Sand and Pebbles Travelogue - Reflections of Life: 03.09

Driving to Bludan

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Syria

Took a drive along the mountainous country road leading towards Bludan, a resort town about 40kms out of Damascus. There was very light traffic with the only occassional car passing by us and hence it was a truly leisure late mornning drive. The villages that sprung along the mountain roads looks picturesque – pictures in postcards and was made to understand that some of the villages are made up of the population that moved out of Qunetra. Life in the villages that we passed through are not hurried and tranquil.

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Stopped by a nursery along the road to get some flowers (which just started to bloom) for the apartment in conjunction with the beginning of Spring. As usual prices in villages for such items are usually far cheaper than what one would have to fork out in the city center. We could see some snow blanketing the mountain top from afar as we neared Bludan. According to the locals, Bludan is a favourite holiday resort for domestic and foreign tourists during summer where the temperature is far more cooling than the heat in Damascus. Hence, it was still early for the normal hustle bustle of summer environment in Bludan now. According to the locals also, aside from the nice mountain weather in summer, the town’s growth was also due to the availability of imported goods such as branded shoes, Bohemian crystals, electrical items, fresh fruits and vegetables, etc. We just passed the time walking around the town and window shopping.

Stopped at a popular diner by the roadside on the way back to Damascus for lunch. Had charcoal grilled chicken, fries and salad. It was a simple and healthy lunch though different from the one that I am used to - the “finger licking’ good” of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Bludan

Bludan

Bludan

Bludan

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Toyota FJ Cruiser

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Syria, Toyota FJ Cruiser

My car! What do you think?

The FJ Cruiser comes in one trim with a V6 engine and automatic transmission. It is widely considered as a funky reflash of the old FJ Land Cruiser. It is a rugged and ready off-roader. It has two conventional doors and two rear-hinged mini doors. With Toyota’s 239-horsepower and 278 lb-ft. of torque, 4.0-liter V6 under its long hood, the 4,200 lb. FJ Cruiser feels downright muscular. The driving and the automatic shift in the transmission is smooth. But having own and driven a Toyota Harrier, FJ Cruiser lacks the smoothness and sleek of Harrier. The interior of the Cruiser is also not as inviting as Harrier. Its design looks basic and more suitable for rough ride. That's what its suppose to portray, I guess. Driving visibility in busy streets would also pose problems due to the size of the two side mirror which tend to block the line of sight to a certain extend.

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Parking does pose a problem in congested areas. This is especially true in Damascus, a highly populated city that lacks proper parking facilities. Also I really have to manoeuvre the Cruiser so as not to scratch my car as well as others in narrow streets with cars parked on both sides of the street. Well, I will just have to get used to the car and slowly learn to appreciate its values as I pump more mileage into it in my many more interesting trips in and out of Damascus.

So what do you think?

My Car-Toyota FJ Cruiser

My Car-Toyota FJ Cruiser

My Car- Toyota FJ Cruiser

My Car-Toyota FJ Cruiser

My Car-Toyota FJ Cruiser

My Car-Toyota FJ Cruiser

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Kimo - My 3 month old Kitten

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: pets

My Affable Kitten, KIMO

KIMO is about 3 months now - a mix offspring, half Persian. Not sure of the father’s breed though because I forgot to ask the previous owner. It has medium length hair though I wish he had been short haired. Anyway, can’t be really choosy because it has not been easy for me to get a kitten here in Damascus. No doubt there are many street cats roaming around the vicinity that I live, I have never come across a kitten. My preference for a kitten is to ensure that it could be easily litter trained as compared to an adult cat. Actually I had bought a white Persian kitten (named SUKI – original name given by the pet shop owner) from a pet shop in November 2008 but she died due to stomach complications (according to the veterinarian).

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After that bad experience, I decided to get one from the veterinarian and not from a shop. I was fortunate when one day the veterinarian called to inform that one of his regular clients was looking for someone to adopt her kittens because she has one too many (8 altogether). Visited the lady and once she was satisfied that I am a cat-loving person, she hand over KIMO to me. It was quite alarming to me when she first told me that her cats are used to eating chicken broil/soup, cheese and eggs and just wonder if KIMO could adapt to a different lifestyle and in a new home, away from the comfort of his parents and siblings.

