When a gaggle of Australian backpackers tumbled into a European hostel, I knew they were in for a loud and drunken evening. Young Australians love to travel—and history and culture aren’t often at the top of their to-do list. Attractive young Aussies have acquired quite the reputation for starting parties and frequenting pub crawls on the European and Southeast Asia backpacker trail.

So when I arrived in Australia, I expected the bars to be crowded, the beer to be cold and the parties to be nonstop. And to a large degree, I wasn’t too disappointed: the Aussies certainly love to drink. But I was shocked by the high drink prices  and general lack of drunken escapades in bars.

Anyone working in a bar or restaurant licensed to serve alcohol in Australia must complete a Responsible Service of Alcohol course—so completing it was one of my first stops on my job hunt in Australia.

The six-hour course taught me plenty about the effects of alcohol and signs of intoxication—but more so, it was an insight into Australians and their relationship with alcohol.

I was surprised at the limits placed on drinking, many of which seemed far harsher than what I’m used to in the States. The .05 BAC alcohol level is lower than the .08 in California. Bars aren’t allowed to offer extreme discounts or drinking games—no buck nights, power hours or beer pong games like I loved in college. And the fines are heavy for serving drunk people–up to $11,000 if you serve a drink to an intoxicated person.

Now that I’m working in a bar and restaurant, I can see the effects of the RSA. We don’t serve people who are highly intoxicated. I sample our wine list with my two free after-work staff drinks since I couldn’t afford to on my salary. We have intimidating security guards every weekend to keep things under control.

Australia has struggled with high rates of binge drinking among young people, just as America and the UK have.  In March 2008, the Australian Prime Minister declared that binge drinking problems were at “epidemic levels” and earmarked $53 million in a campaign against binge drinking.

In Australia, alcohol is inextricably linked to sport, celebration, everyday life. It’s not a glass of wine with dinner—as is common in France or Italy—but rather a jug of sangria for a Sunday session, many cans of beer for a rugby game, a bottle of wine for a girls’ night out. And if you don’t drink, it’s cause for suspicion.

After paying the absurd prices of alcohol and witnessing the strict security measures, I understand the Australian backpacker a little more. Alcohol is a touchy subject, something that can be incredibly personal and yet a social experience and Australia is a heavy drinking culture with a government infrastructure that tries to limit alcohol intake and the subsequent costs and consequences. So when young Australians go abroad, they’re naturally enjoying the perks in countries with different drinking cultures.

Many of this can also be applied to young Americans as well: those in the 18 to 21 age range take full advantage of being able to drink freely in Europe, Southeast Asia and South America without being carded. But since Australians are also encouraged to travel more while young, they tend to be more visible in the traveling community.

What has been your experience with Australian drinking, whether abroad or in Oz?

I was fortunate enough to spend the first evening of my time in New Zealand with Craig and Linda Martin of indietravelpodcast.com – travel experts and New Zealand residents (when they’re not on the road). Along with the wealth of information I got from their website and an evening of food & beverage, one of the biggest recommendations I got was to go on a glacier hike.

It’s honestly not something I would have thought to do if I had been left to my own planning without their input. As a lifelong hater of snow and cold, I’m not sure I would have seen the appeal. However, after our chat, I started to look into it and it did look like an amazing experience.

There are two main glaciers set up as hiking experiences for tourists – Fox and Franz Josef, which are fairly close to each other on the south island of New Zealand.

I think I chose Franz Josef because Fox reminds me of Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck.

Next up is to choose which hike. There are a few different companies with a few different offerings. The basic breakdown is: half-day hike, full day hike or the helihike, which includes a copter ride over the glacier, a landing on the top and a short hike around that area.

My first inclination was to shell out the cash to do the helihike, but I changed my mind for a couple of reasons. The expense was one. It would have been worth it to see the stunning views from above, but knowing that I would be paying a ton of money to skydive a couple of days later, I decided to only splurge once. Second, I wanted a longer, more in-depth experience. The helihike only lasts a couple of hours.

