As I was marveling at the bright colors of the watermelon, eggplant, and tomatoes against the typical Omani cream-colored backdrop of souq buildings – I felt that something was ‘off’ – but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I continued to walk around the Nizwa souq (market) with our guide Zahar but since I […]
The big billboard ad looming over the highway read “Expect the unexpected” as a man in camouflage held a shiny rifle and smiled at the cars passing by below. I thought to myself – I hope this is advertising hunting, but quite frankly in the Middle East I’m not quite sure – anything goes! My […]
With one month in Lebanon, you can cover a lot of ground. However I can’t say that I really traveled the country thoroughly and I certainly didn’t get to all of the traditional tourist sites. Instead I was too busy sinking into the culture of Lebanon. Thanks to my GeoVisions cultural exchange program who placed […]
I traveled south of Beirut to the old city of Saida along the Mediteranean. Luckily I had a personal tour guide in my friend Mark, a local friend I had made during my stay in Beirut. We drove through the flooded streets of Beirut and an hour later when we arrived in Saida the sun […]
Even in times of peace in Lebanon there is still a war raging. Lebanon battles it’s Arab neighbors for the title of ‘Creator of Hummus’. They even went as far as trying to copyright it! This battle has raged on for years, and still no real resolution as to who the real creator of hummus […]
I crave authentic experiences when I travel. I want culture not tourism. That’s why my time in Lebanon was so special; while living with a family I was able to experience the real Lebanon, with no tourist sugar coating. However, because I was participating in a GeoVisions cultural exchange program, I was not really exposed […]
Tripoli has been in the news a lot lately – but there’s more than one Tripoli in the Middle East. I went to Lebanon’s Tripoli in search of authentic souks and found what I was looking for. However I quickly realized Tripoli was more than just souks, it has a rich history and cultural feel […]
“Why did you come here in February? It’s the worst month for weather; it’s so unpredictable.” This was the common question I was asked throughout Lebanon. The sky was heavy with moisture and dark clouds rolled in over the Mediterranean; it was pouring rain yet again. The taxi driver dropped me off near the medical […]
Today was my day to go walking through time; a walk through downtown Beirut photographing the bombed buildings which still exist in the Beirut skyline. I was in shock of the hundreds of bullet holes scarring the buildings and that’s when I saw him; a security guard of some type motioning at me. I immediately […]
I sat on the formal couch and listened to the Arabic words swirling around me; lightening fast and coming from every direction. I looked at the people surrounding me and took note of their gestures and facial expressions. I tried to piece together the puzzle of what was being said, but I knew that was […]