Well, after three weeks, KIMO is adapting fine to the new environment. Very playful and likes to wander around the apartment on his own especially when he is left alone in the house. He does not like to be left alone if they are people around. Though he tend to rum away when people try to hold him, he will keep on coming to where people are sitting. KIMO also has a peculiar eating habits whereby he likes to first lick all the syrup that comes along with the can food first and then only later eats the meat. Might be he was used to eating the chicken broil cooked by the previous owner.

Had tough time in convincing him to use the litter box to do his “business” initially but he is doing okay now except that he still occasionally prefers to urinate on my rugs in the bathroom. Hopefully, he will overcome this problem in the long run and not too distant future. Otherwise it will surely bring extra workload to the house helper, having to clean the mess daily.

My Cat - KIMO

My Cat - KIMO

My Cat - KIMO

My Cat - KIMO

My Cat - KIMO

My Cat - KIMO

My Cat - KIMO

My Cat - KIMO

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Tanggungjawab Bersama !

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: MY News, MY Society

Terpanggil untuk saya catatkan di blog peribadi ini setelah terbaca teks ucapan YABhg. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad di Perhimpunan dan Sidang Kemuncak Pribumi Perkasa Negara, di Kuala Lumpu yang telah diadakan di Kuala Lumpur pada Ahad 22 Mac yang lepas. Teks ucapan tersebut dipautkan ke blog ini untuk saya jadikan pedoman dan ingatan kepada diri sendiri akan tanggungjawab terhadap Bangsa, Agama dan Negara. Kemelut politik yang melanda negara telah sampai ke tahap yang membimbangkan dan sekiranya masih terus lena dan tiada kesedaran akan membawa kehancuran bukan sahaja kepada negara malahan bangsa dan agama. Itu ada lah realiti yang tidak boleh dinafikan. Bacalah sebagai peringatan. (Teks ucapan YABhg. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad)

Trips to Homs, Hama & Tartous - Final Chapter

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Syria

Arrived Tartous at about 4.00 pm. It is located about 90 kilometers south-east of Damascus. It is the second most important Syrian seaport on the Mediterranean (90 km to the south of Latakia). In ancient times, it was called Antaradus by the Pheonicians and Tortusa by the Byzantines. Tortusa was to become one of supply ports for the Crusaders and a military base of considerable importance. It was held by the Templars, but recovered by Saladin in 1188.

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Stopped for a late lunch at one of the seafront restaurant. Sitting by the glass window facing the Meditteranean sea, one could see many local tourist buses parked by the roadside. It was really heartening to see them enjoying the afternoon sun after all it was supposed to be winter in Syria. The weather in Tartous was very pleasant and it being a long weekend in Syria, it was thus not surprising to see lots of local tourists at the seafront area. Enjoyed the view from the first floor restaurant while we munch our lunch of grilled fish – specialty of the restaurant. There was not much time to really go around Tartous since it was getting dark and I still have another 600+ kilometers to drive back to Damascus. On the way back, we stopped by the highway to buy fresh fruits like bananas, oranges and strawberries. With just another stop to refuel my FJ Cruiser and a cup of tea, I safely reached home at 9.00 pm.

It was an interesting journey out of Damascus – driving my own with two co-pilots (friends who are conversant in Arabic). Driving the Toyota FJ Cruiser in itself is an exhilarating experience which I will always look forward to in the near future. I enjoyed the scenery with lots of green area. As all generally knows, Syria is the cradle of the great civilizations , and the accomplishments of her ancient peoples are renowned throughout the world . It was in Syria that agriculture began ten thousand years ago , that settlement commenced and civilization emerged

Successive waves of migrations from the Arab peninsula gave an Arab identity to Syria , and it managed to withstand the invasions by Hittites, Persians, Greeks and Romans . The Islamic conquest of 636 A.D . only confirmed this Arab identity and gave a sense of unity to the land.
The immense strategic importance of Syria is due to her unique position as a meeting – point of three continents ( Asia , Africa , and Europe ) and as a crossroad between the Caspian sea, the Indian Ocean, the Black Sea, and the Nile River. Through Syria lay the silk route which led from China to Doura Europos (Salhieh), from Palmyra and Homs to the Syrian ports on the Mediterranean, where for thousand of years Syrian seafarers had ridden the wave in their enormous fleets with gleaming white sails.

This geographical position lent distinction to the country, not only as a trade and caravan route, but also as a melting-pot of diverse ideas, beliefs, talents, and cultures. Evidence of these ancient civilizations are aplenty and spread all over Syria.

Just hope to visit all these places with its rich troves of civilizational treasures during my brief stint in Syria.