So I chose the full day hike. More to see, more to do and a bit of a physical challenge.

The day starts out pretty early, meeting at 8:15. A bit of a pain because few of the restaurants and coffee shops open up before 8, so making breakfast in the hostel is the way to go. I did find one place open at 7:30, so I wolfed down eggs and toasts to have enough strength for the day ahead.

The first hour or so is spent getting equipment. The tour company gives you overpants, rainjacket, boots, crampons, hat and gloves. I was fortunate that I only needed the boots and crampons – it was a sunny late summer day, so the rest of the stuff was in my bag “just in case” but never used.

After a bus ride to the national park, the hike carries through the woods and river bed for a few kilometers.

Distances are incredibly deceptive when you look at the glacier. What looks like a half mile walk is actually over a mile because of the scale of the thing. It’s like being in Las Vegas and thinking “oh, look, the Stratosphere is right there!” and then ending up walking for 3 miles.

Once we got onto the ice, we put the crampons on, our guide giving us lessons along the way. How to walk uphill, how to walk downhill, how to walk up steps, using a ropeline. Whatever was necessary.

As we walked, the guide told us little bits of trivia about the glacier: e.g. did you know there are over 3000 glaciers of varying size in New Zealand? But most of his time was spent using his pickax to chop steps or smooth out the walking surface.

There are a number of guided groups that go out, a few minutes apart, and they try to organize them into levels of fitness and experience. Advance scouts check the ice along the way for stability and establish the basic path first. The more fit groups then take the lead and their guides chop out basic steps. Each guide who follows makes the step bigger/wider/smoother for the groups that come behind so the groups in the rear ultimately have the easiest time of it, but get the same experience.

Some key things I discovered along the way:

• What looks like rock and mountain is actually ice covered in rock and dirt.
• Waterfalls and streams abound throughout the glacier area – it’s amazing to look down a 30 foot crevice and see water flowing underneath.
• The blue ice is actually blue – it’s not just a photographic trick for the brochures.
• It wasn’t very cold. With the exertion, I was warm all day long. Granted it was still summer so I’m sure winter would be a very different situation.

We made it to a level area about halfway up the glacier by 1pm, essentially setting up camp on the top of a frozen waterfall. After lunch, we turned and headed back down with the heat of the midday sun turning more and more of the ice into water. Small streams formed everywhere, but with ice that is hundreds of meters thick and a couple of kilometers across, there was never any concern with the whole mess suddenly collapsing.

All total – 7 miles of hiking, 1500 feet of elevation gain. Not a walk in the park, but it’s definitely something a person with even moderate fitness can do.

Craig didn’t lie – this was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. And the blisters from those godforsaken boots might actually last even longer than the memories.

If you are interested, many more photos are available in my Franz Josef Flickr gallery.

I’m going to die here.  Perish in a steamy room that smells like an open sewer, in a city planned by schizophrenics, in a hotel where the only scenery next door is a junkyard for defunct cars.

I opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling fan whirring above.

I survived SARS in Vietnam.

I emerged unscathed from a dengue fever outbreak in Brazil.

H1N1 never came knocking.

I can’t shake this.

After my birthday, it reappeared.  The burning hotness on the back of my neck.  The fissures forming on my arm.  Dammit, it was time to do something.

But when you’re alone in an unknown country, sometimes you freeze.

I didn’t know what to do.  I come off brazen, an impulsive adventurer who gets on that boat with no lifejacket or hang-glides even though she gets vertigo.

Nah, this time I was scared.

Nothing was right.  By now, I should be in Rishikesh, not waffling in Agra.  By April, I wanted to be in either Sri Lanka or Thailand.  It’s now March 31.

The blog is suffering.  Who has time to craft words under duress?  Shit, no.

Back to panic mode, I did what I know how to do best.  Decided to leave.

I was supposed to stay at a Mystique Moments in Delhi earlier in March, but that got nixed because my Scottish travel companion convinced me to stay in the horrible Pahar Ganji area.  Sure, it’s central.  If you can endure tout after tout badgering you non-stop.

