WLE- First Day- Qobeyat to Fneidik

I am writing this from a small Internet shop in Fneidik, a town in Akar. There is no signal for Mobi elsewhere unfortunately, but the chap that runs the place has been very helpful.

What a day! 20 KM fulfilled. Samer can't believe he actually managed it. The first couple of hours were hard and steep and for a minute he harbored some doubts, but to his credit he held his ground and came through to the last step.

It all started at 5 am, actually by 4 am both Samer and I were awake and got ready in time for our pickup. We met Chamoun along the way and the drive to Tripoli at that time of day took a swift 1 hour. This was followed by another taxi trip from Tripoli to Qobayat, a nice little town in Akar. While Qobayat seemed organized and more developed, unfortunately along the way one tends to see a lot of poverty in the Akkar region. It seems not much in economic trickle down has occured over the past few decades in these parts. The last time I was here was in 2000, and the conditions are almost identical. On a positive note, this has also caused the region to be left alone and its nature in almost virgin condition.

During our walk we passed through beautiful parks full of Cedars, the Shouh Arz, a specific type that is different from the famous Cedars of Lebanon. We met villagers, shephards, and farmer and people from the area. Most men seemed to be or have been part of the Lebanese military at one point- which appears to be one of the largest regional employers. But they were all most welcoming, inviting us to drink, eat, and even stay. Unfortunately, we had to decline to be able to move on. During the walk, the weather was spectacular, cool and breezy and we got some low clouds and a light fog at one point. That helped us cope with the exertions of the first day.

We finally arrived to our destination at around 4:50 pm, which if we consider a departure time of 8:10, gives an approximate hike time of 9 hours- more than we estimated, but nonetheless inevitable considering the first day's pace. The place we will be staying for the night is as basic as they come. Literally a tent with a table and chairs outside. Hassan the owner of the joint is the quintessential Akar macho man. He has been very accomodating, and well connected in the town- the Internet guy is his cousin. So no complaints...

Will run back up to the camp now where Chamoun and Samer are waiting. Tonight all I can think of is eating and sleeping (which I am craving), and I am looking forward to our onwards journey tomorrow.

Here are some pics to enjoy ...