Dawn in Beirut

As I already mentioned, I was up at 5 am this morning. I'd just dreamt that there was an intruder in my apartment and the last few images I can recall from my dream were of my hands choking his long wiry neck and then *BLINK* I was awake.

The first thing I did was to throw off the covers and look around the room, trying to adjust to the faint light of dawn. Still half-immersed in my dream, I was searching for something to use for self-defense. I reached for the round metal candle stand on top of the headboard, preyed off the impotent lump of wax and grasped the pointed base in my palm in one quick move worthy of a ninja master. I proceeded to do a security sweep of the house, flicking light switches on along the way. I didn't find anyone. (Or he'd escaped the cowardly bastard).

After all this pulse-racing drama, going back to sleep was practically impossible. I was up. At 5 am. On a Saturday morning. Damn!

It was an hour later that I decided "What the hell! I'll go jog along the Beirut Corniche". (I remember being there at that hour before, only usually I'd be heading back home groggy, not the other way round).

I am so glad I did! The sun was just peeking over the mountains, the sea was a silver gray, and all along the broad pavement and mossy rocks were men of all ages dipping their fishing rods and brewing coffee. I took some pictures too!

I certainly don't recommend waking up in code-red full alert panic. But if you ever find yourself in Beirut and up at 6, you know where to go...