Wow, I think this is the longest time ever that since starting this I have not posted anything. Reason? Not sure, I was out taking photos, travelled a bit but never really found the time to attend to this due to other commitments and work. Just recently returned from Germany were I had been for a week only.

On the morning I was leaving, while already awake before dawn, with the Windows wide open, I could hear some very distant thunder, which I thought was welcome to relive the recent heat a bit. Then, as it was requested, a few drops of rain started falling, first very slowly and then more intense, just enough to make a steady background sound. With the rain came this nice smell of a summer morning through the window, the distant thunder, and it would have so nice to continue lying there and listen and fall asleep again, but I had to get up to catch the train and eventually the plane to fly back to the Middle East. By the time the Taxi came to take me to the train station the sweet rain had changed into a downpour and the time from the door to the car with the luggage was enough to get me wet.

The Train Station on a Sunday morning at 5 is always an experience, many different creatures of the night lingering, waiting to be taken away by the commuter trains to whatever places they dwell.

                                                             Good Morning Duesseldorf @ 6:10 - Waiting for breakfast.....

Frankfurt Airport was so congested due to the European 'Holiday Season" that the plane had to wait for 40 minutes to take off, although it was ready to depart as scheduled. The Middle East greeted with intense heat and humidity, a messed up luggage delivery system and chocked airport, blocked roads and the usual mayhem. As of todays writing the "Garbage Crisis" has added a new dimension to the whole scenario. Beirut is overflowing with trash and the flow on the highway to the south has been stopped since yesterday due to plans to open a new landfill. The Garbage crisis of course adds to the political crisis, the electricity crisis, and any other crisis that can be found. It has a potential to bring down the government according to various news sources, and that, in the situation where the country is also without president, could have a big impact to put it slightly. As of this afternoon it seems to be solved for now, at least the highway south seems to have been unblocked. 

The Chouf Mountains are still an area that is relatively save to travel to and it not as hot and especially humid these days. Now the trouble is starting again with forest fires, by accident or in order to further 'development'. Ramadan came and went, the beaches were empty in Tyre during the day, mostly but evenings were long with lot's of activity until far after midnight.

Tyre Beach at 8 with 'Chai"

Otherwise there was nothing significant in the country or Beirut. Still using to my fullest satisfaction the X100s and OMD from Olympus. 

First sniffing and then peeing? Well not in this case, lucky one :)

Rue Hamra Street Market

The Fish stinks from the head, everywhere.