Eid

It’s the Eid in Beirut. Everything is closed today.
In the Cedars the ski slopes opened today. You can sea the snow in the mountains right here in Beirut. It’s pretty early; the season usually starts in January.

And you wouldn’t say it either, as I was basking in the sun at the Solidere Marina. They’ve got some nice yachts moored there. I visited one 10 million dollar yacht. Nice. Very nice. “If you like it so much, ask your husband to buy you one,” said the man. Yeah, right. I’ll settle for the $500,000 model any time. Inspired by it all, we went for a boat ride. Not on the ten million dollar thing though. You need a crew of five before you can even think of turning on the engine. That’s no fun.
There’s this cliché about Lebanon that you can ski in the morning and then swim in the Mediterranean in the afternoon. The place is so small, and the ski slopes only 55 kilometers away from the beaches. I know it is feasible, but not practical.
If you come back to Beirut after a day of skiing, and you manage to drag yourself to the beach, you probably won’t get any further than the chair in the restaurant. They’ve got loads of restaurants right on the shore. And then after a couple of glasses of Lebanese wine, you’re ready for a nap. Only nuts go swimming. The water is way too cold now at this time of year (unless you’re from a Nordic place). You could dive, maybe.Air tanks at the dive shop of Solidere

So don’t believe this ‘ski in the morning & swim in the afternoon’ phrase. It’s a gimmick to lure tourists. But who is coming for a holiday to this place these days?