Dateline Beirut

It is weird to be updating this in Beirut. I have a few comments on a dying city. It seems to be desperately trying to hold on. Everywhere there are flags and tanks. Men with guns actually are more intimidating than you would think. Today I almost had my new camera confiscated for taking a picture of Gamal Nasser, and he has been dead since 1970. Fortunately I was able to show him the picture on my new camera. I will be adding the photos later.
Beirut is not Paris. Unless you mean the crappy Paris of the 1960's. The architecture here reminds me of the worst of European junk that came out in that decade. Of course there is a lot of history as well. But I haven't really seen too much of it yet. The weather has been on and off. Today started off terribly. But now it seems to be brightening up a bit. When I got back to my hotel earlier the lights had been cut off on my floor. There seems to be no one else staying there. I was wondering why it was such a good deal.
Tomorrow I am hoping to get out of town. I want to go up to Baalbek or maybe to Byblos or Tyre. It seems to be hard to find a tourist agent who is open. I will have to keep looking. Taxis here are always trying to rip you off. Some of the worst crooks I have ever seen. Been walking a lot instead. It is a fairly compact town so that is not too bad.
Well I am off.