Bekaa Valey, Lebanon

I wake up looking forward to a day at the beach, but Sarah and Becky decide they’d rather rent a car and drive through Hezbollah territory near the contested border with Israel. Even though I can hardly drive stick shift, I end up behind the wheel driving down a self-proclaimed Martyr’s Avenue, past UN fortifications, and stalling at Syrian checkpoints. Oh, and we stopped to ask the family in the picture if there were landmines around before our hike in the hills…