In The Land Of Cedars

Though going through the immigration process at the airport was a noisy, sweaty affair--people are coming back to Lebanon since the Doha agreement--the country is beautiful.

It is a pity that there has been no peace in the land of cedars. For the time being both fighting factions are smoking the pipes of peace reached in the Qatari capital--to accommodate all factions in the government.

Though some say now things are going to be better, some still doubt if the stillness is the calm before the storm. Hope it is not.

The relief is quite evident as you talk to hotel staff and cabbies. The five-star hotel I've been staying for a week had ten guests till the previous week and all of a sudden has 100 of them. There are smiles everywhere. The senior chef, an effable youngster who has worked in the UAE for some years, is all smiles. So are other staff.

For the first two days I just walked along the streets--beautiful and very French--just to get the hang of the place. The streets are punctuated everywhere by pretty girls and women. Stylish, elegant, and vivacious, they brighten up the dark corners. To put someone from the Arabian Gulf at ease, there are the familiar sights of Filipina and Sri Lankan housemaids. They are out mostly on Sundays--their holiday--in droves and hang around their usual streets and joints, said Hussain, a jovial taxi driver who took me around.

For two days Hussain wore the cloak of the Tempter and offered to take me to a massage centre. He had also tossed in his business card. Just in case I was tired!

I think by now I am quite familiar with French towns--I have been to Paris, French Polynasia (Tahiti) and Montreal. But my French stops at oui. Hmm, what a pity, and how many interesting conversations I have sacrificed for this linguistic incompetency. How many friendships I have missed!

Anyway, the going is still good. I am enjoying the weather though I miss home. Jeena would have really liked to walk around the place and shop at all these cosmetic stores.

Yesterday I lunched at Sultan Brahim, one of the best restaurants for fish in Beirut, I was told. We--two friends and me--just ate up a school of fish. The Italian food at the hotel I was staying in the first week was horrible (subjective opinion), except for the braised salmon. I went in to a Turkish restaurant and had a hearty Arabic bite.

Good, with a pinch of thoombh!

I want to visit the Drews' villages and mountains. That's in my next post.