Jordan, Israel and Greece Summaries

Jordan, Israel and Greece Summaries

Jordan:

Without a doubt, the highlight of Jordan was Petra, and I was very surprised and pleased to see that there was so much more to Petra than just the Treasury.  Jerash was a complete surprise, and Mount Nebo was inspiring, looking out over the Promised Land the way Moses would have seen it.  I doubt I will ever return to Jordan (though Petra could tempt me!); in any case, it was definitely worth seeing once.

Israel:

Tel Aviv was an interesting city to see, and it would have been more enjoyable had it been summer, when the true resort side would come through.  All of the ancient religious sites in Jerusalem were awesome, though unfortunately we could only see the Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock from a distance; being non-Muslims, we were forbidden to enter the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary) and see the sites firsthand.  (I need to research this, as I thought I had read of people getting closer than we did, but as mentioned earlier part of the problem may have been that I was with a large and diverse group.)  The Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall were the other highlights in Jerusalem.  Nazareth’s Church of Annunciation was striking, and the short ride on the Sea of Galilee was unique.  Finally, seeing Haifa was fascinating due to its proximity to Lebanon and Syria (not to mention the rocket attacks a few years ago), and driving through the Golan Heights and West Bank was incredible.  Not being a Jew, Masada did not have as much relevance to me as it would for others, and the Dead Sea itself wasn't all that interesting.  The unexpected highlight was the Jordan River where John baptized Jesus:  Seeing the exact line of demarcations between Jordan and Israel, with armed guards on both sides, with Christian baptisms going on all the while was quite a contrast.

Athens:  

The Acropolis and Parthenon were somewhat disappointing, given how deteriorated they were.  The New Parthenon Museum was a highlight in that it very much showcases the love the Greeks have for their antiquities.  The Ancient City of Agora with its Temple of Hephaestus was an unexpected gem, and the City Centers of Monostaraki and Omonia were lively.  For quaint and quiet fun, the shops, restaurants and bars along the south entrance to the Acropolis were very peaceful and enjoyable.

Next Trip:

I actually don’t have any trips planned at the moment, either for work or for holiday.  When I do next take time off, these are the current candidates:

• Spain/Portugal/Morocco as part of an escorted tour
• Turkey
• Iceland in the summer
• Russia

Less likely, but something I would consider :

• Cairo to Cape Town drive
• Antarctica (so I can check off that last continent!)

Athens to Seattle

Athens to Seattle

6 January 2013

Day of the Epiphany

I got up at 3:00 AM this morning and was in the taxi to the airport by 3:40, a 55 euro trip due to the additional tariffs imposed for arriving before 5:00 AM.  The trip to the airport was brisk, with the taxi hitting 160 km/h (100 mph)!

Greece is still definitely in the Christmas mood, with trees adorning the city and the airport, and Christmas carols playing.  There are a few people in the airport, and some of the shops are open, plus the hotel actually packed me a bag lunch of an apple, a sandwich and a couple of pieces of bread.

The flight home was uneventful, but my arrival at SeaTac had the irony of all ironies:  When I pulled my new suitcase off the baggage carousel, the seam had ripped!  Fortunately nothing fell out, but this trip has destroyed two suitcases!!

Athens and Piraeus

Athens and Piraeus

5 January 2013

I got up fairly early today, and I decided to make use of the all day Metro pass I had purchased, so I headed off to the port city of Piraeus on the Metro, where a number of singing children with musical triangles walked through the cars, expecting money.  (I vaguely remember something of the tradition, but not the details.)  

I'm told they celebrate the holidays through the Epiphany, 6 January, so I'll be on my flight home before the festivities are over.

There was a bit of a surprise while I was grabbing lunch:  I was staning in one of the Everest sandwich shops when I was splashed by a Greek Orthodox priest with, what I presume to be, holy water.  It seems this is not entirely common, as even the store employees seemed a bit put off by this person walking about and "spritzing" people.

The Roman Agora was in ruins, rather boring.  

The Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus, in contrast to the above, were excellent, incredibly well preserved!!  I may have enjoyed it more than the Acropolis.

Across the street, the Ancient Agora Areios Pagos was boring, again nothing other than ruins.

I walked to the Monastraika Square again as well as the surrounding flea markets and smaller shops, where I picked up some small gifts for friends.

My vacation is drawing to an end, as I am in my final few hours in Athens, "looking ahead" to a 3:00 AM wakeup call in less than twelve hours for a 6:45 flight to CDG then back to Seattle.  Three days was about right for Athens; sure I could always sit in one of the cafes and enjoy it, but I was able to see what I wanted to in Athens in three days.  Now to see the rest of the country, in particular the islands, you could probably spend weeks.  Athens was a very pleasant surprise, especially given all the talk about the economic crisis here!

