Ikons of Egypt

We began our Egypt/Jordan tour with a huge bang.  Our first stop was the Egyptian Museum.  Under one immense roof (and several impressive domes) one finds the greatest collection of ancient antiquity anywhere in the world.  Room after room of statuary, stele, columns, sarcophagi, papyrus, canopic jars, mummies, and artifacts.  It is a rich but daunting collection.  I recall my first trip to Egypt back in the 90s.  I remember being impressed with the collection here, but also getting quickly bored by the sheer numbers and “unenlightened” repetition.  I say unenlightened, because the difference of having an articulate, well-educated guide is immeasurable.  Our hand-picked guide Hoda was in her element.  She is a trained Egyptologist and her explanations made each room and statue come alive with the story of Egypt. We began with the Stele of Narmur, the famous carved shield with the hieroglyphs of Narmur, the king who first united upper and lower Egypt in 3000BCE.  We continued on to see examples of statuary from all the dynasties, Hoda explaining the various reasons for changes in style.  For example, Akhennaten, father of famous Tut, is depicted with both male and female features.  He was attempting to push Egypt toward mono-theism.  As the kings (pharaohs by now) were seen as divine, their likenesses needed to reflect attributes of the gods.  So he wanted his image to reflect a single deity, which would of course be both man and woman.

The conclusion and climax of our tour was the Tutankhamen exhibit.  Howard Carter’s famous 1922 discovery of an intact tomb is a story that most people know.  I need not describe the exquisite death mask, perhaps the most iconic image of Egypt.  But of course there were chariots, walking sticks (he was lame), weapons, chairs and furniture, boats, jewelry, sarcophagi, and even gilded houses – all to aid Tut in the afterlife. The value of the Tut’s trove is inestimable to our appreciation of the rulers of ancient Egypt.  We learned from Hoda that when a man became Pharoah he started building his tomb immediately.  The tomb was not only the vehicle of his surviving and flourishing in the afterlife, but also reflected his earthly legacy.  So Tut, who died at about age 18, was only king for a few years.  Yet the richness of his tomb appointment is staggering by any standard.  It seems almost impossible to imagine the wealth one would have found in the tombs of some of the longer ruling Pharoahs.

As is always the case on a guided tour for Imprint, once we were finished with Hoda we were given free time to explore and photograph on our own.  Maia and I headed to the famous Mummy Room.  Maia had studied Egypt in 6^th grade and specifically remembers learning about mummification.  The collection is not large but it is truly impressive.  Impressive because they have been able to identify so many of the storied kings of ancient times:  Seti I, Ramesses II, Ahmenhotep, Tutmosis, and others are all preserved in hermetically sealed glass cases.  Those sleeping kings would be happy to know their attempts to achieve immortality have been successful – at least until the 21^st century.

Before departing for lunch Hoda pointed out Tahrir Square which opens up in front of the museum.  Here was the spot where the Arab Spring coalesced here in 2011 with huge protests and some violence.  It was peaceful for our visit.  Well, as peaceful as a major intersection can ever be in a city of 20+ million inhabitants.

As we began the afternoon on our first full day I think we all wondered how the visit could get any better than our first morning’s activity.  We headed west to Giza for lunch after concluding our visit to Tahrir Square and the impressive Egyptian Museum.  Hoda took us to a lovely restaurant with a view of the pyramids.  But even those majestic structures couldn’t keep our attention from the business at hand – falafel, tahini, babaganoush, and other Egyptian “salads” started our feast.  Then a mixed grill of chicken and beef kabobs filled our “travel tanks”.

Then it was on to the great pyramids.  I have occasionally been under whelmed by famous sights in my travels.  When that happens it is usually due to my expectations being unreasonably great.  But I don’t believe any expectation, no matter how grandiose, could prepare one for the pyramids.  The shear scale is enough to drop your jaw into the desert sand.  It staggers the mind to consider the gargantuan human effort required to construct anything this big – without the benefit of modern equipment.  The scale is hard to appreciate until you are standing next to one of the behemoths.  We took the obligatory tourist photo of Maia standing on the first row of gigantic block, each almost as tall as she.  A handful of our group opted to go inside the Pyramid of Cheops while the rest of us resisted touts and camel drivers to find good photographic angles.

Our final tour stop of the day was the Great Sphinx.  We learned that the nose is missing, not because French soldiers used it for target practice bur due to erosion.  Not quite as juicy a story, but better to know the truth.  The great human-faced cat was, of course, a royal monument to ego.  The Pharoah Kephren who built it was representing his wisdom (the head of a man) and his strength (the body of a lion).  The mother of all sphinxes was worn and crumbling, but she did not disappoint.

