03.01.23 (catching up from personal blogs)

Feb 18, 2023: Jerusalem

As we finished up Israel, we also celebrated four years on the road, and on to country #28…

Yesterday was our four-year anniversary since Kat and I left the US, and it’s been a hell of a ride! We marvel at how much has happened since then, and on one hand it seems much longer than four years, but yet it seems like it was just a short time ago. We are now in country #29 since we left, and we have both been to about 45 countries in total. Egypt is coming up next, and later this year many more will be added in the Far East and Southern Hemisphere.

I have taken 69 flights since 2019, and I think a few layovers are missing. We have met some amazing people on the way, including several who we now consider lifelong and dear friends. Unfortunately, we have lost some old friends as well, but that is inevitable just based on distance and different lifestyles. Along with 29 countries, we’ve stayed at more than 100 Airbnb rooms and hotels, in hundreds of cities, and seen an insane number of churches, cathedrals, castles, ruins, and museums! Some of the novelty has worn off, but we are constantly amazed to STILL see something new and exciting. That has certainly been the case over our past month in Israel.

For those who have stayed in touch, and new friends we found along the way…THANK YOU. It’s less fun doing what we do if we don’t share it, and when people tell us that they started their journey because they were motivated or encouraged by us, well, that makes it all the better.

Feb 20, 2023: Jerusalem

We are at the Tel Aviv airport with just a few hours left before we depart Israel for what may be the last time. It’s been a pretty terrific visit, and we had a lot of time to kill on this, our last day, since we had to check out of our room earlier in the day, and our flight did not leave until 0500 the following morning.

Feb 26, 2023: Egypt!

This has been one of the busiest weeks we have had in a long time! To encapsulate the last few days, the day after we arrived in Giza, we visited two pyramid sites, including the Saqqwara Necropolis, which is the site of the very first step pyramid. This was the first attempt at MAKING a pyramid, and that took some trial and error, followed by the second one at Dahsur, which was made at a 54° angle, and they soon discovered that it was too much angle. The bottom corners fell off very quickly, so they decreased the angle to 45°, and the rest of them followed suit. Some pretty amazing mathematics! But at Dahsur we went INSIDE the red limestone pyramid, climbed down 163 steps into the open burial chamber, which was quite cool. THAT was an experience!

From there we visited the Egyptian Antiquities museum and saw our first mummies, I mean, real mummies! They were very tiny and small since that was part of the process of the mummification, and the shapes of their heads were very elongated, almost freaky. Unfortunately, we were unable to take photos.

The next day we hit the big guns: Giza, with three pyramids, plus the Great Sphinx. But before those icons we went to Cairo one more time to the Cairo Museum and saw the original King Tut exhibit. Again, no photos allowed…

It’s hard to really describe the experience at Giza. I don’t really have a bucket this per se, but if I did this would be on it. Kathleen said that if we were ever going to rent camels this was the place to do it and she was right! We took a camel ride from the top of the hill down to the Sphinx at the bottom, and it was a memory that will stay with us forever.

Three days of non-stop was exhausting, but the fun was not over yet! The next day we flew to Luxor and met up with some friends from Albania. Stay tuned!

03.01.23 (catching up from personal blogs)

Feb 14, 2023: Jerusalem: Petra, Jordan, part I

They don’t call Petra one of the Seven Wonders of the World for no reason: it is beyond magical. It is beyond jaw-dropping, and every type of exaggerated expression you could come up with.

Our journey started at 0730 on morning one, as we were picked up in Jerusalem and headed southeast to Jordan. The trip started rough since we spent about five hours at the border crossing and we initially didn’t know the cause. It was a simple human error as one of our fellow tourists fell asleep on bus #1 and was not awakened at the border to exit! He finally did, and even so, the process of border crossing was one of the most challenging ever, since we had to pay a FEE to exit Israel ($52 per), and another to ENTER Jordan, as well as leave a day later ($70 for both). That involved two different stops, but we lost half of day one, which made everyone, including our Jordanian guide, a bit testy…

We stopped along the way at Mt. Nebo, which was, according to the Bible, where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land before his death. The views were beautiful and the ride up to it was staggering and windy, which really brought home how mountainous the country is, as well as having a lot of NOTHING desert. Another side trip to the city of Madaba was next, and their claim to fame is their Byzantine mosaics, especially the 6th century map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Since we still had another three plus hours ride to our overnight camp, most of our bus was anxious to get on the road.

How do you visualize a “Bedouin camp?” Kat and I each had our ideas, and because we arrived in the dark, we weren’t able to fully appreciate it until the next morning. But we got there about 8:00 pm, had a nice dinner, and were shown to our “room,” which was a cabin/tent with enough room for a bed and one side table. Oh, and it had no heater, which did not thrill us, with 35 degrees (F, about 2 degrees C) outside temps, not enough to freeze water, but enough to make those five layers of blankets quite necessary! After dinner we went to a nice entertainment room, a much larger “tent,” with cushions and pillows strewn about, and we hung out with some new friends, a family of three plus a friend, and we all had a chance to enjoy some much-needed rest and some terrific tea. The camp had several dozen rooms, including some which were geodesic domes, and it was nestled into an amazing mountain wall with lights all along the face. They were like little fireflies which made the cold tolerable, and the experience memorable. Along with no heater, we also had no bathroom, but I’ll not share the joy of an overnight visit to THAT room!