Athens and the Acropolis

Athens and The Acropolis

4 January 2013

I awoke early so I could hit the Acropolis before the crowds.  Surprisingly, all the historical sites seem to be open from 8-3, much earlier than most other cities in the world.  I'm pleased, especially given that by nature I tend to be an early riser.

One thing that was bittersweet:  Numerous stray dogs.  I'd heard of these, and it was amazing to see so many with tags (not sure what it indicated, maybe vaccinations).  They were friendly, fat and happy, yet they were on the streets by themselves, without family.

The Acropolis itself was a bit disappointing given that it is in very poor shape and most of the carving (metopes, frieze and pediment sculptures) have all been moved, either to the British Museum or the New Acropolis Museum at the base of the hill.  Also, much renovation work was going on, so between the scaffolding, the hoists and the work buildings they have set up, the site really does not present itself well at this time.  I won't call it a major disappointment, but it was not what I expected, and a bit underwhelming, especially given that I had heard so much about this, starting in my high school days.

I normally don't take to museums, but I decided to give the New Acropolis Museum a try, and it more than made up for my disappointment with the Acropolis per se.  To call the New Acropolis a “museum” is unfair, as it is one of the most beautiful monuments to another monument I have ever seen.  Very new, it is built over an archaeological site (with a glass floor so you can peer down at it!).  The highlight is the top floor where they have resurrected the Parthenon frieze, pediment sculptures and metopes.  Many are original and can be identified by the dark color of the stone; those that are not here and are instead located elsewhere (British Museum, Palermo, New York, Vatican) have been "proxied" withwhite plaster copies.  (This is great, in that you can tell the originals from the copies just by the color!)  They have these arranged and embedded between steel columns, 8x17, just as in the Parthenon itself.

There is an old debate about the Elgin Marbles and whether they should be returned from the British Museum to Athens.  I've been on the verge of saying leave them in Britain, but after seeing how Greece treats their relics, their love for them and the Parthenon in particular, I say bring them back:  Athens presents it even more beautifully than does the British Museum.  I'll also note that in the video they show describing the situation, the New Acropolis Museum is none too subtle, labeling Elgin as “looting and stealing” the originals.

There's even a nice Reading Room, something you generally don't find in many museums.

I walked to Zeus Temple across the street from my hotel, then I got back on the HOHO bus, which I rode to an open market—Very beautiful.  From there, I walked to Monostiraki Square, and it was incredibly fun and festive.  Just as yesterday, I don’t know how they can do this during what it supposed to be a work afternoon, but it was fantastic to see the joy of the Athenians.

I stopped by Hadrian’s Library, which was rather old and decrepit.

I had a gyro and loved it!!  The food here is more than making up for what I had to eat in the Middle East, and the Ouzo is fantastic!

Smoking is very common in Athens, even indoors.  It doesn't bother me as much as it does others, but still it was quite noticeable and surprising.

The bars don’t cut the drunks off!!  There was one guy in particular who was totally plastered, and the bartender tried to cut him off, but the drunk forced the barkeep to give him one more.  In the US, the cops would have been called to haul the guy off.

Greece reminds me a great deal of Italy, and I see a lot of comparisons between the two.  Many of my friends would chide me for saying this, but it's like saying the US and Canada are alike:  As much as both parties hate to hear it, it is true.

I am told that the reason so many people are out and about is unofficial holiday time, whatever that means!

Athens

Athens

3 January 2013

My flight arrived in Athens right on time, just a few minutes after 8:00 AM.  I was toying with the idea of taking the easy route and hiring a taxi to the hotel, but I decided to give the metro a try, partly because I had to kill some time before getting to the hotel given the early time of day.  I did manage to find my way using public transit, though I got off at the wrong station and a very helpful young hostess at one of the restaurants in Monostiraki actually went to far as to write down the directions for me to finish the journey.  Fortunately for me, I am not one of those men who is too proud to ask for directions!

I arrived at the hotel slightly after 10:00 AM, and to my pleasant surprise they gave me my room.  I dropped off the luggage and headed out the door!

The hotel was in a great location, right next to the Gates of the Olympian god Zeus. I could easily see the Acropolis, but I actually decided to postpone that visit until Friday (4 January) since I was very tired and wanted to see it fresh.  Instead, I walked around some of the shops in the area between the hotel and the Acropolis, and I found it to be very quaint, clean, pleasant, in many ways reminiscent of Trastevere in Rome.  After awhile, I stumbled across one of the Hop-on-Hop-off buses, so I decided to give it a try and get an overview of the town.  I wound up in one of the downtown squares, and was able to get a SIM card for my smartphone—10 Euros for 300 minutes and 500 megs of data, thanks to a very helpful worker in the “Public” store, more or less an electronics superstore.  In the square across the way, there was a very large Christmas celebration going on, with beautiful Christmas music blaring around.