Trips to Homs, Hama & Tartous III

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Syria

On the way towards our final destination, Tartous, we stop at The Castle of the Knights. The Castle of the Knights (also known as the Castle of the Kurds or Hospitailers or Le Krak des Chevaliers, is one of the best medieval monuments in Syria. It is located 65 km west of Homs and 75 km south-east of Tartous. It is 650 meters above sea-level. It was built in order to control the so called Homs Gap,the gate-way to Syria. It was through this passage that Syria communicated with the Mediterranean in those days. The corridor was of strategic importance in those days. It was crucial to the Crusaders and other foreign invaders in their conquest of the coast. Conflict over the Crac des Chevaliers continued through the ages. It was a fierce and bloody dispute, but in the en, Sultan Beybars managed to recover it in 1271 through a military trick and one month of fighting.

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Crac des Chevaliers was built on the site of a former castle erected by the emirs of Homs to accommodate Kurdish garrisons; 'Crac' is a modification of the Arab word 'Qal'a'. The citadel covers an area of 3000 sq m and has 13 huge towers, in addition to many stores, tanks, corridors, bridges and stables. Just try and imagine the sheer size of the castle that it could accommodate 5000 soldiers with their horses, their equipment and provisions to last for five years in those days. Perched on a hill top, the road leading to the castle is very narrow and winding and one would have to be careful to manouver it. One memorable experience is at a stretch of road on the way up where there is a strong magnetic field and if one were to free the gear, the car will just slide upwards due to the magnetic pull (short distant though).

There was a large crowd of foreign tourists - French, Germans, British and Japanese listening attentively to the tour guides explaining the history of the castle. We manage to explore the whole castle with the assistance of our guide in slightly less than an hour and we head towards our last destination, Tartous.

Trips to Homs, Hama & Tartous II

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Syria

My second stop after Homs was Hama. The city is 200 km to the north of Damascus and 60 km to the east of Banyas.It is a very ancient city, which has flourished continually since ancient times, and has known the successive civilisations of the Fertile Crescent.

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Hama has a long heroic history in defending Syria against foreign invasions. One of the outstanding battles was that of Qarqar, where the Assyrian army was defeated in 853 B.C. Unfortunately, few of its ancient relics have been preserved. However, Hama is well known for its enormous water wheels ('noriahs') on the Orontes, which are as old as Hama itself. It is a pity though, the water wheels which has made enormous contributions to the city and its citizens has been left neglected and not properly maintained. Its historical contributions had even attracted the state of Malacca to built a replica of the water wheel as a tourist attraction in the state.

One of Hama's ancient buildings is al-Jami' al-Kabir (the Great Mosque), which dates back to the 14th century and includes two tombs of two emirs who ruled Hama in the 13th century. Another mosque is that of Abu al-Fida, named after Hama's Sultan, who was a famous Arab geographer and historian. The city is often linked with his name. A 3rd ancient mosque is the al-Nuri mosque, which was built in the days of Nureddin al-Zanki in 1129; on its wall appear inscriptions in both Arabic and Greek. Hama is particularly famous for its traditional industries, especially textiles and cotton cloth.

Trips to Homs, Hama & Tartous I

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Syria, Toyota FJ Cruiser

Travelled over 600kms out of Damascus in a day trip visiting some interesting sights in Syria. Destination of the trip were some historical and interesting tourist sights in Homs, Hama and Tartous (central province). The other objective was to test drive my new car – Toyota FJ Cruiser – which I just acquired onto the highway of Syria and see how it performs. Left my apartment at 9.00 and by 9.30, we were already out of Damascus and driving along the highway towards Homs with mountains on both sides of the highway. There were heavy traffic because it was a long weekend for Syria but it does helps me to be more alert and attentive on the road.

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My first stop was the city of Homs. It is the 3rd most important city in Syria. It lies 160 km to the north of Damascus. Like Petra and Palmyra, Homs was an Arab emirate in the 2nd century B.C. It was also the 3rd station on the 'Silk route' after Doura Europos and Palmyra. It still retains this position of importance today, as the oil pipelines pass through the city.

Among the most significant historic constructions remaining in Homs is the mosque of Khaled Ibn al-Walid, the great commander of the Muslim Arab armies. Two very tall white-stone minarets lend lightness to the imposing structure. The slender colonnade in black and white stone horizontal rows is representative of traditional Syrian architecture. The tomb of Khaled Ibn al-Walid is located in the mosque.

