Where did all the Lebanese go?

Empty slopes in Feraya

Just a couple of years ago, there used to be long line ups in front of the ski lifts of Feraya, a ski resort some 50 kilometers above Beirut. A ten minute wait was a normal thing, especially on a Sunday. And if you’d ski until the last lift would stop, you’d get stuck for at least an hour on the parking lot as the exit was totally blocked, and another hour in the village while on your way down. People knew this, so the smart ones would all leave the slope an hour before that, which did not eliminate traffic jams but only ensured they’d begin one hour earlier.

Feraya village

So what is it this year? It wasn't a day of mourning, and we did not have a bomb going off this week, nor did we have any street fightings since Sunday. So where was everybody?
People do not have the money anymore? Or have the ones that used to ski all left to country in search for brighter horizons? Maybe skiing is out of fashion? I don’t know. On the slopes today I ran into 6 people that I know, and they were all foreigners. I am not complaining with clear blue skies, perfect snow and no lift lines at all.

Beirut sun set

But I am just wondering; where did all the Lebanese go?

Update: a visitor said...
'We're all abroad trying to earn a living and trying to escape the politics. Hopefully one day we will be back.In the meantime, enjoy our slopes.'