Just a 40-minute drive and the warm coastline turns into cold Lebanese mountains. I clearly arrived before peak season and unexpectedly found myself stuck in snowdrifts. In a couple of spots, I even had to find detours because the road was completely buried in snow. Lost a couple of hours to that.

The divine Cedar Forest (that's literally its name) turned out to be closed because of the weather. The forest is surrounded by a stone wall (thanks to Queen Victoria of England) and you can't just walk in. It's frustrating to show up at a closed door at one of the most famous spots in the country.

But I got lucky: there was a souvenir shop right by the entrance that was open. The owner figured out what was going on and asked conspiratorially: "Want to get inside? 😉". After I said yes, he led me along hidden trails and I actually got to walk among thousand-year-old trees.

PS. Since we're talking about millennia, the sheer number of Roman structures in Lebanon that have survived to this day in pretty good condition is mind-blowing. As is the fact that you can just walk around them without any fences or barriers. Probably because there aren't many visitors.