After my impromptu review of the Telefrique a few weeks back, Lori suggested I should do more posts about places we used to go to as kids, but now rarely even think of visiting. Luckily for us, a lunch at Kefraya last weekend ended us up in Baalbek, at the Ancient Roman ruins.
It was amazing. The ruins were breathtaking, all-accessible and well-kept. You wouldn’t normally expect that by something the Lebanese government is in charge of, but the place wasn’t too shabby. They even had parking spaces (most of which were actually paved).
I won’t review the ruins, I’ll instead embed these amazing panoramic shots Lori took. I will however give you some advice after our experience. The street vendors surrounding the ruins are unbelievably annoying. They latch on to you, invade your personal space, grab your arm, put stuff on your head or around your neck and practically beg on their knees and would even wait for you to finish your whole tour is you said something like “maybe when I’m done…”
They sell garbage like fake old coins, poorly-printed scarves, poorly-woven cowboy hats and other completely useless and irrelevant things. Escaping them is almost impossible, and you gotta be a real mean and nasty person to break free. That sorta dampens your mood going in and out. But inside, you’re in a completely different, more grand world and time. And now I’ll leave you with the photos.
Entrance fee is 10,000 LBP if you’re Lebanese, 15,000 LBP if you’re not. The road is fairly good between Baalek and Zahle, the problem is getting to Zahleh with all the potholes and crazy truck drivers! All in all, it would be an awesome weekend activity if you take the day to tour Baalbek and maybe have lunch on the Berdawni River or somewhere in Taanayel.
