Cambodia - Unbreakable Spirit

Cambodia Slide Show

We traveled through Cambodia as part of an Intrepid travel tour group. Intrepid is an Australian company that organizes small group tours "for travelers with a yearning to get off the beaten track". We met our group in Bangkok prior to taking off to Cambodia. After spending almost 6 months organizing everything on our own, we turned over the planning to Intrepid. Including our guide and the three of us, there were 12 people that traveled together. Italy, Germany, Australia, the UK, Canada, and the United States were all represented in our group.
We went from Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia aboard a bus. The Thailand / Cambodia crossing took over an hour as we waited outside in a line on a very hot and humid day. Our bags were brought across the border in a homemade human pulled trailer. Cambodia is probably best known for the Temples of Angkor Wat and the fanatical rule of Pol Pot from 1975 to 1979. The Temples of Angkor Wat are just outside the city of Siem Reap. We spent 2 days visiting the temples that were constructed in the early 12th century by various kings. The 1,000 year old temples are very impressive, especially at sunrise.
The Temples of Angkor Wat are the best known, but we preferred the Ta Prohm Temples. When the temples in the Siem Reap were discovered, the forest had pretty much covered them. Most of the temples, including Angkor Wat had the forest removed to restore the temples to how they were originally built. Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found, with trees literally growing on, around, and through the temples. Hollywood also thought this site was pretty cool as they filmed "The Tomb Raider" here with Angelina Jolie. Our Cambodia guide seemed quite fond of Angelina.
Siem Reap is a wonderful town with leftover influences in the form of architecture and cuisine from the French, who occupied Cambodia from the late 1800's until 1953. In addition to the temples around Siem Reap, we took a boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Asia. Entire floating villages are built on the lake, providing easy access to the fishing, which provides Cambodia 75% of their fish.
We really enjoyed the Cambodia people and the sites, but a visit to Cambodia is not complete without getting a first-hand view of what Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge did to this wonderful country. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge moved all the people out into the countryside and used them as slave labor. School, music, religion and any interaction with the Western world were all abolished. Anyone deemed educated was considered a threat, so they were executed immediately. In total, 2 million of the 7 million Cambodians died between 1975 and 1979, the time that the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia.
Many of the children were forced into being child soldiers. A man by the name of Aki Ra was a child soldier that was trained to put land mines in the fields and forests. Now as an adult, he has made it his mission to remove the mines. He has personally defused tens of thousands of land mines, but millions still remain. The Land Mine Museum that he started is a fascinating look at his work.
There were 2 more sites near Phnom Penh that showed the results of the Khmer Rouge. The Tuol Seng Genocide Museum is at the site of the S.21 prison, where prisoners were brought to be interrogated prior to being executed. Only 7 people who came through this prison came out alive. The survivors were individuals with special skills that the Khmer Rouge needed. We were fortunate to meet one of the survivors at the museum. He told his incredibly sad story of being at the prison and of losing his wife and 6 children.
Many of you have seen the movie, "The Killing Fields" that came out in 1984 that tells the story of Cambodia during the reign of Pol Pot. We went to a killing fields memorial which is built on one of the former mass burial sites. Seeing the depressions in the field where the mass burial graves were left a sick feeling in your stomach.
We found the Cambodian people to be quite resilient and some of the friendliest people that we have met. Our guide explained to us that they live for the moment and are always smiling. In a sense, I suppose they are just happy to be alive. This unbreakable spirit has allowed the country to prosper. We were surprised at how modern Siem Reap and Phnom Penh were. Our going in thoughts were that it would be a tough third world country to travel in, but that was not the case. Tourism and foreign investment have helped Cambodia recover from a difficult past. It was nice to share and discuss these experiences with other travelers in our group. Next stop with the group is Vietnam.
To see our slide show of Cambodia, click on the following link ==> Cambodia Slide Show

Bangkok, Thailand - Who's in Charge?