What a way to start the tour!  The Egyptian Museum and King Tut, the Great Pyramids, and the Great Sphinx.

Israel Day 19 by Maia Coen

For our last day in Israel we took a trip to the Mount where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount and wandered around enjoying the scenery.  Our second stop, and personally my favorite of the day, was Acre.  Here we visited the crusader fort and tunnels.  Underneath the Acre are old crusader tunnels that were discovered and are now a popular tourist destination.  The fort had information about the crusades and games that were played during that time.  It was quite fun.  When we exited the tunnels we came out upon the harbor.  The view was just beautiful.  The water was that entrancing blue I remembered from Greece so fondly.   The sun was shining and my face felt warm. Apart from a brief stop at the bahai garden that was it for the day’s activities.  We wanted to get back to the hotel in time for everyone to have some down time before the last dinner.   When we reached Tel Aviv Kay (My swimming buddy) and I ventured down to the beach for some swim time before dinner.  I got all packed up and was ready to go.  For dinner we went to a place called Dr. Shakshuka.  The food was delicious but it was bittersweet since I had to leave right afterwards. 

This trip has been everything I ever hoped it would and more.  I’ve seen the pyramids of Giza, ridden a camel, been blown away by Abu Simbel, seen Petra, and gotten to meet two lovely Palestinian girls since I’ve been away.  The people have been kind and welcoming on all fronts and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Egypt’s sights were breathtaking, Jordan’s natural figures were beautiful, and Israel’s culture and people were welcoming and intriguing.

I’m home now and I think back on everything we did and I couldn’t be happier.  I don’t regret anything and I’m so happy that my father and everyone else who came on the trip were able to say they weren’t afraid and go to the Middle East.  If we let them make us afraid then they win.  Everyone who went on these tours and helped to put them together are not letting them win.  I didn’t let them win.  That feels good.

You didn’t think I’d end my blogging without one more inconvenient travel story did you?  Of course not.  My journey through the Israeli airport was less than simple.  First I was stopped at a passport check before getting to the checked bag area where I was questioned for quite a lengthy amount of time.  They asked about where I had been, why I was alone, who I had been with, did I know anyone in these places, why is my last name Coen, why is my middle name Rasmussen.  You know, standard stuff.  So I answered there questions not once, not twice, but three times for multiple security officials before they finally let me through.  I checked my bag and then they preceded to send me to a high risk security check.  Fun.  It took me way too long to get through and they took my whole day bag apart.  Thank goodness it was small, it would have taken a lot longer if I still had my suitcase.  Once through that I was finally free.  I made it to the gate without trouble and made my way home. 

I’ve come to the end of my blogging for this trip.  I won’t say I’m not relieved to have a break from writing every day but I’m sure I’ll miss it.  It’s been fun.  Until next time.

Sabbath Serendipity

Well Maia has done such a nice job describing the day to day activities of the just concluded Egypt-Jordan Tour, I will need to find some other travel perspectives to share.  Of course I have a different take on some of the sights and activities and I’ll write about those in due course.  My first story to share took place during the Israel extension.  We had opportunity to visit the famous Western Wall on the Sabbath.  The Western Wall is the only remnant of the Jewish temple destroyed by Titus in 70 AD.  Unlike Christianity, the entire Jewish faith revolves around the one signature temple.  So the Wall is a very holy place for them, and in consequence, the prime spot for welcoming the Sabbath – sunset on Friday.  My expectations were not high or low.  I took the group based on a recommendation.

The experience was a revelation!  Sometimes the BEST travel experience flow from an activity for which you have low expectations.  I think it is one of the great hidden values of joining a tour.  Most people don’t consider it when judging whether to travel independently or with a group.  But when you go on a tour you will inevitably visit some sights or have some experiences that you wouldn’t have chosen on your own – therein lay the potential for these hidden gem serendipities.

I had that experience at the Western Wall.  It started out rather boring.  I had thought there would be some sort of ceremony or service to observe.  But there was none.  Moreover, there was a clear separation between the Jewish faithful at the wall and the tourist observer “gallery” on a fenced, elevated area about 40 yards back.  I and my group joined the throngs of observers.  It was interesting, but hardly memorable.  The men and women are segregated left and right.  Most of the action was on the men’s side.

