It is the Lebanese wonder that shocks the expatriates, and sows heartbreak in the hearts of the residents, some of whom are satisfied with “watching”, in a strange strange homeland.
The resident Lebanese is not alone in shock. The expatriate is more shocked by the fact that he is following the situation from a distance and knows very well that the rise in the price of the dollar has negatively affected the lives of many, and that poverty has increased and the electricity crisis is deepening, especially since fuel prices are rising, drug prices are exorbitant and the reality of hospitals is catastrophic.
However, when he comes to his homeland, he is surprised that eating dinner in any restaurant requires a prior reservation a few days in advance, if he has a table.
As for staying up late, booking chalets is another story, as any chalet in any geographical part of Lebanon needs to be booked in advance a month or more. All those responsible for these reservations respond to your questions over the phone, “We apologize, you are responsible,” bearing in mind that the price of one night in any chalet is equivalent to the price of a ticket for four or five days to Cyprus or Turkey.
This profitable trade, which brings into the pocket “Fresh dollars”, prompted those who own a few meters in any village, to develop some wooden huts, equip them with amenities and offer them to the customer to spend a night in the lap of nature, and it is preferable if there is a private swimming pool in the offer, as if for nature Lebanon is another smell.
We do not object to the tourist season in Lebanon, but this greed and greed on the part of some owners of chalets, restaurants and hotels has no justification. As for the Lebanese “Jalaq” who was on the 1500 lira counting a thousand accounts for recreation on the weekends, what has changed? Is every citizen getting paid in dollars? Or have their salaries all soared with the rise in the exchange rate?