Last Days in Beirut

Lastnight I finally got quite sick, after weeks of staving off whatever ever those around me were getting I was hit like a freight train, and sadly missed the dinner Dierdré and Philip had made. But Leslie and Phoebe enjoyed it and I came home under heavy medication and slept it off. We are down to 3 of us and just another day in Beirut. I am cherishing everything I can, even the sour belly that has just about righted itself.

Today we met Joseph, another new best friend, the Christain young fellow who pours the most wonderful coffees down the street. I've managed to take coffee from him most mornings and he's become smitten with the girls. And when I gave him a bracelet I bought from St. Thecla's shrine in Syria, he blessed it and put it on, swearing he'd never go to Syria. Anyway, he'd asked if we wanted to go to St. Charble, and when we said yes. we thought he was taking us to a beach. So we met at 11, with our suimsuits in our bag, and he drove us up the coast in his friend's borrowed car. Another harrrowing ride through the north of Beirut, past Jounie and Jbail, then east, steeply up the coastal mountsains to the shrine of St. Charbel, one of three Lebanese monks, and the one our friend is named after. Sunday services going on in the multitude of buildings, some are churches, some holy places with St. Charbel's bloddied clothing on display. And Joseph is really quite serious, and blesses himself often as we walk between people in prayer, people seeing the sights, and some people just getting out of the heat of the city.

Came back home for a last dinner at Alice's "By the Way" restaurant, and met up with Anwar, a surfing buddy from 30+ years ago, who is here, depressed and caring for his aging parents, but so happy to join us and share old stories. And Alice, and her brother Borré, and Rea, and our new best friend, all of us eating and drinking and trying to make sense of it all, hours before we're supposed to leave. And Inshalla we get our visas tomorrow, leave where I've needed to be and go where we need to go next. Elise safe in Europe, and Phoebe hanging on to what will be the best part of her trip, later, much later.

Comments

[R.E.]

Hi!

Thank you for sharing your experience in Lebanon. I enjoyed your beautiful blog and the pictures tremendeously. Like so many other people with some Lebanese roots, I have inherited my parent's nostalgia of Lebanon and visit Lebanon often.

Thanks again and have a good trip.

[Ann Cullen]

Clifford,

Thanks for your great notes on your trip. I've enjoyed following all of you on your journeys.

Godspeed home,

--Ann C.

[malinda]

Hope you're feeling better! Thanks for all the news and photos, looking forward to hearing about India and more mystical encounters with Saints and baristas. It's a nice evening here, heavy misting fog and glassy seas. The lama spit on Blu, I thought they were sweet on each other but nah, anyway, Blu turned tail with a happy wag.

M.