Trip Down Memory Lane

The old Bhamdoun apartment, designed and built by Shazzam's great uncle, still owned by his cousins.

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Shazzam used to spend every summer in Lebanon at his grandfather's house.  First they had an apartment by the beach in Beirut, then there was an apartment in the mountains at Bhamdoun, then another apartment further inland in Beirut.  He has such fond memories of the places, but then again he was coming from Baghdad to Beirut, what's not to like?  The beach apartment in Beirut still stands, somewhat worse for the wear and more developed of course, but it survived the civil war.  The other Beirut apartment had been bought by the Arab Open University, and now Shazzam's old bedroom is a classroom.  The Bhamdoun apartment was abandoned during the civil war, as was pretty much every other building in Bhamdoun, and squatters took over the building and trashed the place.  The building is still owned by Shazzam's cousins, and oddly enough there still is an old couple occupying the first floor.  They were so sweet and friendly, they let us into the destroyed second floor, and into their apartment, and invited us back for dinner sometime..... of course they are probably squatters, but they're not doing any harm, and probably protecting the building.  Actually Eagle asked "I wonder what kind of rent you could charge for this?"  Shazzam was pretty disheartened at the condition of the house, it had been designed and built by his great-uncle.  Bhamdoun has still to rebuild.