An early (leave 0700) morning followed, and we were just 12 minutes from the Petra entrance along a road that was so curved and hilly it even had me worried! But it was worth it as we got to Petra and started our tour just as the sun was coming up about 0730. And to see the sunrise glowing against the illuminated rock faces was something I will always remember. We had all of six hours to enjoy what can take several days, but we made the best of it.

Those next six hours takes a whole focus, so will have that posted tomorrow, and I will share the majesty of the Nabataeans who built Petra in 3000 BC, plus our donkey ride through half the park, the 850 steps we did on the backs of them, plus Kathleen’s amorous male who lit out for a cute little filly!

Feb 15, 2023: Jerusalem: Petra, Jordan, part II

Words cannot do Petra justice, nor can photos; it is truly something you must see to appreciate, how a tribe of what we now call Bedouins, which we originally called Nabataeans, built this thousands of years ago. They do not know exactly when the construction started, but it prospered about 1000 BC and was a major trade hub of frankincense, myrrh, and spices, the same gifts we think about when referencing The Three Wise Men who came to visit Jesus’ birth. Later it was taken over by the expanding Roman Empire, and was significant until 363 AD when it was severely damaged by an earthquake. That, plus trade routes that went through alternative roads, caused the city to flounder, and by the 7th century it was mostly abandoned. For 1100 years.

In 1812 a Swiss explorer found it, but it was off limits to “outsiders,” so he masqueraded as an Arab and thereafter shared the city with the world.

The sandstone rock is quite soft which makes it easy to carve, but also prone to damage from wind and water erosion, and as you enter the park it is mostly flat with a few carvings on the rocks. The “Siq” is where the fun starts, which is a narrow gorge about a mile long, and over the centuries it has been flooded and carved into. Channels run along much of the length, as well as damns, which slowed down more water entering the narrow alleyway. With every 100 yards the views change, and we had our guide for this first part, as he explained the history behind it. Towards the end you can see just a view of something BIG, which is the Treasury.

It is spectacular at 40 meters/ 131 ft high, and intricately carved, and includes six pillars with lots of different figures and symbols. Rumor was that there was a treasure inside, but that has never been proven either way.  The large area in front is a mega bazaar, with camels lounging about, just waiting to be ridden or have their photos taken. We were told of the possible routes to take from there, and generally they recommend going to the Qasr al-Bint, which is a huge almost square monument, with a still-standing archway. From there you have a few options, but the most popular one, is up to Ad-Deir, also called The Monastery. And that is almost straight up 850 mostly natural stairs, carved into the rock face.

When we were told this we had to decide: do we walk it, ride it on a donkey, or not go. We opted for the donkey, and we were introduced to Abdollah, who told us to call him, “Why Not.” He went on ahead to the stable where we had to pay, and he cautioned us that we would be solicited by others offering the same service and we should just tell them we are “with Why Not.” Cute. It’s a name you cannot forget.

Getting on the donkeys was awkward since neither of us were experienced in donkey riding, and fortunately the first several hundred yards was mostly downhill, so it was just a matter of keeping our balance. All was well and good until we got to the bottom of those 850 steps, and we asked, “We aren’t going up on the donkeys, are we?” and the answer was, “Of course!” So picture this. Steps that vary in height, width, and smoothness, with a deep ravine on our right side. With each step we got jostled and were told to lean forward. Faith, baby, we had to have faith, that these animals know this path and have done it hundreds, maybe thousands of times. With each step we held on, Kat’s bridle actually broke on the way, so Abdollah had to twist the wires together and do a jury-rig repair on the slope. (It’s in the video)

From there it was up to the top, The Monastery, which was larger and more impressive than the Library, and we hung out there for 30 minutes or so, then had to make a HUGE decision. We took the beasts UP the steps; do we take them down?

Honestly, I said NO, I was not comfortable, but Kat wanted to try, so I joined her. That lasted about 8.5 minutes when both of us decided that the DOWN was much worse than the UP. Our guide waited at the bottom of those 850 steps and we got back on, ready to exit the park and join our group. I had in my mind that I wanted to interview a Bedouin, so I did that, side by side, donkey to donkey, with him sitting side saddle. And then, another dose of excitement!

Kat’s donkey decided to take a side trip, thinking he was going to “The Church,” another stop, which we did not have time for, and she was several yards along that reverse path and heard the Call of the Wild, in this case a female donkey braying at the top of that slope, with her ride responding. Like any healthy male, he took off, with My Lovely hanging on for dear life. “Pull back,” I cried out, but Abdollah took off up the hill to save them both. She was shaken, stirred, but carried on until we had to leave them both.

