The most exciting exploits during The Idiot’s seaside stroll from the Syria border down the coast of Lebanon to Israel in September included getting groped by his omnisexual bodyguard and being arrested by the country’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) for “spying.”
Here are a few other north-to-south memorable Idiot-ic moments in a country of 4.4 million people which has, as a percentage of its population, the most refugees in the world.
Not everyone thought it was smart to be “Bound For Lebanon: Hiker Taking Trek to Mideast.” This story in the Redding (CA) Record Searchlight was subtitled “Self-described ‘idiot’ planning Lebanon trip.”
The seaside border with Syria was eerily calm and relaxed.
A cross at the St. John the Baptist convent in Enfeh south of Tripoli reminds The Idiot that over 40 percent of Lebanon’s population is Christian.
It was a MedTrek first when The Idiot met a group of good-natured but weary soldiers on a 120-kilometer march on a hot day in Northern Lebanon. It got him reflecting on the country’s vast number of past conflicts as he calmly MedTrekked on the Mediterranean.
Enjoying the enticing ruins at Byblos, which is perhaps the world’s oldest inhabited city, seen from the top of a 12th century citadel.
The Waterfront City complex being constructed adjacent to the marina in Dbayeh north of Beirut is a poignant symbol of confidence in the country’s future.
The military is everywhere in Lebanon, including in tanks in downtown Beirut.
What could be more normal than a texting roller blader on the marina in Beirut with the new Citadelle skyscraper in the background?
The Idiot enjoyed numerous discussions with Ibrahim Muhanna during his stay in Beirut.
The Idiot loved walking through the campus of the American University of Beirut (AUB), which was founded in 1866.
Questionable living conditions, like these ramshackle homes primarily for Palestinian refugees in Ouzai south of Beirut, are not uncommon on the coast of Lebanon.
Typical beach garbage found all over Lebanon’s Mediterranean seaside (this sample is just south of Sidon) is an unpleasant memory.
The Idiot asked the Internal Security Forces agent, who arrested him for “spying” on a beach north of Tyre in southern Lebanon, to prove that he was actually an undercover cop with the ISF. The Idiot later promised his interrogators in Beirut that he would not reveal the agent’s identity. He’s kept that promise.
Fortunately there is a well-maintained beach south of Tyre in southern Lebanon.
Next Week: What Were The Idiot’s Most Memorable MedTrek Moments In Israel In 2015?
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