I'm realizing it's not about a hike, or a girl, or about a degree, or fellowship, etc... All in all it's about the journeys that life brings our way; it's never about one thing. Many friends, unbeknownst to them, have taken such journeys. Some continue to fight what life decides to bring naturaly to them, some expect it and deal with it graciously. I'm inspired by the latter group.
It's all about the grace man. Nothing more; nothing less. There was an abundance of that in the villages I've visited in Lebanon. There's not much of in Beirut however, unfortunately. People might be under the impression that it's embarrassing to 'act' that way. Yesterday I was mistaken for an 'on the cart' vegetable salesman. The man who asked me how much the Kilo of Figs was turned all red and was real apologetic when he realized I was just standing there. I, on the other hand, was really honored in this case of mistaken identity... When I asked the salesman if he dug his life, he smiled and asked me, "whats not to like kiddo?"... I love that. An answer that's a journey in and of itself...
And what is growth other than realizing that theres so much more to learn, to see, to breathe in...?
My brother and I decided to go on this expedition together knowing that there is growth to be had; spirits to interview; and mountains to climb- literally and figuratively... Most importantly we had no expectations and what better way than to walk, talk, and laugh at each other and ourselves...? Ask me in a year what this meant to me and I'll try and give you more than generalizations...
For now I'm living life, learning from it and loving the best I can...
Peace and Love,
Samer
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
FINAL WLE Day 12 (08-19-2011): Niha - Jezzine to Jisr el Khardaly – Marjoyoun
WLE Day 12 (08-19-2011): Niha (Hike) - Jezzine to Jisr el Khardaly (by Car) – Marjoyoun (Hike)
Length: Aprox 35 km, 9 hrs
Difficulty Level: Moderate to Difficult
Samer rejoined us the previous night and I was very happy to see him again. We met at Nader’s, the local Internet Café /Bar in Niha- an open friendly and busy place. Nader himself, the owner, introduced himself as a Lebanese-Belgian who had come back to live in the town after some 30 years of living in Belgium. “Can you believe that before I came back, there was no meeting point in the town for people to just hang out?” he said. The place was buzzing with patrons coming in and out. At one point there was a group of people led by Nader organizing the town’s festival. This was a quintessential example of the direct positive effects Lebanon’s Diaspora can have on Lebanon.
In the morning, Chamoun woke Samer and I up with a surprise. He had heard that the Lebanese army was discouraging any hiking between our next stop Jezzine and the penultimate at the Khardali bridge on the Litani river. Due to land mines, cluster bombs, and roaming paramilitary presence, it was advised we would need to cross by car.
As we had decided to circumvent Rachayya and Hasbaya in the East and head on a south easterly course straight to Marjoyoun, it implied we could actually finish the expedition today as opposed to the next day as planned.
After a hearty breakfast of Ijjeh- a Lebanese omelet with vegetables- we departed at 8 am. Bidding us farewell was the owner of the guesthouse whose scars of war (no upper body limbs) served as an ominous warming of taking unnecessary risks.
From Niha it was a straight climb up to the temple. It took us about 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach the top. The terrain was steep and the bag weighed heavy. Once at the top, it turns out the temple honors the prophet Job- I guess it does take a certain degree of patience to reach it. The view from the top was of the entire Shouf area and quite spectacular.
After a short rest at the temple, we stoically carried on knowing we needed to round two mountains before our descent into the town of Jezzine. The trail was meadowy offering views of beautiful green mountains, which we were told are not very safe. I wasn’t sure, which was more unsafe- the paramilitary presence of those mountains or the bees in the meadows we were walking through. Things would not get any better as we began our descent and Chamoun told us, “Guys, this area was demined but we need to stand in a straight line and try to maintain a single trail following goat shit.” Never in my life have I been as appreciative of goats or their crap!