I remember the owner of Mystique oozing with niceness from his previous emails.  I recall his guesthouse being far, far away from skinny Indian boys trying to sell me stuffed tigers.

I emailed him, begging for a room that day, saying I was in pain and needed some medical care in Delhi. Oh, and could you answer in the next half hour before check-out closes in on me?

He replied with only having a queen available and the cost is 1,200 rupees.

My heart plummeted.

I typed: 600 is the most I can do.

He replied back.  No problem.  What matters is getting you healthy.  I know some good doctors here.

And you know why he does?  He is one.  Retired.  And Hostel World gives Dr. Malik’s former practice, now guesthouse an 80% rating.

Tears came.  Maybe it was relief.  Just a reaction to the stinging on my neck or side effects from those weak ass antibiotics I’ve been popping.

I packed up lightening fast, paid my standing hotel bill, lined up a driver to Delhi, because dealing with the train was out of the question.

Just when I felt cornered on all sides, wondering if I paid too much for the car, sucking back worry, my driver turned to me.

“You need anything. Tea, water.. I will stop and we can take our time. “ He is a man of girth, so was his smile.  Broad and welcoming.

When we did stop, he paid for my tea, refusing to take payment when I pressed some rupees into his hand.

He weaved seamlessly, skimming past tractors pushing us against medians, even illegal oncoming cars – our headlights nearly dancing with theirs.  He showed me acres of farmland with thatch huts. A Sikh temple.  A Hindu temple the color of snow, so grand it was tempting to snap pictures. My angry body advised against it.

He handed me a ratty notebook, I didn’t know why.  Inside were glowing reviews from travelers all over the world.  Handwritten, wishing him a happy life, many thanks, with email address tagged on.  This one-man show has driven people as far as Varnasi, as close as Agra.

His name is Balbir and I like him.

I grew drowsy, relaxing a little. The last images before drifting off was the transparency of the blue sky, how impressed I was with the attractive landscaping planted in the median.  This is what runs through an ill person’s mind. Skies and concrete.

Four hours on the Agra-Delhi highway, one hour getting through the city and some mobile calls for directions, we finally found Mystique tucked in Pitampura.

A guesthouse employee stood on the street waiting to take my stupidly large backpack.  I almost crumbled against him with gratitude.

My driver offered his number in case I needed him in a pinch.  I took it happily.  We parted, shaking hands.

By now, my bloody neck was fully throbbing and I was dog-tired.

I climbed a steep staircase and entered Dr. Malik’s office.  He’s a compact man with gray hair, glasses and a rotund belly.  Not the grotesque kind, where your instinct is to censure or look away.  I wanted to poke it affectionately.  A cell phone hung from his neck, which you could easily mistake for a toy.  His smooth, round face lacked any tension. A face you can rely on.

He immediately asked if I was alright.  I blubbered, finally sobbing out the last breath of my tale.

He told me to relax, taking his toy mobile, using a magnifying glass to punch in the numbers.  It was beyond cute.

Within two hours, I had a bed to sleep in, a doctor’s appointment with his med school buddy, and stronger, smarter drugs at a chemist stall down the street.

Yes!  I made it.

But, I couldn’t do it alone.

Solo travelers always gotta prove something.  That we’re indestructible.  That, golly gee, we don’t need anyone.

Sometimes we do.

It’s okay to ask for help.  To let a hand reach out or a smile reassure you.

It’s that feeling of being taken care of.

We all need it.  It shows keenly the interconnectedness of everyone on this planet, bucking culture or the strangeness of a place.

The world is truly small, the human heart big.

In 2000, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell hit bookstores with a bang. His book was exactly what the public needed at the time (and is still quite valid today). The subject matter was brilliant and evoked emotions and desires that I had kept hidden (sub-consciously) for quite some time.

Thursday Tipping Points (please don’t sue me Mr. Gladwell) is a weekly feature where you (our reader) will find fabulous (and inspiring) travel-related information without spending hours doing Google searches!

