We left Athens for Beirut, Lebanon on the morning of Thursday, July 28th. Since the taxis were still on strike throughout Greece, our hotel concierge called a private car for us. On the way to the airport, our driver informed us that once we reached the drop-off area, we needed to pretend that he was a friend of ours, or else he could get into trouble for violating union regulations. After he helped us take our bags out of the trunk, Nish and I both leaned in for hugs but he shook our hands instead. So much for being our "friend."
Our flight was relatively quick and the guy sitting next to us turned out to be a half-Greek, half-Lebanese citizen of both countries. We enthusiastically made plans to meet up in Athens after we all returned from Lebanon - which of course didn't happen - but it was interesting getting his take on both places.
Nishant's friend, Morgan, picked us up from the airport and while driving to downtown Beirut, we quickly realized how similar Lebanon and India are, from the traffic to the general condition of the buildings. The pollution isn't as bad in Lebanon, though, and it is also cleaner than India, probably since it's a much smaller country.
Morgan, Nishant and I met up with his mother, Wafa, and some of their family friends at a cute coffee shop on Hamra. Hamra Street has a ton of boutiques and cafés and is only a few blocks away from the American University of Beirut. Our first couple days in Lebanon consisted of taking in local sights, eating traditional Lebanese mezze, and experiencing the crazy nightlife in Beirut (not to mention adjusting to the stifling humidity).
More to come... :)
Our flight was relatively quick and the guy sitting next to us turned out to be a half-Greek, half-Lebanese citizen of both countries. We enthusiastically made plans to meet up in Athens after we all returned from Lebanon - which of course didn't happen - but it was interesting getting his take on both places.
Nishant's friend, Morgan, picked us up from the airport and while driving to downtown Beirut, we quickly realized how similar Lebanon and India are, from the traffic to the general condition of the buildings. The pollution isn't as bad in Lebanon, though, and it is also cleaner than India, probably since it's a much smaller country.
Morgan, Nishant and I met up with his mother, Wafa, and some of their family friends at a cute coffee shop on Hamra. Hamra Street has a ton of boutiques and cafés and is only a few blocks away from the American University of Beirut. Our first couple days in Lebanon consisted of taking in local sights, eating traditional Lebanese mezze, and experiencing the crazy nightlife in Beirut (not to mention adjusting to the stifling humidity).
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| Malek-El Batata: King of Potato |
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| The beautiful Beirut coastline |
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| On the coast |
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| The American University of Beirut |
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| Nish at the American University of Beirut (you can see of the entrance gates in the background) |
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| Caribou Coffee! |
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| Café Hamra (I'm so proud of this picture bc I set it up :) ) |
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| Nish enjoying a beer |
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| Traditional Lebanese mezze |
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| Out with friends at Al Mandaloun nightclub |
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| Nish and I |
More to come... :)
