Our first visitor...

Before I moved out to Beirut I thought about the sort of jobs I might like to do while I was here. One job I thought might be fun was being a tour guide. I'd learn a bit of history, learn a bit of Arabic et voila! I would be a fully fledged tour guide! In truth, the Arabic is taking its time to progress to fluency level, and the history of this country is very complex. So, when my sister Siobhan came out last week I decided to wait a little longer before testing my tour guide patter on her, and just have a fab week.

And I did! Siobhan was our first visitor, and I think I can safely say that she had a great time - we certainly did, and she assures me she did too! She negotiated the flights, visas etc with ease and everything (minus a couple of snowboarding-induced injuries) went very well!

As always, photos follow below. (I am going to try to load them onto a sister site so the posts don't look too long but I fear that may need html and my html is even more pitiful than my Arabic). We kicked off the weekend with a couple of snowboarding sessions - we got an instructor who was excellent and kept yelling at us to get up and try the turn again... even after our fiftieth fall - and by the second day we could both negotiate the turns reasonably well. Snowboarding does make you look cool and although I found it harder than skiing at first, I think I will keep at it as it is really fun. It is also easier to get up when you fall over!!

Well, the week wasn't all about twenty-first century sports, we also got a bit of history in. Lebanon is home to Baalbek - known as Heliopolis in Hellenistic and Roman times. It is, to put it simply, incredible. The second, and smaller temple (which is almost whole) is bigger than the Acropolis. The larger temple, of which only 6 columns remain standing, must have been huge. One of the photos show Dom and Siobhan standing at the bottom of the columns which gives you an idea of their height. (Not an original idea for a photo, I must admit, but it still looks good).

Siobhan and I also went to Byblos, the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world. (Their claim, not mine!). The first example of a written alphabet (the Phoenician) was found here on the tomb of a king. The tomb is now in the National Museum which reminds me a lot of the British Museum except it is smaller, and doesn't consist of things we have nicked. The site at Byblos consists of a Crusader Castle, a Roman collonade, some burial shafts, and evidence of settlements in Prehistoric times (I think). It also has a great Mexican restaurant and some souks that sell fossilised fish. Slightly bizarre but all very interesting. Despite the fact that it was a lovely warm day there was no ice cream for sale as they only sell it from March onwards. This is because many Lebanese are convinced that it is still winter and wear heavy coats and wooly hats even for a short walk outside. I was even told yesterday that the weather here was "just like London". It was grey, granted, but it was also 15 degrees walmer!!

Siobhan left yesterday, and by happy, but slightly late coincidence, Dom has gone to a conference to learn how to increase tourism to Lebanon. I await its conclusions with interest... I might even get some tips for the next visitor!!!!!