Many churches still stand in Homs from the days of early Christianity in Syria. One of these churches is said to possess the girdle of the Blessed Virgin.The church of St.Elian is unique for its collection of fine frescoes discovered in 1970.These bear inscriptions in Greek and Arabic, and date back to the end of the 12th century. The Nuri mosque also dates back to the 12th century, distinguished for its beautiful entrance.

Sights visited in Hama and Tartous will be continued at the next post.

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Palestinian Unity Talks Failed

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Palestine

It’s another missed opportunity for the Palestinians for the international community to rally forward and assist them in championing their cause. The talks between the Palestinian factions once again failed to produce positive results. The ordinary people will thus continue to endure the suffering and pain because of their political leaders failed to make compromises and conclude a deal. I guess the words compassion, humanity are alien and does not appear in the dictionary of the Palestinian leaders. Their political standing is more importance than the lives of ordinary Palestinians.

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It is thus a sad day for humanity and mankind when political considerations take priority over the lives of ordinary citizens. What more could we conclude from the failure? Perhaps it is timely for the ordinary Palestinians to stand up and tell their leaders what they expect of their leadership!

How do they expect the international community to help and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people if their leaders are divided? They are just merely dancing to the tunes orchestrated by the Israelis. Despite the efforts by the international community, the Palestine-Israel issue could never be resolved if the Palestinians remained divided.

Obama's Administration Loses out to Pro-Israel Lobbyist

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Israel, Palestine

Will a Palestine state ever be realized? That is an interesting question which need to be answered. What we have seen in the past are merely efforts on “paper” to materialized a nationhood for the people of Palestine which are in stark contrast with the reality on the ground. At every turn and corners, invisible hands worked equally hard to derail the peace train from reaching its final destination. The world is polarized, including the Arab world themselves, over the issue of Palestine. The election of President Barrack Obama, with his slogan of change, had initially brought some hope that his administration would bring in a new impetus towards the Palestine-Israel issue. But the hopes seems to be fading fast. His administration given the benefit of doubt, might have the earnest desire to see the resolution to the issue but his hand are tied. It looks like his administration will still be dictated by the strong pro Israel lobbyist group.

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The latest saga over the confirmation of the to head the National Intelligence Council directly points to the direction of the current administration on the Middle East issue. Indirectly, it will also impacted the new administration policy directions on of terrorism and Muslims and others.

It could thus be concluded that the Middle East issue will remain status quo (though efforts at resolviing it will continue to hog the media) until the day the US administration can sincerely be an honest broker or the day the international community jointly dare to take up the issue on their own and leaving behind the Americans (which most likely will never ever take place) or perhaps until the total annihilation/cleansing of the Palestine population or driving out the Palestinian out of their lands, whichever comes first.

Democracy Vs Human Rights?

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Palestine

Democracy and Human Rights - the two most over used or abused words over the centuries.

Notwithstanding that, people are still confused! Democracy in whose mould? Can democracy be dictated by others? Does the citizen of a country lose his right to choose their leaders should the chosen government faced the wrath of the world superpowers? Does any country for that matter has the right - morally, constitutionally, legally - to change the government of another country? Are all this within the framework of the so-called democracy?

Next we have the question of Human Rights? All individuals have equal rights. Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right to food, the right to work, and the right to education. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

But in reality, it is a concept which is very, very far-fetch. Even the champions of human rights take side in certain instances!

Also the question of precedence? The majority as champion by the democracy activists or individuals as champion by the human rights activists?

Economic Lifeline

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: MY Economy, MY News

All nations are bracing for a downslide in their economy arising from the global economic recession. Malaysia too will not be immuned or spared from the reverberating effects of a recession. In its own way, the government has introduced a mini budget - a RM60bil lifeline - for the country to try and prevent it from slipping into a recession. Much discussion had been held, some with opposing views in terms of its allocation. What is more important though is to ensure that the 60 billion is utilized to its maximum according to what it was meant for and not for other purposes according to the interpretation of individuals in power.

The objective of having the budget would not be achieved if there are leakages, misappropriation, etc. Despite it being a mini budget with specific objectives, there are still voices of dissent on how it should be distributed. To the voices of disagreement, the word “budget” in itself means allocation of resources in accordance with priority within the means available to achieve the maximum output. As such there is no way the allocation could meet all demands.