Each week we’ll be connecting you with HOT Travel deals, travel news, our favourite posts from around the web and much more.

Thursday Tipping Points, Volume 1

How much green is in YOUR wallet?

In today’s economy, most people are worried about how to spend less money without drastically changing their lifestyle. It’s a challenging situation. However, there are many option out there, if you know where to look. Spending less money while on the road can be just as challenging as spending less at home. But not impossible.

Great Tips on How to Save Money to Travel the World- I love this article by Pause the Moment. Saving money to travel can be just as challenging as spending wisely whilst on the road. All of the tips in this article are valid and easy to do. Remember to sit down and decide what your comfort levels are, write down your goals and review them (and your spending habits) weekly!

HOT Travel Deals

Who doesn’t love a HOT Travel Deal?! Over the past few weeks I’ve lucked out and booked some travel deals that made my heart skip a beat. In fact, thinking about those travel deals still makes me smile. Check out some of the HOT Travel Deals that can be found around the web this week…

G.A.P Adventures has some exciting deals for those who wish to travel the Inca Trail, Greece, Russia and the Trans Mongolian or into the Arctic to see polar bears. With 10-25% OFF (depending on the destination), this may be a great time to book an adventure with G.A.P.

If G.A.P. doesn’t go there, chances are Intrepid Travel does! Save 10% on Intrepid Travel’s new range of short break adventures. Book online now-if you’re thinking of visiting Canada this year, definitely check-out Intrepid’s tours. They are H.O.T., PLUS I may be around to meet you for a drink!

Looking for cheap flights from Canada or the USA? Look into deals with Air Transat. I recently booked a one way flight from Toronto to Rome for only $319 (taxes included).

Flight deals from Europe to Asia can be found right now with EgyptAir, and there are always amazing deals for flights within Asia with Air Asia.

Orbitz is currently offering 60% OFF at Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Montego Bay All Inclusive on Orbitz.com! (Exp. 4-30-11) -I don’t know about you, but I sure wouldn’t mind some sand & sun right now!

Spunky Sales & New Products

Hooray for a SALE! I love me a sale (who doesn’t?!).

Check out some of the great sales and new products I’ve come across this week.

Sometimes ordering gear & travel clothing online can be a lot cheaper than buying it in the store. Overhead is almost non-existent in the online world, so always compare online shopping prices to store prices. The North Face offers flat rate shipping of $7.95 per order or FREE in-store pick-up.

Did you know that Kelty offers 40% off their web specials?! Check them out if you’re looking for a new pack, camping gear etc.

Merrell has introduced a new lightweight runner for women called the Avian Light. “As if lightweight weren’t enough, our Avian Light Ventilator hiking shoe adds mesh panels for climate control to its agile trail performance platform – simultaneously helping you fly over terrain and keep your cool.” Have you tried the new Merrell Avian Light shoes? Send us your review!

Eagle Creek is my go-to company for compression packs, however they’ve introduced a new wide body carry-on bag called the Tarmac 20. I love that they’ve included a diagram to show which compression packs (and how many) will fit inside. Very helpful info.

Blog of the Week

Unlike the Blog Crawls I did last year which featured several blogs, I’ve decided to highlight one blog each week.

Married with Luggage is one of my all-time favorite blogs. Warren & Betsy Talbot are a couple from Seattle who are currently on a re-positioning cruise with G.A.P Adventures from Argentina to England! How did they get that gig? They asked!!

Be sure to pop by their blog to read about their adventures through Central & South Americas, as well as their cruise through Antarctica. What’s up next for Warren & Betsy? Europe!! See you in Italy, guys!!

**I swear Warren & Betsy take daily medication, I have never, in my life, met people who are so perky & happy ALL THE TIME, as these two are.

Nothing reminds me of summer more than a family road trip.  Two days after school let out, we’d pile in the car on the first leg of summer vacation to visit our extended family.  A few weeks later we’d head out on an epic road and camping trip.  Before the invention of ipods, netbooks, and portable DVD players we amused ourselves playing I- Spy and the license plate game.  We had travel bingo, a magnetic checkers set and more crayons than I care to think about.  With a little imagination we survived and thinking about punching my sister in the backseat, my Dad stopping at every rest stop and seeing a unique license plate will always stir up memories of those summer road trips.

