Story: Beirut and Southern Lebanon

My journeys to the Middle East 2007- 2008
By William Cendak II

I’ve long had a desire to do freelance photojournalism and travel in a war zone. So for Christmas I bought myself a ticket and headed to Beirut, Lebanon. I choose Lebanon because it’s an area that has the potential to heat up at any given moment. After landing in Beirut, I called my fixer (a local contact who knows the area and who can get you out of a jam) to meet and get my trip started. I checked in to my room in the Hamra district of downtown, right across the street from AUB (American University of Beirut). I received a phone call and I was off the meet the fixer at a coffee shop. I told her I wanted to go to the south, that I wanted to see a refugee camp, and that I wanted to see the ancient city of Baalbeck.

The next day a driver showed up at my hotel and we headed down the road to Damascus. About 20 minutes from the Syrian border in the Bekaa valley. We headed northeast to the 3 millennium site of Baalbeck. Known as the “Sun city”, one of the most impressive Roman sites in the Middle East, it out shined anything built in Rome with it’s mighty scale. In the last quarter of the 1st millennium Baalbeck neared completion, in the final years of NERO’s reign (37–68) The city of Ballbeck is as known as a seat of Hezbollah (The Party of God)
On the way back to Beirut we stopped at Massaya winery for a tour and wine tasting, the winery is as known for it’s Arak, a type of Grappa that one mixes with water in order to drink. The winery has a tasting room slash eatery which servers free wine and really tasty BBQ.

31 Dec.2007
Sabra-Shatila Palestinian refugee camp.
I spent most the day inside the camp with my fixer, talking to people, listing to their stories, and getting a feel for everyday life inside a refugee camp. My visit coincided with Fatah’s anniversary, Fatah is a Palestinian political party and largest faction of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization). I was able to be part of the anniversary and watch the parade that went through the streets of the camp.

Two days later we went to the south of Lebanon, to an area controlled by Hezbollah, the United Nations, and the Lebanese army. As we drove along the border of Israel, signs and posters along the roadside paid tribute to fallen Hezbollah fighters of past conflicts We went to Beaufort castle, a strategic location over 1000 ft above the Litani River that was used by the crusaders in 1193. It’s believed that the fortification was built in the late Romans or Byzantine period. It has been used by the PLA, the Lebanese army, and the Israelis took it over in past war (2006) because of its great military advantage. When the Israeli's were finished and were pulling out they blew up many sections of this historical site that is carved into the mountain.

After leaving the castle and the town of Arnun we headed to the town of El Khiam, the site of Khiam Detention Center. The area was another military stronghold used by the PLO, Hezbollah and the Israelis. We drove along the border and back to the coast to the town of Tyre, another historical town rich in history and one of the closest towns to the Border. I spent a lot of time seeing the beautiful country and spent many a night enjoying the great nightlife in the Gemmayzeh and Monot districts of downtown

In all the trip was insightful, I was able to dip my foot in to the world of combat photography and see if I could both handle it and or could deal with the changing climate of conflict. To walk in the path of people less fortunate then myself, who still face the uncertainty of what tomorrow brings. Despite the turbulent political climate, The Lebanese have learned to have fun and live life from day to day. I’m happy to say I would return to Lebanon, and now I think the next stop is the poppy fields Afghanistan. I’m working on getting a fixer and contacts as this is written.