Tripoli

Sorry to have not posted in a while, but I've been busy... traveling back to America!  I'm just started to get over my jet lag and thought I would go ahead and finish some posts I started when I was in Lebanon, so you can expect a few more Leb posts to leak out over the next week or so.

Our last Saturday we went to Tripoli, the second largest city in Lebanon.  Tripoli is known for many things, but it's famous in Lebanon for its sweets. I wanted to post a picture for you, but I didn't take any and apparently no one else did either.
I have a confession to make.  I'm not that cultured.  I'm not a super picky eater, but there are some things that just aren't on my pallet, and baklava and these types of sweets are some of them.  It's doesn't help that I don't like nuts.  Have no fear though!  I still found some sweets for me.  Cooper (the 2 year old) and I split a kiddie cannon, which is a ice cream sundae served in the shape of a cannon.  We both loved it, which only reinforces my suspicion that I don't act my age. 

Tripoli also has ruins from a castle. 

The castle was once held under siege so there is a tunnel that runs underground from the castle to the sea.  Of course I had to go through it, because we all know that crawling in 1000 year old tunnels is just my thing.  It doesn't go all the way to the sea now, but we went as far as we could.  Worth it!

It starts with this inconspicuous doorway.

From there we headed down some stairs.

Past the crumbling room...

Then we ducked in a doorway and went down these spiral stairs. They went
several stories underground.

It was very dark under there!  We ended up using
our camera flashes as a light to navigate the eroding stairs. 

Above ground again we climbed some scaffolding to get some pictures of Tripoli.  The scaffolding wasn't quite finished though...

What could've made daring the scaffolding worth it?  That mountain in the back is Syria!  Or so I'm told...

This was my first time in Tripoli but it's easily one of my favorite places in Lebanon.