Now that it’s just Danny and I, we road trip without the crayons, but it’s still our favorite form of travel.  We love the complete freedom of going wherever whenever.  Usually we try to make a vacation out of it and hit the road to someplace we can hike, bike or camp.  Some of our happiest days of our trip around the world were road tripping in Argentina, South Africa and Laos.  Sure it was different driving on the opposite side of the road or on a motorbike in a developing country, but nevertheless there’s a certain romantic appeal to touring an area on your own.  We probably never would have discovered Steers Burgers in South Africa or Isla de los Pajaros in Argentina which inspired Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s description of a hat in The Little Prince on a regular tour.

In honor of the weather turning warm and with summer just around the corner here are some of my favorite U.S. road trips.  Still on my list are Seward Highway in Alaska, and California’s Route 1 near Big Sur. What’s on yours?

U.S. 1: It’s an epic trip for sure from Maine to Key West.  From the tropics to the mountains and dense forests of our border with Canada this 2,377 mile route will take you through more small towns than you can shake a stick at.  I can’t say that we’ve driven the route in its entirety but we have seen it’s beginning in Key West and been pretty darn close to its end in Maine.  In fact, we even own a souvenir Route 1 mile zero road sign!

Blue Ridge Parkway: Winding its way through the Appalachian Mountains and two national parks, this is a stunning drive and one of our favorite places to go when we lived in D.C. Since the road cuts through park land, there are plenty of places to pull off the road and hike, bike or camp, making it a favorite weekend destination.  The leaves are breathtaking in the Fall, but it’s also the most crowded time of year, and there’s plenty of spectacular scenery in the spring and summer.  In Virginia there are a number of caverns just off the highway, nothing that will take your breath away, but interesting diversions nonetheless.  If you camp, watch out for the black bears, which are usually harmless, but are curious about your food!

Sonoma & Napa Valleys: A few years ago we were out in San Francisco and wow this area is gorgeous.  We loved driving through the vineyards and enjoying the relaxed pace of some of the smaller wineries.  Although we didn’t get a chance to get out and hike, there is also a hiking trail near Lake Sonoma, which would probably make for a great picnic.  Did I mention the vineyards and wine?  It’s a great region to explore, but if you’re into hitting as many vineyards as possible, you’ll miss the spectacular scenery and surroundings.

Red Rock Scenic Byway in Sedona: You’d have to be crazy if this scenery didn’t impress you.  The vibrant red clay punctuated by green trees and the occasional cactus flower will make your pictures look professional to everyone back home.  It’s an incredible drive along the Red Rock Scenic Byway through Coconino National Forest and don’t be surprised if you see desert animals along the way.  I can’t really put into words how beautiful this area is.  Even now, having been there, when I see pictures of the area I swear they’ve been enhanced.  It’s just that beautiful.  Although my hike ended well after sunset, there are other shorter hiking trails in the area, just plan ahead because the desert is dark at night!

This is quite frankly the most beautiful palace we’ve ever laid eyes on. The saddening part is that the amazing parts are on the inside and no photos are allowed. If you want to see it, you should go and visit Istanbul. If your name happens to be Obama, you might be able to arrange to stay there for a night.

Special thanks to Flickr user hristos for marking this photo as a favorite.

To see a few of our favorite photos from Turkey click here.
Our PHOTO PAGE has links to all of our collections on Flickr. Be sure to mark some of your own favorites so that we can include them on this column. We’ll be highlighting a different photo every day.

In Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, you can rent a motorbike for the day and drive around the empty streets outside of town. On both sides of the road were plain open fields that seemed to go on forever. I had lost track of time driving on the road. I hadn’t even realized how far I had went because I felt so relaxed riding. Many roads divide along the way onto dirt paths that make for more beautiful sceneries.

