R&R in Egypt... not so bad

I woke this morning and it took me almost fifteen minutes to figure out what day it was. One aspect that I love about traveling. My goal was to head down to Dahab, an hour south, and dive Blue Hole just off the coast. It's world renowned & I haven't had the opportunity to dive since Fiji. But I made the grave mistake of using the tap to brush my teeth last night. It wasn't until after the fact that it registered a big, 'uh-oh.' And that it was. I spent most of the day napping in my hut and lounging around until about three when I began to feel back to normal. It's amazing how quick it hit me, but I was fortunate to have a clean, relaxed atmosphere to get back to sorts.

Later afternoon I ventured off shore with a few travelers from Syria, Switzerland and two South Africans. We swam about ten minutes out and found an amazing reef break teeming with aquatic life that I've never seen before. Coral of brilliant pinks and purples and fish bearing all shapes and sizes. On the swim back in we spotted two sea turtles that were larger even than the ones I spotted while diving on the Barrier Reef in Australia. They're pretty much the most subdued animal I've ever seen and it's hard to not flash to images of Finding Nemo. Like totally. We tracked them for about fifteen minutes until they headed a bit farther off shore. What beautiful creatures.

I'm now sorting out details for embarking to Cairo tomorrow. I'll have three evenings & two days to explore. I'm pretty confident that should suffice. Heading back to camp now to unwind and meet up with some other travelers. Have a great day!

A Swiss Scuba Instructor, flip flops and a hut

I realized that yesterday within a 24 hour period I was in 3 countries. How crazy is that? I woke in the middle of the desert, chilled a bit in Israel checking email & caught a bite to eat & then by night fall I was sleeping in a hut in Egypt. It doesn't really get more random than that.
The story landing me here is pretty awesome in itself. To be honest, I was a tad nervous crossing the border into Egypt. I prayed for God's protection, but also for my transition to be smooth. So, here we go. I arrived at the border and bump into this girl, Sarah, who is a diving instructor from Switzerland and lives in Taba City (45 minutes from my destination). She offers me a ride with her via taxi which is actually owned by the Diving Company. So, I hop in and we end up hanging out on the beach for a bit with diving instructors from every part of the globe. A fellow instructor, Aioda, lives in Nuweiba (where I'm travelling) and gives me a ride from point a to b. Totally unreal. I end the day watching the sun set, lounging on the beach while drinking a freshly squeezed glass of chilled lemon & lime juice (right from the tree!) and reading a book on the history of the country Vietnam. Absolutely awesome.
It has been amazing how every step of the way things fall together and 'just happen.' There has not been one moment where I have felt unsafe. I have felt God's protection throughout the course of this trip and as I sat in the car driving along Egypt's coast next to the Swiss diving instructor I couldn't help but laugh.I am blessed implicitly & am in awe of each step of the journey taken in these few weeks.


So now, I'm on the coast staying in a hut for approximately $6 per day & that's with breakfast included. I woke to the rolling of waves on the shore and the cool breeze making its way into the shutters of the hut. Totally digging this whole set up. I'm pretty much 100 feet from the shore line & the staff here wait on you hand and foot. I feel completely safe and have met some great people. I actually met a guy from Philly who has lived here the past six years. His girlfriend is Egyptian & a travel agent. I shared with her my concerns about Egypt & before even finishing my sentence she was on the phone. She's connected me with fellow friends there and I already have a tour guide & accomodation set up. As I always say, no worries.

Straight Up Bedouin Style

I hopped the border Sunday to Jordan not really certain of what to expect of as well as where exactly I was headed. I met a Canadian on my way out of town who recommended a place in Wadi Rum & that's where I landed. A few hours after departing Israel I was smack dab in the middle of the desert hanging out with some seriously great Bedouins. I must say the entire 2.5

day experience was unreal.

From riding a camel, shimmying across huge rock structures, sipping tea around a fire and falling asleep under a canopy of stars the experience was one in a million. The people at the camp were extremely friendly and did their utmost to ensure that we had an authentic experience. One of my highlights was driving over to another camp when the driver stopped, turned the ignition off and threw me the keys. "You want to drive?" Absolutely! I have to say four wheeling through the desert jumping dunes, swerving and picking up a few other Bedouins on the way was fairly entertaining.

And to top it off, the owner offered me a job to work alongside a Brazilian girl helping with odds and ends at the camp. But fear not 110 Carranza, I did not accept the offer. The Brazilian arrived a few days ago & plans to live there for a few months. Fairly cool.

Well, I'm heading out to Taba and then off to Nuweiba. Both are situated on the Sinai border (Egypt) and are ideal for diving and just relaxing. Plan is to stay for three or four nights, we'll see how it goes.
Next check in.... Africa!

