We had originally planned on waking up early today and trying to make it into the countryside. However, both of us woke up and decided that we didn’t want to get out to the countryside and then not get back in time for our flight. We decided that there was still allot of the city left to see and that we would go see that.
While we were making plans we ran into Jordan, John, and Joel; who were also looking for something to do. We decided to check out the Lebanese National Museum. The museum is featured in the Lonely Planet guide and sounded like a good way to start the day. We went down stairs and found a local café to grab brunch. I tried what looked like a pizza… it definitely didn’t taste like a pizza (oh well).
Anyways we decided to take a taxi over and soon arrived at the Lebanese National Museum. We entered and were ushered into a small theater to see a short film on the history of the museum. The film depicted the renovation and refurbishment of the museum. It turns out that the museum was located right on the green line (the dividing line between the two factions during Lebanon’s civil war). During the war the museum suffered heavy damage and some artifacts were destroyed. Following the war the community made a large effort to restore the museum and its artifacts back to prime condition.
After the film we went into the museum. I was amazed to walk in and see so many marble statues arrayed in such a small building. Unlike the Egyptian museum, the Lebanese Museum was well spread out with markers indicating what you were seeing. It was set up as a timeline depicting Lebanon’s rich history. It started in the early ages and spanned the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic Period, Roman Period, Byzantine Period, and Mamluk (Arab) Period.
The museum building was not very large, maybe the length and width of a football field with two stories. However, the amount of information and artifacts in there was simply astounding. The amazing part of it was that they were able to display it elegantly without seeming to force it in. Honestly one of my all time favorite museums. I was also impressed by the rich and diverse history in Lebanon. When I think of Lebanon, I don’t associate the Greeks and Romans, but the museum clearly showed their influence on the culture and region.
After a few hours we found ourselves out in front of the museum. (On closer inspection you could see traces of gunfire on the structure… however it is very well covered up). John, Jordan, and Joel wanted to see the downtown region that we had seen the day before, while Mike and I wanted to see Pigeon Rock and the beaches which they had seen the day before. So we split and each went their own way.
We caught a cab to the beaches past the American University of Beirut. We walked along the boardwalk and watched the fisherman. Eventually we made our way to Pigeon Rock. Pigeon Rock is a natural rock formation a hundred yards of shore which has attracted many photographers and onlookers. It is gorgeous, but I’m not sure why it has become such a huge attraction…. We stopped at a café nearby and got some lemonade.
Pigeon Rock we continued down the board walk past the American University and down the harbor. Along the way I stopped to collect some sand from Lebanon, giving me sand from three Middle Eastern Countries (Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan). While walking back we did run into a funny café. The picture on the sign is an exact copy of UCSD’s mascot. I am pretty sure somebody stole our mascot… hehe.
We continued down the boardwalk until we reached the cross street that runs to our hostel. From there we left the beach and went to the hostel. We had earlier discovered that John, Jordan, and Joel are on our flight back to Cairo and had decided to meet there at 5:30. We got there first at around 5:15. The others arrived shortly after 5:30 and we all packed and got ready to go.
We were out of our hostel by 6 in the street trying to find a cab. We found one quickly who insisted that 5 (plus driver) guys with their bags could fit in his car built for four (plus driver). We decided that it was cheaper this way and all squeezed in. Talk about a tight fit. Luckily the drive to the airport was short (approximately 20 minutes).
We arrived at the airport and went through ‘security’. I say this in quotes because I’m pretty sure I could have smuggled anything in my bags with the lack of attention they paid to the passengers and scanners. It worked out decently for me though, because I was carrying three water bottles full of sand through the airport. I don’t know how they would have reacted, but I figure its best to avoid any issues when possible.
After security we checked in and walked to the terminal. We all found our way to the café near our gate and grabbed some sandwiches while we waited. Half an hour later we were boarding the plane and on our way back to Cairo.
The flight took 2 hours but we gained an hour in time zone changes. We landed at 10 pm local time. We left the plane and walked through the health inspection (stifling any thoughts of coughing). After health inspection we had our visas checked, went through customs, and were on to baggage claim. Luckily for me I didn’t have to retrieve any baggage from baggage claim, unluckily for me the four people I was traveling with did.
After getting our bags we waded through the sharks trying to get our warm bodies into their ‘limos’. We finally worked our way outside and tracked down a cab. This however, is not an easy task because cabs are not allowed to circle the terminal. We had to walk to the parking lots and negotiate out there. I decided that I would jump in a taxi with the others and go to Zamalek. It would take a little longer but save me money in the long run.
I got out of the cab with Mike near his apartment in Zamalek. I decided to walk with him to his apartment and split from there. I went upstairs with him and said hi to Jesse. I found out from her that Evan was on his way over and decided to wait for him. This of course turned into me staying at Mike, Jesse, and Ben’s for the next couple of hours. We drank a few beers, told of our adventures and hung out.
At two o’clock I was starting to get tired. I decided I was going to catch a cab back to our place in Garden City. Evan decided he would join me and we were on our way.
Got back to our apartment and unpacked. Called the parentals and Sara. Then went to bed
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