After a seemingly interminable descent, we began getting a view of the town of Bkessin surrounded by one of Lebanon’s largest pine forests. To its East, one could view the edge of Jezzine. It would take us another hour or so to reach Jezzine passing a well along the way and arriving around 1:30 pm some 5 and a half hours after our departure. The town of Jezzine was smaller than I expected, but had one of the most imposing municipality buildings we had seen so far. The town seemed well organized, although water mismanagement had dried its waterfall. To compensate and keep the restaurants around the waterfall in business, the town had creatively decided to recycle water by pumping it from the valley all the way up and keeping a constant water flow.
In Jezzine, Samer got a well-deserved rest, while Chamoun checked to see how we could get transportation to the Khardale bridge. I took advantage to check the Internet and make reservations in Beirut for the evening and to change our airline reservation advancing it by a few days. Both operations proved amazingly easy over the Internet; and I still found some time to enjoy some ice cream and chit chat with Samer.
Chamoun finally found us a car and what a car it proved to be! A turquoise Renault 12 with grey repaired doors, and a misaligned engine cover. The wheels seemed to hardly hold the direction of the steering; and every time we crossed a bump in the road, one of the spark plugs would come loose, forcing the driver to turn the car off, get out, open the front cover readjust it, get back in apologize for the hassle, and drive on. The experience was harrowing especially on the narrow curves, but memorable nonetheless!
A short distance out of Jezzine we came to an army checkpoint at Kfarhouni. It would be the first time we were asked to show our documents. The officer in charge took Samer’s passport and started asking us questions. After checking our story, he confirmed that it was strongly advised that we not walk in these parts; instead that we go to the river and then hike up to Marjoyoun. We were now in the South of Lebanon. Surprisingly, the drive showed very little war damage. On the contrary, the roads were quite well paved and clean, and towns nicely organized with nice houses- many of which were quite large. “African Lebanese wealth,” explained the driver.
We reached the Khardali bridge which crosses the Litani river about thirty minutes later. After a brief cool-off in the famous river, we proceeded with the climb. It had turned into a hot day, and there were very little trees or construction to offer any shade around. It would be a long climb. While the gravel and paved roads made it a bit easier, the dust and heat reflected from the road made it hotter. And still we climbed … We were about to reach our objective, and nothing would stop us. At this point, something strange happened to me. I looked at my brother, and I saw the effort he was giving- he was giving it his best and that made me very emotional … The years had not been very kind on our family, but Samer had carried on. He had done the same on this expedition; and I was proud of him. In these moments, I looked at my brother and saw that the man in front of me was still the baby I had carried so many years ago, the young boy I used to take to my soccer games, and the handsome young man who tried to find his way in his own way. Life can be harsh some times. It takes heart, effort, and determination to overcome difficulties. On this trip, my brother proved once more he had all of them.
We reached Marjouyoun at 5:05 pm- some 12 days 8 hours and 35 minutes since our expedition had begun.
This expedition was meant to introduce us to our country of birth, Lebanon, its beauty, and people- all of which we had left many many years ago. It did all that and a lot more … It proved that all this time, the country had not left us. Perhaps most importantly, it was a long overdue expedition by two brothers … While its true meaning may yet be too early to understand or explain, its memories for sure will last us a lifetime.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Photos from Barouk Cedar Reserve
Here are the latest photos taken in the Barouk Cedar Reserve on 08/18/2011:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150256150581862.325829.562431861&l=d8b6525e39&type=1
WLE Day 11 (08-18-2011): Barouk – Maaser el Shouf - Niha
WLE Day 11 (08-18-2011): Barouk – Maaser el Shouf - Niha
Length: Aprox 30 km, 9 hrs
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Sleeping the night at Barouk’s guesthouse was interesting. The venue itself is very nicely renovated and designed, but unfortunately there was no electricity, so I had to cope with a flashlight. It did make me sleep early though at around 9 pm. Unfortunately, the electricity came back on by itself around midnight and all the lights came on (the switches had been on!). As a result, I woke up thinking that it was daylight. In the meantime, an agile mosquito had managed to suck one of my feet dry … With electricity, I was able to reap revenge on the little creature by turning on an electric repellant. Victory is sweet- even over a mosquito … God bless technology!
