valley on a track of two parallel stone walls built solely for this purpose. More than 100,000 slaves worked on the site over the years.
We continued into complex, entering the hexagonal court, its six sides surrounded by columns, with decorated niches for statues of minor gods. This was the waiting room for the Great Court, where animal sacrifices were made on a huge stone altar in the center of the open plaza. Covered by an arcade supported by 84 massive granite columns, you can see the where whole columns have toppled, almost intact, and look as if they’ve been sliced into pieces on the ground. A massive earthquake in 1759 caused many of the remaining columns and ramparts to fall, but large parts of the temples are remarkably still standing!
From there, we entered the Temple of Jupiter, the largest and most sacred religious temple in the Roman empire. Nearly 300 feet long, it is entered via another massive stone staircase. Inside the once cedar-roofed temple were 54 of the largest marble columns in the world. Six remain standing, with the connecting arch still intact. Due to the massive size of this structure and the stones used to construct it (one we saw is about 60’ x 15’ and weighs an estimated 1000 tons), it was once believed giants constructed the temple. As in many of the ancient stone structures still found on earth, there is no obvious explanation for how such massive stones were moved and positioned so precisely. No mortar was used between the stones, yet there is no space between stones, the cut being so perfect.
Our guide, Hussein, gave us time to wander these incredible structures on our own. Remarkably, there are no restrictions to where you can go or what you can touch. We climbed over fallen marble columns, posed for photos on sacrificial altars and touched the faces of ancient statues of Cleopatra, Marc Anthony and Julius Caesar. The Lebanese feel that this is their right and appear to respect the ruins, not taking pieces home with them or covering temples with graffiti. We were disappointed at how much trash seems to be around, but much of that stems from lack of funds to provide trash cans and staff, as well a population uneducated on litter courtesy!
My favorite temple is the smaller, lovely, much decorated Temple of Bacchus. Actually larger than the Parthenon, it is considered the small temple compared to the massive Temple of Jupiter. Almost completely intact, this temple shows the sophisticated carving and decoration on the walls, arcades, ceilings and entrances. Topped with a curved stone ceiling carved and painted with vivid scenes of Roman gods and goddesses, such as Diana shooting an arrow, winged Victory, Mars, Vulcan and of course, the wine man himself – Bacchus! Hussein pointed out the doorway to the inner temple, which is considered the highlight of the temple. Carved and decorated by multiple artists, it is almost completely as it was in 150AD, with only the half fallen keystone symbolizing the impact of nearly 1900 years of war, natural disasters and conquests.
Conservatively, I think we said “wow” about a zillion times during this tour. The opportunity to actually walk among this ancient structures, touch the stones, feel the smooth marble and stand where civilizations have stood for centuries is unforgettable. It wasn’t hard to close my eyes and visualize what must have been. Hussein led us to the museum, housed in a huge vaulted tunnel, shaped like a cross. The tunnel is thought to have been where the animals were prepared for sacrifice, as well as a place for pilgrims to await entrance to the temple. The museum has an excellent depiction of how Baalbek was built including innovative Roman building techniques used to raise the columns and move the massive stones into place. A lay-out, sketches of the completed complex and beautiful marble and alabaster statues and other artifacts bring the site to life. What an experience!
Other temples and ruins, including the Temple of Venus, are nearby, but inaccessible due to current excavations. What a paradox to see this exquisite curved temple amid a pile of fallen stones, fenced with barbed wire with the ugly modern city in the background.
Ksara Winery - Lebanon's Oldest
After buying souvenirs and cooling off in a small café, we headed for the Ksara Winery, located near the town of Zahle, south of Baalbek. Most of Lebanon’s wineries – and all of the best ones – are located in the Bekaa Valley (the Napa of Lebanon, I guess). We picked Ksara as it is the oldest and best known, and is located atop nearly 2 miles of tunnels, discovered by the Romans.
As with every driving experience with James at the wheel, we careened down the road passing cars, trucks, tractors, donkeys and ultimately, the winery!!!! A quick u-turn and with the help of bystanders, we found the roundabout (loaded with Ksara Winery signs which everyone but the driver had seen……) and in a few blocks, the winery. As we turned up the drive, we could have been at any small winery in Napa, Sonoma, or France. Beautifully landscaped grounds and green, grape laden vines led to the old stone winery building on a slight knoll. Four – count ‘em, four – wedding parties were there having photos taken in the vineyard. Have I told you about Lebanese weddings? I think so, but to add, the bridal gowns are always gorgeous, expensive, ornate, with huge skirts, trains and a zillion crystal beads. Watching all of this get dragged through the dirt and parking lot was a pit sad, but I’m sure the photos were worth it!
The winery wasn’t too busy, but there were tourists from Germany, Sweden, the US (us), England and Australia, as well as locals on our tour. Since Muslims do not drink alcohol, we weren’t surprised that we saw no Arab visitors. The tour started in the caves, where the temperature is an ideal 50-52 degrees, but very humid. Hundreds of barrels of wine rest along the tunnel floor, and individual bottles fill crevices and rooms carved into the stones by the Romans. The Jesuits, who started the winery in 1857, found the chalky soil and dry weather of this part of the Bekaa Valley to be perfect for grapes and today, the wines continue to wine numerous international awards.
Following the tour, we watched a very informative video on wine production, marveled at a number of rudimentary antique wine making devices and were taken to an ultramodern tasting room to sample an assortment of Ksara wines. I asked to taste the chardonnay as it wasn’t on the tasting menu and Carole, our guide, poured me a generous taste – it was fabulous and I bought 4 bottles. We also enjoyed and purchased the Cabernet, made in the Napa style. Sadly, with the restrictions on liquids in the cabin and the amount of handling our checked luggage will face, we decided not to bring any home, but have sure been enjoying it here.
We took the same route home, over the mountains and into Farqa, and were having our first glass of Ksara wine while watching the sunset from the Stone’s living room about an hour later -- remembering to toast Bacchus and his beautiful temple before the first sip.
A truly memorable day. Lebanon, with her beauty, diversity, history, warmth and variety, amazes me every day I am here.
Love to all,
Lari
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