Roads of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

Photo: Roads of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay is a post from: Art of Backpacking: Backpacking Independent International Traveler

Atop Table Mountain in South Africa

Summer has to be my favorite season. While I like the emergence of Spring and football in the Fall, the Summer brings hot weather, beach time, the sun setting later, tank tops, cookouts, and happy times.

My other favorite thing about summer is  driving in the evenings in a sundress with the windows down, a warm breeze blowing, and listening to terrible boy band music, like “Summer Time” by LFO. (True story. I know I shouldn’t admit that.) This summer, however, I won’t be doing that. I won’t be driving, I won’t feel those hot summer breezes, and I probably won’t be wearing sundresses either. But am I excited? Most definitely! Through a series of random and very fortunate events, I got a job. In a foreign country. And it sounds perfect. I’m not sure I can even call it a job though, as it will be an educational experience for me and involves travel to places I have never been.

This summer I will be going to a village north of Johannesburg, just outside of Kruger National Park. While I visited South Africa last July, I’ve only been to the Cape Town area. I will be advising on social business start-ups in the poorest region of South Africa where the unemployment rate is extremely high (over 50%). I will be living in the village with a family. I’m excited about living with locals and learning about a new tribe and culture.

In preparation for this gig, I’ve been doing plenty of reading and research, both on the history of South Africa and on social business and development. I first became interested in social business a couple of years ago after stumbling on this online retailer that invests their profits in women’s micro-lending programs. I’ve even assisted in starting a small business in Kenya. This opportunity will allow me to put my Africa and business knowledge to use while gaining a more in-depth view of start-ups in rural Africa. I am thrilled for the opportunity and of course, can’t wait to blog about it :)

What are your travel plans this summer?

Related posts:

1. German Train Travel Rants & a Stop in Neubrandenburg
2. RTW Travel: The Last Stop
3. Cape Town: First Impressions

Things always happen when you least expect it.

We had met AllWays Rentals on twitter a couple of years ago and were always friendly with our fellow travel enthusiasts. When we found out we were coming to New Zealand we let them know and they graciously picked us up in Christchurch to show us around. Unfortunately Christchurch was just hit by a severe earthquake so we didn’t get to see it’s beautiful downtown core, but we took a drive to the park where we met their two wonderful boys and had dinner at their house.

AllWays Rentals rents cheap campervans, cars and trucks to travelers heading to New Zealand. You can rent from either Christchurch or Aukland depending on where you fly into the country. For more information check out AllWaysRentals.co.nz

We Have a Car Sponsor

It was during dinner that we told them about our upcoming trip to Mongolia. After discussing our route and car options that we were thinking about, AllWays said that they would like to sponsor us. Needless to say we were excited to have a sponsor onboard.

They knows which car will make it to Mongolia carrying 4 people with all their luggage and camera gear. We hadn’t thought about the fact that there were four of us and that the car would be greatly weighed down by our gear. A 1.2 litre engine wouldn’t have the guts to carry us and we were already giving up hope of taking an ambulance to Mongolia.

Four People in This would be Insane!

The rules of the Mongol Rally are that you have to drive a no greater than a 1.2 litre engine that is not more than 10 years old. The exception to this rule is to bring an emergency vehicle, but the rules can be very strict as to what passes for an emergency vehicle and getting our hands on an ambulance proved more difficult than we expected.

We are Now Driving a Car

After talking with AllWays Rentals about our car and listening to their expertise, we realized that a car is a far better choice. It has a better chance of making it without breaking down as an older emergency vehicle would, it is far less expensive on gas consumption and with the proper servicing we shouldn’t have to carry an entire garage worth of tools and spare parts with us.

He talked with us about finding a simple car that is easy to find parts for and fix on the road.

We can’t announce what we will be driving yet because we don’t have it, but AllWays Rentals is on the job!

