Beirut!!

On first impression, there were 2 things that struck me. The first was the beautiful full moon, glowing so bright and close to the city, that I kept rubbing my eyes in disbelief. The second is how freakin hot it is here! Wow, I forgot what summer humidity felt like! It's about as hot temperature wise as Cairo, yet as humid as NYC. I am dying!



I checked into the uber cool Saifi gardens for the night, and wish they had room for me for the rest of the trip. It's run like a very cool hipster cafe, with a cafe downstairs, and a rooftop bar. While it is located on a highway, the noise is pretty loud. But the rooms are cute and the breakfast was excellent.

After having my airbnb host cancel on me at the last minute, I wandered through the streets around my hotel to find a plan b. got a decent option. Then I melted as I walked uphill to the ABC shopping mall to find a lonely planet book for Beirut. Couldn't find one anywhere in Cairo. The mall has everything I would except from a mid-east meets west shopping mall.

Now, the start of my journey as I melt away in Beirut...