Faced with a bleak and gloomy economic situation, Malaysia and other nations need to focus its energy and efforts at reviving the economy. In the case of Malaysia, too much time and emphasis has been spent on political bickering among the the various political parties. Politics alone will not take Malaysia anywhere but only the road downward which inevitably will also brings down the country’s economy and image as well. Let us all be honest and true to oneself to want to work towards the betterment of the nation and our peoples. Do not allow the economy of our country be held at ransom or be another political issue to further divide the nation. Let us all as individuals not allow ourselves be hoodwinked into the personal game plan of any parties. Bring back stability to Malaysia and let us all be proud to be known as Malaysian once again.

Demonstrators - Please Ponder!

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: MY News

It seems that the children and youth of Malaysia will continue to suffer the inconsistency and the ever changing policies of our leaders. Their futures are at stake and nobody ever cares for them at the rate things are being discussed. They continue to be “guinea pigs” or mere pawns in the political game. What I am referring to is the issue of language? The issue is being politicized not for the interest of the children and the youth but a cause for some unscrupulous and interested parties to further their own agenda.

I pity my cousins, nephews and nieces seeing them grappling with the science and mathematics when the government decided to introduce English as the medium for teaching science and mathematics. They have however overcome those difficulties through their perseverance and feel more comfortable with the language primarily due to more access to reference materials available on the market and also from the internet. They now not only have better knowledge of the subjects in English, but it had directly increased their command of English itself.

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I too have nephews that had undergone their primary, secondary and tertiary through the national school system where all subject were thought in Bahasa Malaysia. You will find that generation of youth having difficulty in conversing in English. I could recall about 10 years ago when the government and the private sectors all raise the issue of non-competency of our youth in English to the extent that it has affected their marketability in the job market. Issue of furthering national cause at the international arena will be jeopardized if one were not able to express oneself confidently in English. We have to look at things in the proper perspective. Our children and youth will be at the losing end. How do continue to promote Malaysia as center of excellence for education, investment, banking, tourism, etc if the population could not provide the appropriate potential employees. Or do we just want Malaysians to work as the unskilled laborers.

Did the generation that have undergone their whole education system in English before forget their Bahasa Malaysia? Or are they less Malaysian? Who are they now? Why not seek their views? Do not use the issue as a political tool because it is the youth and eventually the nation that will lose. To the demonstrators, do not allow yourself to be a tool to disadvantaged the future generation. Just ponder over your actions and the potential consequences on our youth and the nation in the future. Do not sell the future of our youth and the nation. [Picture: Courtesy of The Star, Malaysia]

Pledging Conference for the Reconstruction of Gaza

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Israel, Palestine

The donor conference in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt was successfully concluded with international donors pledging nearly USD4.5 billion to rebuilt war battered Gaza. But as usual it comes with conditions – the money will not be channeled through Hamas and there must establish a unity government in Palestine. If one were to recall, this is not the first of its kind pledging conference for the cause of Palestine. The last one was held in 2007 in Paris and it has not led to anything to-date. So were the earlier conferences. All the pledging conferences in the past had not led to anything. So will the latest pledging conference if the international community still fail to address the core issue of peace. Despite the 22 days onslaught by Israel on Gaza, the international community could only muscle the economic strength to pledge knowing fully well that it would not lead to anything. It is like some kind of political obligation (cowardice) for others to take note and guilt for having allowed the onslaught to take place. [Picture: Courtesy of Al- Jazeera]

While the conference was going on in Egypt, Israel was herself busy with plans to build settlement in the West Bank. And the world could only offer a muted or silent voice to all these illegal actions. The mainstream media of the West by design will ensure that this story will never be heard. Perhaps the issue would be raised at the UN and another resolution passed to add to all the other resolutions that is gathering dusts in the annals of the UN history. Nobody dares to question Israel's authority! And worst still the Americans taxpayers will continue to finance all these illegal settlements

There will be no peace between the two countries until the "powers that be" dared to take a neutral stand on the issue. The issue can only be resolved through justice and as it is, there is none in sight. Though not wishing to sound pessimistic, I will not be surprised if the world will witness the same cycle of "truce, war (onslaught on Palestine), international outcry, donors conference" once again in the not too distant future. Unless there is a serious concerted effort to impose laws and regulations on all parties – Palestine and Israel, there will be no peace.

