Beirut was definitely not a long awaited or dreamed trip. But I had a good friend there, an Italian guy who I had met in Macau through Couchsurfing and he had been living there for 5 years and about to leave. So....why not?

We always have these conceptions about places like the Maldives, Japan or Brazil but what about Serbia, Cameroon or Lebanon, of which no one speaks of as touristic destinations? I'm sure there's beauty and unexpected details in every country that can turn a trip into something special. The special thing about Beirut is that it's not tourism-friendly at all and that was, for sure, the most refreshing thing I felt there! I couldn't even find postcards to send to my friends!

Lebanese people were extremely friendly, the ruins of the city were overwhelming and the food was delicious and unforgettable. I still crave for manaeesh every now and then.

Here are some pictures of the lovely memories of my New Year trip to Lebanon, I couldn't have gotten into 2015 in better company or ambiance!

(the top image is my welcome work for 2015 which I did with only Lebanese items - the map, the money, the Fairuz album, the comics book, some of the most typical food, some ornaments that I bought on the street, some pictures of old Beirut and all on top of Marco's table, which he did himself and was just lovely)