On a gentle slope looking out over Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, villagers work their way across pink-dotted terraces, gathering perfumed damask roses used for essential oils, sweets and cosmetics. "The rose harvest is the most beautiful season here," says rose-water maker Zahraa Sayed Ahmed, plucking small, pink buds from their bushes as their rich, heady scent wafts across the hill. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES