Beirut

Oh Beirut! 3 soldiers per tourist. $100 SIM cards. Hotel openings every day(ours was today). 34 Cranes per 5 blocks sq (I counted). Bullet hole buildings, Big Emirate spenders. Qatar camel race victors. Best and most dangerous drivers to date (worse than Cairo, Naples or Rome). Head on collision seekers. They know all the lyrics to all the western dance songs. Lebanese blonds. Tanks. 5km border crossings. Automatic machine guns. KFC. Bag check. Hotel security is better than Steven Harper's security detail. Border guards that make you crap your pants, then personally escort you to the next booth, joke with you, talk about their stay in Montreal and then shake your hand and wish you the best of luck. Great Promenade. Amazing Mediterranean air counteracts all the massive construction pollution. One out of 2 buildings in the downtown core were unfinished and 1 in four were construction sites. Those U.A.E. oil barrons are spending money here like its going out of style!

You know those Isrealies, if you don't join their party, they'll come getcha! :)

This is what the taxi rally ride felt like. I think we won the race. We tipped the driver some prize money. We didn't have any dinner before hopping in....thank god

Ya seen one, ya seen em all