Heads were all covered – from ball caps to yarmulkes to the elaborate Hassidic crowd.  These various sects can be identified by their respective head gear:  stove-top hats, fedora-types, furry looking “hat-box” style, etc.  Many participants settled into small “desks” to read scriptures, many approached the wall in reverence, while still others simply stood and prayed.  Contrary to my expectations, it was a relaxed and almost festive atmosphere with many men standing around chatting.  Even those immersed in their scriptures or prayers were nonplussed when friends interrupted them.  The orthodox crowd prayed in their characteristic rhythmic bobbing and bowing rituals and some placed their written prayers in the cracks of the wall itself.  There were Jewish men of every possible persuasion from Orthodox and Hassidic to soldiers in uniform.  After a while we noted that a couple of circles had formed where the men took on a more celebratory demeanor.  They danced, sang, and even shouted and laughed.  Eventually I noticed these circles included representation from across the social and religious spectrum:  Hassidic next to soldier, Orthodox next to businessman.  As I said, it was all interesting but hardly a wow travel moment.

After a while I decided to find out if non-Jews were allowed to enter the enclosed Wall area.  A firm believer that it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission, I simply walked on down.  Turns out there are no restrictions other than covering your head.  It was much more intimate and emotional to be down at the wall among the supplicants.  I went to the Wall and said my own little prayer.  It was surprisingly moving.  Once I got down to the Wall I noticed there is a passage leading to a vaulted interior passage on the left side of the square along the Wall.  I walked in as if I belonged and again no one stopped me.  Inside were libraries of books, more groups of men, and most interesting of all, a section of plexiglass flooring that allowed the viewing of the wall foundations – probably another 25-30 feet below the level of the square.  And the stones below were immense!  Very impressive.

My cultural connection experience had bumped up a couple of significant notches once I became a participant and not just an observer - a principle of traveling with intent.  I was now excited to get my group to participate too.  On my way out of the covered passage I was spontaneously pulled into one of the celebratory circles.  At first I was taken aback but quickly surrendered to the experience.  I was singing (well, humming) along, dancing (sort of), and celebrating with the locals.  When the circle broke up I found someone who spoke English to help explain what was happening.  There was a Rabbi some decades ago who revived the ancient practice of “going out” to meet the Sabbath.  The Old Testament is full of stories of singing and dancing as part of worship.  Those practices has been largely lost over the centuries and this Rabbi (Shlomo something I think) had brought it back.  The movement has spread and now many Jews sing and dance to welcome the Sabbath, especially at the Wall.  And I was welcomed into the celebration with open arms.  It was amazing.  As I like to say; this is why we travel.  After explaining the celebrations to me, the kind Jewish man invited me home for Sabbath dinner with his family.  How I would have loved to have gone.  But we had a dinner reservation that night.  However,  the invitation alone was a great travel moment.

I returned to my group and encouraged them to join me in going down to the Wall.  Most became participants and some even joined the celebrations.  I invited myself into another circle and was again warmly received.  Very sababa (Hebrew for cool).

Seeing the sights of Jerusalem and Israel has been great.  But for me, the defining travel moment on this tour was the human connection I experienced on the Sabbath.  The openness, inclusiveness, and genuine kindness warmed my heart and revitalized my faith in humanity – at least for a few moments.  What better reason could there be to travel?

Israel Day 18 by Maia Coen

Today was the second to last day of the tour.  Only one more to go.  We started by visiting the dome of the rock up close.  We went through security, as we’ve had to do at every major site here, and entered the site.  On the way we passed a huge stack of riot shields and my dad had me pose with my arm in one of them.  He told me to hurry up because there was a guard coming.  Who knows how many times we’ve almost gotten arrested on this tour. The Dome of the Rock was beautiful.  I’ve seen it every day since I’ve been in Israel so it was nice to see it up close.  We posed for a group picture and got yelled at by guys with walkie talkies saying “no touching!”  I couldn’t even put an arm around my dad for a picture without getting scolded.  We didn’t stay long and once we got our pictures we were off.  Goodbye to Jerusalem.  We stopped at a Samarian museum to learn a little about their culture.  I found this very interesting because I had heard of Samaritans before but I didn’t know they actually still existed.  Their religion is an offshoot of Judaism.  They say that when a woman has a child she and the child must be separated from everyone else for 40 days if it’s a boy and 80 days if it’s a girl.  They also say that during a woman’s monthly period she must not touch anyone else nor do any house work for 7 days.  Of course this appalled me at first but they went onto say that during this time the woman doesn’t have to do anything, she is practically given a seven day vacation every month.  That doesn’t actually sound so bad.  Although their religion seems very restricting to me I respect their right to practice it and their willingness to share it with us tourists.

