Don’t fall in the Baatara Pothole, near Tannourine in Lebanon - video

March 13, 2010 by admin
Filed under Lebanon, Leisure, Nature, Walking, World, featured, video

On my visit to Lebanon last June, I walked the mountain trails of the Tannourine Cedar reserve and afterwards stopped to take a look at the Baatara pothole - you can view my video about the pothole below.

If you can’t see the embedded video above, view it on my blog here

The pothole is located near the village of Tannourine el Fawqa, a short drive from the Tannourine Cedar Reserve and close to the Lebanon Mountain Trail, a long distance walking trail that runs from north to south of the country. We stopped at what appeared to be a random location at the roadside, marked by a large sign that gave information about the pothole, and then walked down some steep paths into an area surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs.

At the Baatara Pothole, Tannourine, Lebanon

There were able to walk right into the open cave system with a stream falling from the roof and stand on the limestone bridges over the deep pothole below. I felt rather nervous walking so close to the edge of the precipice although others were rather more brave (or foolhardy) including our guide who scrambled around the edge of the borehole and along a narrow ledge to point out a cave on the far side.

Baatara pothole, near Tannourine, Lebanon

The pothole was first explored in 1952 and was fully mapped in the 1980s by the Spelio Club. Water has carved the pothole and rock formations out of the surrounding Jurassic limestone as water from a nearby stream infiltrated and dissolved the rock to form the stone bridges and cave over the pothole. There is a whole underground system of passages, which continue to evolve as the rock freezes and thaws in winter, and in order to protect the pothole from unwanted development and contamination, the whole site is now protected.

Baatara Pothole, near Tannourine in Lebanon

On a beautiful sunny day with the spring flowers still in bloom, I felt lucky to be able to see these natural rock formations without having to share it with crowds of tourists. Although there were quite a few of us in the group on our day trip from Beirut, I believe that if you went there on your own by car you’d be likely to have the whole place to yourself.

More Lebanon articles to enjoy
The Cedars of Lebanon - Tannourine Cedars Reserve Video
Wine tasting stop at Chateau Ksara - in Lebanon
Sea-castles, souks and soap in Sidon - in Lebanon

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Tags: Baatara, blogsherpa, Lebanon, Lebanon Mountain Trail, Pothole, Tannourine

Wine tasting stop at Chateau Ksara - in Lebanon

January 20, 2010 by admin
Filed under Eating and drinking, Lebanon, Leisure, World

11 Comments

You may be surprised to learn that Lebanon is a source of world class wines - of course grapes have been grown and made into wine here for centuries, but it was mainly for local consumption. It was probably the influence of the French, who had a protectorate over Lebanon between two World Wars, that really took Lebanese wine-making into different league.

Wine tasting at Chateau Ksara in Lebanon

The Lebanese vineyards and wineries are concentrated in the Bekaa valley there the grapes are grown, and one of the most commercial wineries in this area is the Chateau Ksara. After our stay in Baalbek, we drove south through the Bekaa valley and stopped there for a spot of wine tasting. The Ksara winery is close to a busy road intersection and it was not quite setting of rolling vineyards that I’d had in mind, so close to all the traffic. But as you entered the drive, the elegant reception area and winery came into view, ideal for a quick stop off the highway and I suspect on the itinerary of many a coach tour.

Chateau Ksara in Lebanon

The whole operation was very slick with a 45 minute free tour. A pleasant lady on reception took us with a few others who arrived at the same time, and we sat and watched a video about the vineyard and winemaking here. Then she took us down into the cellars that were discovered in Roman times, where we could see some of the oldest bottles of the property being stored as well as the wine maturing in oak barrels. After that we went to a bar area and sat down to taste a few of the Ksara wines, which was very pleasant, but as it was a free tour, they were mainly everyday table wines and not of special quality. Lastly we were ushered into the shop where there was a wide selection of the different bottles to buy from the property. I bought a couple of half bottles, not being able to transport too much back to the UK.

It was a very enjoyable tour, but if you want to spend a lazy lunchtime surrounded by the vineyards in the countryside, there are probably other vineyards you could try, such as Kefraya or Massaya, that are a bit more off the beaten track. Or for a more personal style tour for wine enthusiasts make an appointment at Chateau Musar, in the hills close to Jeita near Beirut - you can read us about meeting the winemakers there.

Have you drunk any Lebanese wines? They’re often in the same style as a French claret and are usually a lot cheaper than a Bordeaux of similar quality. Seek them out in your local specialist wine shop and tell me what you think.

This article was posted as part of Wanderfood Wednesday hosted at Wanderlust and Lipstick - head over for some Indian Veggie burgers and other foodie delights.

