Harissa

Far above the city of Jounieh, about 15 km north of Beirut, you will find Harissa, the mountain top where the magnificent statute of "Our Lady of Lebanon" (the Virgin Mary) overlooks Jounieh and beyond.

View from the gondola as we travel 650 meters from sea level almost straight up to the mountain top where the statue overlooks much of Lebanon.

Needless to say, there was not much conversation nor movement going up. The gondola was old and creaky. I just prayed that we'd just get to see "Our Lady of Lebanon".

The bascillica, combines the shape of the Lebanese cedar with a Phoenician ship. The hull is turned upside down in hopes of slowing the emigration of Lebanese to other countries. Through the windows behind the altar stands the statue of "Our Lady of Lebanon". This was magnificent.

Our Lady of Lebanon", built in France and dedicated to the people of Lebanon in 1908

Construction of the ISF Academy in Progress

The current kitchen at the Academy

The current "barracks" soon to be replaced by new dorms

The current barracks and classrooms

Construction begins with the excavation for the new kitchen

and renovation of old classrooms

The reason we are in Beirut - Paul's new jobs

Paul works for an American Company contracting with the State Department. His job is to oversee the construction of a new police academy, communication system and the acquistion of equipment for the Lebanese National Police or Internal Security Forces (ISF). He also has visited numerous ISF units and went on a marijuana eradication operation in the Bekaa Valley. Another part of the mission here is to train 8,ooo ISF Police Officers in the next several years in U.S. style policing.

Paul the Contractor

Paul the Farmer
Surrounded by a crop of 6 foot tall marijuana (soon to be hashish) plants

A few of the hundreds of ISF Officers at the eradication party in September.


The ISF destroy hundreds of acres of high grade marijuana.

Lebanese Barbecue

Our friend and chef, Imad. Notice the MJ shirt he bought on his recent visit to the US

Our feast of tabouleh, fattoush, hummus, baba ghanouj, meat & cheese pastries, flatbread, barbecued lamb, chicken, sausages, onions and of course argeela (hookah) with coffee and dessert.
Yes those are french fries on the table.

Imad with his family

Sites in Beirut

Pigeon Rock as seen from the Corniche, a four mile walkway along the Mediterranean Sea

Beach along the Corniche

Restaurant, could you get any closer to the sea?

Town Square

The largest of many Mosques, with Roman ruins in the foreground

Among all of the new construction are memories of the Civil War

Tank Monument to Peace after the Civil War (1975-1990)

Shopping

We buy fresh bread and pastries at Yammine's. They also deliver pizza.

TSC is like a mini Fred Meyer. They sell everything from groceries to shovels, towels and toys.

Several small markets nearby sell fresh fruits and vegetables. We could easily live on fruits, vegetables, yogurt, olives and nuts.

Streets near our Apartment

We walk daily down these narrow streets lined with shops, some no bigger than a closet and specializing in watches, paints or light switches. Others are butchers open only at 7:00 a.m. and there are numerous selling fruits and vegetables.