LEBANON CYPRUS 2018 PART 01

Lebanon & Cyprus TRAVELOGUE

TOUR DATE:Â NOVEMBER 10 - 22, 2018 TOUR ORGANIZERS INTERNATIONAL PHILS.

KEEP CALM AND

TRAVEL

LIFE'SÂ A SWEET

Adventure

BEIRUT, LEBANON LANDSCAPES THAT CHANGE WITH THE SEASONS, BUT ARE ALWAYS BATHED IN THE WARM SUN. THE DAYLIGHT RISING OVER LEBANON BRINGS ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES OF FUN, BEACH, NATURE AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. BEIRUT IS STEEPED IN ANCIENT HISTORY, STRETCHING BACK MORE THAN 5000 YEARS. AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM ARTIFACTS COLLECTED FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY REVEAL THE TRADITIONS, RITUALS AND LIFESTYLES OF CIVILIZATIONS STRETCHING FROM PRE-HISTORY, THROUGH THE OTTOMAN PERIOD.

I'm sorry for what I said when I was hungry.

DAY 01 THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF BEIRUT IS THE PRINCIPAL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN LEBANON. THE COLLECTION WAS BEGUN AFTER WORLD WAR I, AND THE MUSEUM WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED IN 1942.

DAY 02 THE JEITA GROTTO IS THE LONGEST EXPLORED CAVE IN LEBANON. FROM THE ENTRY POINT OF THE LOWER GROTTO TO THE FAR END OF THE UNDERGROUND RIVER AND ABOUT 2,130 METRES (6,990 FT) OF THE UPPER GALLERIES.

LIFE IS A TRAIN, GET ON BOARD!

THE STATUE OF OUR LADY OF LEBANON IS FRENCH-MADE, 13-TON STATUE, MADE OF BRONZE AND PAINTED WHITE. IT WAS ERECTED IN 1907 ON TOP OF A HILL, 650 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL, IN THE VILLAGE OF HARISSA,

DAY 03Â BAALBECK CAN BE COUNTED AMONG THE WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD. THE LARGEST AND MOST NOBLE ROMAN TEMPLES EVER BUILT, THEY ARE ALSO AMONG THE BEST PRESERVED. THE GODS WORSHIPPED HERE, THE TRIAD OF JUPITER, VENUS AND MERCURY,

Once a year, go some place you've never been before. -

r o f t n a e m s i d e n f i a L s d n ie r f ! d s e o r o u g t n e v d a t a e r g

THE RED BANDSÂ OF THE LEBANESE FLAG SYMBOLIZE BLOOD SHED FOR LIBERATION, THE WHITE BAND DENOTES PEACE, THE SNOW OF THE MOUNTAINS, AND PURITY; THE GREEN CEDAR TREE IS THE SYMBOL OF LEBANON ANDREPRESENTS ETERNITY, STEADINESS, HAPPINESS, AND PROSPERITY.

DAY 04 ORIGINALLY, A GROTTO FOR MONKS SEEKING SHELTER IN THE 7TH CENTURY, BECAME KHALIL GIBRAN'S TOMB, AND WAS LATER TURNED INTO HIS MUSEUM. BY THE END OF THE 17TH CENTURY, CARMELITE MONKS LIVING IN THE QADISHA VALLEY, THE SACRED VALLEY, BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW MONASTERY.

"My Lebanon is a flock of birds fluttering in the early morning as shepherds lead their sheep into the meadow and rising in the evening as farmers return from their fields and vineyards."

- Khalil Gibran

DAY 05 IN THE CITY OF SIDON STANDS THE CRUSADERS CASTLE BUILT AS A FORTRESS CONNECTED TO THE MAINLAND BY A NARROW 80M LONG ROADWAY. A SHORT WALK LEADS TO THE SOUK WHICH HAS TRADED ITS WARES FOR OVER 800 YEARS.

DAY 06 EMIR BASHIR II OF THE SHIHAB DYNASTY, WHO LATER BECAME THE RULER O THE MOUNT LEBANON EMIRATE, BUILT THE BEITEDDINE PALACE BETWEEN 1788 AND 1818 AT THE SITE OF THE DRUZE HERMITAGE. AFTER 1840, THE PALACE WAS USED

BY THE OTTOMANS AS A GOVERNMENT BUILDING. DURING THE FRENCH MANDATE IT SERVED AS A LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE.

TAKE ONLY

Memories

LEAVE ONLY

Footsteps

DAYÂ 07 KOURION WAS AN IMPORTANT CITY-KINGDOM IN ANTIQUITY AND STANDS AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN CYPRUS. THE THEATRE WAS CONSTRUCTED AT THE END OF THE 2ND CENTURY BC, CONSISTING OF A SEMICIRCULAR ORCHESTRA THAT IS SURROUNDED BY SEATS OF THE CAVEA, SUBTERRANEAN CELLS.

Friends that travel together, stay together!

Lita, Baste, Miro,Tess, Linda, Josie, Benito, Johnny, Emy, Eddie, Cely, Ann, Albert, Romana, Shirley, Isidro, Allan, Jonathan

KATO PAFOS ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK CONTAINS THE MAJOR PART OF THE IMPORTANT ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN CITY CYPRUS. MOST SIGNIFICANT REMAINS SO FAR DISCOVERED ARE FOUR LARGE AND ELABORATE ROMAN VILLAS: THE HOUSE OF DIONYSOS, THE HOUSE OF AION, THE HOUSE OF THESEUS AND THE HOUSE OF ORPHEUS, ALL WITH SUPERB PRESERVED MOSAIC FLOORS, IN ADDITION, EXCAVATIONS HAVE UNCOVERED AN AGORA, ASKLIPIEION, BASILICA, ODEION, HELLENISTIC-ROMAN THEATRE, AND A NECROPOLIS KNOWN AS THE "TOMBS OF THE KINGS"

KOLOSSI CASTLE IS A FORMER CRUSADER STRONGHOLD ON THE SOUTH-WEST EDGE OF KOLOSSI VILLAGE. HOUSE OF DIONYSOS THIS EXCEPTIONALLY RICH VILLA OCCUPIES 2000 SQ. M OF WHICH 556 ARE COVERED WITH MOSAIC FLOORS DECORATED WITH MYTHOLOGICAL, VINTAGE AND HUNTING SCENES. ITS IS NAMED AFTER THE GOD DIONYSOS WHO FEATURES ON SEVERAL OF THE MOSAICS.