We left Israel briefly to go to the city of Nablus in the West Bank.  All we did was go into the marked to try Kanafa; a dessert made out of phyllo dough, hot melted cheese, and sugar.  Weird combination right? It was so good.  I’ve tried a lot of different desserts in my travels but this was the most interesting one so far.  You would never expect those flavors to go well together but it definitely works.  They showed us how it was made and served it up in giant portions.  Every single person finished their monstrous pile with a lick of the lips at the end.  After dessert we went for lunch.  Dessert first is always a good idea.  We stopped and had the local version of pizza.  They use similar dough and make it the same shape but there is no cheese or tomato sauce.  They use olive oil, garlic, and slivered almonds with chicken served on the side.  It was very tasty.

To get back to Israel from the West Bank we had to go through a security check point.  This was much more intense and thorough than when we came into the West Bank.  Our bus was stopped and Mahdi got off to tell them we were a group of Americans.  Then my dad was pulled of the bus and asked several questions.  Two men came onto the bus and checked all of our passports before letting us go on.

Our final stop of the day was the hilltop town of Nazareth where we went to the church of Annunciation.  They wouldn’t let my dad in because he was wearing shorts so I went in without him.  The church was interesting but not that impressive.  The cool thing about it was all the different paintings of Mary that were on the walls. There were paintings from countries all over the world depicting their own version of Mary and many of the paintings were very pretty.

We headed to our new hotel and settled in.  We had a little happy hour tour wrap up since it seemed the most appropriate place.  Everyone said some wonderful things about their personal highlights and what coming to these countries has done to them.  For me the highlight of the tour in terms of sites was seeing Abu Simbel for the first time in the dark.  Not during the day, there was just something so fascinating and mysterious about the statues rising out of the shadows and emerging on the other side of the cliff face.  Another thing I mentioned was my changed perspective of the Muslim culture.  I had always thought that the woman were being treated terribly and forced to wear the hijab against their will but I was wrong.  I may still not agree with this culture but it is not what I thought it was.  They make it very clear that their woman are very important to them.  They cover themselves because they believe their bodies are their gifts and you need to protect a gift.  The woman are respected more than I ever thought they were.  My mind was changed only because I was able to come to Egypt and see the culture for myself.  Opinions don’t just change like this at home, it really does take going to a place for you to understand it.  I can say now that I understand it a little better.

Israel Day 17 by Maia Coen

Today was devoted almost exclusively to New Testament sights. We started with the Mount of Olives, and stopped to take pictures at an overview of city.  Looking down at the city was very cool; I think this was a highlight for me from Israel.  Looking out over everything and seeing the Dome of the Rock in the middle of it all.  The Mount of Olives is near where the Last Supper took place and Jesus spent a lot of time here teaching and giving final instructions to his disciples before he was arrested. From the Mount of Olives we walked down to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed on night before he was arrested.  The 3 disciples went with him but they kept falling asleep and Peter denied knowing Jesus 3 times before the crowing of the rooster at dawn just like Jesus had told him.  Our next stop was the pools of Bethesda.  We entered the old city through the lion gate and visited the baths of Bethesda.  Then it was on to the church that marks the spot of the first of the Stations of the Cross– the route tradition suggests marks Jesus’ path from conviction in court of Pontius Pilate to Calvary where he was crucified, tried, convicted, and beaten.

My dad and I got coffee and then the group wandered through old city and went through the Stations of the Cross: via Delarosa.  All these stations are throughout a market.  The streets are dominated by shops like a bazaar and the streets twist and turn.  We had all been through here before and somehow we always seem to be able to get to the western wall.  If I hadn’t been with a guide I might have gotten lost, but I know I would have eventually come to the wall security check point.  The final stop of the Stations of the Cross was the church of the holy Sepulcher; the place of Calvary.  St. Helen came in the 4^th century, found the spot and built the first church.  The hill was reduced and the stone was used to build the church.  All that remains is a stone pillar marking the exact spot (all according to tradition.)  Pilgrims flock in to venerate the stone pillar and the nearby tomb where Jesus was buried before being resurrected.