OR PERHAPS SINCE THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD HAVE FAILED TO FIND A LASTING SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE OVER THE PAST 60 YEARS, WHY NOT ALLOW THE PEOPLE AND THE CIVIL SOCIETIES OF THE WORLD TO SIT TOGETHER AND FIND A SOLUTION. THEY HAVE LESS POLITICAL BAGGAGE OR CONSIDERATION BUT JUSTICE, FAIRNESS AND HUMANITY.

Niah Caves, Sarawak

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: MY tourism

For the benefit of my readers and as a proud Malaysian allow me to write a bit on Niah Caves (based on information made available on the website). However, I am not able to really make an objective comparison with Jeita Grotto, Lebanon primarily because I have not been to Niah Caves personally. I hope to be able to make a visit sometime in the future though. But I guess, each had its own peculiar unique features and attraction.

If Lebanon has Jeita Grotto, Malaysia too can be proud of her Niah Caves. The Great Cave of Niah is one of the largest limestone caves in the world. It is located within the district of Miri in Sarawak, Malaysia. Part of Niah National Park, the main cave, Niah Great Cave, is located in Gunung Subis and is made up of several voluminous, high-ceilinged chambers. The Great Cave lies in a large limestone block, about a kilometer long in general north to south direction and about half a kilometer wide, that is detached from the main Gunung Subis complex, by a valley between about 150 to 200 meters wide. The whole "Gunung Subis Limestone Complex" lies some 17 kilometers inland from the South China Sea coast and about 65 kilometers south west of the town Miri. It is roughly heart shaped measuring five kilometers from its northern tip to the south and four kilometers across.

The Gunung Subis is surrounded by a low countryside with gentle hills from which the small limestone massiv and its smaller detached blocks rise rather appruptly out of the jungle, some with cliffs over 100 meters high. Though it is not an extensive cave system compared to others in Sarawak, it has been estimated to cover some 10 hectares and the roof rises to about 75 meters above the cave floor in some places. In geological terms, the limestone are part of the Subis Formation. This is dated to some 20 to 16 million years ago during the Early Miocene.

The cave is an important prehistorical site where human remains dating to 40,000 years have been found. This is the oldest recorded human settlement in east Malaysia. Painted Cave, situated in a much smaller limestone block of its own, some 150 meters from the Great Cave block's south eastern tip, has rock paintings dated as 1,200 years old. The caves are also well known for the birds' nest (Swiftlet) industry. It is a popular tourist destination in Sarawak.

Niah Cave is a two hours' drive from Miri. Access is made possible by accessible roads, therefore National Park headquarters is easily reached by car. Navigation is made easy with the large road signs showing the distance and way. Batu Niah is the nearest township - from there is is a pleasant boat ride or 45-minute stroll along the riverbank to the National Park.

Jeita Grotto, Lebanon

Posted by aim_abdullah in Labels: Arabs, Palestine

According to the brochure made available at the site, Jeita Grotto is the jewel of tourism in Lebanon. It is a compound of interconnected karstic limestone caves located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Beirut in the Valley of Nahr al-Kalb (Dog River). This grotto complex is made up of two caves, upper galleries and a lower cave through which an underground river runs. The lower cave was rediscovered in 1836 by Reverend William Thomson, the upper gallery was discovered in 1958 by Lebanese speleologists. This magnificent cave is among the 261 nominees from 222 countries to be chosen as one of the Official New 7Wonders of Nature by people of the world. Those interested can visit the link to vote for Jeita Grotto.

Few caverns in the world approach the magnificent and astonishing wealth of the extent of those of Jeita, as raindrops of more than hundreds thousands years have worked a magic wonder in creating cathedral-like vaults beneath the wooded hills of Mount Lebanon. It is now considered one of the world's most beautiful and astonishing natural caverns. Discovered in 1863 by an American hunter, the caves originally opened in 1958 and became internationally known for the spectacular and sometimes macabre contortions of stalactites and stalagmites, stone curtains and columns. With their fantastic rock formations, the caves have attracted visitors since the site was reopened to the public in July 1995.

The caverns is on two levels: the lower caverns is visited by boat over a subterranean lake 623 meters long, while a dry upper gallery can be seen on foot. The upper gallery has been designed to include a series of walkways without disturbing the natural landscape.

As explained in my earlier posting, our group was not fortunate enough to see the lower cavern due to rising waters. Perhaps I would be able to visit the lower caverns some time in the future. My own perception of the Jeita Grotto is that it is indeed one of the wonders of mother nature. The stalactites and stalagmites formation over the last hundred centuries are something to be awed and should be painstakingly preserved for future generations.

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