Beirut travel opens eyes and hearts.
Travel allows us to see and feel a more complete telling of history—to learn from the past accomplishments and mistakes of others.
Lebanon is not really recommended for the typical traveler, especially those with small children. But, we’re not typical travelers; we wanted our daughters to experience, and learn from, this complex country. Beirut, the capital, is one of the oldest cities in the world. Although once considered the Paris of the Middle East—a land of 1001 Nights—it has the reputation of not being safe.
Today, with the situations in neighboring countries and the potential conflicts dwelling in the shadows of its own borders, the question that hangs like a dark cloud above this chaotic place is: What is going to happen next?
A week here was not enough to grant us a definitive answer but it was enough to make clear to us that no matter what the Lebanese endure, they will adapt and forgive. We can learn so much from that.
We made this film because often only one side of the story is heard.
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Lebanon is imbued with more than 5000 years of human history. Phoenicians, Romans, Alexander The Great, Crusaders to The Ottoman Empire, and so many more have all passed through this land. Arabic, English, and French are the languages that have remained.
You can reach out and place your hands right on the very history itself. From the Byblos Caste in Jbeil to the ruin of Baalbek and the Roman relics spread throughout the city’s downtown core, which is still in the process of revitalization; some manifestations of ancient history have survived the ages and, more recently, a multi-decade civil war.
Catholic churches, Muslim mosques, and Jewish synagogues sit side by side and if you time your walking tour just right, you can hear the prayer call and the tolling of cathedral bells ring in harmony throughout the streets.
Nestled in the rubble from endless wars are designer boutiques (like Louis Vuitton) and big-ticket automobile dealerships (like Ferrari); Ottoman-era colonial buildings are juxtaposed with buildings battered with bullet holes; Range Rovers with blacked-out windows troll the streets and are parked at endless military checkpoints.
This amount of eclectic history is a lot for a Canadian to fathom.
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Lebanon is a place of complex layers and contradictions, but you don’t have to look far to uncover its beautiful heart. As our family walked through the bustling streets of Beirut, locals waved hello and bent over to kiss our daughters’ heads. They raced into their shops to grab candy for them. Locals seemed eager to engage in spirited conversation, to share their stories of pride, pain, and wisdom. They were very hospitable.
Today in Beirut, many have adopted the motto: “Live like there is no tomorrow.” And indeed, many do: partying, smoking, eating, engaging in conversation—living each moment as it comes. Yet, many of the young want to leave their homeland to pursue greater opportunities elsewhere.
Another motto, “Let us remember but not repeat,” permeated us in a different way—a truly human way that maybe, just maybe, even our girls understood.
It is these very important lessons that we try to impart to our own children: The lessons learned from our mistakes provide us (and them) with hope for a better future.
It is the very essence of growth—to love a little better, learn a little better, give a little better, be more understanding, more tolerant, and treat our planet better.
Just as in life, we have to live amongst the rubble of our poor choices. We have to continue to find ways to celebrate, to live our lives with joy. This is what Lebanon had to teach us.