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 […]
After spending a month living in Lebanon with a local family, I had many opportunities to really get to know the food of Lebanon. Prior to traveling there, I didn’t really know much about Lebanese food. However by the time I left, I was in love with all of the Mediterranean flavors and such fresh […]
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 at 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 […]
Just like churches dominate the European landscape, Mosques take the honor in the Middle East. During my travels in the Middle East this winter I had the chance to visit a few and photograph some of them. I was rarely let inside the mosques to do photography, but when I was it was a special […]
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 […]
