Going to the South - Beaufort Castle

Last weekend we went to the southern area of Lebanon.  At the start we went to Beaufort Castle (Qala'at al-Shazif in Arabic) which originally was a crusader castle.  When you get there you realize why this fortress was built.  It has a commanding view of pretty much all of southern Lebanon into Syria and south into Israel (Occupied Palestine) and the Golan Heights.  The country of Kuwait has funded repairs to the fortress and therefore it is a lovely place to see.

Since the Crusades ,this location has been used by many to protect, defend and occupy the area. While there, it is so fascinating to see this beautiful place but it is also very thought provoking. In the recent past this area was occupied by Israeli troops. Right next to the castle is an Israeli bunker that is now being made into a museum. As always, places like this make me want to be more hopeful that there can be peace and acceptance in the world. Here are some pictures of the first day we spent in the  Southern area of Lebanon.

Within the Castle

You can see a long way south and east from here.  Lebanon, Syria, and Israel are captured in this picture. A view like this reminds me of how close everything is here compared to in the States.

Used ordinance left in the castle.

If you look carefully you can see the Mediterranean in the distance. This is the view to the west.

Across from the Castle is where the Israeli bunker was.

Israeli "Pill Box"

This is what the entrance of the bunker looks like today. Soon it will be the entrance to a museum.

The view of the fortress from the road below.

 Such a beautiful area of the world. Rolling farmlands, lovely small towns and as always that wonderful Lebanese hospitality!

Thailand....Part 2 - The Weekend Market and Ayutthaya

Here are some more pictures from our fantastic trip to Bangkok!

First, here are a couple of pictures of the day we went to the largest market (Souk) in the world. It was close quarters, very hot and very busy. The humidity had kicked up, we got lost in the labyrinth but it was incredible. We also got some nice souvenirs.

We finally successfully got out of the market only to find this lovely park that we had to walk through to get to the skytrain to get back to the hotel.

The kids were troopers. Here are the Dunham kids with ours. So glad we got to vacation with them.

When we got off the skytrain and the rain started coming down. Reminded me of Beirut but with better drainage and WAY more traffic!

After some time in the hotel pool, we went down the street to a restaurant that someone recommended to us. All natural/organic and truly fabulous! "Clik" was a great place to go with a wonderful chef/owner! Here are the kids enjoying their fresh watermelon juice! If you go to Bangkok you will need to find this little oasis in the city!

Just a nice picture of Tim, Jonna and Nate

The next day we went to Ayutthaya, otherwise known as Old Siam. This is where the Royal Palace was for many years. The area was beautiful.

A view of the Royal Gardens from above.

From there we went to Wat Mahatat and saw some beautiful ruins.

I really loved the Buddha head in the tree. I can only imagine 200 years from now how high up to head will be in the tree...

We then went to Wat Na Phra. This temple had a huge golden Buddha with jewels encrusted in the ceiling.  First, here is the outside of the temple. The second picture is a picture of a display at the foot of the Buddha. The picture third down is from the back of the room. If you look carefully you can see the people between the statues in front and the Buddha in the back. It was all very peaceful.

This one was in the building next door.

This is the famous reclining Buddha. It was huge!

We saw some of the Durian fruit for sale. It didn't smell but I think that is because we were outside. I am sure it would be really stinky if it was in a store.

We then had the chance to take a boat cruise back to Bankok. It was so nice to see everything from the water. What a unique view!

Some of my favorite pictures are the ones you see where people are just living, day to day....

This is one of my favorite pictures as well. 

This huge barge was going through on the river as well. It was impressive.

A picture of the King and Queen. There are pictures EVERYWHERE of them. They must be loved.

Coming into Bankok

In the city we saw this view of the famous Wat Arun. it was being remodeled.

Water traffic was  interesting.

Yes, there will be at least one more blog of Thailand. There was so much to see.....