Lame-eaters, skiing "fire dragons," thong-clad models in the snow -- Lebanon's top ski resort has the country's flair for a gimmick.
In Faraya-Mzaar, the largest of six resorts dotted along the Mount Lebanon range, it is all about seeing and being seen.
Fans say the slopes compare well to European resorts and this coupled with Lebanon's reputation as one of the safest -- and liveliest -- destinations in the Middle East, make it a popular choice for a winter break.
"Three-quarters of the people you see here are not skiers, they come to have a good time, to enjoy, to go out at night, to watch, to be seen on TV," says Habib Zoghbi, a businessman sitting on the sunny Mzaar Intercontinental Hotel terrace.
In the lobby, women with maximum make-up and minimal clothing have arranged themselves on the sofas. "Watch them, they're looking for rich husbands," says one onlooker. A gold cellphone, worth US$15,000, is displayed behind glass.
"We have a lot of Saudi princes, all the politicians from the Middle East have visited Faraya-Mzaar once or twice in their lives," says Maya Chams, the resort's marketing director.
HIGH SPIRITS
Darkness falls and purple lights flood a steep slope. On the terrace, multilingual children squeal excitedly in a mix of Arabic, French and English.
A "fire dragon" of a hundred or so zigzagging skiers bearing torches descends, ending in an explosion of fireworks.
A high-spirited crowd has jostled onto the snow-stage and ignores orders to come down, stopping the rest of the show. No one seems to care. Then the slopes open for night skiing.
"Almost every week we do something, next week we are having a Brazilian night," says Naji Cherabieh, one of the organizers.
Weeks before, models in G-strings strutted across the snow at a lingerie show attended by the president.
Most of the 5,000 skiers Faraya-Mzaar gets on a sunny weekend day are Lebanese day trippers -- Beirut is just an hour away.
But Gulf Arab tourists are also heading to Lebanon's slopes as the Sept 11 attacks have made some wary of travelling outside the Middle East.
"We see very few Europeans and Americans, but at least we're starting to see them. During the war years it was out of the question," says long-time regular Michel Asseily.
Before the 1975-1990 civil war, Lebanon was known as the Switzerland of the Middle East. That description still rings true in Faraya-Mzaar, where Swiss-style wooden chalets are commonplace and fondue restaurants stand alongside Lebanese ones.
Most of tiny Lebanon is visible from the summit on a clear day. In the distance shimmers the Mediterranean, where the Lebanese like to boast you can swim within hours of skiing.
"The slopes are shorter here than in Europe, though they're connecting them," says Zoghbi. "But we have nicer weather. We're one hour from the sea and one hour from the capital."
On Sunday afternoon, slopes bring to mind Beirut's rush hour. Snowboarders cut across beginners and children barely old enough to walk zip around on skis.
"The snow's good, the weather's great, there are all different levels of skiing," says lawyer Maha Fayad.
Nichan Hamamjian of Lebanon's skiing federation says three more resorts are planned, one bordering on the Israeli-held Golan Heights. Whether tourists will go may depend on regional peace. Lebanon still struggles to shake its own war-torn image.
"Before the Lebanese war, tourists came from outside the Middle East much more than now. Ones who knew Lebanon before the war come, but others are still afraid to come," Hamamjian says.
Another deterrent is the price. "We are working for package deals to have good prices. Until then, it's expensive," he says.
STANDING OUT
In keeping with its glitzy image, Faraya-Mzaar is abuzz with pretentiousness at night.
At Crystal nightclub, people dance on tables, silhouetted against steamed-up windows.
When someone orders a US$3,000, nine-liter bottle of Moet and Chandon, it tours the room on two waiters' shoulders to the tune of an anthem. A spotlight follows it to the table. The big spender's name is written on a board by the door.
"There's a bit of showing off about it," says Crystal's main owner, Mazen El-Zein. "It's about standing out."
Package deals might one day bring even more people to Lebanon's slopes, but at least one regular prefers the high prices.
"I like it like that," laughs Fady Kahale, a retired businessman. "It keeps the riff-raff out."
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