I should point out the above was on a Thursday about 1:00 PM in the afternoon, well over a week after Christmas, but all throughout Athens they are still celebrating Christmas, with decorated trees and Christmas songs as well as festivities all over.  Bless these people, they’re still celebrating it!

A general comment on Athens is that it is very clean, in good repair, and everything such as public transit is working quite well.  Given the economic "crisis" here, I was afraid there would be strikes and that garbage would be piling up in the streets, but quite the contrary this is a fun, vibrant city!  If this is bankruptcy, we should all give it a try; this place makes Seattle look poor.  There are a few distraught areas, but they are limited, and the only general lament I have is that graffiti is rampant.  The graffiti is odd given how clean the city is otherwise, and I cannot tell what it is all about.  This is really a shock for me, but the city is in no way destitute or impoverished.

The neighborhoods are small and can be walked easily, and they change very dramatically, abruptly.  Some parts are like Trastevere in Rome, some are like the shopping district in Milan.  Stores of all types are grouped together:  Supermarkets (yes, I found one as I always like to do!), butchers, pet stores, hardware stores, clothing stores, and so on; whatever you like, there is going to be an appropriate store not far away.

I snacked on some of the local foods (such as a sausage wrapped in a pita—delicious!), and I had the absolute best pork chop dinner of my life in one of the downtown restaurants.  The food here is incredible, with nothing I have yet found to be unpalatable; what a change from the falafels!!

I went to bed about 8:00 PM as I was exhausted from the 2:00 AM wakeup call and over eight hours of walking the town.

Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to Athens

Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to Athens

3 January 2013

It was a 2:00 AM wakeup call, followed by a 3:00 AM taxi ride with a 3:40 AM arrival at the Ben Gurion airport---and it might as well have been 3:40 in the afternoon!  The place was packed, a big surprise since I wasn't even sure if I would be able to find a place open for breakfast.  

I’m actually somewhat relieved the group trip is over.  While they for the most part befriended me, it will be relaxing to have three days to myself, to go at my own pace.  The only real “agenda” I have for Athens is to see the Acropolis, and that can easily be done in one day much less three.

Leaving the airport was fairly easy, except that the Israeli security forces really don’t like books, either on the way in or out of the country!

Jerusalem--Last Day

Jerusalem Old City

2 January 2012 (Last Day)

This is our final day in Jerusalem, but it also promises to be the highlight, with the Old City and Temple Mount on the docket!!

One quick note before the day starts:  I’m really getting rather attached to the idea of having vegetables for breakfast.  In Israel, Jordan, even previous trips to China and Egypt, I've been able to make a salad of sorts for breakfast.  Yes, I usually augment it with eggs or meat, but the veggies alone are a good way to start.  I may give this a try back home.

Last night I was very tired, and I lay down at 6:15 PM, only to be totally asleep by 6:30!  I hated to miss the chance to stroll around Jerusalem, but I do feel very refreshed this morning and am grateful for that in light of what this day holds for us.

Again, my tour guide has really disappointed me by blowing off another question I asked.  I don’t mind if the tour guides go off with their biases, but I really dislike it if they ignore questions or don’t answer them fully.  It’s OK in my book to hear what they think, and I may or may not accept it, but blowing off a question is really disappointing.  In that sense, this tour guide has been the low point of the trip.

In any case, the day started with a photo op of the old city from a viewpoint above the Mount of Olives, followed by a drive to and a tour of the Garden of Gethsemane as well as the church (basilica) right next door.  This is the place where Christ prayed the night before his passion, and where Judas provided the kiss.

We entered the Old City of Jerusalem through the Mercy Gate and went to Bethesda to see the Church of St Anna (Mother of Mary) with its incredible acoustics; the church also houses the home (cave) of the birthplace of Mary.  After that, it was on to the pools of Bethesda, where Jews would wash themselves before entering the second temple, and where Jesus healed the lame man on the Sabbath.

Next was a walk along the stops of the Via Dolorosa, with the highlight of the day being the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  We saw, in the expanse of just a few steps, where Jesus was nailed to the cross, where the crucifixion occurred (Golgotha), then the stone where Jesus was washed afterwards, and next we saw the headstone of his tomb (the line for the tomb itself was three hours).  Again, all of this was just within a few feet.

There's an interesting interplay among the six different religious factions who jointly share ownership and administration of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, with one of the more humorous and outrages examples being an "Immovable Ladder," a simple ladder on the facade of the building, but a one that has remained unmoved for essentially two centuries!

Our lunch, with the location again dictated by our tour guide, was in a falafel place, in spite of my desire never to try one again.  I had a beef falafel, and on top of not really enjoying it I became irritated when the waiter told me to wait before accepting the payment.  You see, I finished before the others, so I wanted to pay and take quick look at the shops, but the waiter wanted me to wait and pay when all the others did.  I actually became very grumpy at this, and hearing this my tour guide accepted my money for me.  (I think he realized I was becoming very fed up with his choices for me.)  In any case, I was able to take a brief walk around the shops while the others finished eating.

