Lebanon Summer Trip, chapter 1: Arrival, Grotto and Museum

Our summer trip to Lebanon began with our arrival in Beirut where we were scooped up by our friend and host, Aurore. Throughout the week, she treated us like family and was the best tri-lingual tour guide imaginable. Thanks to her, we were able to live in a neighborhood for a week, see more sites than we thought possible and eat some great Lebanese food.

We stopped for falafel and shawarma on the way home from the airport.

After our food stop at Arax, we arrived at the house in Ballouneh. Wow. The view back down the mountain to the port city of Beirut was amazing.

Coming from Dubai, the Lebanese weather was literally a breath of fresh air. Surrounded by mountains and green trees, we enjoyed the cool breeze as we sat on the balcony looking down at the city and the Mediterranean Sea.

Bella with the Mediterranean Sea and Beirut in the haze behind her.

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After a short rest, we visited the Jeita Grotto and were truly amazed.

 The girls pose with the statue outside: "The Guardian of Time"

While wandering through the two interconnected caves above the underground river, we all explained our own images comparing the different stalactites to other objects. Jill collected them in our journal for a found poem to help us remember the amazing and varied views underground.

"mushroom, broccoli forest, church organ, coral reef"

"spikey veins, daggers of the gods, shark teeth"

"kebabs, pleated skirts, dinosaur mouth"

"bones, harp strings, tree roots"

We took a short boat ride on the underground river in the lower grotto.

The water was cold and clear.

Back above ground, we rode the small train.

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We then drove up to the Hall of Fame silicon museum. Unlike wax museums, the 'people' are made of silicon and typically have some movements.  We ran into some famous people.

 Here Einstein poses with a brain on his desk, making "scary eyes" at visitors.

 Fidel Castro and his Cuban cigar.

 Yasser Arafat's hands and mouth twitched making him seem very real.

 Saddam's silicon replica is housed in the same room as Clinton and both Bush presidents.

 The girls pose with the silicon version of the tallest man in the world, Robert Wadlow.

Sunset,

and moon rise...