LEBANON, COUNTRY OF DIVERSITY

Lebanon, here I am now dedicated to my job for next ten months. Of course it’s one thing to visit Lebanon for a couple of weeks and leave but to actually work in Lebanon when you’ve lived abroad all your life is quite difficult and challenging sometimes. Despite all the chaos, instability, violence, bad economy and wasted opportunities, I took a decision a year ago to phase out all the negativity, ignore what’s happening around me (up to a certain extent) and just live life to the fullest here. I know it’s easier said than done but I’ve changed as a person and having the blog has helped me enormously specially when it started attracting more and more readers who agree/disagree with my thoughts and are mainly interested in the fun and interesting stuff. As hard as this may seem, it is not impossible to phase out the negatives around us and make the most out of everything here in Lebanon.

Well, let’s talk about the other side of this country. Bordered on one side by the Mediterranean and on parallel mountain ranges, Lebanon seems a country suspended between the sky and the sea. Despite its small area (10,452 square km), this is a land, resplendent in its diverse geography, landscape, culture and history.

From the white-capped mountains and blue sea, to the countryside, from arid hills to lush forests, the visitor discovers a series of contrasts. Bare Rocky Mountains are followed by luxuriant valleys watered by rivers and waterfalls. Views change quickly from pine covered hills to dramatic rocky landscapes, to fertile plains laid out with farms and vineyards.

Lebanon is also a country of multiple origins, shaped by 10,000 years of history. From earliest times, its natural beauty and privileged geographical position attracted conquerors and occupiers who left behind traces of their civilizations. Each added an indelible imprint to the makeup of what would become modern Lebanon.

The Legacy of the past is clear from the extraordinary variety of archaeological sites in every corner of the country. From Phoenician sarcophagi to Roman temples, to Crusader castles and Mamlouk mosques, wherever you go, evidence of this country’s rich and tormented past comes to light.

The cuisine of Lebanon, like its culture is surprising in its diversity. It is known above all for its mezze, countless dishes of savory hors-d’oeuvres which are endlessly replenished and served in a warm and congenial setting.

Any attempt to describe Lebanon is a task carried out in vain. It cannot be confined by words; it must be lived. As my first two months I stay here in, Lebanon is marvelous country, where roads lead from town to village and from site to city, from one époque to another.