Bangkok, Thailand Slide Show

In September, 2008, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was removed from office after being found guilty of among other things, hosting a cooking show while in office. The Thai's are great cooks! The Prime Minister role was then assumed by Somchai Wongsawat. Both Sundaravej and Wongsawat were members of the People's Power Party (PPP). In November, 2008, not happy with how the country was being run, members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protested by taking over government buildings and airports. The army chose not to forcibly remove the protesters. The protests ended when Prime Minister Wongsawat resigned. In December, 2008 the current Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva took office.
We were a bit concerned about going to Bangkok only a couple months after the political unrest. Our fears were soon forgotten as we landed at an efficient and clean airport. Public transportation was good, the accomodations were some of the best we have had and the people were very welcoming. It was like nothing had ever happened. Maybe the Thai's are just so used to coups. Since 1932 there have been 19 coup attempts and 11 of them have been successful.
There is a lot to do and see in Bangkok. Massive Buddhist Temple complexes are scattered throughout the city. We visited the largest and oldest temple in Bangkok, Wat Pho. Most of the temples have similar architecture with Buddhist shrines in each of them. What makes Wat Pho unique is that it houses the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand. It is almost 150 feet long. The body is gold and the bottom of the feet are made with inlayed mother-of-pearl. About 95% of Thai's are Buddhists.
You could spend days waking the streets of Bangkok. The streets are filled with people,  vehicles, markets and street vendors. Besides walking, we took the following forms of transportation: subway, taxi, boat, tuk-tuk, sky train, and canal water taxi. The water taxis are the fastest since the streets of Bangkok are jammed at most times of the day. We went on an interesting tour of Jim Thompson's house. Jim Thompson was an American who moved to Bangkok in the 1950's and became a silk mogul. Thompson vanished in Malaysia in 1967 and has never been found. There are many theories about his disappearance, but not enough evidence to conclusively determine what happened to him.
We also mixed in some culture and sport. We went to a traditional Thai dance, music, and theatre show. It was a bit hokey and overpriced, but an enjoyable evening nonetheless. For sport, Noah and I went out for an evening of Moo-ay Tai (Thai kick boxing) at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Jennifer chose to skip this cultural event. It was a great evening of kick boxing, but it was even more fun watching the passion of the Thai people as they cheered and yelled for each punch and kick. The rafters were filled with people that stand the entire time and scream out bets between each round and fight. There were 11 fights on the card, lasting from 6:30 to 11:30 pm. Most fights were entertaining, but the main event was incredible 5 rounds to remember.
On our last evening in Bangkok, we met up with 8 other travelers that we will be with for the next 18 days in Cambodia and Vietnam as part of an Intrepid group. After many months of independent travel, we decided to try a small tour group. We will let you know how that works in our upcoming Cambodia and Vietnam posts.
To view our slide show of Bangkok, Thailand, click on the following link ==> Bangkok, Thailand Slide Show