No technology or alarm needed to wake me up though. Chamoun, who had slept at his place the previous evening after another visit to his mother in the hospital, knocked on the guesthouse door at 6:30 am sharp. Soon after Ziad, our guesthouse host, came in with a baladi breakfast of local cheese, labneh, olives, marmalade, and tea. Knowing the long hike ahead, I filled my tummy as well as my water tanks. We headed out at 7:20. Chamoun’s wife dropped us off at the Barouk reserve’s entrance a couple of miles up the road.
Up until then, I had only seen the famous Bsharre cedar reserve, the Tannourine one, and skimmed the Ain Zhalta one. I was surprised to learn that the Barouk cedar reserve turns out to be the biggest in the nation- some 160 square kilometers. It took us about an hour and a half to walk through it, and my camera shutter worked non-stop. The cedar tree is part and parcel in the Lebanese psyche, but nothing prepares one for its beauty and majestic imposition as a walk through the Barouk. As we had entered the reserve before it was officially opened, we decided to walk up on the paved road, which is easier on the climb- my bag was laden and I did not really fancy flipping backwards on a rough mountain climb. Nevertheless, the paved road offered spectacular views of the reserve (trees lined it on both sides) as well as views of the town below- as far as the Mikhtara some 15 km Southwest. At its highest point, the smell of the air in the park became different- cedar oxygenation at its best. Interestingly, I got to see the seed of the tree, which I had never before. I learned that squirrels are the ones who steel the seed from the branches, and hide them underground. Those that are forgotten, some 5000 years later turn out to be great evergreen trees with multi-trunks some 2 meters in radius, and branches extending more than 7 meters.
Soon after, we began our descent towards Maaser el Shouf and its own reserve, which is separated from its Barouk counterpart by a barren mountain. Maaser is an area famous in the past for its essence and juice grinders- from which the town derives its name. The hike down was fairly steep and the terrain somewhat slippery. Interestingly, this was the first trail that we saw Lebanon Mountain Trail markings (purple and white paint marks on rocks basically). These were supposedly painted all over the trail from the North of Lebanon to the South to guide hikers. These were the first I had seen. I figure they must have eroded since and few if any are still visible unfortunately.
Slowly but surely we made it to the town entrance reaching it around 11 am. As we entered the town, we were greeted by an old man who asked us for advice about some varices he has in his legs. We apologized as neither Chamoun nor I are doctors. The man still introduced us to his family and offered us coffee. As we moved into the town, it seemed well organized but very quiet. When we got to the central plaza of the town, Chamoun entered a small market store and saluted the old man. Next thing I know, the man offers me a purplish looking juice telling me it is “Great for your lungs, especially if you’re a smoker.” I wanted to answer, “I don’t really smoke,” but knew better. Good decision Wissam! It was one of the best drinks I have ever tried. I asked for another and even drank half of Chamoun’s bottle too! The old man offered to sell me the ingredients in a couple of jars, but due to the weight I was sorry couldn’t take them. I promised I would be back to buy them later on when I have transportation. I definitely plan to!
In the meantime, Chamoun had managed to grab a turtle from two menacing kids. The turtle was the size of the palm of his hand. “Can you believe it? They were trying to kill it!” he told me. There was blood coming out of the side and its shell seemed slightly cracked. He would walk with it in his hand until we were well out of the town. He then laid it in a safe place wishing it good luck.
Before we exited the town, we passed by a small factory run by two people. Turns out it is a candle factory. It seemed like a factory from the turn of the previous century, but fully functional and quite productive. The owner told me it can produce 1300 candles every 10 minutes. They sell these candles to the rest of the country and have even exported it. ‘What a shame it is not advertised as a touristic destination,’ I thought, ‘could make them as much as the candles themselves.’
Chamoun was in a hurry to get moving from Maaser because today was yet another 2 hikes in 1 day. Usually hikers stay overnight in Maaser el Chouf. We wanted to move on to Niha, which was another 20 km or so distant. So on we went. We started uphill on a well-walked but thorny trail. Before reaching the next town, we met a farmer holding a bunch of onions. “Most of this land is for Walid Beyk,” he said referring to Walid Jumblatt, whose family for the most part controls the Chouf.
