Byblos and Jeita's grotto

Yesterday I headed north along the coast to the beautiful town of Byblos (a.k.a. Jbail, yes another town with 2 names!) I wandered around the quaint port area, a simple port that belies an impressive history. It was once the nerve-centre of the world’s trade, being on the main trade route between Mesopotamia and Arabia and the Mediterranean. Byblos once supplied its much coveted Cedar wood to the world’s ancient castles. After a walk through the beautifully restored market area, that now caters mostly to domestic tourists I headed to the site of the famous ruins of Byblos. My ruin-fatigue quickly vanished amongst the stunning ruins of Byblos that overlook the sea. A crusader castle also overlooks several temples including an obelisk temple, a church, a Roman theatre and some royal tombs.

The setting is peaceful, and the sounds of the sea soothing, and surprisingly there were very few tourists around. In one of two small but decent museums I got talking to the man working there and he offered me tea and we chatted about the similarities and differences in the history of Lebanon and Northern Ireland amongst other things. After a delicious mezze lunch in the market area, I headed back towards Beirut stopping in the famous caves of Jeita, a stunning series of caverns with some of the world’s most impressive stalactites and stalagmites. The caves stretch for about 6km. Despite the tacky toy train and an abundance of tourists, more than I have seen anywhere else in this country, the site cannot fail to impress with its sheer scale and natural beauty. Unfortunately photos are not allowed so I will try to find some pics elsewhere on the net and post a link later on.

Today is a rest day, but tomorrow I will join a hike to the Qadisha Valley in North Lebanon.

- David

PS OK so I found some decent pics here, though I accept no responsibility for the grammar found on this page!