After we got our feet wet visiting Saida in Southern Lebanon, our next step was further south towards the city of Tyre. Our goal was to reach the Khiam Prison, which is about an hour inland from the Tyre. The prison was formerly used by the Southern Lebanese Army, a Lebanese militia supported by Israel, and was at the time of our visit used as a museum by Hezbollah symbolizing their stated victory in liberating Southern Lebanon from Israeli occupation in 2000. At the time of our visit Hezbollah was still in control of Southern Lebanon, which gave me a bit of apprehension. Our journey to Khiam included a number of other stops, including Qana, Tyre and Buaffort Castle from which you could see into Northern Israel/Palestine and Syria. It was an amazing day with experiences that would impact my understanding of the Middle East like none other.

Saida

There are so many things we wanted to do in Lebanon that we weren't completely sure where to start, but our first excurision outside of Beirut was to Saida (Sidon) in the south of the country.

Until 2000 Saida was under Isreali occupation and being aware of this is something that any visitor should consider. Not in the sense that it would make it unsafe, just that you really should be conscious of the recent history to best appreciate the living conditions of the people there and all the struggles they have been through, and continue to go through. Also keep in mind that since our visit to Saida in 2005, the city was again bombed by Israel.