Retreating, Not Relaxing

We're a bit embarrassed that it's been two weeks since we posted. School has been keeping us busy, and it's also been taking up a fair amount of our weekend time in October. One highlight was the 9th grade retreat two weeks ago.The 9th grade retreat grew out of a field trip Wade planned for his history class, so Wade ended up organizing the bulk of the retreat. Since it was taking place the day after Ahmadinejad's visit ended, we spent the week leading up to the retreat a bit anxious about whether it would be calm enough in Lebanon for it to happen.

While field trips back home may include a museum, local historical site, or maybe a national park, Lebanon's long and complex history puts field trips here in another league. The students had been studying Fakhr-al-Din II (or Fakhreddine II; 1572-1635), the first prince of the state of Lebanon under the Ottoman Empire. We headed to his home in Deir al Qamar, a well-preserved old village with churches, mosques, his palace, and beautiful stonework.

The yellow stones are from the Akkar castle in the north, which Fakhr-al-Din captured; he brought the stones nearly the whole length of Lebanon to be able to use them in buildings in Deir al-Qamar.

Niha Fortress, the other stop, is even more spectacular. Local traditions say that the fortress, which is basically a series of fortified caves along the side of a cliff, was originally developed by the Crusaders. Traditions also say that Fakhr-al-Din retreated to Niha while fleeing the Ottomans. Wade may now be the world's leading expert on Fakhr-al-Din and Niha, since he spent the weekends leading up to the trip poring through the few primary sources that mention the connections between Fakrhr-al-Din and Niha.

If you click on the photo of Niha (above), you'll be able to see Wade and the trail of 9th graders walking through the fortress. Note the near-lack of protective barriers - just a thin metal cable along the edge of the walkway.

Wade had the students explore the primary sources while looking over at the fortress; they then debated whether or not they believed that Fakhr-al-Din had actually been to Niha or not.

After the history field trips ended, we headed to a small local lodge for group bonding activities. The view was a bit more stunning than our memories of class retreats from high school.

Students on the ropes course.

Students leading blindfolded partners around an obstacle course in a trust-building and communication activity.

Our station: the spider web.

Whew! Thirty hours of herding 9th graders - and the occasional donkey - left us ready to relax and catch up on sleep. But now we can promise that if you come to visit, you'll be able to spend time with the world's leading expert on Fakhr-al-Din's visit to Niha Fortress.