Koh Chang, Thailand - Sa-wat-dee-ka

Koh Chang, Thailand Slide Show

Every woman that greets you on the island of Koh Chang puts her hands in a prayer position, bows, and says "sa-wat-dee-ka". "Sa-wat-dee" means hello and by adding the "ka" on the end it shows a sign of respect. Phonetically, the emphasis is on the "ka" and it is usually drawn out like "kaaaaaa". Traveling in Thailand is easy compared to many of the countries that we have been to. The people are welcoming, the food is great, the country is clean and efficient, and oh do they have beautiful islands and beaches.
Back in November, as we were watching CNN in Cairo, Egypt, we saw the attacks on Mumbai, India and demonstrations in Bangkok, Thailand that shut down the airport. The reports made us question whether or not we should go to either of these countries. After having been to both, it would have been a big mistake to skip either India or Thailand.
Actually, I can see why everyone was hanging out at the new Bangkok International Airport. The place is incredible. Bangkok Airways even lets you into their fancy lounge if you are not a member of the club. Noah and I spent the next hour gorging ourselves on popcorn, lemon cakes, and sweetened lemon iced tea. Jennifer was much more civilized, limiting herself to a cup of tea and one lemon cake. Trying some local Thai food, I didn't find out until later that I was supposed to remove the grape leaf before I ate whatever was inside the leaf.
We needed to take a break from our travels (Noah called it a vacation from our vacation), so we decided to hang out on an island in Thailand. The question was, which one since there are hundreds of them. We decided on Koh Chang in southeastern Thailand in the Gulf of Thailand. Most of the island is jungle and mountains. There is essentially a two block area on parts of the west side of the island where there are towns, hotels, and villages. There are no fancy high rise hotels, but there are five 7-11's. Many of the lodging options are simple huts right on the beach. Since the downturn in the world economy has adversely affected Thailand tourism, we were able to negotiate a good rate at a nice place on the beach.
This is the point where I am supposed to tell you about all the exotic jungle hikes, elephant safaris, and 4x4 and swimming with the sharks adventures. All of these options were available, but we didn't do any of them. We used much of our time on the island to "refuel". For the most part, we hung out on the beach and ate great cheap food. We got our budget back on track and put some color on our white pasty skin. We bought a beach paddle ball set that occupied many hours of our time. It only took Noah and I five days to get to the point where we could hit that little pink ball back and forth 57 times in a row without it touching the water. This was made possible on hit number 32 when I made the best diving backhand save in Beach Paddle Ball history.
The Thais are great cooks and they give great massages. A one hour Thai massage on the beach, under a palm tree, listening to the waves costs 300 Baht (approximately $8.50). Since I am as flexible as a Dorito chip, the creative stretching that takes place in a Thai massage had me alternating between wincing in pain and feeling great. It was a good hurt though. The look on Jennifer's face indicated she enjoyed the massage on the beach concept.
We did go on an all day snorkeling tour of 4 uninhabited islands near Koh Chang. The snorkeling was good and it felt great to be on a boat. A few of the days we rented mopeds to see the island. The entertainment value at $6 a day was exceptional. We drove the mopeds through the winding hills overlooking the ocean, stopping at beaches and places to eat. We drove to the remote areas of the island where the locals live in fishing villages. At the end of a very bumpy, hilly, winding road, we found The Tree House "Resort". There are hippies there from the 60's that never left. People just sit and stare at the ocean and periodically order food and drink. The prices are the same as they were in the 60's, so these people don't realize that their Visas expired 40 years ago. We overheard a woman checking in and the person behind the desk asked her how many months or years she would be staying.
We really didn't want to leave Koh Chang, but it was time to go. Back to temples, wonders of the world, museums and more educational opportunities for the three of us. Temples and museums are better to visit than islands and scooters . . . aren't they?
To view our Koh Chang, Thailand slide show, click on the following link ==> Koh Chang, Thailand Slide Show

Southern India - "Two India's"

