Written by hana on June 23rd, 2010
To observe International Bio-Diversity Day on Sunday, June 13th we went trekking in the highlands of Mt. Sannine. Despite the high altitude (2500+ meters) there was an amazing variety of flora that made for a spectacular landscape of rugged mountains, diverse and colorful shrubbery and scattered snowfields. Christian (our guide) told us that the amount of snow was what it usually looks like in August. The snowfall this winter was minimal. The only person we met on our hike was Khalil the shepherd and his freshly shorn flock of 400 sheep and four sheep dogs. Watching sheep sliding down a snowfield is really hilarious because they seemed to be doing it intentionally.
Highland shrubbery
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Written by hana on May 31st, 2010
The June/July 2010 issue of Cedar Wings, the in-flight magazine of Middle East Airlines, has featured a 10 page article on “A Million Steps”. If you will be traveling with MEA this summer, be sure to check it out.
Padre's boots on a rest day
“El-Hibri’s debut release, A Million Steps takes you on a journey to a little-before-seen world, a side of Lebanon that cannot be reached by car or plane but simply on foot. Self-published, with text accompanied by the stunning photography of Norbert Schiller, the book is a vibrant and touching journey that reveals the true beauty of Lebanon and its people, one step at a time. How did it all begin?”
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Written by hana on May 26th, 2010
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Written by hana on May 13th, 2010
Photojournalist Dana Smillie has produced a short video on the 2009 LMT thru-walk. Its an updated, much more comprehensive version of the Time.com piece that ran in April of last year. Check it out!
http://www.vimeo.com/11543914
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Written by hana on May 11th, 2010
You can read a review in the Arts and culture section of the Daily Star
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Written by hana on May 9th, 2010
May 5th Book signing in Beirut
The book signing of “A Million Steps” at Bokja in Beirut was a huge success. Family, friends and friends of friends turned out in force. Everybody seemed excited and enthusiastic about the book and many wrote wonderful and touching comments in the guest book.
Signing away at Bokja
You can see more photos from the book signing on the facebook fan page.
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Written by hana on April 27th, 2010
I am very happy to announce that “A Million Steps” is now available in all major bookstores in Lebanon.
Virgin
Librarie Internationale
Antoine
Librairie El-Bourj
Way-In Library
Librairie Orientale
Maliks
For online sales :
www.tpbooksonline.com or www.lebanontrail.org
Will announce the release in Europe and the Gulf as soon as the stores are stocked.
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Written by hana on April 18th, 2010
“Hana Hibri discovered her passion for hiking many years ago while on an expedition in the US state of Wyoming. That passion has taken her to the peaks of the Colorado Rockies, the Pyrenees, the Alps and Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. But her 2009 experience hiking the distance of Lebanon was her best journey yet”. For more here is the link to the video on Now Lebanon:
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=161222&MID=123&PID=2
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Written by hana on April 18th, 2010
We start our hike in the hills above the town of Kfar Aqab. The town square is called Blata (The Rock). A reference to the very same in Amin Maalouf’s “The Rock Of Tanios”. In fact we can actually see Mr. Maalouf’s house in his hometown of Ain el Qabou from one of the many vistas on our route today. It is a long and grueling 600m uphill to the cliffs below Shwar Baskinta but the views are worth it despite the stubborn haze that we have had for past couple of days.
The Cave of Sayf el Dawleh
Our amazing guide Georges Hobeika has packed us a homemade lunch: Moujaddarah, salads, side dishes and special Baskinta Kaak. Joseph Karam joins us at our lunch spot bringing with him Chillies (ice cold beers). We all eat far more than we should, but can’t help ourselves. We know we will pay for it on the final climb out of Wadi Jamajim to Baskinta. Sleiman Kettaneh, our second local guide, takes me to the edge of a field to show me the cave of Sayf el Dawleh on the other side of the valley. Padre (who is also a caving expert) tells us it is only accessible by ropes.
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Written by hana on April 18th, 2010
Sultan drives us up to the trail head near the Roman temple of Faqra. This is the section of the trail that we could not do because of the crazy storm last year. We hike through numerous sweet smelling apple orchards and along the banks of a stream.The valley is called Wadi el Kalaa. We stop for lunch at the old monastery of St. Anthony the Great. The monastery seems abandoned but the shade from the large old oaks gives us a break from the strong sun.
Lunch at St Anthony Monastery
At night Rabiah and Benyamin teat us to a beautiful recital of Turkish Sufi music. She plays a Oud like instrument and the music is very soothing.
Rabiah and Benyamin
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