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Rewiring in Beirut: Searching for ideas in a city that continuously reinvents itself

Leaving your own comfort zone in search of new ideas, maintaining optimism despite a permanent crisis and taking a plunge into the cold water to find creative solutions in difficult times, this is what a trip to Beirut feels like.

While I am in house arrest with the rest of the world during the COVID-19 crisis, I like to remember this trip and I increasingly see parallels to the current situation. For some years now I have been traveling to countries on the margins of global society more and more, because their hidden beauty is often undiscovered by the masses and because the wealth of ideas, humor and optimism of the local population can mostly serve as a model for your own creativity. So, together with my travel buddy Adi, I decided in autumn 2019 that we would spent the turn of the year in Lebanon.
A few weeks later, news of political unrest spread throughout Lebanon and anticipation of our journey increasingly turned into anxious expectation. This gave us a foretaste of how travelers would feel in 2020 worldwide during the COVID-19 crisis. There followed weeks of pondering "whether one should start anyway or switch the destination to the intermediate stop "Istanbul"". The largely peaceful protests were repeatedly overshadowed by riots and increasing closure of the country's territory. It should be noted that Lebanon is characterized by a complex civil war that continued until the 1990s and whose "community leaders" have been able to assert themselves in politics up to this day.

A kind of "ceasefire" in the protest movement and the upcoming holidays finally moved us to drive from Bolzano to Bergamo on December 25th in bright sunshine and clear road and fly from there to Istanbul. Here the weather already changed to a predicted "Mediterranean storm low" and dark clouds grew over the small airport "Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen". The second flight quickly turned into a nightmare and the plane could not land in Beirut in the face of tremendous turbulence and rainstorm. The address "Your Captain speaking: due to bad weather conditions we are unable to land in Beirut ...",  after what felt like hourly circling, made the whole thing even less bearable. The flight went back to the Mediterranean to fly around Syria, which was still overshadowed by the conflict, and to finally land on the flooded landing strip of "Adana" in southern Turkey. 3 hours of uncertainty were made bearable by the serenity of the Lebanese and Syrian passengers and by humorous interludes like "We should Protest". Then we flew back to Beirut in a turbulent vertical flight and despite the even heavier storm with lightning and thunder, but we where finally able to land.

Beirut the city of contrasts and love at second glance

Skyscrapers and penthouses financed by the Lebanese diaspora, lovely hidden gardens and romantic Art Nouveau villas from the French colonial era, characterize the cityscape. From the extensive harbors up to the hills, the city is "nested" like an "Escher picture" and has grown into an indecipherable tangle of cables. Armenian immigrant quarters border on Palestinian immigrant quarters, which in turn border on the new rich shiny quarters with unfinished architectural jewels by Zaha Hadid, among others. The camps of the protest movement also settled here in front of the incomparable Mohammed Al Ammin mosque. Right next to it one can find Roman ruins and Orthodox and Roman Catholic cathedrals existing so closely to each other as if anything could be possible.

In order to "un-wire" this overwhelming diversity and "re-wire" our own prejudices and established opinions, we decide on the third day to take part in the Alternative Tour Beirut. Our dedicated guide takes us to the hidden gems of the city. Luxurious historic mansions that have survived all adversities and abundant gardens. He explains the relatively open handling of graffiti art by the authorities, which apparently is not subject to an overly restrictive order and attracts artists from all over the world. Even if only tolerated, even the fact that there is a gay community is quite unparalleled in the Arab world.

We walk past modern high-rise buildings built on Roman baths, which where risen without great bureaucratic hurdles and can still be an example of sustainability. Everything fits together like a Byzantine mosaic. Bullet holes, relics from the last civil war, trendy local bars and restaurants and devastated shops and offices from the recent riots. Our guide, who is one of the main actors in the protests, explains to us the sensitive political ties and the inviolability of the political class. Who has ensured the survival of the respective community in the years of the civil war, but who enriched itself in recent years with incomparable greed at the expense of the general public.

