Anchors away - Byblos

Day 13 – Byblos, Beirut
Met Amelie and a different driver today and headed for Byblos. There was a big thunderstorm and rain last night and residual rain today making the drive up the coast really dramatic. Byblos is SO beautiful. Ottoman fishing village made of stone. Like the Jewish quarter in Jerusalem – only by the sea. And the tell…wow. There’s so much there. Amelie flashed her ICOM card and got us all into the site. There’s a really nice museum in the Crusader castle. Wandered around the site for a while – so spectacular – and went on a quest to find a temple where 5 ancient stone anchors are built into a staircase. Was hilarious and fun as Amelie was on the phone to an ex-department of antiquities friend and we were all scrambling over the site. Persistence paid off and we finally found them 15 feet high and covered in weeds. Aaron and Amelie scaled the perimeter of the 15 ft. ascent and Amelie – tislamu (bless her) – battled the weeds so that Aaron could get a photo.
(Aaron wrote his dissertation on the religion of ancient sailors and Byblos – and its anchors – featured prominently.) Looks like one of the five anchors had fallen a bit from its perch (evidently it was wobbly a couple months ago). Wonder if any will be left in a few years. Mission accomplished, we got back in the car and headed back to Beirut where we bid adieu to Amelie and grabbed a sandwich and a nap.
Can’t believe how fortunate we are to be here. The elections in June could make it difficult for tourists to travel here. So glad we had the chance to experience it – albeit much too briefly – now. Would love to come back and do a ‘beach vacation’ at Byblos. The old dig house is magnificent. Think anyone would mind if we moved in?
Everybody napped in the p.m. and about 5 pm we headed out down Hamra Street in search of an ATM. Not only did we find one that worked, but it spoke to us in English, French, or Arabic and dispensed Lebanese Lire or US Dollars. Crazy. We noticed last night (and again this evening at McDonalds) that the two currencies are used interchangeably. Wandered down to the sea and strolled along the promenade. The older houses of Beirut – the ones still standing, of course – are so beautiful. Very Mediterranean-meets-Middle East. Ended up near a McDonalds where we obliged Noah with a cheeseburger and ice cream before walking all the way around the promenade (the “corniche”) back to Hamra Street. (AUB’s campus is restricted to students, staff, and faculty only so you have to circumnavigate the campus to get our hotel – above campus.) Aiming for Lebanese food, we ended up at an Italian pizza place where we delighted in pizza with HAM and PEPPERONI and WINE. Heathens. Amazing. We’ve been eating no “Lebanese food” while we’ve been here – only in Syria. Pork and alcohol, however….
Headed back to the hotel and we’re settled in. Amazed at our travels and experiences and so thankful that we’ve been able to do what we have, when we have and looking forward to – inshallah – reaching our apartment at ACOR tomorrow night.