Southern India Slide Show

As our plane was leaving the Mumbai airport for Bangkok, I looked out my window at the lights of Mumbai. I was surprised to feel so sad about leaving this incredibly complex country. All three of us felt the tug of India on our hearts. On the surface, there are slums, garbage, impoverished villages, and political and religious strife. Digging deeper, as we were able to do during our 23 day stay in Northern and Southern India, we experienced the warmth, kindness and generosity of the people who are filled with high hopes and dreams for their families and their country.
As you view the pictures on this post and our slide show, you will see many pictures of people that we met in India and very few pictures of sites that we visited. The temples, museums, tombs, and monuments will fade from our memory much quicker than the people we got to know. As visitors, we were treated like royalty. Even though Noah and I look ridiculous in the photo above, the picture tells the story of how we were welcomed at each of the places that we visited.
As we tried to gain a better understanding of the "True India", we asked our Indian friends, Jon and Swati a lot of questions. Many times their reply was "that is the other India." We soon came to realize that there are "Two India's". On one side, you have the India that has been in the news over the last two decades. This India is the second fastest growing country behind China. It's poverty rate has been cut in half over the last 20 years. Foreign investment continues to rise. Call center and information technology jobs for United States and Western European companies have helped revitalize cities like Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, and Delhi.
The other India is a country that has over 300 million people living on less than a dollar a day. It is home to 40% of the world's poor and has surpassed South Africa as the country with the most HIV-positive people. Corruption and bribes permeate the political structure, the caste system makes it very difficult to rise above your social status given at birth, and Hindu's, Muslim's and Christians often clash. Last fall, we all saw the attacks on Mumbai on TV. Lesser publicized were the attacks on Christians by Hindu extremists. The movie, "Slumdog Millionaire", which we saw on our last day in India shows this side of India.
Without the help of Jon, Swati, and their extended family and friends, we would not have had the wide range of experiences that they exposed us to. We originally met Jon and Swati at our church, Hosanna! in Lakeville, MN. Jon, Swati, and their son Neil moved back to India in the last year after 16 years in the United States. Along with their parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and other family members and friends, Jon and Swati have developed quite a ministry in India. Their outreach includes orphanages, churches, a Bible school, and development programs in the slums and villages around Pune. They have given up an "easier" life in the United States to return to their homeland to help people and spread their faith. India is less than 5% Christian and as mentioned above, Christians are often persecuted for their faith by extremist Hindu groups. In spite of this, they go forward helping the people of India.
While Swati helped Neil with his testing at school, Jon took us on a whirl-wind tour of his outreach programs. To get a starting base for India culture, we visited the Gandhi National Memorial in Pune. It is too bad that the peace that Gandhi preached does not always continue today. We also had a chance to visit the Ellora Caves, which are hand carved caves/temples in the stone mountains. Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain caves make up the 34 caves that were built between 600 AD to 1,000 AD. It was fun to interact with the many school groups that were on field trips. They all wanted to shake our hands enthusiastically and take pictures with us. Leaving the caves was interesting as we saw a Jain priest wearing sandals . . . only sandals.
The women of India, especially in the lower castes have not been able to reach their potential due to social and economic inequities. Women's ministry is a main focal point for Jon and Swati. They teach the women to be financially responsible by saving money, helping them start businesses, working together and sharing their faith. Essentially it is a micro-finance program with a holistic approach. There are currently over 900 women in these programs.
Jennifer spoke to 5 different groups of women in the slums and villages about their talents and strengths. The message that Jennifer delivered was great, but the true value came in the exchange of cultures via question and answer sessions between Jennifer and the Indian women. They found it hilarious that I did most of the cooking at home. It was quite humbling for Jennifer to answer their questions of what our house and life was like in America while sitting in their one room home.