In all, we walked through all four quarters of the town, then we took a final view of the Western Wall, this time in daylight.

There was one major disappointment in today's visit:  We did not visit the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif or The Noble Sanctuary) directly.  Yes, we could see it, along with the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa (The Furthest Mosque), but we did not gain access to the area and walk about it.  This area, rising on the huge mound above the Old City, is very contentious, and even one or two individuals may have difficulty convincing the Muslim guards to permit entrance, so with that in mind I understand why the tour group was not able to gain entrance.  Still, it was a major disappointment, and had I known this in advance, I would have scheduled a private day in Jerusalem to see if I could enter it on my own.  I'd very much like to go back to Jerusalem just for this reason alone.

This was our last day, and we all were taking different flights very early the next morning, so we said our farewells that evening.  Parting from the group was fairly fast and without drama; the guide and driver said good-bye outside the hotel, I said farewell to others inside, and I had a drink with one of the women in the hotel bar.

Greece was awaiting in just a few hours.

Jerusalem and Bethlehem

New Year’s Day

1 January 2013

Jerusalem and Bethlehem

We all seem to be suffering from the same sleep issue:  Everybody is waking up around 4:30 AM, regardless of our home timezone.  I'm glad I decided to bypass the NYE party just a few hours earlier; In spite of the lack of sleep, I feel pretty good, and am ready to see the sites of the day.

I'll mention in passing that this cell phone and SIM card have been awesome, I can’t describe how connected I feel, as if I am more of a “local” this way rather than resorting to hotel Wi-Fi or Internet kiosks.  Minor issue, but when you are in a foreign land even something this subtle can be warming.

Our first stop was in Bethlehem, which is in the West Bank and is actually held by the PLO.  (Just to set the stage, Jerusalem and Bethlehem are only a few minutes apart by car.)  We arrived at the Church of the Nativity very early in order to be at the head of the line.  The church is actually four churches with different areas in the same building:  Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic.  As we waited, it was a bit depressing as they were taking down the Christmas decorations, but nonetheless we were in a very holy site on New Year's Day, so I really should not lament; after all, we saw the cave in which Jesus was born as well as the Star of Jesus and the manger.  

Along the line of my security comment in the previous blog:  Security getting in to Bethlehem was easy, nothing more than a simple drive through, with nothing worth noting.  On the way out (i.e., from Bethlehem back into Jerusalem), the Israelis were much more stringent; they did not make us get off the bus, but they did board it, along with their automatic weapons, to give us a solid inspection.  I'll also point out we were warned not to take pictures of the crossing, or the situation would have been much more uncomfortable.

Our next stop was the Israeli Museum where we saw a large (50:1) scale model of the Old Temple, but more importantly the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Book of the Shrine building.

After that, it was on to the Holocaust Museum, with the first walk through the Children’s Memorial (sponsored by the Spiegel family) commemorating the 1.5 million Jewish children who were lost; it was incredibly striking in its design, with a mere five candles reflected into multiple mirrors given the impression of a million.  Subsequently, we went through the main memorial which was a zig-zag wandering through several very poignant reminders of the atrocities served up during the first half of the 20th century.

This last stop brought up an age old question for me:  What did the German civil population know about the Holocaust?  When I asked our Jewish tour guide, he was adamant the average German did indeed know what was going on, while the historian among us was more gray, suggesting the average German citizen was struggling to survive in light of the Versailles treaty, and they really did not have time to research or question or investigate.  (He even suggested that generals such as Rommel did not know about the atrocities until 1943.)  The historian also explained that you really cannot understand WWII unless you look at it in conjunction with WWI and the Treaty of Versailles.  I'd certainly hope that the historian is correct, and that the average German was unaware of what was indeed happening in his own government; in the US, we have certainly been blind-sided before.

Dead Sea (Ein Bokek, Israel) to Jerusalem

Dead Sea (Ein Bokek, Israel) to Jerusalem

31 December 2012

I awoke very early and went for a short walk around the area, a bit reflective with the end of the year upon us, as well as a bit remorseful that we only have three days left on this tour.  Fortunately, with my three Greece days afterwards, the end of this segment shouldn't seem quite as depressing as in other years, and three days in Greece, on my own, will give me a chance to unwind a bit before boarding the plane home.

We took a cable car up to the fortress of Masada, the site so sacred to the Jewish people because of the mass suicide of its people rather than submitting to slavery under Roman rule.  There is some level of debate among historians over whether or not the suicide story is authentic, though our tour guide was adamant that it was fact, not fiction.  Continuing with the historic debate, assuming the suicide story is true, many Jews today debate if suicide is warranted even under such extreme circumstances.  

