Paradise Lost

Up until not too long ago, the beach in Jbeil now exploited by Eddé Sands was called Tam Tam Beach. It stretched south to a smaller beach that was still public, called Paradise Beach. 

some things are better kept hush hush... says this building in Paris

A narrow stretch of white sand trapped between the cliffs and the sea, Paradise was just as nice as any other private beach, with the only difference that it was free and unattended.

After reading online about rumors of GiBbyish activity going on in Paradise Beach, one hot summer day I felt like trying it out to check for myself.

So I went off with a friend, settled on the sand, had a little swim then started to explore the beach. Pretty typical beach except for one natural characteristic: The rock formations at the tip of the beach shaped something of a grotto, like a little maze that still got some sunlight inside but that was completely isolated from sight. The water was about knee level throughout the grotto.

When I entered the grotto and observed the people from inside, the cruising scheme became quite obvious. It would start as eye contact on the beach, then the guys would swim around each other, perhaps get a little touchy in between a wave and the next. Then, they would start to drift slowly toward the cavern, and finally they would get to serious business once inside...

Soon enough, there I was fooling around with an anonymous hunk I had noticed on the beach... in a sea cavern… some crazy shit!

It’s only later that I realized that Paradise Beach was long known as “the gay beach” in the GiB community, but it was so hush-hush that no one had ever mentioned it to me. Like a dirty little secret.

The thing is it had a pretty bad reputation outside as well as within the community – The kind of places people would describe with something like “if you go there you’re likely to step on a needle left there at night by a junkie and you’ll be sure to catch AIDS”.

But whatever Paradise Beach was – a nice public beach or a decadent Gomorrah – it can only be better than what it has become today: yet another reserved-access beach for the lucky property owners of the new Byblos Sud complex.

Watch out new owners, for the gay spirits still haunt that grotto!

Post title is a tribute to Robert Fisk’s superb article where he dubs 2006 Beirut a Paradise Lost.

GiB#2 | W.C.ruised

I was hanging out at the Beirut Souks a couple weeks ago, keeping an eye out for a cool swimsuit – the one thing I still need to get for the summer. I find one but it’s for $200 at Aizone, and the 30$ one at H&M is just not it. Boring. I need to pee.

After looking for the restrooms for about 10 minutes, I finally figure out that the access is through the stairs from inside the restaurant. It’s quiet and secluded up there, and sounds empty except for one guy washing his hands. I walk in towards the urinals, all three of which are empty. They have no partition between each other, an unusual thing in prude Lebanon.

I admit to choosing the middle one – perhaps randomly, perhaps because I’m a man of the middle, indecisive as a Libra; perhaps it’s the adventurous GiB lost in lust who picked it, the anywhere-anytime type of guy. The fact of the matter is, I chose the middle one.

A few seconds later, I hear the guy’s now using the hand dryer. But instead of leaving then, he walks back to the urinal next to me and unzips as if to pee. I’m thinking, who the hell does the hand-washing before the peeing? Ten seconds later he’s still standing there, but there’s no sound of any fluids. I feel he’s peeking at me. When I turn to look at him, he’s indeed staring, and oh, he’s also jerking off.

This is gross and embarrassing, and the guy’s not my type. And even if he was, I’m not up for it today: my date of the moment is meeting me at the Souks in about an hour, and I already have enough weight on my conscience for dating this guy, a friend of my ex. So please spare me also having to cope with the idea that I had a quickie in the restroom while waiting for him.

Sorry dude, no-go it is. So much for ever doing it in a public restroom, maybe some other time – I’m out of here!

Although not-so-hot, this furtive GiB episode kept me wondering. I can’t imagine how a straight guy would have reacted in my place, getting cruised by a random guy at the urinal – I mean this is Lebanon, and this thing could easily turn into a gay bashing scene. I’m not straight, so it was not a big deal.

For having lived abroad, I know that public restrooms often serve as gay cruising spots in other countries. I also know that GiBs are getting way out of control these days... But GiBs cruising in public restrooms of Beirut's malls?! That sure is news to me…

GiB#2 | Beirut Down Under

I knew I had reached rock bottom when I ended up visiting one of the “porn theaters” of Beirut last year. Tired of the useless social-flirting and the pointless online-dating (a common condition known as the GiB Boredom Syndrome) and feeling horny as hell, that’s where I went to get anonymous, right-here-right-now sex.

Picture an old movie theater, probably dating back from the 80’s, torn down so bad it has obviously never been renovated since the glory days of Beirut Cinema. Ignore the 007-type posters in the lobby and forget the 5$ entrance fee (when a regular movie theater is no more than 8$). Then come on in to an extremely dark room where the only source of light is a faded screen showing straight porn from a classical French movie; One in every two seats is broken and the smell around the bathroom area is abominable.

It takes less than a minute to want to flee this place. But I stayed, and it took me another minute to get used to the dark inside and to start noticing by the fire of their cigarettes that there are actually guys sitting here and there in the room, scattered across the rows. Most of them sit there apparently alone, but in some instances I could see the silhouette of two heads next to each other, suggesting there’s some action going on.

Once I thought I had figured out how this place works, I started walking around the room. I chose a guy who looked decent and around my age, sat in the seat right next to him, fooled around for a few minutes until I came, and left without a word... talk about a quickie!

Who are the regulars in these places, I haven’t been able to figure it out. Of about ten people I came across that day, a few were 20-something Arab workers, a couple were old fat guys, a couple others were mid-aged taxi-driver-type guys, one was a total queen… and one was an adventurous GiB lost in lust (that would be me). Go figure if there's a pattern.

My other unsolved mystery remains: is everyone there gay? Or is it more of a place for those nasty straight guys who get so horny and with no woman around, they’re willing to take a walk on the wild side for some sexual attention?

From Lebtour’s online cruising guide:

Cinemas & Dark rooms
AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Commentary: All "At Your Own Risk" and specify clearly what you want and whether money is involved:

-    Cinema Al Khayyam located in Jeanne d'Arc str. Hamra - Beirut
Cinema showing old films and straight porn. Best for cruising on Sun afternoons.

-    Cinema Morocco located in Mar Doumit str. Sin el Fil – Nabaa - Beirut
Movie theatre showing old movies - straight porn and mainstream films. Cruising and pick-up area's for men. Some "action" in the upstairs seating and bathrooms.

-    Cinema Royal located in Cornish el Nahr – Nabaa side - Beirut
Movie theatre showing old American & international movies - straight porn and mainstream films. Some "action" in the upstairs seating and bathrooms used as a dark room.

-    Cinema Plaza located in Mar Doumit str. Sin el Fil – Nabaa - Beirut
Best on Sun afternoons. Very busy. Best crowd can be found here.