Thanks for all the info! It all sounds pretty great. I think I should be absolutely fine in Borj Hammoud, Canada is more adamant that Turkey acknowledge the Armenian genocide than almost any other country (which is why I have to pay three times as much as any other country for a visa in Turkey, haha). Plus there's no way in hell I'd be mistaken for Turkish looking at me
I'm really interested in the Cedars, but I'm gonna be there in November, so kind of an awkward time. Not quite winter, so no skiing, but hopefully it'll still be possible to do some hiking in some areas?
Also, any other more modern, urban cities other than Beirut that might be interesting? Of course I'll be visiting all the major historical sites, but I'd also like to spend a couple days just wandering around a city that's not usually considered a "tourist attraction."