On our way out of the site, we of course were herded through the gift shop, where I looked briefly at what I am told was an old Roman coin.  While somewhat interested, I scoffed at the thought when the $2000 price tag was pulled out, certificate of authenticity notwithstanding.  On a much more frugal note, I attempted to purchase a bottle of cold water, and the cashier was adamant I put back the brand name and instead take one of the local brands, as it was just as good and about a shekel (a US quarter) cheaper. 

We drove by the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls had been found during the middle of the 20th century, which we soon see in the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

A very poignant moment for me was at our next stop on the Jordan river, where story has it the John the Baptist performed his work.  As we were there, a fairly large group of pilgrims (presumably from the US) were dunking each other in the water, while on both sides of the river military guards with automatic weapons stood, nonchalantly "protecting" their respective borders, which actually was not much more than a rope down the middle of the river.  Running along the road from the highway to the river was a wire fence, with warnings of land mines just beyond it.  Again, as in the Golan Heights as well as the West Bank, I found myself fascinated to be--literally--so close to the ragged edge between Israel and hostile neighbors.  

We arrived in the Jerusalem area in the early afternoon, first visiting Mount Scopus which affords a rather panoramic view of the entire Jerusalem skyline below.  After that, we went to the Room of the Last Supper on Mount Zion, then a very short walk on to King David’s Tomb.  At this point, something surprising (to me) happened:  We were told to break into genders, with the men visiting the tomb on the left, and the women on the right.  This is a standard in Judaism, and would be repeated, again, at other sites such as the Western Wall.  The theory is that the distraction of the opposite sex is not to be endured; while I understand this to be standard in the faith, in all candor it seemed all but barbaric by my standard.  There's enough division in this world, and we don't need to promulgate this division through religious dogma.  I try to tolerate faith-based differences which I may not understand, but this sort of thing feels to me only slightly different than segregating based on skin color.

We arrived at the hotel (Leonardo Plaza Jerusalem) mid-afternoon, and we had a few hours to ourselves to explore before our night-time journey.  Much to my joy, we were right around the corner from a normal, regular, everyday supermarket!  As I have said before, any time I travel to a foreign land, one of the things I try to do is find a market where the "locals" shop so that I can see them in a day-to-day setting.  There was nothing special about it, yet months later it is one of the "sites" I remember most clearly.

Evening came, and we were off to the Western Wall for a night-time visit, sexual segregated again).  Watching the devout in a hypnotic state, bobbing their heads against the wall, was surreal.  Non-Jews were welcome to approach the wall, with the stipulation that the head be covered (loaner paper caps were provided), and we all had a chance to right a prayer on a piece of paper and place it in the wall.  

After the Wall, we drove through other parts of Jerusalem including the Orthodox section, watching as the Jewish people scurried about in the waning hours of the year.  I took a pass on the NYE party that evening as I wanted to be fresh for the next day—I came to Jerusalem to see the legacies, not to party in a hotel.

Two general observations: 

• Yes, these people are rude.  It's difficult to ascertain if this is exacerbated in Israel, or if it simply seems more pronounced as I am a foreigner in a strange land, but without a doubt there is an abruptness that is palpable.  
• I am surprised that security is so relatively light inside the country.  Perhaps the screening at the border gave them confidence, but the hotels do not have metal detectors or X-ray machines as in many other Middle Eastern countries (Egypt, Jordan), nor were there the road block cylinders.

Galilee to the Dead Sea

 Galilee to the Dead Sea

30 December 2012

This morning, we started off with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, spending the better part of an hour sailing off towards the Jesus Boat Museum.  The Sea of Galilee is only about five miles wide, and on the other side is the Golan Heights, Syrian territory which has been occupied by the Israelis since the 1967 war.  As with so many other places we have visited thus far, such as Haifa, it is mind-boggling to set foot, to actually be, in these places I have heard so much about since my young childhood.

Upon leaving the boat, we visited the Jesus Boat Museum, which is a bit of a misnomer:  Nobody truly believes that the ancient vessel that is located in the museum is the actual boat upon which Jesus himself rode, but it is considered representative of what he would have been on.

We next visited a kibbutz, a community in which all property, including cars, is considered communal.  Even the children are regarded as communal, in that rather than living with the parents the children live in their own community.  The parents take them home and play with them for a few hours each evening, but the youngsters stay in their own communal nursery overnight.

As suggested earlier, many of us are finding this tour guide much more difficult and challenging than the Jordan guide.  This guy is very directive in terms of things such as where we eat lunch, wear the name tags, etc.  Even more telling for me, his facts leave a lot to be desired:  Beyond some of the previous gaffes, he today stated that 210 countries in the world use a drip irrigation system developed in Israel; that’s very impressive given that no source I can find lists more than 196 countries in the world.  I could see being off, perhaps, by a couple, but not that much.  (OK, truth be told, I am sure I am crossing over into the "unfair" territory at this point in terms of my evaluation, but he seems to be so consistently wrong, while presenting such hubris, that it is really annoying, not to mention that I cannot trust what I hear from him.)