Passing the next town of Mrusti, my feet started feeling tired. We had been hiking for close to 8 hours, which I have realized is more or less my comfortable range. The sticks were helping me a great deal. I had become accustomed to holding my camera in my left hand stick; and in the right hand the stick to balance myself. Unfortunately, when we came upon a well shortly after somehow somewhere I lost my balancing stick. I was sad about it because the stick had been with me hiking all over the world. For the rest of the hike, I felt myself a bit out of balance and mad at myself for losing one of the most important pieces of gear any hiker needs … I will have to find a new system for the remaining few days.
We reached the town of Niha at around 4:20 some 9 hours after we had begun our hike. The final stretch reminded me somewhat of our hike in Wadi Jhannam in North Lebanon as it had water running on the side of the walkway- some of which also defied gravity going upwards!
I was tired but happy to see the town, which I found to be pretty impressive- considering it has been the setting for some serious civil strife recently. The roads are wide and lined with trees and flowers and the houses look nice. The good news is Niha does not have much electricity as the rest of the country because “we run on hydro that is supplied to us from Jezzine,” our guesthouse host said. Together with his wife, he proceeded to offer us one of the best home cooked dinners we have had full with Kibbeh, Baba Ghanouj, Lebanese pastries filled with cheese, and some rice with curry. Good replenishment for all the weight I must have lost over the length of the expedition.
On the topic of the remaining days, together with Chamoun, we decided to head straight South to Marjayoun from Jezzine as opposed to East through Rachaya and Hasbaya. This would save another two days but essentially take us to the same destination- the southern town of Marjayoun. Essentially, this would mean that we would have hiked the length of Lebanon in 13 or 14 days- some 6 days less than anticipated. This also meant that we could finish the expedition in the next two days. Not bad … Not bad at all.
But first, I had to discuss it with Samer to see if he would be up to it. I continue to miss him on the hikes, and I am glad he will be joining the expedition tonight. It has not been the same without him.WLE Day 11 (08-18-2011): Barouk – Maaser el Shouf - Niha
WLE Day 11 (08-18-2011): Barouk – Maaser el Shouf - Niha
Length: Aprox 30 km, 9 hrs
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Sleeping the night at Barouk’s guesthouse was interesting. The venue itself is very nicely renovated and designed, but unfortunately there was no electricity, so I had to cope with a flashlight. It did make me sleep early though at around 9 pm. Unfortunately, the electricity came back on by itself around midnight and all the lights came on (the switches had been on!). As a result, I woke up thinking that it was daylight. In the meantime, an agile mosquito had managed to suck one of my feet dry … With electricity, I was able to reap revenge on the little creature by turning on an electric repellant. Victory is sweet- even over a mosquito … God bless technology!
No technology or alarm needed to wake me up though. Chamoun, who had slept at his place the previous evening after another visit to his mother in the hospital, knocked on the guesthouse door at 6:30 am sharp. Soon after Ziad, our guesthouse host, came in with a baladi breakfast of local cheese, labneh, olives, marmalade, and tea. Knowing the long hike ahead, I filled my tummy as well as my water tanks. We headed out at 7:20. Chamoun’s wife dropped us off at the Barouk reserve’s entrance a couple of miles up the road.
Up until then, I had only seen the famous Bsharre cedar reserve, the Tannourine one, and skimmed the Ain Zhalta one. I was surprised to learn that the Barouk cedar reserve turns out to be the biggest in the nation- some 160 square kilometers. It took us about an hour and a half to walk through it, and my camera shutter worked non-stop. The cedar tree is part and parcel in the Lebanese psyche, but nothing prepares one for its beauty and majestic imposition as a walk through the Barouk. As we had entered the reserve before it was officially opened, we decided to walk up on the paved road, which is easier on the climb- my bag was laden and I did not really fancy flipping backwards on a rough mountain climb. Nevertheless, the paved road offered spectacular views of the reserve (trees lined it on both sides) as well as views of the town below- as far as the Mikhtara some 15 km Southwest. At its highest point, the smell of the air in the park became different- cedar oxygenation at its best. Interestingly, I got to see the seed of the tree, which I had never before. I learned that squirrels are the ones who steel the seed from the branches, and hide them underground. Those that are forgotten, some 5000 years later turn out to be great evergreen trees with multi-trunks some 2 meters in radius, and branches extending more than 7 meters.