Hop, Skip....JUMP

Arrived in Eliat at 4:30 this morning and made my way with a few other backpackers to the beach for a few hours. We sipped freshly brewed tea, ate a bit of bread and watched dawn break on the Israeli shore with Jordan & Egypt's mountains creating a perfect frame on the horizon. Wow... breathtaking.
I soaked in Eliat for about 3.75 hours and the contrast between it and Jerusalem were two polar opposites. It was like Miami beach meets Utah... not much in the way of similarities. To be honest I was disappointed and opted to skip out. So, after visiting the Egyptian consulate to acquire a visa I hopped the border to Jordan.
You may not believe this, but I caught a ride and am presently in the home of a local Bedouin sipping tea and using the internet. We head out to camp in about an hour or so with a dozen other backpackers from around the globe. I'm fairly stoked to sleep under the stars, sip tea and just soak in the beauty of the endless deep red desert mounts and powder blue skies. (Thinking of you, Jess & Jim : ) Tomorrow I'm signed up for a camel tour of the area and then mid-afternoon catching a ride to Petra.
Twenty four hours ago I was chilling in Jerusalem eating challah and walking the streets of Ben Yehuda and now there aren't any streets and I'm sipping tea with Beduoins. Dude, I'm lovin' it!

On the road...again

I'm here soaking in the last few hours that remain of my time in Jerusalem before heading south to Eilat. I was contemplating sticking around a few more days here, but in my heart I am confident of returning in the near future. So, I'm hopping the midnight bus to Eilat. It sounds a little like the beginning of a Johnny Cash song.
My plan is to spend the night in Eilat and then take off for Petra for a night or two. From what I've heard, Petra is a must see and an experience all its own. I'm hoping to meet up with some other backpackers and track down some Beduoin goat herders and stay with them. Ok, that might sound a bit shady. A few others I've bumped into on the way have highly recommended it. How many times in ones lifetime do you get to sleep in the desert under the stars while sipping mint tea with Beduoins? My guess would be not that many.
The past two weeks have been an amazing journey that I will not soon forget. Last night I spent Shabbat on the roof of a friend of a friends breaking bread under the stars and savoring the last few hours of this magnificient town. There is nothing in the world like feeling the cool breeze of a Jerusalem night with the swaying of pomengrate & date trees above and sharing a meal with strangers from around the world. Again, there are no words to describe so many of my experiences here. Well, off to catch the bus.
Have a truly blessed day.

Savoring Shabbat

Even though I'm on vacation I find myself exhausted and ready to recharge. Running around wandering from point a to b has been wearing and I am very appreciative of Shabbat's arrival. For the next 24 hours I will read, sleep and just be still. Too often I find myself going and running on fumes and being here for these past few weeks has taught me a great deal. We must take time to just 'be.' As the air begins to cool and people scurry back to their homes to prepare dinner there is a stillness about Jerusalem that is unique. The entire town just stops. The local grocery store, pub, clothes shops and hustle and bustle of the week come to a screeching halt. And for 24 hours there is nothing. I wish we could revert to that in the States. In this environment there is not much choice if you want to partake, it's across the board. And I respect that. Everyone needs a day of rest & I'm about to just chill and do my 'it's all good thing.'
Here are a few pics from my strolls yesterday & today. Enjoy. Shabbat Shalom!

In J'lem...again : )

The past two days have been a whirlwind heading north, south and maybe even a bit east. I made my way up to the Kibbutz via Beit She 'an and arrived late afternoon. Beit She 'an is about two hours north of Jerusalem and is smack dab in the middle of the desert. As soon as I hopped off the bus my epidermis was glistening and the heat, for the first time since my arrival, felt oppressive.
The kibbutz is a self sufficient community with acres of pomegrante, date and lime trees. People from all ends of the earth seeking to volunteer or become citizens & study Hebrew gather and receive free accomodation & food in exchange for working a few hours a day. Its really quite amazing. There are over a dozen buildings housing men, women and children in this particular kibbutz.
In the morning Daniel headed out to milk the goats and then we headed off for breakfast. I had a tour of the place & then we headed into town to see the Beit She 'an National Park. Pretty impressive, but it was like walking through an inferno. Hot, hot and a little extra hot on the side.
Around five I headed to the bus stop bound for Jerusalem. It ended up I hopped on this bus carrying all soldiers and I found out it was the long route to Jerusalem. Long is a total understatement. But, long story short I'm back in town. I met some folks for dinner & am staying with some friends of friends of friends - that sort of thing. Love it here & look forward to soaking in the day tomorrow. Good times.