Our next stops were at the Mount of the Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, then on to the ancient ruins of Capernaum.  Both of these seem somewhat understated based on the significance and importance they have played in Biblical tradition, but then again it is difficult for these physical sites to compete with the history they represent.  Perhaps, as simple and ancient as these sites and buildings are, and as plan as the countryside is, they don't adequately portray their true meaning.  Jerusalem, in contrast, has the advantage of being relatively large, with the Old City covering the equivalent of 30 or so football fields, and it is crammed full of buildings, people, life and energy.  Sites such as the Mount of the Beatitudes and Capenaum, however, seem too quiet and too quaint to convey their true significance. 

What did seem palpable in today's world, however, was our subsequent journey into the Golan Heights!!  This is Syrian territory which is occupied by the Israelis, meaning we, literally, were on the borderline between the true underlying tension in the Middle East..  Perhaps it is simply knowing how much of a powder keg this area is in today's world, but the tension, the energy, were palpable.  One could almost imagine that with the next turn in the road their would be soldiers and conflict.  Yes, as with Mount of the Beatitudes this area, too, was plain, but rather than quaint and peaceful this part of the day was alerting.

Our lunch at a roadside travel center, some relatively modern sandwich shop along with a large gas station, convenience market, etc.  It's odd to be in an area where you can see ancient sites at one moment, then in less than an hour be in an area that seems very new, very modern, truly part of the 21st century.

As if the drive through the Golan Heights was not enough, the ensuing ride through the West Bank was equally exhilarating!  Again, just as before lunch, the notion of being in a powder keg was mind boggling!  These are not ancient, peaceful regions, but rather explosive areas that are often on the evening news.  To be here, to be in a place where modern history is regularly produced, was one of the most mind boggling experiences of the whole trip.  While the religious sites are peaceful, tranquil and sacred, the energy in the Golan Heights and West Bank was mind boggling!  In one day, to see the peace of the Mount of the Beatitudes then to move on to these other high energy sites was incredible.

Any hint of greenery went away as our trip moved in to the veritable desert of the Dead Sea.  Suddenly, what had seemed sparse became utterly barren, with nothing but desolation in front of us.  Fortunately, it was only a brief ride through this barren land before we were at our hotel for the evening, the Hod Hamidbar right on the shores of the Dead Sea.  Upon arrival, I quickly changed in to my swimsuit as I very much wanted to float in the sea, but when I waded out in the water I could only get up to my knees as the cold was too much for me.  Instead of braving the cold water, wimp that I am I settled for the indoor heated pool fed by the Dead Sea water (in other words, same experience, but warm!).  It was indeed truly odd:  When I bob in water, I normally sink to my neck and have to use my hands a little bit to stay comfortably floated, but in this case I bobbed at about my mid-chest level, without even paddling my hands, and I was actually so high in the water I felt I would almost topple.  When I tried floating on my back, my entire front-side of my body from my knees on up to the top of my head was above water, and it required a concerted effort to roll over so I could stand up.  Oddly, the water had a very oily feel to it, which I can’t really describe other than to say it was not entirely pleasant for me.  Somehow, the thought of floating in oil did not sit well with me.

After the water experience, I decided to look around the hotel itself.  The Hod Hotel is rather tacky, the first bad hotel of this trip.  It is relatively large, about 200 rooms, but older and showing wear and tear, and very Russian; the owners certainly were Russian, as were many of the guests.

As a way of summary of the three most explosive parts of Israel/Palestine, here is a brief cheat sheet:

• Gaza Strip:  Israel withdrew a few years ago, and it is now in the hands and control of Hamas, universally regarded by the Western world as a bona-fide terrorist organization.

• Golan Heights:  Syrian territory occupied by Israel.

• West Bank:  Technically under PLO control, but Israel has about 350,000 settlers in it, which is condemned by the UN and other nations.  Major cities such as Hebron and even Bethlehem are under PLO control and are essentially off limits to Israelis, but we as Americans or Australians can go to it.

On to Tiberias

On to Tiberias

29 December 2012

N.B.:  You might notice in looking at the Archive list to the right that these updates are being published in July 2013, even though the trip ended in January.  For reasons discussed in a different blog, that is indeed the case, but I will assure that these reflections were recorded at the time of the trip, and that the dates indicated in the blog itself are accurate; I simply did not have time to clean them up until recently.  That's a different story for a different day!

For some reason, it did not register with me that the Sabbath had extended into Saturday morning, so I was briefly surprised with the breakfast buffet this morning to see how sparse it was…no omelets, no hot meat, nothing that required preparation.  I eventually settled for a salad and some potatoes, though I can hardly wait for the mid-day when "normalcy" returns.