Read more about the Mongol Rally at our Website The Social Media Syndicate

Mongol Rally Vehicle and AllWays Rentals is a post from: The Planet D: Canada's Adventure Couple

Colorful Beirut is best seen on foot

“Why did you come here in February? It’s the worst month for weather; it’s so unpredictable.” This was the common question I was asked throughout Lebanon. The sky was heavy with moisture and dark clouds rolled in over the Mediterranean; it was pouring rain yet again. The taxi driver dropped me off near the medical gate at AUB, American University of Beirut, and gave me a sheepish smile as I got out of the cab, expanded my umbrella and stepped out into the wet street.

This rainy Sunday I was scheduled to take a walking tour of Beirut and I didn’t want a little rain to stop me…again. I was actually planning to take the tour the previous weekend, but it had been rained out due to torrential downpours (seriously, it was raining sideways). But this weekend, Ronnie confirmed the predictable unpredictable February weather would not stop the tour so I showed up with an umbrella eager to finally learn more about this unique city on foot.

I had accidentally happened upon this walking tour while surfing around the internet for information about Beirut. I was scouring the events/activities section of Time Out Beirut online and came across Ronnie’s walking tour, Walk Beirut. I immediately was interested; it lasted 4 hours, it was a way to get some exercise, and it promised to be full of the Beirut war and rebuilding history that I was constantly trying to understand. It was to cover a large part of downtown Beirut which I had already walked around on my own, but this would actually allow me to get some answers to my many questions about the buildings, the rebuilding, and the long drawn out war.

A raincoat and umbrella clad crowd gathered at the AUB main gate. As each new person walked up they asked if this was the Beirut Walking Tour and Ronnie personally greeted each person and shook their hand. Ronnie is the mastermind behind Walk Beirut and he’s a former student of AUB.   His family is Lebanese and lives in Beirut, but they also lived in the States during parts of the civil war.  All of this means that he has a great grasp on the Lebanese history as well as a good understanding of what tourists might want or expect.  He started the Walk Beirut tour in June 2006, but had to cut it short following the war with Israel in July and August that summer. Tourism more or less disappeared until early 2009, and he brought the tour back to life that year, in April 2009, and it’s been ongoing since.

Ronnie teaches us about the Roman Baths as we take a load off our feet!

Ronnie started out by providing some general background on Lebanon and AUB university. Then he went on to start explaining that Beirut had been embroiled in 15 years of war from 1975 to 1990 of which the primary unrest occurred in downtown Beirut very near where we were standing. Miraculously, as we started walking away from AUB, the rain trickled to a stop and all of the umbrella’s were packed away; even though the sky still looked like a water balloon ready to pop.

We walked on to the Banque du Libon which isn’t a particularly memorable building, but Ronnie used it to provide the background on the current Lebanon political/religious structure, how businesses are tied into religious quotas, and why the American dollar is such a key currency in Lebanese life. With 18 recognized religions which must be represented in government it’s no wonder Lebanese politics are super confusing.

We walked our of Hamra and towards the are referred to as the Green Line in the war. Here Ronnie provided some background on the mix of architecture (Turkish, Frecnh, and Lebanese) you see peppered throughout Beirut. Most fascinating was the explanation around why old dilapidated building still lie in disrepair admist fancy new condos and refurbished homes. This was one of the things that had confused me during my time in Beirut. There wasn’t necessarily a ‘bad part of town’, instead there would be these abandoned looking bombed out buildings standing among shiny new ones. Upon closer look though, the buildings were abandoned, there were people living in them in a seemingly unlivable situation. Due to complex rules around rent control and family ownership these buildings were a constant reminder of the confusion that Beirut exemplifies.

The run-down buildings are still standing

The refurbished home next door...

Next we walked deep into the war history by dissecting the most impressive reminder of the war – the Holiday Inn. If you are in Beirut, then you’ll run across this abandoned war beacon sometime during your stay no doubt. It’s hard to miss aprox. 30 floors of concrete pocked by bullet holes. It hovers over the corniche and the Mediterranean for everyone to see. The Holiday Inn was open for exactly 1 year from 1974 to 1975 and was originally the largest Holiday Inn in the Middle East. But in 1975 it became the focal point of the war as it overlooked the Green Line which was the heart of the fighting for 15 years. Due to the complex landlord ownership rules it still stands and is owned by the Kuwait royal family with no real intention to do anything with it in the near future. Currently the space is let out to the Lebanese army and they store various equipment in the ground floors.