Jon kept stretching our missionary talents by having me deliver the Sunday message at a church, Jennifer addressing multiple groups of women, visiting orphanages, both of us leading chapel at a Bible college, Noah and I conducting a basketball clinic for men and women at a college, and blessing and praying for people. It was truly inspiring to see the smiles on the faces of the men, women and children in the slums and orphanages that have been given hope. Jon made time for Noah and I to get involved in a couple of Cricket games, one with an orphanage and one with the Bible College students.
After writing this post and reviewing the pictures, I am reminded of why we were sad to leave India - the people. To view our slide show of Southern India, please click on the following ==>Southern India Slide Show

Northern India - What Did We Just See?

Northern India Slide Show

Was that a cow we just saw on the freeway? What smells so good? Was that a camel pulling the cart? What smells so bad? What is that man wearing? What is that interesting smell? How many people are in that autorickshaw? Have you ever smelled anything like that? Should we help that guy? This was a typical series of questions that we would ask each other as we walked and drove around the states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in Northern India. Nothing can adequately prepare you for the sensory overload of the sights, sounds, and smells of India. As Noah keeps singing from a commercial that we saw, "Incredible India!"
The cab ride from the Delhi airport to our hotel gave us a great introduction to India. The roads in a city of 15 million people are filled (and I mean filled) with cars, dogs, rickshaws (bicycle taxis), people, scooters, autorickshaw's (motorized bicycle taxis), cows, bicycles, and camels. Our taxi driver skillfully wove his way through all this chaos without following one traffic rule or ever coming to a complete stop. Renting a car and driving in this country is not an option.
Our introduction continued rather quickly as Noah and I walked around at night to get the lay of the land. The third cash machine we visited dispensed rupees (India cash) so we were on our way. After walking a block, a cow frightened Noah by sticking his head out around a tree in the middle of a roundabout. Noah then promptly stepped in a present the cow recently deposited on the sidewalk. A half block later, a small boy dressed in dirt head to toe with some strange red stuff on his lips came up to Noah and kissed his shirt. Needless to say, Noah was ready to go back to the hotel. Welcome to India!
Once you get used to India, you can actually fall in love with it's quirkiness. It is a culture shock that makes you smile at just about the time that you want to run back home crying. After taking in a few sights in Delhi, we headed to Agra. We visited a couple temples and the Agra Fort, but the highlight in Agra is the Taj Mahal. It is deservedly on one of the many 7 Wonders of the World lists in circulation. The Taj Mahal was built by emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. It took 20,000 workers 22 years to complete. The Taj Mahal is constructed of marble. The colorful designs are not from paint, but from inlaid precious stones from around the world.
Next stop on our driving tour was Ranthambore National Park. We got up early to go on a tiger safari in the park. We saw tiger footprints, birds, monkeys, deer, jackal and crocodiles, but no tigers. Maybe they should not have billed it as a tiger safari. It was nice to get out of big, dirty cities and see the countryside. We continued going from city to city with stays in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Pushkar before returning to Delhi. We saw many temples, tombs, forts, a pink city (Jaipur), a blue city (Jodhpur), and a city that does not allow meat, eggs, hugging, alcohol, or smooching (Pushkar). I charmed a cobra, rode a camel and danced in the desert. Jennifer had her palm read, got a massage and rode an elephant and a camel. Noah danced in the desert and rode an elephant and a camel.
Unlike the tiger safari where there were no tigers, there were camels for our camel safari in Pushkar. The safari took us through the streets of Pushkar into the desert. As it got dark, we ate by campfire and were entertained by local musicians and dancers. If we didn't get "Delhi Belly" from dinner that night, we may never get it.
The sights that we saw in our trip around Northern India were interesting, but the most fascinating aspect of India is walking the streets and interacting with the locals. Once you get used to pushy vendors on the street and overzealous hotel bellboys, you realize that the people of India are very service oriented and friendly. The women dress in every color of the rainbow. The food is quite good, albeit a bit too spicy for Jennifer. The children smile at you and want to shake your hand regardless of their living conditions.
We returned to Delhi safely thanks to Raj, the driver that we hired for this portion of the trip. He was a great driver while being very courteous and helpful. We also had the privilege of spending an evening with Tandon family in Delhi that we met through a friend of ours, Vijay Mehrotra who was born in Delhi, but now resides in Oakland, California.
To view our slide show of Northern Delhi, click on the following link ==> Northern India Slide Show

