Yeahhhhh, so I'm going to Beirut

[motion]

Typical older building:

[stevej37]

More pics..please!!

[speeder]

Originally Posted by motion

I knew it would be interesting when a brawl broke out in row 14 right after I landed in Beirut Pretty strange to see 65 year old guys going at each other. Someone wouldn't let a lady out of the center seat, then all hell broke out. Typical ME behavior.

OK, so it turns out Beirut is fairly innocuous. I trudged around for 10 hours today and it appears that I am the only Westerner with a camera in the entire city. I suppose most of the tourists are from other ME countries. A LOT of money here... I think the Gulf States are bankrolling the redevelopment. Pretty much every building over 20-30 years old is filled with bullet holes. I guess the bombed buildings have all been torn down.

People stare at me everywhere I go, but leave me alone, which is great. They are not a gregarious people at all. I'd say if you have it on your list, then definitely go. Tony Bourdain really sung the praises of Beirut, but I'm not feeling it. It has 0.01% of the personality of Bangkok or Saigon. A couple days here is fine, unless you feel the need to go into the countryside.

BTW, I saw garbage trucks out and about and just a few piles of trash here and there, so I guess the strike is over.

Awesome report and glad to hear about the garbage strike. I think you need to go there in summer in order to give it a fair shake but I believe your observations.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by motion

Pretty much every building over 20-30 years old is filled with bullet holes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Civil_War

[WPOZZZ]

How's the food?

[aigel]

I guess you can check it off your list. "Good place to be from".

G

[motion]

Will look for a couple more pics to post. If any of you are planning on coming here, make sure you have your Israel story straight. When entering immigration, the agent scrutinized the stamps in my passport for a good 30 minutes. I mean, he had a magnifying glass out and inspected every word of every stamp very carefully. When he was finished, he stared at me for about 15 seconds and asked if I had ever been to Israel. I said "No?" in a high squeaky voice. Haha. If you have your Israel immigration card tucked into your passport somewhere, or answer yes, you're not going to be admitted. They are very serious about that here!

[motion]

Originally Posted by speeder

Awesome report and glad to hear about the garbage strike. I think you need to go there in summer in order to give it a fair shake but I believe your observations.

Maybe... I'll bet the place is hopping during the summer. No beaches that I could find, though

[motion]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

How's the food?

Absolutely awful! The only good food I've found in this region is Turkish.

[javadog]

Well, so far this is sounding like about a 2 on a scale of 10. Thou shalt quit picking new travel destinations with a dart board.

I have friends from Lebanon, Beirut actually, and I don't recall hearing them ever say they've been back for a visit...

JR

[sand_man]

My family (on my Father's side) left Beirut in the '20s amidst some turmoil (big surprise there). No one has ever been back.

[Willem Fick]

Originally Posted by motion

If you have your Israel immigration card tucked into your passport somewhere, or answer yes, you're not going to be admitted. They are very serious about that here!

Some of the guys I know that travel extensively keep several passports for this very reason. If you have ever had to visit some of the hell-holes in North Africa such as Yemen, Somalia, Algeria, Sudan and this is reflected in your passport, then a visit to the likes of the US or UK becomes near impossible. Turkey and Greece used to not like each others stamps, and most Arab nations dislike of Israeli stamps are reciprocated by the Israelis. Same I believe with India and Pakistan.

When I worked in the defense industry the record among my colleagues was seven passports. Poor guy had to travel into Africa and the Indian subcontinent extensively, and also had to consider the fact that he had to hand his passport in each time he needed a visa.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Willem Fick

Some of the guys I know that travel extensively keep several passports for this very reason. If you have ever had to visit some of the hell-holes in North Africa such as Yemen, Somalia, Algeria, Sudan and this is reflected in your passport, then a visit to the likes of the US or UK becomes near impossible. Turkey and Greece used to not like each others stamps, and most Arab nations dislike of Israeli stamps are reciprocated by the Israelis. Same I believe with India and Pakistan.

When I worked in the defense industry the record among my colleagues was seven passports. Poor guy had to travel into Africa and the Indian subcontinent extensively, and also had to consider the fact that he had to hand his passport in each time he needed a visa.

How does one get multiple passports? I know people with two, (Americans can get an Irish passport under certain circumstances, for instance), but more than that? How is that done?

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by speeder

How does one get multiple passports? I know people with two, (Americans can get an Irish passport under certain circumstances, for instance), but more than that? How is that done?

Jason Bourne did it...

[motion]

Originally Posted by speeder

How does one get multiple passports? I know people with two, (Americans can get an Irish passport under certain circumstances, for instance), but more than that? How is that done?

I have 2, and could get a third easily. Comes in handy in many situations. The general idea is that to get your 2nd, you have to prove that you have an upcoming trip and the consulate for whatever country is hanging onto your first passport for visa approval. That gives you the right to a 2nd passport. It isn't cheap.... you have to go to an expedited center and if I remember correctly, its about $200 for 24 hour processing. Then, if you have both of them out to different consulates for visa approval, you can then apply for a third. Keep in mind that the 2nd, 3rd, etc only have 2 year lifespans, although the Visas in them are as good as the stamp says. My 2nd is already expired, but the Brazil visa is good for another 8 years, so I can keep using it for Brazil.

I use my 2nd passport to give to BS people who want to hold onto your passport, like for a scooter rental in Vietnam or Cambodia. I figure it they lose it, I can still get around with my primary passport.

[Kraftwerk]

Originally Posted by speeder

How does one get multiple passports?

you marry a lot of foreign girls?
Or if your parents are of two different nationalities, and they have two different passports and you are a US citizen, you can usually get the three. Actually, you are supposed to only have ONE US passport. I knew a guy with a New Zealand Passport and a US passport and maybe a British passport, all thru his parents.



ps. I hear Beirut is actually a fun place. There are bullet holes in buildings all over the world, in Munich for instance, on the Frauen Kirche the reminder of war is never far away.

[aigel]

If you work for a govt. agency and need several passports to keep visa stamps grouped by sympathies to ensure your safety and smooth travel, I am sure there is a way to get several US passports.

I can't say I am a big international traveler. If it isn't business class, it is just such a torture to sit on a long distance flight. I'd rather stick a fork in my eye ...

G

[Willem Fick]

Originally Posted by aigel

If you work for a govt. agency and need several passports to keep visa stamps grouped by sympathies to ensure your safety and smooth travel,

Spot-on. Guys who really travel a lot also have their passports fill up very quickly and many countries insist that you have at least two empty pages. This often leaves a scenario of a full, valid passport with valid visas, accompanied by a second empty, yet also valid passport.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by motion

I use my 2nd passport to give to BS people who want to hold onto your passport, like for a scooter rental in Vietnam or Cambodia. I figure it they lose it, I can still get around with my primary passport.

Some of the drivers in Jackass Gumball Rally - TV.com used a photocopy of their passport, and left the original 'back at the hotel in case they got robbed'.

[daepp]