The middle east has been relatively stable since we arrived nearly 20 months ago. Just recently however, tensions have reached breaking point in Lebanon/Syria/Israel. I am sure that I’m partly responsible.
Less than a month ago I suggested as our family’s first overseas holiday that we “hit” Lebanon. Lebanese people are abundant in Dubai, including my workplace, and they all speak so fondly of the place, all the pictures look lovely, and as the icing on the cake, we get a chance to eat their food quite often. And after a little research it seemed like a lovely place to visit, we even had the offer of a friendly colleague to be our tour guide. But as soon as I put the idea in my head, war broke out!
I subscribed to the Australian Government’s travel warnings for Lebanon, and almost every day for the past week and a bit I’ve received an update with a more strongly worded warning. So our plan to fly to Beirut are now shelved for some time.
I’m sure we can find another interesting location in a similar proximity to the UAE. Sri Lanka looks the most promising at the moment. Their civil war finished last year, after 25 long years.
Interestingly with the Lebanese conflict, I heard some news which I thought would surely help sort things out. It seemed the US were sending in the Hof – which got me excited that things may still be possible. But it turns out it is not David “Hof” Hasselhof from Knight Rider fame. Instead, it was US Diplomat Fredric Hof.
What can he do that’s nearly as useful as a talking crime-fighting sports car?