We departed the Old City and boarded our bus for Bethlehem.  We stopped on the way and had lunch.   Lastly we went to the church of nativity; the place where Jesus was born.  We learned from Mahdi that the stables were usually cave/cellars under houses and inns.  So Mary and Joseph were probably put in a cave/cellar when there were no inn rooms available.  When Jesus was born, they placed him in a manger, probably made of stone.  We descended into the “basement” of the church to see the actual cave where he was born; the church is a beautiful Byzantine church with an impressive altarpiece and silver chandeliers.

We returned to Jerusalem for a free evening and my dad and I went to meet Mahdi and his family at his brother’s restaurant.  I got to meet his two daughters who were 14 and 18.  They were very welcoming and friendly and spoke perfect English.  It was a little awkward at first but we warmed up to each other and couldn’t stop talking after that.  I found that we all knew about the same things in the world.  As in they knew all about the most popular media trends in the states and they knew the most popular music.  We were able to sit there and talk about the same things.  It didn’t occur to me how incredible this was until my dad brought it up.  It really is amazing that I was able to sit there in Israel and talk to two Palestinian girls about social media trends.  Both girls were lovely and I really enjoyed talking to them.  As an American I unknowingly had stereotyped the Palestinians and the whole conflict in Israel but meeting these people has completely changed my mind and opened my eyes.  They have given the conflict a face.  Here’s this family, leaving peacefully in Jerusalem as Palestinians and not having any trouble with it.  I didn’t know that was possible.  I’m not saying I understand everything that’s going on here, but I feel like I know a lot more about what it’s really like, not just what the media has told me.  That’s why I travel, because no matter how many newspapers, magazines, or history books that you read you will never be able to understand it like you do when you actually make it to a country.  No matter what there is always something that you discover that you never could have learned at home.  That’s what it’s all about.

Israel Day 16 by Maia Coen

Getting to sleep in on these tours is such a rarity that I’m always overjoyed when I’m able to sleep past 8:00.  So I slept until 8:30.  My dad and I went out to go to Yad Vashem, the holocaust museum.  We decoded the metro system and made our way to west Jerusalem, the modern part of the city.  Being on the metro I felt like I was in Paris, or New York, or Boston.  It felt like any other westernized country that has a metro system.  The museum was an elongated triangular shaped corridor with side rooms left and right that goes down and sweeps back up at the end.  The museum had a continuous descent and you had the feeling of going down into a tomb.  The museum was well put together and packed full of information.  Of course it was a very hard thing to do as it always is when you go to museums like these, but it’s always important.  Towards the end of the museum it started to come up and we came out and were in the fresh air with a beautiful nature view.  I believe they meant to imply that we get to come out of the tomb at the end but so many didn’t. By the time we were done it was nearly lunch time so my dad and I went in search of Sarwa, the restaurant Mahdi’s brother owns.  They supposedly have the best pizza and burgers in Israel.  We ran into many of our tour members and they joined us for lunch.  I had been craving a burger for a while now so I ordered that right away.  It was huge.  I don’t know why I’m even surprised anymore, burgers are always huge now.  It was very good but not the best burger I’ve ever had.  But it may in fact have been the best in Israel.  I spent what was left of the afternoon trying to do my homework but spending more time on my blogs.  Oh well.  Who knows when I’ll be in Israel again, I’ll do my homework when I get home.

Israel Day 15 by Maia Coen

Our departure was an early 7:30 and we went straight to Masada.  I don’t know much about the history of Israel but even I know about Masada.  This is the place where a few hundred Jewish people chose to kill themselves rather than become slaves to the Romans.  Masada was built to be a palace fortress for Herod the great.  It was built on an immense plateau making it almost impossible to attack.    In 66 A.D. the Jewish people revolted against the roman regime and the Romans needed to make an example of them.  Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by Titus in 70 A.D. and the Jewish people were scattered across the globe in the Diaspora.  But a remnant of rebels held out for a couple more years and they retreated to the fortress of Masada.  From there they were able to resist the Romans for two years.  In the end the Romans built a giant land ramp to reach the fortress, battered down the walls, and entered the fortifications. They found that the rebels, rather than become slaves, had chosen to commit suicide.  Since then Masada has become a symbol of resisting oppression.  We rode a cable car up to the top and my ears popped.  It was high enough to become significantly cooler on top.  Mahdi took us around the ruins and told us about what all the rooms used to be.  The sight wasn’t really all that impressive but the history made it all worth it.  To be in a place that represented so much for the Jewish people was very important and fascinating. We stopped briefly by the Jordan River where Jesus was said to have been baptized.  The place is in the “no mans land” between Israel and Jordan.  The river serves as the border between the two countries and it’s not very big.  As Mahdi said, you can almost jump across it and be in Jordan.  Many pilgrims come to go into the water to be baptized.  My dad made me pose in front of the river even though I didn’t feel the need.  We also took a picture with some of the armed guards at the site.  The security in Egypt looked like child’s play compared to this.  There are armed guards everywhere and they all have very heavy automatic weapons.  They don’t mess around in Israel.  Interestingly, at least a third of the guards we’ve seen have been woman.  It is a requirement for Jewish girls to go into the military for at least two years.  These women are tough and you’re crazy if you try to cross them.  They have the utmost respect just like any male soldier.  Our guide told us that you don’t want to mess with these Israeli women or you’ll end up with your butt kicked - pretty bad ass.

