Lebanon > The Jeita Grottoes

At eight o’clock I join breakfast. From the breakfast terrace there is a view of the city of Byblos. The breakfast is more Lebanese than in the hotel in Beirut. There is only Lebanese bread and no regular bread. I make a combination for my breakfast. At nine o’clock we leave the hotel on foot. We walk into Byblos. We pass through the souq. Traders are still busy setting up their stalls. On the other side of the souq, we reach the Byblos Castle. In the twelfth century, this castle was built by the Crusaders. They used materials from Roman and Byzantine temples. The square castle with four corner towers is built around a donjon (fortified tower). There used to be water surrounding the castle. From one of the corner towers of the fortress, we can see excavations from older periods. The Roman amphitheatre, the sea gate, and the remains of buildings from the Phoenician period, which date back as far as 6,000 BC. Children are running around us. They are visiting the castle with their class. They don’t seem to have much interest in history. In the amphitheatre, they take a class photo. Some boys prefer to play football. Meanwhile, I descend via a small staircase carved into the rock. I arrive at an underground tomb. Impressive that they managed to get such a structure here. Through the oldest part of the site, we walk back to the castle.

Lebanon - A house between the excavations has been restored and will serve as a museum

On the way back to the hotel, I see that the souq has become livelier. I buy something to drink and a chocolate bar. At 11:30 we leave by bus. This time we drive south. Just north of Beirut are the Jeita Grottoes. These caves were accidentally discovered in 1836, but it wasn’t until the middle of the last century that they were fully mapped out. The caves are among the largest in the Middle East. From the parking lot, we take a small train to the entrance of the Upper Caves. Officially, taking photos is not allowed. At the entrance, they check for cameras and phones. As a group, we are not checked. With my phone in my pocket, I walk into the cave. I enter a large underground dripstone cave. The stalactites hang above me from the ceiling. The stalagmites form beautiful shapes. It has taken hundreds of years for these formations to develop. I try to take a photo discreetly. It’s surprising how much light a phone gives off in a dark cave. The Lower Caves can only be visited by boat. An underground river runs for more than eight kilometres beneath the rocks. Only a small part can be travelled by boat. To go further into the cave, diving equipment is needed.

Lebanon - The beautiful formations in the caves of

Boarding is efficient. One boat arrives, ten to twelve people step in, and the boat departs again. We split up over two boats. The skipper steers the boat into the cave. Beautiful dripstone formations everywhere. Unfortunately, the tour is without any explanation. As a result, we simply go back and forth. Along the way, there is a narrow passage. Only one boat can barely fit through here. Our skipper steers the boat between the rocks without touching the sides. There’s barely five centimetres of space on either side. I arrive safely back on shore. From the caves, we drive for half an hour to Harissa. The bus takes steeply ascending roads to the top of the mountains. Here lies the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lebanon. It is one of the most important shrines in the world dedicated to Mary. On the top of the mountain stands an 8.5-meter-high bronze statue of Mary. Before we visit the Harissa Basilica, we descend via stairs to a restaurant for lunch. From the terrace, we have a view of the bay of Jounieh about 650 meters below.

Lebanon - From the Harissa Basilica there is a view of the coast

On the mountain terrace it is a bit chilly. The terrace is in the clouds. Below us, I can see Jounieh lying in the sun. Lunch is rice with chicken and a salad. A decent meal, though previous lunches were of better quality. After lunch, we take a cable car back to the top. I visit the chapel of the Harissa Basilica and climb the stairs of the Mary statue. The view over Jounieh and the bay is beautiful. It feels a bit strange that people come here to venerate Mary, while at the same time tourists visit for the view. Clergy urge everyone to speak softly. We descend by cable car. Two by two, we step into the small gondolas. Along the way, there is a beautiful view. Slowly the city of Jounieh comes closer. At the bottom, we meet Allah again. He is ready here with the bus. He drives us back to the hotel in Byblos. There is still plenty of time for a drink in the centre. In the evening, I go into town again with a few travel companions. We choose Hacienda de Pepe Garden Restaurant. The fish on the menu can be selected based on the catch of the day. I don’t choose fish. I order lasagna.