Kibbutz in it

Soup Kitchen on Jaffa - above: Josef, head cook & I
2nd caption: volunteer students from England


above: the cooks 2nd caption: Rachel (coordinator) & I

Well, its a bit later than I anticipated heading out of town, but better
late than never.I'm finished at the soup kitchen until the weekend
and I made sure to capture a few pictures of the crew before heading
up to Bet' Shean for a quick trek to an area kibbutz. I should be back
in Jerusalem tomorrow early evening to meet up with some other
friends for a bite to eat.
Time is going way too quickly here. I almost want to placet these days in
a freeze frame andjust soak it in one caption at a time. Have a blessed day.

Dude, where's my GPS???

I guess most travellers actually secure their accomodation and overall route months before departure. If you know me at all, you know that's not so much the case with me. And if you don't know me, let's just say I have a tendency to give those of an OCD nature anxiety and unintentional migranes. I find having faith that all will fall into place makes travelling all the richer and leads to paths that may otherwise go unnoticed.I didn't know where the road would lead in Jerusalem & now I'm in a great part of the city with a flavor for a city that was only imagined through newspapers and history books. Now, I'm here and living it. A hotel could not provide an invite to an all exclusive VIP screening at the Jewish Film Festival , have me utterly confused when attempting to buy hair conditioner at the local convenient store (which is again, only in Hebrew) or playing poker with a Dane, a Brit, Estonian and two Israelis while dining on hummus and stale pita bread. Totally good stuff.


So now, I find my plans altered just a tad. Instead of heading to Sinai to dive in Dahab I'm opting to spend a bit more time in Israel. I'm catching a bus to meet up with Daniel, a fellow Jersey-ite, who is presently living in a kibbutz just south of Galilea. He recently received approval for dual citizenship. I'm envious. So, I'll be there for a bit then back to J'lem for a day or so before heading south for Petra via Eliat. Crazy.Living life with open arms and loving every passing breath.
* Picture taken at sunset in Olde City

Just hanging around in the Olde Town...

Today was pretty relaxed. My morning was spent at the soup kitchen making burgers & salads for lunch. It's so funny to hear the most random American music here. The cooks and I were singing Kelly Clarkson's, Break Away while chopping peppers and tomatoes. It was totally off key, but I think for 3 Israelis & 1 American we held our own fairly well. There were over 40 volunteers who showed up as a group from the States to pitch in & we were able to accomplish the lunch duties in less than half the time.

-cats taking in a snack & the markets

Later in the afternoon I found a great spot on a roof top that provided a stunning view of the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock. The views and scenery here are truly one of a kind. It's this melting pot of faith, culture and geography that makes Jerusalem what it is. I've never been anywhere else quite so unique.
--- Soup Kitchen --
At the end of the day I made my way to the JNF (Jewish National Fund). This is a program
in Israel where trees are purchased & then planted for a special event or in honor or memory of someone. There will be five new trees planted on the hills of Jerusalem for individuals that I've had the distinct honor to have known and loved. They not only touched my life & heart but those of many others as well. It is quite a moving experience. Life, although profoundly brief, is quite a beautiful thing and I believe it is not for one day to be taken for granted.

Does a duck float? A duck?yes, a duck...

Todays events could in no way be neglected, so I'm risking carpal tunnel and writing on twice in one day. Early this afternoon I hopped a bus and treked to Masada which is this massive desert mesa standing tall above the Dead Sea and about an hour and a half outside of Jerusalem. It holds great importance for the Israelis and in itself is a symbol of fortitude, resilience and unity. Being that when I arrived it was over 100 degrees I opted to take the skyline up instead of walking. Good call in effort to not become one with the desert on a long term basis.
Following Mesada I met up with two Spaniards and treked to Ein Gedi to take in the ambience of the Dead Sea. We actually hopped off at the wrong stop & made our way around towards the shoreline & actually (unintentionally) ended up at this 4 star spa and managed to avoid the 70 shekel entrance fee ($25). The trolley transported us to the Dead Sea where the shore line was essentially one large slab or white & beige salt. The water was in the mid-80s and as I floated and did my floating as a duck pose, you can actually view the Palestinian Territories on the otherside of the shore line. Crazy. It was wonderful floating, relaxing and soaking in some highly potent uv rays. My epidermis and I are still processing that one.
Following the float I headed for a little time in the mud bath area. There was two large barrels filled with mud extracted from the sea & everyone just gathers around lathering themselves with this thick, warm mud. Awesome. After letting it dry for about twenty minutes or so you rinse of and the skin feels so soft it's unbelievable. The day went fast, as they have been. But it was great to return to Jerusalem as we passed through the desert watching the sun set in the distance. Good stuff. (that's for you pops!)