Soon after, we began our descent towards Maaser el Shouf and its own reserve, which is separated from its Barouk counterpart by a barren mountain. Maaser is an area famous in the past for its essence and juice grinders- from which the town derives its name. The hike down was fairly steep and the terrain somewhat slippery. Interestingly, this was the first trail that we saw Lebanon Mountain Trail markings (purple and white paint marks on rocks basically). These were supposedly painted all over the trail from the North of Lebanon to the South to guide hikers. These were the first I had seen. I figure they must have eroded since and few if any are still visible unfortunately.
Slowly but surely we made it to the town entrance reaching it around 11 am. As we entered the town, we were greeted by an old man who asked us for advice about some varices he has in his legs. We apologized as neither Chamoun nor I are doctors. The man still introduced us to his family and offered us coffee. As we moved into the town, it seemed well organized but very quiet. When we got to the central plaza of the town, Chamoun entered a small market store and saluted the old man. Next thing I know, the man offers me a purplish looking juice telling me it is “Great for your lungs, especially if you’re a smoker.” I wanted to answer, “I don’t really smoke,” but knew better. Good decision Wissam! It was one of the best drinks I have ever tried. I asked for another and even drank half of Chamoun’s bottle too! The old man offered to sell me the ingredients in a couple of jars, but due to the weight I was sorry couldn’t take them. I promised I would be back to buy them later on when I have transportation. I definitely plan to!
In the meantime, Chamoun had managed to grab a turtle from two menacing kids. The turtle was the size of the palm of his hand. “Can you believe it? They were trying to kill it!” he told me. There was blood coming out of the side and its shell seemed slightly cracked. He would walk with it in his hand until we were well out of the town. He then laid it in a safe place wishing it good luck.
Before we exited the town, we passed by a small factory run by two people. Turns out it is a candle factory. It seemed like a factory from the turn of the previous century, but fully functional and quite productive. The owner told me it can produce 1300 candles every 10 minutes. They sell these candles to the rest of the country and have even exported it. ‘What a shame it is not advertised as a touristic destination,’ I thought, ‘could make them as much as the candles themselves.’
Chamoun was in a hurry to get moving from Maaser because today was yet another 2 hikes in 1 day. Usually hikers stay overnight in Maaser el Chouf. We wanted to move on to Niha, which was another 20 km or so distant. So on we went. We started uphill on a well-walked but thorny trail. Before reaching the next town, we met a farmer holding a bunch of onions. “Most of this land is for Walid Beyk,” he said referring to Walid Jumblatt, whose family for the most part controls the Chouf.
Passing the next town of Mrusti, my feet started feeling tired. We had been hiking for close to 8 hours, which I have realized is more or less my comfortable range. The sticks were helping me a great deal. I had become accustomed to holding my camera in my left hand stick; and in the right hand the stick to balance myself. Unfortunately, when we came upon a well shortly after somehow somewhere I lost my balancing stick. I was sad about it because the stick had been with me hiking all over the world. For the rest of the hike, I felt myself a bit out of balance and mad at myself for losing one of the most important pieces of gear any hiker needs … I will have to find a new system for the remaining few days.
We reached the town of Niha at around 4:20 some 9 hours after we had begun our hike. The final stretch reminded me somewhat of our hike in Wadi Jhannam in North Lebanon as it had water running on the side of the walkway- some of which also defied gravity going upwards!
I was tired but happy to see the town, which I found to be pretty impressive- considering it has been the setting for some serious civil strife recently. The roads are wide and lined with trees and flowers and the houses look nice. The good news is Niha does not have much electricity as the rest of the country because “we run on hydro that is supplied to us from Jezzine,” our guesthouse host said. Together with his wife, he proceeded to offer us one of the best home cooked dinners we have had full with Kibbeh, Baba Ghanouj, Lebanese pastries filled with cheese, and some rice with curry. Good replenishment for all the weight I must have lost over the length of the expedition.
