On Ramlet el-Baida, and Almost Summer

Not yet summer, but we’re almost there. People are preparing what beach to go this summer. You’d be surprised, but with some 250 kilometers of coastline, you actually end up paying for a beach in this place. There are very few public beaches in Lebanon; those that are, are often very dirty, and practically impossible to go to in a bikini, unless you want to be ogled by everyone. Private beaches, which range from 12,000 LBP entrance for the basic (umbrella, lounge chair + waiter who will bring you cold beers) to more than 45,000 ($30) for the high scale (kids not allowed), are basically your European style public beaches; hassle free, although topless is where they draw the limit.

There’s only one real public beach in Beirut; Ramlet el-Baida, or white sands.

I remember during my very first summer month in Lebanon, I went to the Ramlet el-Baida beach on my own in a bathing suit. I drove there on my motorbike, towel on the back. After all, you do that in Holland too. I don't remember what scene that caused. None that I can remember.

Do I hear some ladies cringe? You couldn’t pay me enough now to go and lie on Ramlet el-Baida in a bikini this summer, or any summer for that matter, but I didn’t know then that this was just ‘not done’. I did notice that there were few women, and those women that were there either didn’t swim, and sat on the shore fully dressed, or wore pants and shirts while swimming.

When I went into the water, (remember, I was quite young and cute then), so would the entire male population of the beach, and when I would get out, so would all the men. There was even a group of Syrian soldiers (didn’t know they were Syrians then, just thought they were Lebanese regulars), that were based near Beau Rivage (an occupied hotel where the Syrian Military Secret Service conducted ‘interviews’).

The name ‘Beau Rivage’ in those days had a very ominous ring to it, like the proverbial ‘one way ticket’. Hubbie once spent a couple of nights there in the late 80’s. He still has the jacket he wore the night they picked him up, and he’s quite attached to it, because he came out again. There’s scores and scores of people who knew loved ones that were brought there, and then vanished. Forever.

Nobody bothered me on the beach that day, though. Maybe it was because of the Syrians. You didn’t want to mess with those guys. The name ‘Ramlet el Baida’ these days is synonymous with luxurious high rise apartments. What a pity; you’re looking out over a wide sandy beach but you can’t/won’t lie on it.

Anyway, these thoughts came up this afternoon as I took a variety of dogs, kids and cousins for a walk on the beach; Ramlet el Baida. It’s not summer yet, so the beach is not crowded, but the weather was gorgeous.