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - A Land of 5 Star Hotels

Dubai, UAE Slide Show

As the title of this blog states, Dubai is a land of 5 star hotels. In fact, the Burj Al Arab Hotel, pictured to the left, is a self-proclaimed 7 star hotel. If you look closely, you will see a round helicopter pad near the top of the hotel. That is where Tiger Woods, among others, lands after taking a helicopter from the ultra-modern Dubai International Airport. Tiger doesn't even have to drive on the crowded streets of Dubai to stay in his $25,000 a night room.
So, what is a family of budget travelers doing in a city like this? Well, we came for what was promoted as the biggest, baddest, largest, grandest, loudest fireworks ever in the world on New Year's Eve! We checked into the cheapest lodging in the city, the Dubai Youth Hostel and waited for the fireworks to begin. Unfortunately, all New Year's Eve celebrations were canceled in Dubai. The UAE government did not feel that it was appropriate to be partying while fellow Arabs were suffering in the Gaza strip. As a result, our New Year's Eve celebration consisted of going out to dinner and waiting quietly for the stroke of midnight. We were playing a game of Hearts at an outdoor restaurant, but were informed that it was illegal to play cards in public, so we went back to waiting quietly for the stroke of midnight.
Instead of making New Year's Eve the focal point of our stay in Dubai, we set out to experience the rest of Dubai. After spending much of our time over the last 4 months exploring ancient sites like Machu Picchu, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Old City of Jerusalem, we found ourselves in a city that is all about the present and the future. There is an older area of Dubai, but the city is dominated by new skyscrapers, beaches, opulent shopping malls and the aforementioned 5 star hotels.
Dubai is a unique city in that only 15% of the population is originally from Dubai. The majority of the other 85% is from India, but there are 150 nationalities that make up Dubai. We had taxi drivers from India, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Pakistan. The city has done a nice job of integrating people from different cultures and religions that live together peacefully. In 1966, Dubai discovered oil. The revenues from oil were used to build the infrastructure of modern day Dubai. Due to the rapid international business development in Dubai, oil revenues now only account for 5.5% of Dubai's GDP. Dubai is all about being the biggest and the best. Here are a few examples of what the leaders of Dubai like to promote:

• The Burj Dubai is the tallest man-made structure in the world
• The Palm Jumeirah, the World (under construction), and the Universe (future construction) are the largest man-made islands in the world
• The Dubai Metro (under construction) will be the biggest driverless train system in the world
• Dubailand will be the largest entertainment area in the world - three times the size of Disney World
• The Dubai Mall is the largest in the world (sorry, Mall of America) until the newly developed Mall of Arabia is finished. Then Dubai will have the 2 largest shopping malls in the world.