Next up was Jericho, the first city conquered by the Jews when they took possession of Cana in Old Testament times.  We got a good view of the Mount of Temptation and spent some time in the gift shop.  Lastly we drove to an overlook of Wadi Qelt. Here the Monastery of Saint George is built right into the cliff face, seemingly defying gravity.  It was breathtaking.  The monastery looked like it could fall right off the cliff.  The colors blend in perfectly with the rock creating a camouflage effect.  It looked like it always belonged there.  I had my first taste of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice from a Bedouin selling it near the bus. Then it was into Jerusalem where we would be staying for the next three nights.  Once we had checked into the hotel I finally got started on my homework that I should have started two weeks ago.  Oops.  My dad went with another tour member to do laundry.  He planned to be back by about 8:00 or 8:30 but he got delayed.  He texted me and told me it might be more like 9:30 so I went out by myself to see if I could find something for dinner.  I was shocked, there was practically nothing open, or at least nothing open that looked appealing to me.  I had forgotten it was the Sabbath.  So I returned home and waited for him to get back He finally returned home at about 11:00.  He had had a few beers.  It was quite amusing.  We went out together finally and found a little falafel stand.  We ate in our room at 11:30.  I didn’t get to bed until sometime after midnight.

Israel Day 14 by Maia Coen

We left the camp in Jordan today and headed for the border.  It went fairly smoothly at first, or as smooth as any border experience could go.  We waited in line for our passports to be checked and shuffled forward a few spaces every time someone moved.  Once through that check point we went on to the real security. Our passports were checked again and we filed into the security line.  Our group were the only people in line.  There was one x-ray machine running and one on the other side they didn’t turn on.  Every person had to walk through a scanner and each person’s bag went through the x-ray and was heavily scrutinized.  When it came out the other side it was opened and completely combed through before they were cleared.  My dad and I were all the way at the back and the time dragged on.  It took us a good hour to get through this line.  They’re serious in Israel. After this we went on to get our visas on arrival.  There wasn’t much of a line here since it had taken everyone so long to get through the security check point.  Because many of us wanted to keep our options open about going to other Middle Eastern countries lots of us asked to have the visa stamped on a separate piece of paper.  They asked us why we wanted it and then handed us a paper to fill out.  Once filled out it was stamped fairly quickly and we were sent on our way.  Our passports were checked one more time on our way out and we were finally in Israel.  It was only our group going across the border and it took us at least two hours.  It was irritating at times but I can say with complete honesty that I feel incredibly safe.

We met our new guide Mahdi and headed to Timna Park.  We did this because our hotel would not be ready for us until 3:00.  Timna park was interesting and a good little day excursion to use up some time.  We saw some more eroded cliffs like the ones from Jordan and saw a rock structure they call the mushroom.  You can imagine why.  It’s composed of two rocks on top of one another making it look like a mushroom.  My dad and Kevin, one of our most spirited and funny tour members, raced down to the rock together and ran back trying to be as quick as possible.   Lastly we stopped at another great natural arch.  My dad and I climbed up all the way to the stone bridge and posed for pictures.  Coming down was very sababa (Hebrew for cool).  There were metal rungs in the cliff for climbing down into yet one more siq that, like a secret passage, led out from behind the arch.

