Pilgrimage from Naame to Barouk 15/08/08

Urrrrgh! What a night...

Between the mosquitoes, the heat and jumping out of my skin at every little noise I'm not even certain I managed a minute of sleep. But finally the room starts to brighten and I know dawn isn't too far away. Packing up my gear I head to the highway ready to face the day...

Now, I'm not completely mad :) Like I was saying yesterday, I might be scared right now but the world hasn't changed...only the way I'm viewing it has. If I can continue to interact with the world the same way I have for the last eight months then I know the world will continue to treat me the same. But saying that, if i have any bad experiences today I'm straight back to Beirut ;)

And I'd like to take this opportunity to give you my view on fear. The way I see it, the universe gave humans the ability to feel and the ability to rationalize. We should use them both. Feelings give us an indication of the state of the world as experienced by our individual minds. They are the filters in which the world interacts with us and we interact with the world. Fear gives us a warning that something might not be right, we then have the opportunity to think rationally about the situation and then make a decision. I believe too many people react solely based on fear, forgetting to utilize their God given ability to rationalize...

A perfect example of this is SARS. When this disease first came into the headlines I was planning a trip to Asia with my girlfriend. Almost every day we were warned by friends and family not to go because of the dangers of this horrendous new disease. It was my girlfriends first major overseas trip so we went to visit a travel doctor before leaving. The appointment finishes...

"Do you know you are the first people I have had through here in a month that haven't asked me about SARS!"

"Why would I be worried about a disease that hasn't even killed 100 people when we are going to countries which have diseases that have killed millions?"

The doctor couldn't agree more and went on to explain he also tells people they have nothing to worry about. Funny, the experts say there is nothing to worry about and yet irrational fear leads thousands of people to cancel their holidays...

The road is quiet and the temperature is perfect for walking. All in all a great morning. A young guy is walking towards me on the same side of the road. Taking a deep breath I catch his eye, smile and nod...

"Good morning"

The warmth in his smile immediately reassures me and cheers me up immensely...

"Good morning"

I stop for breakfast and explain what I'm doing to the owner. He couldn't be more happy for me and with no "be careful" or "you can't do that it's dangerous up there" my confidence starts to return.

Turning East towards the Shouf my roads starts to ascend into the mountains. With my new found confidence my cameras reemerge from the pack and I'm once again walking with a bounce in my step.

My only problem is it's hot. Incredibly HOT! By the time I stop for brunch my shirt looks like I have worn it swimming. A couple of young guys come to chat, inviting me back to their house for tea. Unfortunately it's a bit out of the way so I have to decline, but thanks guys :)

Staggering into Deir El Qamar around 12:30 I'm pleased with my progress, it's always a great feeling to manage 20kms before lunch. This place use to be the capital of Lebanon and is a bit of a tourist hub. The town center is cute but the highlight for me is the huge plate of spaghetti I'm served for lunch. Awesome :)

Continuing into the mountains my progress becomes slower and slower while my breaks becoming more and more frequent...but I'm determined to make Barouk before calling it a day. Stopping at an internet cafe I'm pleased no end when I emerge to find I'm now in the clouds. Much better walking conditions :)

Night falls and finally around 21:00 Barouk comes into sight. Passing a restaurant the owner, Yusouf, invites me in for a drink and explains that the entrance to the National Park, where I'll find the cedars, is only 5-6kms away.

Finishing the day with a steep hill is never much fun but unless I want to camp in the middle of town I don't have much choice. Struggling to reach the edge of the village I find a perfect camp spot and call it a night...