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A reminder in London on the way to Beirut of what OPEC has helped to produce for consumers.
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View of the Mediterranean from hotel.
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Lobby of the Intercontinental Phoenicia where the OPEC meeting was held.
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Christian town of Deir Al-Qamar on the way to Beiteddine.
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Mosque in Deir Al-Qamar - though it's a Christian town today, demography has been fluid over the centuries in Lebanon.
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Deir Al-Qamar.
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View of the valley between Deir Al-Qamar and Beiteddine. Truly stunning vistas of a country with near-perfect Mediterranean weather.
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View of the valley between Deir Al-Qamar and Beiteddine.
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View of the valley between Deir Al-Qamar and Beiteddine.
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View of the valley between Deir Al-Qamar and Beiteddine. Note the grape trellis, a frequent site in Levantine homes.
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View of the valley between Deir Al-Qamar and Beiteddine.
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Beiteddine, former center of Lebanese government a few hundred years ago. Beautifully restored with gardens, mosaic museum and annual music festival.
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Beiteddine gardens.
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Beiteddine and gardens.
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View from Beiteddine. The building is perched on a hilltop overlooking the valley on three sides, very defensible position.
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Restored mosaic on display in Beiteddine. The mosaics appear to be from the Roman era.
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View on the road from Beiteddine. The yellow flowers gave a wonderful scent that's hard to describe.
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View on the road from Beiteddine.
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View on the road from Beiteddine.
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Summer restaurant that incorporates waterfalls (barely visible in the back) and a running stream. Arab tourists from the Gulf flock to such places.
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Same restaurant showing water wheel.
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Mosque in central Beirut, once scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the Civil War.
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Clock tower in a popular street mall in central Beirut. Shattered buildings from the war compete with gorgeous rebuilt areas throughout the city.
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Last standing Lebanese Jewish synagogue (small building, center left). About to undergo restoration.
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The shot-up remnants of the Beirut Holiday Inn from which so many reporters worked during the war.
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View of late-spring remaining snowcap on the mountains seen from the floor of the Bekaa Valley.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek. This octagonal area was entirely covered by a stone roof.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Overlooking the Bekaa Valley from Baalbek ruins. This was a major marijuana growing area. The crop has mostly died out now.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek. This is the best preserved temple at the site, graffitti from over a century of western and Arab tourists is etched all over.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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Roman ruins at Baalbek.
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"Downtown" Baalbek, yellow poster is for Hizbullah, the dominant political party in the area.
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Hizbullah flag coming out of Baalbek.
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Poster of Hizbullah spiritual leaders on side of rode heading out of Baalbek towards Christian town of Zahleh.
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Covered summer restaurants in Zahleh. Perched up on a canyon side with a river running down the middle. Nice people, fresh air, incredible food.
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The Beirut corniche at sunset.
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The Beirut corniche at sunset.
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