Ain Dara's abandoned quarries

Ain Dara used to have several illegal quarries that were shut down several years ago.

It sounds weird to intentionally hike around quarries, but the revealed patterns of rocks and the greens that are growing again inside the quarries is a very appealing sight.

I took this photo while I'm inside one of the quarries, where plants have grown.

Someone left their bottle of beer over the dry soil.

Abandoned quarries are only part of the story. The trail passes through beautiful pine forests.

The texture of the soil and the rock in Ain Dara is unique compared to other areas in Lebanon.

Each quarry had a different shape. Somehow that drove me to discover them all.

Inside the pine forest, a lonely cone was partially covered with a cloth, almost like its own wedding dress

It was getting late, and we started hiking back. I don't mind hiking the same trail backwards: there's always plenty I didn't see the first time around.

Not only are the quarries abandoned in Ain Dara, but there's also some forgotten cherry trees growing in the wild.

Picking the cherries off the trees was a delicious supper.