Countrywide forest fires in September 2019 caused "the barrel to overflow". They could not be contained since fire fighting aircraft, donated by the Spanish government in 2015, were not ready for use. The political class had let the maintenance money seep into their own pockets. The threatening situation, a result of climate change and economic instability, which no longer affected just one ethnic group or part of the country, quickly spilled over into a political wildfire. The novelty of the largely peaceful protests was that for the first time all ethical and religious groups protested together against the corrupt political elite. Muslims, Catholics or Orthodox Christians gathered together for a kind of "peaceful protest carnival" to protest against corruption and the shadow economy. The prime minister Saad Hariri had to resign soon after, rumors circulated shortly before that he had given a Russian model a million dollar gift on a luxury yacht and only shortly afterwards introduced a WhatsApp tax to pay off the huge government deficit, which was the final straw.

Our tour winds its way through alleys and underpasses, we are increasingly understanding how the former fronts of the city have been transformed into the main arteries, the city's highways. The separating highways still lead to ghettoization and demarcation. A district is quickly sealed off and we can literally watch how in just a few days the entire government district is sealed by meter-high concrete walls similar to the Berlin Wall. As we approach the neighborhood dominated by the filo-iranian "Hezbollah movement" we are asked not to take photos and to take local customs into account. Posters of the political and spiritual leaders of the community stretch like statues of saints over entire house facades. Our guide tells us how he took part in a blockade on one of the main streets a few weeks ago. When Hezbollah members armed with sticks drove towards them on their mopeds, he said he almost "shit his pants". But miraculously, there was a peaceful encounter for the first time. Sitting cross-legged on the four-lane highway, questions were carefully asked as to what each person thought of their own untouchable elite, a precedent. Finally, we are treated to an improvised garage restaurant with overwhelming hospitality and incomparable Lebanese food.

Love goes through the stomach: the warmth of Lebanon is best experienced through one of the best kitchens in the world

Starting with the indispensable hummus to all kinds of "Kofta" minced meatballs and skewers to Labneh the incredibly delicious yogurt dip and tabbouleh, the incomparable bulgur and parsley salad, the Lebanese cuisine is one of the best and most diverse in the world. It is increasingly coming out of its international shadow existence and can be enjoyed almost everywhere due to the worldwide spread by exiled Lebanese.

A trip to Lebanon pays off, even only to enjoy the diverse cuisine. Rich fishing grounds in the Mediterranean, fertile soils and even a widespread and excellent viticulture ensure an optimal starting point for this culinary diversity. One of the best discoveries during our trip and an ideal starting point to discover Lebanese cuisine is the Cafe Em Nazih, where you can enjoy all variations of the Lebanese meze (finger food) in a casual environment. Great rooms, gardens and open halls invite you to linger and get to know each other in an uncomplicated way, if you are lucky you can even see "live performances" on several nights of the week. Immediately after eating, you can climb up 6 floors to the communicating rooftop bar, Coop d'Etat, to have a cocktail in a "hip" but "at ease" ambience with a panoramic guarantee.

Nightlife in Beirut: Celebrate as if it were the last night on earth

At the time of our visit, Beirut was already suffering from a severe economic crisis. A few weeks of continued protesting but also years of mismanagement, destroyed more than 30% of the labor market. The Lebanese pound was in free fall, even official exchange offices changed dollars and euros by 30% above the official benchmark. Despite of this fact, everyone still celebrated and lived as if there was no tomorrow. Our district, Mar Mikhaël, was full of restaurants, bars, clubs and lounges where music was played everywhere and cocktails skillfully mixed. Wonderful acquaintances were made in the jam-packed bars. Lively and sweeping talks were the order of the day, which is impressive as the Lebanese change fluently from French to Arabic to English. Most citizens of Beirut speaks at least 3 languages, often 5 or more. In the middle of ongoing conversations, there might be switching between languages as if it was the most natural thing to do.

The variety of pubs and original bars naturally invites you to do "bar hopping", so we set off on a new discovery tour every evening. Friendships are quickly made and experiences exchanged. And even if the concern about the future was always perceivable, the joy of life and a fun-loving optimism always prevailed. Here in the EU we could cut off a large slice of optimism from the Lebanese people. For too long we believed to be crisis-proof. That for we should use the "corona crisis" as an opportunity to get more creative, because in the future we will all be challenged to find new ways and do more with less.

