Filmed in June 2006, 2 weeks before the latest outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, Megan McCormick travels to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. It is a city with a long history of political and social unrest, but retains an atmosphere of optimism and hope for the future. Megan finds a warm welcome at her traveller’s hostel, before heading out in search of a decent falafel. After lunch Megan gets a briefing on the current political landscape and history of Lebanon from the editor of a national Lebanese newspaper. They visit a few of the city’s key areas, where fighting during the civil war took place, but keep a safe distance from the volatile southern suburbs. The Beirut future rests with the young. After learning about the past and the present, Megan meets up with a group of young rap artists, eager to live in peace and move forward in the future. Leaving the city, Megan takes a day trip to the fishing village of Byblos. She visits the souk, and finds an amazing collection of fossils. She decides to head in to the hills to uncover some of her own. In time, Megan travels back to Beirut via Jeita Grotto, a beautiful series of underground caves and lakes. Again in Beirut, Megan tries to master the art of Belly Dancing with the legendary teacher Khanito. Megan finishes her trek with a trip to the beach, having discovered Beirut to be a welcoming city, providing her a fulfilling and fascinating journey. To finish the episode, we take look back at Beirut 10 years ago, when Globe Trekker visited the city just after the civil war had ended. Merrilees Parker visited Tripoli, the Bekaa Valley and the ancient ruins at Baalbek, while Ian Wright took a trip down to Damascus.

• published: 31 Aug 2015
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