Hiking

Last night we went on a hike with some people from the school. I know I have tossed around words like amazing and incredible a lot on this blog, but I can't think of any other words to describe this hike. We left school at 3:30, and drove through the crazy Beirut traffic for around 2 hours. We arrived at the Cedar reserve and began the intense hike to the top. There were around 20-30 of us on the hike, some newbies and some veterans. The view the whole hike was incredible, it was nice to be out of the city and  back to nature, since like any big city Beirut is loud.  The hike took about an hour and we went up 2000 meters.

What happened at the top of the hike can almost not be explained besides with pictures. We got to the top and could look out over the Bekaa valley. This valley was once controlled by the Romans and used for agriculture. It still is an agriculture hub in Lebanon today. We were above the clouds and could see the mountain ranges that separate Lebanon and Syria. There, everyone broke out their snacks and wine and we had a great time hanging out with our new friends. The people here are so amazing with all of their different life experiences. 

After the most unbelievable sunset I have ever seen, we started the long hike down the steep trail in the dark. No wipeouts though! At the bottom when everyone got back, we sat down in a circle in the pitch black and looked at the stars. There were so many stars, with some people saying they saw shooting stars. We could see the Milky Way galaxy, and other constellations, so others told me, I have no idea. Then, someone took out there flute and played a beautiful song. After that our new friend Julianne, from Hawaii, and two kids that were with their parents, and go to ACS sang a Hawaiian song about granting wisdom. Truly, I was in awe. It was a great hike, with lots of time to get to know people better. Here are some pictures, enjoy! 

The hike up.  

Part of the group hiking. 

One quick stop. 

Bekaa Valley