Then it was on to our five star hotel in Eilat.  Because tourism is down in the Middle East we were upgraded from a four star hotel to a five star.  You have to remember that at this point we were all in dire need of a shower.  We had come from the dessert camp where there were no showers and we were covered in dust and grime.  I think we would have been happy with a motel as long as it had a working shower.   We arrived at about 4:30 but they didn’t have the keys ready.  My dad does not like five star hotels for this very reason.  They weren’t ready and every time we wanted to request something the girl at the desk had to call for a supervisor and it took quite a while.  Besides the red tape the hotel itself was beautiful.  The pool was amazing, with a water slide, a whirl pool, and a swim up bar.  To top it off the water was heated.  I was beyond happy.  Except that the pool was only open until 5:00 and by the time we got down there we had about 15 minutes to swim.  We made our way to the upper pool we had convinced them to leave open until 5:30 less than enthused.  This pool was not nearly as fun, it was just a rectangle.  But it was a pool, so I swam until I had to get out.  Then my dad and I and my swimming buddy Kay (she’s always in the pool if there is one) walked down to the beach.  We were right by the red sea so I insisted that we swim in it.  It was much much colder than the fancy heated pool so we plunged right in.  My dad got right out after he went in but Kay and I stayed a little longer and swam around.  I got used to the water pretty quickly and it was very nice.  Now I can say I’ve swam in the red sea. 

We had a little happy hour held in the bar with the group and my dad and I worked out the next day’s itinerary with Mahdi.  Once done with business my dad and I went to dinner on the streets of Eilat.  Since we were in a five star hotel we were in a very touristy place and everything was very upscale and westernized.  We found a little falafel stand and got some shwarma.  After all this falafel, overcooked meat, and shwarma I have to admit I’m dying for a good burger.  My first day in Israel was very nice if not a bit tiring and I’m excited to see more of this country.

Jordan Day 13 by Maia Coen

If you hate sand Jordan is not the place for you.  Or rather the desert in Jordan is not for you.  We headed out for our Bedouin desert camp today.  We stopped at a view point to take pictures of the valley of Petra from above.  The wind was fiercely strong and we were all holding on tightly to our hats and even bracing ourselves so we weren’t pushed around.  We lined up to take a group photo and as the camera went off a tour member’s hat went flying off his head and down the brambly hill.  We all thought that hat was long gone and started to head back to our bus when our security guard jumped over the fence and climbed down after it.  He retrieved the hat and returned it; all while wearing dress shoes.  That got a round of applause.  Another drive ensued with our first Wadi Rum viewpoint rest stop and then lunch.  After lunch it was time for the desert.  We loaded into our jeeps and set out.  Now, when I heard jeep I thought of open roofed, open windowed, safari like vehicles.  But no, these were completely roofed and windowed cars with iPhone chargers and seatbelts.  We left the paved road and crossed over onto the sand.  The sand here is very red, and so are the cliffs.  Everything has that same red tint like Petra.  The cliff faces are all so tall I felt like an ant.  We stopped many times along the way to view and photograph various impressive geologic formations.  You can see in the pictures how incredible these natural structures are.

One stop was an immense red sand dune.  I was ecstatic since I had been unable to make it to Namibia.  This was like a little taste of the Namibian desert for me.  I enthusiastically started my trek up the hill.  Here’s where all the sand comes in.  My feet sunk down into the sand and my shoes were quickly filled.  It was quite a work out trying to make my way up.  I had to take very large steps and extract my feet from the sand for each one.  By the time I made it up to the top I was breathing hard.  But the view was magnificent.  I felt like I could see the whole desert.  The wind blew and little bullets of sand attacked my face and arms and I had to close my eyes.  When the wind finally died down I quickly started down.  As I walked down the dune I started to gain momentum and I began to run.  I ran faster and faster and flew down the sand.  I jumped and leaped and made it to the bottom feeling happy and filled with adrenaline.  Unfortunately right before this stop I had put sunscreen on so I came out of that excursion coated in sand.  I had been meaning to exfoliate my face anyway.

We continued on for only about five minutes before stopping again.  We got out and headed towards some more rock faces.  These ones were different looking from the others.  Instead of looking like many layers of different red sediment these looked like cliffs that had been slathered in cake batter that was dripping down the face.  There was another siq like the one in Petra but much smaller and more intimate.  There was old graffiti on the canyon walls.  We had a few more photo stops including one completely dedicated to photographing baby camels.  Apparently this is the time when the camels are born so there were lots of infant camels stumbling around.  We found three of them with their mothers.  The babies were white rather than yellowish brown and looked much fluffier than the adults.  It was a very cute photo stop.

Our last stop before camp was a natural rock bridge, like those you see in Utah.  Except we could climb this one.  My dad, ever the daredevil, started climbing.  A few others from the group followed and the security guard went on up, again in his dress shoes.  The top of the arch is a very thin piece of rock stretching from one side to the other.  It was a precariously thin bridge.  My dad went out and stood on it and threw his hands up in the air for photos.  Show off.

