On our second day in Lebanon, we were up early and thanks to Aurore's planning, we boarded a bus for Baalbek, not far from the Syrian border. On the way to the Beqaa Valley, we made several stops to scoop up families, mostly families of students from my classes in Dubai! In total, we were 40 people, including 22 kids!
Driving into the Beqaa Valley we saw amazing mountains and greenery. It was a beautiful view as we rode between Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. The area is a Hezbollah-run part of the country, and although we saw signs on the way in, there were no safety issues or problems.
We then took the bus back through the valley passing many sites with mountains on all sides.
Along the way, we saw a goat herder and farmland.
We made it to the Ksara Winery and had a nice dinner and the kids ate well too. We enjoyed the reds, whites and roses. We went on a great tour into the caves where the wine is stored and aged. The winery was founded in 1857, making it the oldest winery in Lebanon.
The kids running on the hill in front of the winery.
Barrels of wine aged in the cool, humid caves.
The caves give new meaning to "wine cellar."
These very aged bottles remain locked away from the tourists.
The endless row of wine into the abyss.
We made it home for shisha and snacks on the full moon patio.
It was an incredible day filled with amazing history and spectacular natural beauty. We also enjoyed meeting so many friendly people and catching up with our Lebanese hosts that we share our lives with in Dubai. It was an unforgettable day with the best Lebanese hosts any visitor could have.
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