I’ll reiterate what I discussed in the previous post, then elaborate a bit more:  A relatively small fraction of ultra orthodox Jews take the Shabbat to the point that they will not turn on or off electricity between Friday night and Saturday night as it could be considered to be igniting or extinguishing a flame, something that is forbidden by Jewish law during this time.  There are, however, a number of ways the get around this:  In large buildings, one elevator is set to run automatically stopping on each floor up and down so that they don’t need to push the button.  The Orthodox won’t turn lights on or off, so they use timers instead, previously set for the desired on and off times.  The number of Jews who adhere stringently to these laws is small, perhaps 20% of the Jewish population, but even though they are a minority, they have the political power to impose a great deal of these restrictions on others, albeit it inconsistently.   In a large hotel, for example, only one elevator operates on the Shabbat schedule, and the rest can be operated manually.  In your hotel room, you still have a coffee maker and can use it "manually; obviously, in the privacy of my own room I may turn the lights on or off.  That all seems to make sense, in that those who do not observe the Shabbat do not have it imposed upon them, but there are other areas where it is forced on everybody, Orthodox or not:  In the public areas such as the breakfast room, as intimated above they will not put out the toaster, and they turn off the self-service coffee machines.  In other words, even devices that are operated by a non-adherent are banned in public areas.   The Orthodox really do have the power!!

Our first stop of the morning was at Caesarea about half an hour out of Tel Aviv.  Both ancient Roman and Crusader buildings can be seen, with the Roman dating back to the time of Herod.  Unfortunately, many of the older buildings such as the Roman Theater have been essentially completely rebuilt, unlike Jordan which tried to minimize renovation.  (There is a great deal of debate in terms of how old sites should be handled:  Should they be left "as is" when discovered, even if in terrible decay, or should they be brought back to what we presumed to be the appearance centuries ago, using materials and the like which emulate the prior existence as best possible.  Jordan generally goes with the former, and at least in this one site in Israel the latter was selected.)

Our next stop was Haifa, just 20 some odd miles from the Lebanon and Syrian borders, and the scene of rocket attacks in 2006.  It's sobering to be in this place, in an area which has seen, firsthand, recent rocket attacks, yet today it looks vibrant as people scurry about.  There really is a unique mindset in Israel, in that the day-to-day threats are accepted as such, and life is not interrupted through fear.

Haifa also houses the headquarters of the Bahá'í Faith, a religion with which I am not familiar but which does, at a minimum, sound interesting.  Rather than try to explain what this group represents, I'll simply point our their website should you wish to read about them.

I'm not sure why I found this so amazing, but I chuckled when I stumbled across a QR for Jews for Jesus!  In spite of the name, the organization really is a conservative Christian evangelical group, but nonetheless finding it here seemed humorous.

Lunch consisted of a falafel….I have never had one before, and I will not again!  I am not a fan, and I really would rather not recollect on the taste, so I'll avoid a description other than to use the urbane term of "yuck."

After our rather (OK, very) disappointing lunch, the next stop was the Akko (Acre) old city site.  This is a UNESCO world history site, dating back to the times of antiquity, and it also represents another example of what I discussed earlier in this post, namely what seems to be an Israeli predisposition towards rebuilding ancient sites rather than leaving them in situ.  I'm getting a sense that Israel, as a relatively well-known tourist or vacation site, is going to continue with this theme of rebuilding, as opposed to Jordan's bias towards "leave as-is."  Part of this may be philosophical, part of it may be pragmatic in that a very poor country such as Jordan may not have to funds to rebuild.  In any case, this is becoming a very consistent, striking contrast between the countries.

Surprisingly, it started to rain rather heavily on our way to Nazareth in Galilee and the site of the Church of theAnnunciation, the site at which the angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother of Jesus.  Again, this site has been extensively refurbished, appearing very new, save for the old grotto portion.  In some regards I like the rather new and contemporary design, but others in the group were not so sure.

I do have to say, with regrets, than I am not really pleased with our guide, as he has a tendency to blow off questions:  There were many things I wanted to know about Judaism, and when I would ask him he gave a cursory answer which was even less complete than what I already knew.  To make it even worse, he gave the most meaningless explanation of Islam I have ever heard in my life:  

• Mohammed wrote the Quran (which is odd, since Mohammed was illiterate and "Quran" means “recite").  He quickly mentioned the five pillars of Islamic faith with no elaboration other than to say these were "OK," but then he immediately went on to say that a Muslim can get on a bus, declare glory to God, declare a jihad and blow himself and everybody else up.  

I realize there is extreme tension in this part of the world, and perhaps I underestimate what that means, but for a professional to provide that sort of a summary of one of the world's most prominent religions is disappointing to say the least.

Beyond the condescending description of faith above, our tour guide declared that Bath was in Scotland (England is reality), and that the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is managed by the Israeli government (it’s really managed by an Islamic Waqf).

