the beqaa

this needs very little explanation.

i went to the beqaa valley today. it is in western lebanon, a bit south of beirut, and known as the country's "breadbasket" because it includes 40% of its arable land.

the different areas that i passed through today alternatingly and simultaneously reminded me of costa rica, other non-desert middle eastern land, and switzerland: every road was a curva peligrosa on the edge of a cliff overlooking little villages, and snowy peaks enclosed the valley on both sides.

lebanon is roughly the size of connecticut. in an hour, i went through a city, farmland, and towns. i saw the mediterranean and a lake, mountains and the valley, 70-degree weather and enough snow to ski.

in these pictures, i tried to capture how stunning lebanon's diversity is. i've never seen anything like it before.