When everyone was down we loaded into the very comfortable jeeps again and drove about 20 minutes to camp.  The camp was very nice – rustic but comfortable.  There were about 30 raised tents in a square with a dining tent and bathroom facilities on one side.  We were the only ones there.  We dropped our bags off and headed to the communal dining tent.  Outside our Bedouin hosts laid out cushions in a circle for us to sit on.  They passed tea around and everyone was in a great mood.  It was one of those great travel experiences you just know you’re going to remember forever.

After a little downtime the group headed out onto some nearby cliffs to watch the sunset.  We sat and chatted and watched the sun sink from the sky.  It was not the most magnificent sunset but the golden light on the surrounding red mountains was beautiful, the company was good, and the destination was perfect.  All that made it one of the best sunset’s I’ve ever seen.  Dinner was served when we returned to the camp.  They used a ground oven so we all gathered around to watch them dig it up and find out what we would be having for dinner.  They pulled out the first layer that contained potatoes and onions.  Then they lifted the tray higher and another layer emerged containing delicious looking and smelling chicken.  There were salads, soup, and pitas to go with it.  We sat on long benches with cushions inside the dining tent and enjoyed the meal.  I thought it was the best meal of the trip.  I’m sure it was largely due to the fact that it was such a change from the overcooked grilled meat of Egypt.  But I think it also had to do with the way it was cooked and the atmosphere of the camp.  Sometimes the best meals are not actually about the taste of the food but about the experience.

My dad and I commandeered some cushions from around the fire and brought them right outside our tent.  We lay down and looked up at the stars.  It was one of those skies that went on forever.  It was the kind of sky that had new stars in it every time you looked up.  The kind you never see when you live in the city.  The kind of sky I’m going to remember.  We stayed like that for a while, just lying there staring up at the sky.  I wanted to savor the moment since I’m not likely to be seeing stars like that again any time soon.  This truly was one of those travel experiences that people go searching for.  And I got it.

Faith Restored

On Imprint’s foray into the Middle East, Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ) has been a source of both severe frustration and wonderful cultural connection.  When our first Imprint group checked in for our Cairo to Amman flight a few weeks ago, three people could not produce the credit card with which they’d purchased their E-tickets (including me, Maia, and one tour member – my CC had expired and been replaced).  I begged, cajoled, joked, cried, fumed, and threatened.  No efforts produced any flexibility and, in the end, I had to purchase three new tickets on the spot.  The Cairo branch manager swore there was nothing he could do to fix the problem.  Frustrated, angry, and short $750 I boarded our flight.

In the meantime, I contacted my bank, got the old card numbers and a letter officially stating that the card I am carrying is the replacement for the original used to book my two flight tickets.  The third person later found their original credit card and I had armed myself with a photocopy.  Today, I am flying through Amman on my way back to Cairo.  I have 3 hours to kill – a perfect opportunity to rectify the situation with a refund.

Like everything that appears to be simple to the western mind, resolving this issue was very complicated here in the Middle East.  Just finding the correct person to talk to was an ordeal.  Conservatively, I spoke to 8 or 9 people before I found someone who really understood what I needed.  I had read that people hear want to be helpful and will give you directions even if they don’t know what you are looking for.  There were plenty of dead ends and false leads.  I finally found someone to help, Mr. Haitham Alshaibi, working the checkin at RJ’s premium class lounge.  He understood my problem, knew who could fix it, and called for someone from security to escort me out of the transit terminal (and then back in later) so I could plead my case at the sales office.  Turns out, even they were unable to help me.  But Mr Hamza H Altarawneh called, found out how to solve my problem, gave me the proper email address for making my appeal, and promised my issue would be resolved without penalty.  He was helpful, pleasant, sympathetic, and friendly.  I left that office feeling mostly confident I would get a refund.  Time will tell.

After security escorted my through the X-ray checkpoint I decided to go back and thank Mr. Alshaibi.  I offered to buy him a coffee as a gesture of thanks but he graciously refused.  And then he made all the hassle worthwhile.  He invited me to enjoy the benefits of the premium lounge as his guest while I waited for my flight.  That magnanimous gesture was so compassionate and so welcome.  It was one of those cultural connection experiences I love to talk and write about, and why I travel.  So I’m writing this blog in the comfort of the RJ lounge, enjoying a cappuccino and some snacks, my emotional ledger balanced by two kind Jordanian citizens who treated me as a person and not a number or dollar sign.