Tour guide disappointments notwithstanding, we spent our night in the Leonardo Plaza in Tiberias, where my suitcase decided to self destruct!  (Yes, the zipper on my clamshell gave way, and could not be resurrected.)  Very, very fortunately for me, the gift shop downstairs had one, it was about the right size, and only cost me $75---a real bargain under the circumstances.  (Though I will amend this post to point out that upon my return to the US, this "bargain" self destructed for me as well.  Argh.)

At some point along the way, I did note the following about country revenues, and I'll throw the thoughts in here so they do not get lost, though I have forgotten the details.

Jordan

• Potash and Phosphorus
• Poor job of promoting tourism

Israel

• Fruits and vegetables
• Tourism
• Diamonds
• High Tech
• No heavy industry to speak, but light industry.

Israeli Passport Stamps

Israeli Passport Stamps

29 December 2012

Here’s one quick note on a potentially sticky question:  If you have an Israeli stamp in your passport, what countries will refuse you entry?  After talking with my tour guides and doing some research, this seems to be the situation.

Jordan and Egypt are no problem.  As much as the people may dislike the Israelis, and vice versa, the countries are technically at peace so, at this time, migrating between them is not a problem.  Obviously, this could change at any time.

UAE or Qatar are “iffy.”  You may or may not be permitted entry if you have an Israeli passport stamp; it is more or less up to the whim of the official considering your request. 

Other countries such as Syria, Lebanon, and the like:  No chance.  If you have the Israeli stamp, you will be denied entry.

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

28 December 2012

First thing this morning, I woke up, walked to the Mediterranean, and stuck my hand in it.  I’m not sure why, but that simple act seemed very important to me.

The first site we visited this morning was the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial site, followed by a visit to Little Israel, a truly corny place!  I hate to sound so negative, but we wasted an hour and a half there when there were so many other places we could have seen.

After that, we took out lunch in a central market area which was very crowded, though I was able to find a spare cell phone battery.  The afternoon was spent in Jaffa just outside of Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv looks older than I thought it would; I knew it was a vibrant city, and with that label I expected it to be a bit more contemporary, but it really feels like something out of the 1950’s.  It wasn’t dirty or dilapidated, just an older architecture style all around.

Since this was a Friday afternoon, we were able to observe and experience the Jewish Shabat (Sabbath) with a special dinner which consisted of a blessing of the wine and bread, very reminiscent of  Communion or Eucharist.

The Shabat runs from Sundown Friday afternoon till Saturday dusk, and the rules are rather arcane:  To use a simple gentile definition, it is not permitted to perform work is during this time, although not all Jew adhere to it and you will find some working in the hotels and the like.  The notion of “work” follows some obscure definitions and leads to some almost humorous workarounds.  For example, during this time one cannot ignite or extinguish a flame.  This interpretation is expanded to include a prohibition against turning on or off electricity; note that the use of electricity per se is permitted, but you cannot turn an appliance on or off.  This means that technically somebody who is adhering to the Shabat laws cannot legally operate an elevator, or a light switch, or even an alarm clock.  All of these devices can be used, so long as the observant Jew doesn’t turn them on or off.  It’s OK to ride in an elevator if somebody else pushes the button, or if it is on a preset scheduled to stop an open the door on each floor.  Lights can be used if they are preset beforehand on a timer.  Alarm clocks can be used if set beforehand, and if they automatically mute after some time (or, in some cases, they are put in baffles so that the sound is absorbed!)

One observation is that things such as the above explain why I love travel:  It gets my brain to think differently, to see things differently, to see things more creatively.  Yes, I have heard of these Shabat restrictions before, but you really don’t understand them until you see them firsthand.

A second observation, after having just been to Jordan (last year Egypt) and now having spent a short time in Israel.  I’m not biased.  I’m not pro-Israeli or pro-Palestine.  Even though we have only toured Israel for one day now, something is becoming unfortunately clear to me.  Both guides so far have been very obviously biased…not to the point that they are raving at the other side, but they have been surprisingly biased in the sense that even though they are professional tour guides, they bluntly point their finger at “the other side” as being the one who is at fault in the ongoing battle.  Both guides have claimed “their side” is unwilling to yield.  This is not directed at the government leaders or political parties, but instead at the individuals.  This is disturbing, and I want to think a bit more about it before expounding further.

A third observation, subject to possible revision later:  I’m not saying this to sound pejorative, but putting aside religion, history and politics, the blatant difference between prosperity and poverty accounts for much of the hatred.  Jordan and Egypt are obviously impoverished, but simply crossing over the border into Israel unveils a society that is relatively rich.  The restaurant in Tel Aviv is a prime example:  In Jordan, the mixed grill meal was a little beef, chicken and lamb with a small amount of rice….a reasonable meal.  In Tel Aviv, the amount of food I was given for “fish and chips” was decadent, quite literally a sin.  What they served me could easily have served three or four people.  As with observation number two above, I want to think about this a bit more before saying more.