From there we joined our group, had a delicious lunch, and started on our too long trip back to Jerusalem. We had more, but different problems at the border (our bus and driver went to the wrong place!), but made it back, a bit tired, a lot sore, and glad for the experience.

Feb 18, 2023: Jerusalem: Petra, Jordan

This was probably the most unique and fun interview I have ever done! Please enjoy, especially Kathleen’s runaway love struck donkey. Interview with a Bedouin

And feel free to share: https://youtu.be/LUUmNh0Olwo

02.15.23

After almost one month, we are in our last week in Israel. This has been one of the most unique and special places we have visited, both from a historic and cultural perspective, as well as a personal voyage of my own religious history. These are daily blogs from my Facebook site which Kat suggested I add to this one, too. It starts when we finally got inside the Old Jerusalem city walls until our trip to Jordan for two days, to visit Petra.

Feb 3, 2023: Jerusalem

Over the past few days we were able to dodge rain drops, overcast skies, and wind, and we finally got inside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. This hotly contested area for centuries is an amazing mix of cultures, religion, and ethic focus, and is actually like several cities inside a perimeter. We entered one of the main gates, the Damascus Gate, which led us into the Muslim quarter, which was very reminiscent of Tunis, Tunisia, and Istanbul. Lots of beautiful clothing, dishes, and tons of eateries, and as we walked along the road suddenly it changed.

“Welcome to the Jewish quarter,” and just like that, the signs changed, along with the flags and the merchants inside the shops. That led us over to one of our primary goals to visit that day: The Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall, since it is known as the most coveted piece of land for Jews, and until the 7-day War in 1967, was off limits for thousands of years. For many years this was in Jordanian territory, and the boundaries in that area are still open to opinion. It is the only remaining wall left from the Second Temple period, one of the highlights of Jewish history, and is also known for holding the prayers written on pieces of paper that visitors insert between the rock.

The inside sections are a maze of shops, walkways, and how they can supply all the businesses inside is a mystery! But from the Jewish quarter we were able to find the Christian quarter and to one of the most revered sites in Christianity: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This name was not familiar to Kat and me, but what it held inside was: it is claimed to be the site of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. To see the supposed site, called Golgotha (Calvary) was humbling, and the church itself was amazing to walk through and find little nooks and historic locations.

We both decided that another visit to the Old City was due, that way she can shop without my resistance, and I can tour and seek out history, which is more up my alley!

Feb 5, 2023: Jerusalem

As much as we enjoy the sights and the places we visit, we also get to meet some amazing people along the way. That is one added benefit of being a traveler rather than a tourist. We normally connect with expat groups in each place we live, and some are more active and outgoing than others. Over the past two years we have especially enjoyed being part of these groups and have made some lifelong friends. One of our fellow travelers, Paul, has followed our path to Turkey and we followed his to Albania. We also met while we were both in Romania, and next month he will return to Albania, and we get to hang out once more. Sometimes we also make friends with our hosts, and that is what happened yesterday.

When we first arrived at our room, our AirBNB host, Shlomi, invited us to Shabbat dinner, which takes place Saturday afternoon. We did that yesterday and had an amazing time. We joined his wife and two kids, plus two grandkids, and had a great meal and wonderful conversation. He educated us about Jerusalem and answered some questions we were wondering about, and his family asked us about our travels and experiences, so it was a great exchange of cultures. He has been involved with philosophy and humanities for many years, and we all shared deep questions about “The Meaning of Life,” and once again we were shown that people everywhere—regardless of religion, nationality, color, or age—all wonder the same things.

Feb 11, 2023: Jerusalem

This has been an interesting week, as the rain and extreme cold kept us closer to home than we would like. We were able to dodge raindrops a few days ago and visited the David Museum, as in KING David, the slayer of Goliath. Like most ruins we have seen, it was humbling to walk among such history. There was a section that still had the original walls from 2000 plus years ago, and considering the Old Town of Jerusalem was destroyed and rebuilt several times, that really rolls back the calendar several dozen centuries. We’ve seen innumerable ruins in so many places, but to have so much history contained in such a small area says a lot how about the significance of this town.

Today we went to their Holocaust Museum, called Yad Vashem, which was fascinating. Many of my new friends did not know, but I am the son of a Holocaust survivor, and my Hungarian born mother spent three years in Auschwitz. The first time I went to a Holocaust Museum, in Washington DC, was just a few years ago, and it was an emotionally charged day. I’m not ashamed to say that I cried throughout and since that was my first time, it hit way too close to my heart. Visits after that to similar places, including Auschwitz itself, have become less impactful, but no less important.

It is now (Friday night) the beginning of Shabbat, the Sabbath, and tomorrow hardly anything will be open, so it’s a great day to relax and get ready for Sunday, which takes us to Petra, Jordan for a two-day stay, which includes sleeping in a Bedouin camp. This is part two of what I call the Triangle of History tour, and THIS will be one of the most unusual places for Kat and me yet!