Monday, May 24, 2010
Safranbolu, Turkey
I'm now traveling with saffron afficionado and college friend, Claire. We headed eastward to the saffron producing traditional Ottoman town of Safronbolu, just south of the Black Sea and sampled local treats and culture.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Shalom Israel. Moi Helsinki.
L'Chaim. L'Simcha. L'Shalom Israel.
Hellooooo Helsinki, Finland. And helloooo, my love!
I've been on a one-week detour to Scandanavia, enjoying the Vappu festivities and hangin with Brian.
Ramallah, Palestine
4.28 Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine
With Barya's friend, Bryce, I wandered the downtown and some residential areas of Ramallah. We enjoyed some stellar street food and shared the most delicious hookah/argilleh I've ever tried. The bowl was made from a halved grapefruit! Very tasty!
It's amazing to think that just a few years ago there were tanks and snipers filling these streets. The city seems to be doing very well... several public infrastructure projects underway, lots of commerce and vibrant street life. We happened upon some interesting political art, worthy of sharing.
With Barya's friend, Bryce, I wandered the downtown and some residential areas of Ramallah. We enjoyed some stellar street food and shared the most delicious hookah/argilleh I've ever tried. The bowl was made from a halved grapefruit! Very tasty!
It's amazing to think that just a few years ago there were tanks and snipers filling these streets. The city seems to be doing very well... several public infrastructure projects underway, lots of commerce and vibrant street life. We happened upon some interesting political art, worthy of sharing.
Jerusalem, Israel
4.28ish Jerusalem
I met up with college friend Barya (now living in Jerusalem) and toured the Old City sites--the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the street bazaars, etc. I'm feeling less spiritual and/or religiously inclined than ever. There are lots of big walls in and around the city, but little to protect the thin line between faith and fanaticism.
I met up with college friend Barya (now living in Jerusalem) and toured the Old City sites--the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the street bazaars, etc. I'm feeling less spiritual and/or religiously inclined than ever. There are lots of big walls in and around the city, but little to protect the thin line between faith and fanaticism.
Dead Sea, Israel
4.26 Ein Gedi, Dead Sea, Israel
I'm finally wearing shorts and soaking up the sun. I spent the day hot springing, hiking to waterfalls, spotting baby ibexes, getting mud-masked, and buoyantly bobbing around in the Dead Sea. L'Chaim!!!
I'm finally wearing shorts and soaking up the sun. I spent the day hot springing, hiking to waterfalls, spotting baby ibexes, getting mud-masked, and buoyantly bobbing around in the Dead Sea. L'Chaim!!!
Aqaba, Jordan
4.25 Aqaba
Turquoise waters, coral reef just 100 meters offshore, snorkelling fully clothed...
This pretty much sums up my experience of Aqaba, Jordan's southern port and 'resort town'.
Turquoise waters, coral reef just 100 meters offshore, snorkelling fully clothed...
This pretty much sums up my experience of Aqaba, Jordan's southern port and 'resort town'.
Petra, Jordan
4.23 Petra
Wow!!! Petra!!! A blog entry seems terribly insufficient to describe the wonder and awe that this place evokes, but here it goes anyway...
Thank you, Nabateans, for being inspired to carve hundreds of cave dwellings, tombs, worship sites, and enormous monuments, all cut into a maze of multi-colored sandstone cliffs. The natural landscape alone is gorgeous. Cliffs and canyons open into a vast red sand desert. Add the manmade structures and you have a truly jaw-dropping and unforgetable touristic experience.
For several centuries, the Bedouin people have come to inhabit the area and many still live in Petra's cave dwellings. Some are even equipped with generators and satellite TV. Though these modern Bedouin are fairly grounded, they still fondly remember their nomadic past. A favorite saying is:
Bedouin move as the wind
Are strong as the desert
Soft as the sand
Forever free
I wouldn't mind being 'forever free' in this incredible place!
Wow!!! Petra!!! A blog entry seems terribly insufficient to describe the wonder and awe that this place evokes, but here it goes anyway...
Thank you, Nabateans, for being inspired to carve hundreds of cave dwellings, tombs, worship sites, and enormous monuments, all cut into a maze of multi-colored sandstone cliffs. The natural landscape alone is gorgeous. Cliffs and canyons open into a vast red sand desert. Add the manmade structures and you have a truly jaw-dropping and unforgetable touristic experience.
For several centuries, the Bedouin people have come to inhabit the area and many still live in Petra's cave dwellings. Some are even equipped with generators and satellite TV. Though these modern Bedouin are fairly grounded, they still fondly remember their nomadic past. A favorite saying is:
Bedouin move as the wind
Are strong as the desert
Soft as the sand
Forever free
I wouldn't mind being 'forever free' in this incredible place!
Dana to Petra, Jordan
4.21 to 4.22 Hike from Dana Preserve to Petra
I embarked on a 2 day epic trek from Dana Preserve south to Petra with a group of Frenchies. The pictures speak for themselves.
I embarked on a 2 day epic trek from Dana Preserve south to Petra with a group of Frenchies. The pictures speak for themselves.
Dana Preserve, Jordan
4.21 Dana Wildlife Preserve
Dana Preserve is a gorgeous red and white-cliffed canyon with a partially restored village perched on a precipice above. In its heyday over 50 families lived in simple stone cottages and herded and hunted for a living. Decades ago, most families abandoned the town for the nearby small city and the economic opportunities it afforded. The area was established as a wildlife preserve in the 60's, specifically to protect the ibex, and the town experienced a bit of a revival due to the influx of tourism. Still it remains a sleepy outpost, with only 3 small hotels and a dozen or so families. My hotel was something of a hobbit compound--thick stone walls, low ceilings, and colorful decorations.
Dana Preserve is a gorgeous red and white-cliffed canyon with a partially restored village perched on a precipice above. In its heyday over 50 families lived in simple stone cottages and herded and hunted for a living. Decades ago, most families abandoned the town for the nearby small city and the economic opportunities it afforded. The area was established as a wildlife preserve in the 60's, specifically to protect the ibex, and the town experienced a bit of a revival due to the influx of tourism. Still it remains a sleepy outpost, with only 3 small hotels and a dozen or so families. My hotel was something of a hobbit compound--thick stone walls, low ceilings, and colorful decorations.
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