Lebanon Wine Resources

Chateau Ksara website
Chateau Kefraya website
Chateau Massaya website
Chateau Musar website

Sea Castles, Souqs and Soap in Sidon - in Lebanon

January 19, 2010 by admin
Filed under Eating and drinking, Lebanon, Leisure, Sightseeing, World

4 Comments

If you drive south out of the traffic madness that is Beirut, you’ll hug the coastal road and in under two hours you’ll be at the seaside town of Sidon which makes a great day trip from the capital. You’ll find a town that has bags of history, character and charm, isn’t over-run by tourists and has an authentic flavour.

At the sea castle in Sidon

As you arrive in town it looks a little like many a European seaside town, with parking spaces along the seafront and plastic tables with sun umbrellas where you could sit and take a drink. The public beach was completely deserted although I imagine that at the weekend families congregate here, but in this strongly Muslim area it’s probably not the place to show off your new bikini - you can save that for the swanky beach clubs along the coast between here and Beirut. Practically the first place you see as you get into town is the Crusader sea castle, built in the 13th century. You pay your money at the booth and walk along the short stone causeway up to the ruined fortification. It’s a bit tumble-down but we had fun clambering up the steep steps of the remaining tower up to the roof where you can get a view towards the harbour and see the small ferries going by.

Boats passing the sea castle in Sidon	The Sea castle at Sidon in Lebanon
The sea castle at Sidon in Lebanon	The sea castle at Sidon in Lebanon

There were no explanations, signs or any guides that spoke English but our guide book told us all we needed to know. After looking around the sea-castle we crossed the road and sat on the shady terrace of the smart restaurant opposite with a cup of coffee and watched the world go by. Once refreshed we headed into the side streets away from the waterfront to search of the Soap museum we’d heard so much about but were disappointed to find that it was shut on Fridays. We should have remembered that Friday is the holy Muslim day and Sunday is the holy Christian day and the museum is shut on both. The soap in question was once produced in great quantities for use in the bath-houses or hammams and the museum itself is housed in an old soap factory on the edge of the souk. We peeped through the window and could see a stylish array of bath products on sale in the gift shop and I was sorry not to have had the chance to buy some souvenirs.

In the Souk at Sidon in Lebanon

In the souk at Sidon, Lebanon

Undeterred we decided to wander around the souq, a maze of narrow alleyways with small kiosks, shops and cafes, occasionally opening out into a courtyard or square. We tried some meat pasties in one shop, served on the large round metal trays that seem to be used in all the bakeries in Lebanon. We rather stood out as two English gals with barely any other foreign faces and once we walked down a dead end, only to have a laughing young man come after us and point us back in the right direction. Then we spied a cafe where there was some chick pea action going on with pans bubbling away and hummus being dished out, so we went in and ordered something with a point and a smile and sat down at the single formica table. The owner dished it out and poured some oil on with a flourish and then brought us a series of other dishes - flatbread to scoop it up, olives, salad and some bright pink vegetables. Before we knew it we had a simple mezze meal laid before us.

Chick peas and mezze in Sidon

Chick peas and hummus in Sidon

After our lunch we sat and watched two teenage boys play with their mobiles nearby, groups of scarved women and girls walking by and then from the mosque that we hadn’t noticed opposite us, the Friday prayers finished and a stream of men came out into the street. A cake seller had positioned himself just beside the mosque entrance and I was also tempted and couldn’t resist a selection of sticky sweet cakes. You can read the story of my free cakes outside the mosque here.

The Khan in Sidon

We wandered back through the narrow streets and followed our noses until we found the direction back to the sea front again. We emerged just beside Khan al-Fanj or the aptly named Khan of the foreigners that was built in the 17th century by the French to encourage trade relations. A Khan is a large square stone building with an open courtyard designed to provide accommodation for travelling merchants, with stables and storage places on the ground floor and sleeping quarters around the upper storey. Many of them have now been made into hotels and I stayed in one like this in Turkey, but this one had been beautifully restored and seemed to be used for artistic events as they were setting up for a concert that evening. After we had a good look round and rested in the shady arcades, we made our way back to our car and headed off back along the coast road, past half built holiday houses that reminded me of all those half finished concrete houses you see in Greece where the owners are building them one floor at a time, as their budget allows.

Khan al-Franj in Sidon, Lebanon

If you visit Lebanon, do make the effort to get to Sidon, it’s an easy trip and you can combine it with seeing other things in the South - we stopped at the palace of Beitteddine on the way back that afternoon to see the wonderful mosaics. You can also continue further south along the road to Tyre, where there’s a Roman Hippodrome, but you need to check the political situation before you go south of the Litani river, as you’re getting close to the border with Israel and into a military zone. Normally going to Tyre is perfectly OK as long as you stay to the main road and don’t attempt to go inland from there.

And if you get to that soap museum, do bring back a bottle of orange flower water for me.