On the topic of the remaining days, together with Chamoun, we decided to head straight South to Marjayoun from Jezzine as opposed to East through Rachaya and Hasbaya. This would save another two days but essentially take us to the same destination- the southern town of Marjayoun. Essentially, this would mean that we would have hiked the length of Lebanon in 13 or 14 days- some 6 days less than anticipated. This also meant that we could finish the expedition in the next two days. Not bad … Not bad at all.
But first, I had to discuss it with Samer to see if he would be up to it. I continue to miss him on the hikes, and I am glad he will be joining the expedition tonight. It has not been the same without him.Northern Random Realizations
I've hiked North Lebanon. That I know. I saw the scenes, smelled the roses, meditated and spoke through nature, was spoken to by nature, and listened to the sound of silence probably for the first time in my life. I've listened to the restless and I've viewed more than one side of 'How things came to be this way' in Lebanese society. I won't judge it because unlike my brother, Wisso, I'm not too familiar with the political haps and mishaps of my country. I am, however, interested in it's history especially since the Phoenicians sailed its seas and roamed the land.
What I do know now is what I'd 'like' from life as far as where to live and hopefully once I have a family of my own, what I'd like us to be doing...
I realize big cities, pollution, and a lot of chatter are just not meant for me. That noise does nothing but distorts the truth of a person's spirit. Mind you I've also come to the conclusion that it's the internal noise that out does the external- every time. I also realize that friends, after family and inner peace, are the most important connections a man can make. They're the only reason I can see myself as I truly am today.
I've felt the love and it is by no coincidence that I've come on this trip, hiked, took two days off to stay at Johnny and Emily's beautiful home, only to find out that my other best mate, Salim- who took a couple of weeks off from Dubai is here in town as well. Tarek Bastane now lives in Beirut with his wife and two kids, Nael is here from England with his wife Angelia and beautiful boy Adrian, and Nadim (Chill McGee) is visiting from Canada as he usually does twice a year.
The only thing that justified me taking a couple of days off from one of the most important journeys in my life, in hindsight, of course had to do with friendship, love, and a connection found nowhere else than friendship.
I would love to live in Lebanon again. Though I have found that electricity, water and sometimes serenity is an issue with the many 'Natives' here, I don't find it to be much of a problem for me. Yet.
I don't want to project but leaving Lebanon's nature will be very hard for me.
Tonight I rejoin my lovely brother to start the Southern leg. I'm alive, so he is, and if you're reading this, so are you ;-')
What I do know now is what I'd 'like' from life as far as where to live and hopefully once I have a family of my own, what I'd like us to be doing...
I realize big cities, pollution, and a lot of chatter are just not meant for me. That noise does nothing but distorts the truth of a person's spirit. Mind you I've also come to the conclusion that it's the internal noise that out does the external- every time. I also realize that friends, after family and inner peace, are the most important connections a man can make. They're the only reason I can see myself as I truly am today.
I've felt the love and it is by no coincidence that I've come on this trip, hiked, took two days off to stay at Johnny and Emily's beautiful home, only to find out that my other best mate, Salim- who took a couple of weeks off from Dubai is here in town as well. Tarek Bastane now lives in Beirut with his wife and two kids, Nael is here from England with his wife Angelia and beautiful boy Adrian, and Nadim (Chill McGee) is visiting from Canada as he usually does twice a year.
The only thing that justified me taking a couple of days off from one of the most important journeys in my life, in hindsight, of course had to do with friendship, love, and a connection found nowhere else than friendship.
I would love to live in Lebanon again. Though I have found that electricity, water and sometimes serenity is an issue with the many 'Natives' here, I don't find it to be much of a problem for me. Yet.
I don't want to project but leaving Lebanon's nature will be very hard for me.
Tonight I rejoin my lovely brother to start the Southern leg. I'm alive, so he is, and if you're reading this, so are you ;-')
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)