Went by the tourist office (they were closed yesterday when I went by). Looked over the flyers they gave me at lunch, and decided to head to Jeita Grotto (about 10 miles away). Lebanon's public transportation system is virtually non-existant. Basically you have to rely on taxis and service (shared) taxis. To get to Jeita I was able to catch a service taxi, a bus, then a normal taxi (expensive). To get back I had to take a Taxi all the way (very expensive).
The Grotto itself was somewhat of a let down. The rock formations in the caverns wereas good as, or maybe even better than, any I've ever seen before (Carlsbad Caverns, Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, Lewis and Clark, etc), but the walk is perfectly poured concrete and the cave is lit up so well that it comes off as very sterile. The last three caves I've been in (Ma'tya's, Budapest; Jewel, South Dakota; and Mammouth, Kentucky) have involved getting dirty and squeezeing through tight, dark spots, basically getting personal with the cave. I felt like the presentation at Jeita robbed the cave of its magic. Also the tourist facilities are huge concrete monstrosities that have destoryed the beauty of the canyon. There is a train and a cable car to save visitors a three minute walk (I don't think either was needed, but why both?)
Droped by the internet place to pick up my email then set off to see a movie. I went and saw Seven Years in Tibet which I've been trying to see since I got to Europe. It was silly at times but I realy enjoyed it, and I loved the photography. I can't wait to visit Tibet. Since China has signed the UN human rights pact I wonder if the Dali Lama is going to be able to return to Tibet soon?
After the movie I grabed diner (more shwarma) and droped by a live music club, Blues Alley, that had been recomended. Music wasn't scheduled to start until 11 pm, and a beer was 10,000 Lira (about US$7), so I left after one. I didn't feel like going to bed yet so I went back to the Internet cafe and worked on my mapping software until midnight.
