Sweden by Canoe

 The weather report is never one hundred percent accurate in Sweden because of their unpredictable weather. So, planning a canoe trip is not that easy... As the early morning began, I was a bit hesitant because of the grey clouds hiding behind the green skyscrapers (trees). We started by bringing huge jackets and ski clothes but when we arrived at Immeln Lake to canoe, the stormy clouds disappeared. And that is exactly what I mean about the weather. Then, the hard work of paddling began. As we paddled our hearts out, we kept an eye out for a perfect island, to swim, to BBQ, to fish, and to relax on. When we finally settled down on an island, we started to discover and found a small bay. Even though the sun was up and the sky was blue, the water was freezing... Which is not that much of a problem to the people who live in Sweden. But in the end, at least 4 of us jumped in. After that we directly began the BBQ. We barbecued swedish hotdogs and as usual they turned out extremely delicious. It was an amazing experience to be on an island with a forest full of life. As usual, we didn't catch any fish because they were too smart for us. We all had a blast, but that wasn't such a surprise because our canoeing trips every summer in Sweden have become a family tradition.

On the way back, we were exhausted, wishing we had chosen an island closer to the canoe shop.

Nature's Backyard... (Sweden)

I have been impatient and eager to visit Sweden all these days because Sweden is utterly different from Lebanon. In Sweden nature is everywhere. You can find a frog in your shoe. You can find a lizard on your hand. You can even see a torrent of moose crossing the narrow road extending between the spacious forests. The possibilities of nature are never ending... But if you want a garden in Sweden you have to make it yourself and that is exactly what we are working on. What's nice about Sweden is that you can have a house, with a beautiful forest next to it, without being in the middle of nowhere. We are quite lucky to have a quarry right next to our house, which is really exquisite and rare. The quarry is extremely huge and really deep. The only problem is that the water is freezing, which is not a big problem for the people who live in Sweden since they are used to it...

Chez Sami (Resturant)

The sea, the delicious food, the nice view... Everything fits perfectly, in Chez Sami, a great restaurant in Lebanon. The sea was quite rough, so don't imitate my silliness of getting in the sea... As the sun was going down, hiding under the crystal waters, we were have an amazing meal. It was really exquisite to have such an amazing restaurant that comes in a package, with tasty food, and a beautiful sea. I actually despise sea food, but my taste buds changed their minds with the splendid food. The best thing about Chez Sami is that it is close to Jeitta Grotto, which might fit perfectly in a tourist's schedule. It could actually be a fantastic place to swim, if you go there on a sunny day!

The River in Yahchouch

Instead of being obstinate and stubborn, insisting on staying at home, watching TV, we decided to take off to Yahchouch, (a small village in Lebanon) to look for a waterfall and a river. We all thought that we knew exactly how to get there, but I guess we were utterly wrong... When we passed the highway, we started to get lost. So, we climbed up and up, all the way to the top of a mountain. But then we started to get puzzled, thinking that we were not even on a road. It took us one hour more than it was supposed to take us, to get there, since we were clueless and went the long way. When we finally got there, our dogs did not wait a second and leaped into the river. Well, we did not find a waterfall... It was fun, playing in the river with one of our dogs having a blast, splashing everybody with water. An old bridge went across the river; it was quite beautiful but I had a feeling that it could collapse any second. We had to jump from rock to rock, to catch my dog who was having the time of her life, since she was swimming, nonstop. It was a good experience and a lesson: Whenever you decide to go somewhere (specially in Lebanon) you have to have CLEAR instructions.

The POSITIVE + The NEGETIVE

Have you ever visited Jeita Grotto? Well, I highly recommend it, if you're on vacation in Lebanon. Jeita Grotto consists of two huge limestone caves, which are nine kilometers long. I was quite content when I saw the beauty of the fragile stalagmites and stalactites. To me it was a natural splendor and a fascinating sight. The lower cave, actually had water in it. So, we went in a small boat around it on the icy cold water. The upper cave did not contain any water, but it had a small path going around the whole cave. Jeita Grotto is still attempting to become one of the 7 wonders of the world. When I saw the two magnificent caves, I had a feeling that I was going to vote for it. But as we walked out of Jeita Grotto I changed my mind. I saw a sight that made me sick to my stomach. There was a small monkey locked in a small cage trying to escape. Sorrow filled his face... And sadly he was not the only tortured animal over there... Two porcupines were kept in one small cage which can barely fit a hamster. I despise the thought of putting tortured animals in cages. Despite the tortured animals, it was an amazing wonder.

The Golf Club

The morning, the most advantageous time of the day to go and swim in the Golf Club. At that time the pool was clear with no crowds. Well, as the day passed by, more people started to come and that was when the whole pool was utterly crowded. The sun was blazing hot, so eventually all of the chairs emptied as the sun shined more beams on the pool. It was the only thing to do, in that kind of weather. Well, the people weren't the only ones having fun, small birds were pleased with all of the chips next to each chair. That was the highlight of the day... As everybody was having fun, on cloud nine, the cars were roasting in the sun. So, you can imagine what happened when we got back. We had to rush to get back home, because of our tight schedule. Well, paradise can't last for more than five hours. The Golf Club has everything, a pool, a golf course, a tennis court and probably much more. What else can it have?