We spent more time at malls than we have in the last four months combined. We didn't buy anything, but we did drink coffee at a Caribou Coffee and go to a movie, complete with movie theatre popcorn. A bus tour of the city allowed us to see all the development that continues even in this troubled economy. A dhow boat cruise on the Dubai Creek was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. Dubai is developing a massive one-stop medical facility. The architecture is amazing and the city is clean. It was quite a switch for us from all the time that we have spent in developing countries.
The most amazing area was the Palm Jumeirah, which is a series of man-made islands that contain massive hotel complexes, high-end condominiums, beach front housing, and underwater tunnels. The most unique experience was skiing at the indoor ski hill, Ski Dubai, inside the Mall of the Emirates. The ski area is inside a mall, has real snow, ski lifts, runs similar to Buck Hill in Burnsville and a ski chalet. It was 75 degrees outside and 31 degrees inside. 
We went to the beach on a Monday and went skiing on a Tuesday. Dubai . . .
To view our slide show of Dubai, UAE, click on the following link ==? Dubai, UAE Slide Show

Israel and Jordan (Part 2) - Holy Land

Israel and Jordan (Part 2) Slide Show

Traveling to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and the Sea of Galilee was a dream come true for Jennifer and I. In 2001 we had a trip scheduled with our church, but we had to cancel after the events of 9-11. We felt fortunate to be able to go 7 years later with our 2 sons, Aaron and Noah, and our nephew Drew.
It was wonderful to spend Christmas Eve in Bethlehem as a family. But, as each of you watched the news in the days following Christmas, you saw how the spiritual significance of this land is often overshadowed by political and religious issues. As I write this, the missiles, bombing, and ground battles continue in the Gaza Strip. After only 2 weeks in Israel, we still have much to learn about this complex situation. What we do know is that we care deeply about the welfare of the Israelis and Palestinians that we met. Please pray for a quick end to the conflict and a long-term solution for Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
The Old City of Jerusalem is split into Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Armenian Quarters. The wall surrounding the Old City was constructed between 1537 and 1542 by Suleyman the Magnificent. You  enter the Old City through 1 of 8 gates. It is very difficult to describe a walled-in city that is split into 4 different religious quarters that carries so much religious significance for the 3 major monotheistic religions of the world. Christians can walk the Via Dolorosa to see the Stations of the Cross, the crucifixion site and the burial place of Jesus. The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount marks the spot where the Muslim Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven to take his place alongside Allah. The wall supporting the outer portion of the Temple Mount where the Dome of the Rock stands is the Western Wall (or the Wailing Wall) where Jews come to pray, inserting their prayers into the wall.
Prior to receiving a guided tour, we walked on the top of the wall that surrounds the Old City. It was a good way to view the city from above, seeing the winding streets with locals going about their daily business. Our tour was guided by Noam, who was extremely knowledgeable about all three religions and conducted a very informative tour. We walked the 14 Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa, ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Inside the church are the final 5 stations where Jesus was stripped of his clothes, nailed to the cross, crucified, died, and was buried. Whether or not these sights mark the exact locations of these events does not diminish the significance of walking the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem.
The Temple Mount includes the beautiful Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Jews are not allowed to enter the Temple Mount and non-Muslims are not allowed in either building. This was our first exposure to the separation between religious groups in the Old City. On the other side of the Temple Mount wall we saw Jews praying by the Western Wall. We walked through each of the sections of the city, visiting buildings that have changed between Jewish, Muslim, and Christian places of worship depending on who was in charge of Jerusalem at the time. It was confusing, but the longer we spent in the Old City, the more we learned about the role that politics and religion have played in forming the Old City of Jerusalem today. You could spend days walking in the Old City, visiting places of worship, shopping in the souks, eating mounds of pita, falafel, hummus, and shwarma, and trying to gain a better understanding of the history of this incredible city.
Bethlehem brought another level of learning for the five of us. It was Christmas Eve in Bethlehem. Thoughts of Jesus in the manger and the Star of Bethlehem were quickly replaced with walls, security, and checkpoints. Bethlehem is a walled-in city in the West Bank consisting of Palestinian Muslims and Christians. Our tour into the West Bank was run by Fred Schlomka, owner of www.toursinenglish.com. Fred runs alternative tours not found on the typical tour bus route. For example, we spent time at a large Palestinian home that had been shot up during fighting with Israel and now is vacant.
Fred is an Israeli. We were also joined on the tour by Tamir, a Palestinian guide living in the West Bank. It was incredibly insightful getting both perspectives on the conflicts regarding the West Bank. It was enlightening to see the friendship that these two men have formed. If only the governments involved could follow their example. The wall surrounding the city and the gates and checkpoints are controlled by Israeli armed forces. We visited a Palestinian Christian family that no longer has access to the olive grove that has been in their family for hundreds of years due to the wall. The graffiti on the inside of the wall tells quite a story. Destroyed homes and refugee camps tell more stories.
We did go to the more visited parts of Bethlehem. There was a celebration in Manger Square that included Christmas songs by marching bands, complete with bagpipes. We went to the Church of the Nativity, which marks the spot where Jesus was born. It was special for us to be there on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, management of the church is divided up meter by meter between the Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian Christian clerics and they do not get along. This fact put a damper on the Christmas spirit for us. As a result of the conflict that we witnessed, our trip to Bethlehem was not quite the Christmas experience that we were looking for, but due to the knowledge and passion of our tour guides, Fred and Tamir, we came away with a deeper understanding of the situation in the West Bank.
Christmas Day was spent in our apartment, opening gifts that we purchased in the Old City market. We cherished the last day with our son Aaron as we took him and nephew Drew to the airport later that evening. Being together on Christmas, regardless of where we were was the best present of all. After their departure, Jennifer, Noah and I drove to Nazareth, the city where Jesus grew up. We saw the Basilica of the Annunciation, which marks the spot where the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was pregnant with the son of God. The Sea of Galilee was a special place where we saw where Jesus walked on the water and gave his Sermon on the Mount overlooking the Sea. We even drank some Cana Wedding Wine to commemorate Jesus' first miracle.
Special thanks to Sunita and Fred, who took us into their home, fed us, and patiently answered our questions about Israel. Sunita is a friend of Jennifer's from high school. She is a professional harpist that lives in Kfar Saba with her husband Fred (our previously mentioned tour guide) and their two children. Sunita even helped me find a baseball game to play in on December 28, the day before we left Israel. Unfortunately, the game was canceled due to bad field conditions. Oh well, the cancellation probably saved me a hamstring injury.
We spent a very informative and interesting two weeks in Israel, highlighted by being together as a family and seeing sights that we have always dreamed about seeing. As we were leaving Israel for Jordan, we drove by a convoy of tanks on flat-bed trailers making their way to Gaza. As stated earlier, we can only hope and pray that a cease-fire comes soon.
To see our slide show of Israel and Jordan (Part 2), click on the following link ==> Israel and Jordan (Part 2) Slide Show.

