And Then, There Was Silence. Lebanon’s largest lake, Lake Qaraoun, is... (Lake Qaraoun)
And Then, There Was Silence. Lebanon’s largest lake, Lake Qaraoun, is located in the southern Beka’a. It was created by damming the upper reaches of the Litani River and was the brainchild of one of the country’s unsung heroes, Ibrahim Abd El Al, DG of the Ministry of Public Works back in the day when it did more than build highways. Abd El Al, who died under suspicious circumstances before he could see his pet project unveiled, had drawn up plans to use Lebanon’s plentiful water supply to generate enough electricity to light up the entire country 24-hours a day and water to irrigate all of its fields. These days, the lake is in sorry state, its waters badly polluted but it still attracts tens of thousands of migratory birds, amongst them storks, eagles, pelicans and ducks, who rest and mate here on their way to and from Africa. When we crossed the lake, shorty before sunset, on the way to our own rest that evening in Aytanit, the only mating behaviour we observed was human. As we began our short climb up to the village, the lake was so still that, like a mirror, it reflected the long, sliver of a cloud that tagged the sky. The young cypress trees fringing the lake were thrown into perfect silhouette by the encroaching night and for a moment, there wasn’t a sound in the world.
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