The Holiday Inn 'shell'

Next we crossed over into the major rebuilding areas of Beirut. We learned all about how Solidere is the company taking on the challenge of bringing the city back to life and rebuilding downtown. It seems as if Solidere is equally loved and hated, but is probably pretty par for the course in Beirut. We walked through a heavily secured area, the old Jewish quarter of Beirut and saw one of the only synagogues in Beirut. This area was heavily bombed during the war by the Israelis….yes Israel. Opposition groups stored arms and artillery in this area thinking Israel wouldn’t bomb their own areas…but in the Lebanese war…nothing was off limits. The neighborhood was flattened.

We moved forward towards the heart of downtown by moving further back in history to the time of the ancient Romans and saw the old Roman ruins that lie beneath the city. They seem to be completely overshadowed by the rest of the fascinating Lebanese history, but it was an interesting stop in this diverse landscape of Beirut. We also walked into the main circle which was full of French colonization history and which had also been leveled during the war. However, this area was the jewel of the Solidere project as it had all been refurbished and rebuilt to be a shiny new home of Beirut tourism. Shops and coffee bars lined the spoke-angled streets which all led to a central clock tower at the hub. It was here where we took a short 20 minute break to get some coffee, snacks, or use the facilities. Considering we had already been walking for 3+ hours, it was time for a break.

The rebuilt downtown full of coffee bars and shopping

Apparently Mother Nature all felt like it was time for our break as during our 20 minutes of free time she decided to burst the water balloon and relieve the skies of their misery as rain pelted down with force. Luckily, our little tour group led a charmed life as we watched it rain from the shelter of coffee shops. As if Mother Nature knew Ronnie’s tour schedule, she stopped right when we were supposed to meet again and continue our walking tour.

The water drenched clocktower provides a nice glow

It was getting quite dark and the wet streets provided a bright reflection of the streetlights, but we walked on learning about the recent history in Beirut – the history of the last 5 years. This tumultuous time was equally disturbing as the civil war considering it was full of 15 assassinations of Lebanese leaders in the short span of about a year. We stopped at Martyr’s Square where Ronnie provided us a very informative explanation of it’s history from France occupation to the civil war to the recent Cedar Revolution. It was clear that this square was the focal point for Beirut…the new Beirut…the one full of hope.

Martyr Square Beirut

It was completely dark by now and we continued to walk through old bombed out neighborhoods which had yet to be slated for redevelopment. It was eerie and at times felt as if we were walking through a giant haunted house and I braced myself for some goblin to jump out at me. Ronnie led us to the neighborhood of Gemmayze which really signified the new Beirut…the nightlife. Gemmayze is the place to be when it gets dark. It’s lined with small little bars and cafes that go all night packed full of locals and expats enjoying the intimate surroundings. It was fitting that it was here where we ended out 4 ½ hour walking tour as we all poured into a little bar for a celebration drink and a toast to Mother Nature for keeping us miraculously dry during our afternoon of walking.

A haunting scene in Beirut at night

The tour was probably the most informative and useful time I spent in Beirut. I unfortunately taken the tour at the end of my month long stay in Beirut; however I see it as a the perfect ‘warm-up’ for your arrival into Beirut. Ronnie provides you with a historical base, a map, and a thirst to explore more. I was thoroughly impressed by his knowledge, professionalism, and ability to handle a crowd of 30 to 40 people walking through the busy and chaotic streets of Beirut. I highly recommend the Beirut Walking Tour to be one of your first stops in Lebanon.

Walk Beirut Website – http://www.bebeirut.org/walk.html

Tours run Saturday and Sunday in the winter months and cost $20US – a good value for 4 1/2 hours of walking and information!

Disclosure: Ronnie did provide me this tour free of charge; and I in return offered to buy him a beer at the end of the tour…

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