Israel and Jordan (Part 1) - Now There Are 5 of Us

Israel and Jordan (Part 1) Slide Show

After 3-1/2 months of travel as a triple, we were joined by son, Aaron and nephew, Drew. Aaron is a sophomore at Williams College in Williamstown, MA and Drew is a sophomore at Stillwater High School in Stillwater, MN. Aaron and Drew joined us for 9 days of their Christmas break. It is an understatement to say that Noah was happy to travel with someone besides his parents. It is also an understatement to say that Jennifer and I were ecstatic to have the family back together again. The reunion initially did not go as planned as Aaron and Drew arrived in the Tel Aviv airport and there was nobody there to pick them up. Bad planning, an incredibly turtle-slow rental car company and a classic Tel Aviv traffic jam all contributed to us arriving 45 minutes late. Sorry Aaron and Drew!
There was an adjustment to traveling with 5 people. Instead of a triple room in a hotel or hostel, we stayed in an apartment. We rented a car instead of taking public transportation. And with 3 growing young men, our food budget went through the roof and getting going early in the morning was a challenge. It was all worth it though as we thoroughly enjoyed the time that Aaron and Drew joined us.
Part 1 of our travels in Israel and Jordan cover Tel Aviv and trips to Haifa, Caesarea, Petra, Mitzpe Ramon, Dead Sea and Masada. Part 2 (forthcoming) will include our travels in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Amman. This second post will talk about our visits to Holy sights in the area where we learned about past and current political and religious conflicts.
We rented an apartment on the north side of Tel Aviv, a few blocks from the Mediterranean Sea. Much of our time was spent walking, talking, shopping, exploring and eating large quantities of pita, hummus, and Shwarma. We stayed close to Tel Aviv so that Aaron could go to physical therapy sessions for his hand at the Wingate Institute. Thanks to the help of my good friend friend Vijay Mehrotra, Aaron was able to receive quality treatment from a great therapist while in Israel. Tel Aviv is a very modern city with all the amenities of a big city in the USA. It was a nice change for Jennifer, Noah and I coming from developing countries and probably not enough of a change for Aaron and Drew coming from the United States.
One day trip out of Tel Aviv took us to the beautiful city of Haifa. The city sits atop Mt. Carmel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in Northern Israel. From the sea, you can walk up through the picturesque German Colony with wonderful cafes and restaurants. Looking straight up the mountain from the German Colony, there are the stunningly manicured Baha'i Gardens and Temple. Baha'i is the most recent of the world's religions, founded in 1844 by Baha'u'llah. According to the handout we received at the temple, their founder, "brought an essential message of unity, teaching that there is only one God, one human race, and that all the world's religions have been progressive stages in the revelation of God's will and purpose for humanity." On the way back from Haifa, we visited the ancient ruins of Caesarea, which was built by King Herod in 22 BC.
Israel has plenty to see, but since we were so close, we wanted Aaron and Drew to join us in Petra, Jordan. A peace agreement between Israel and Jordan in 1994 make the border crossing between the two countries relatively easy. Going into Jordan, the guards took a fascination with checking out Noah's PSP and broke 2 games in the process. They had machine guns, so we didn't put up too much of a fuss. On the way back, Jennifer, Noah, and I all had our bags checked thoroughly, and I mean thoroughly. It was also strange walking with our rolling luggage in the "No Man's Land" area surrounded by barbed wire after leaving Israel and before entering Jordan.
Petra goes down as one of the highlights of our trip to date. The Nabataeans built this city in the 3rd century BC. To build their homes, palaces, temples, and tombs, the Nabataeans chiseled and bored out of the sandstone mountains. The city itself was secluded and hidden deep into the mountains. Our guide stated that 35,000 people lived in Petra. The most famous structure is the Treasury, but the Monastery and other tombs and temples are equally impressive. We could have spent days walking through the caves and hiking to remote areas of the city. Aaron, Drew, Noah, and I took one side trip up the back of the Monastery. I am not sure if we were supposed to be on the top of this 4,000 year old structure, but it was sure fun.
While walking around Wadi Musa, Jordan we came across a pool hall filled with local arabs. There were pool tables and a snooker table. After getting over the initial shock of having a woman (Jennifer) enter their pool hall, the locals welcomed us with games of snooker and pool and hot tea. Aaron even got invited to come back from 11 pm - 3 am to "drink with them." He didn't go back, but it was a nice offer. Our next stop was a cafe where once again Jennifer was the only female. After a Fanta, stares, and our fair share of second hand smoke, we decided to call it a night.
On our way back to Tel Aviv, we stopped at Masada, an ancient fortress overlooking the Dead Sea in Israel. It was built by Herod the Great in 43 BC, but is better known in Israel as the location of Jewish freedom fighters who fought against the Romans. Between 66 AD and 70 AD, Jews fled from Jerusalem to Masada to avoid Roman persecution. in 73 AD, the Romans brought 8,000 troops to take back Masada. The Jews, who numbered 960 at the time fought for a few months, but when they realized that the Romans were about to conquer the fortress, "Eleazar Ben Yair gave two speeches in which he convinced the community that it would be better to take their own lives and the lives of their families than to live in shame and humiliation as Roman slaves." The Romans entered the fortress to see only 2 women and 5 children.
After a lot of driving, sightseeing and unusually chilly weather, we just did not have enough time to take a float in the Dead Sea. We drove by it though, reading our guidebook that states that the Dead Sea contains 20 times as much bromine, 15 times as much magnesium and 10 times as much iodine as regular sea water. This contributes to the sea being 33% solid substance, which is why you float so easily.  Maybe next time?
To see our slide show of Israel and Jordan (Part 1), click on the following link ==> Israel and Jordan (Part 1) Slide Show