So in this dystopian, utopian scenario we slipped into a threateningly exciting year 2020, which already carried a paradigm shift in it's beginnings, with a foretaste of what would spread to the whole world 2 months later. While we strolled the streets on New Year's Eve and witnessed a rise in security measures with heavily armed military personnel, a "Vin Diesel-like" secret agent interrogated us all of a sudden jumping out of a black suv, while we photographed some sort of "cable tangle". With a gun stick to his belt, we were asked about our sniffing motif and our origin. A foretaste of the sort of control state that would rise in our European democracies during the upcoming "Lockdown". But despite all the harassment, humanity and common sense usually triumph in the end, which is what happend than and what I hope will happen after the current situation. I hope to continue living and moving in a free and open world in the future, as long as i respect the freedoms and rights of other people.

I think it is time to take the opportunity to "rewire" our personal and global "cable salad" and to bring some clarity, peace and the important things in life to the surface. Especially because an economic downturn will probably be inevitable at this point.

Byblos and Tripoli: the timeless beauty of Lebanon

In spite of all the ups and downs, the timeless beauty of the landscapes and the millennia-old cultural cities have been preserved over generations, indeed entire empires. Day trips to the second oldest city in the world, Byblos, which dates back to 5,000 BC and Tripoli, which is culturally opposite to Beirut, are of course a must. Passing by the wide cedar forests, the country's national tree, different stopovers can be taken.

The Jeita grotto is an absolute highlight. Even if you have seen so many stalactite caves in the world, you can only be amazed at such majestic sculptures that are millions of years old. Even though we couldn't even see the lower part of the grotto due to the constant rain, we humbly hiked through the enormous upper cave system completely overwhelmed.

Another highlight is the pilgrimage site "Our Lady of Lebanon". The 60s cable car from Jounieh to Harissa is a little adventure on its own and the tiny, colorful gondolas let you look out over mountains, cities and the Mediterranean. An advantage of traveling in times of crisis is that you never have to "line up". As a traveler, you should keep that in mind as soon as the "Corona restrictions" are softened again worldwide. There is nothing better than admiring unique world cultural sites without crowds standing in infinite lines. So we where able to enjoy the final climb up the Christian Monument and the breathtaking view to the fullest.

In Byblos and Tripoli, silent "giants" have held their positions for millennia: fortresses of the Knights Templar, Roman ruins or baths from the Ottoman Empire are testimonies to the change of the empires and are timeless monuments resisting the constantly changing landscapes and political world structures. The bustling Tripoli, which is only 30km from the Syrian border, only gives an idea of how much real poverty is hidden outside the glittering facades of Beirut. According to official figures, Lebanon has taken in more than 2 million Syrian refugees; unofficial figures assume that the number might be twice as high. This is far more than the entire EU combined and that with just 6 million Lebanese people actually living in the country. Despite all the circumstances and the constant rain, people don't let themselves be disturbed here either, and the old souk, the Arab market, is bustling with activity. Here you can observe authentic market activity in an ancient Arab city, far away from any tourist crowds. Packed with spices, you can eventually have a typical Lebanese coffee at a street stall.

When we walk through the old town of Byblos on one of our last excursions, sun rays finally break through the clouds. We pause and look at a Phoenician wall that has stood the mediterranean breakers for 3,000 years. The sun falls on the foaming spray of our Mediterranean sea and makes it sparkle like a thousand sparks of hope. Our "home sea" that connects and separates, that has created world empires and let others sink.

With these impressions we fly back home. I think we are all in the same boat, even in the same nutshell. We can no longer simply hide crises and problems at the other end of the world or only at the other end of the sea, as we have been used to for too many years. Sooner or later, the butterfly's famous wingbeat at one end of the world triggers the tsunami at the other end. So while I have been working in my home office for weeks and the situation will continue indefinitely with an even more uncertain outcome, I review all the impressions and stories. One thing becomes clearer and clearer to me, only creativity and ingenuity can save us in the "afterwards". We can choose those peoples who have overcome the greatest hurdles as our highest role model.

With this in mind, I wish everyone a happy "rewiring" and "leaving their comfort zone" during the "Global Lockdown" and especially "Afterwards"!

 

 

Simon Margesin