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Middle East 2022
  • Nancy and Doug Trips
  • Nancy and Doug Trips

Middle East 2022

Tour of the Holy Sites and ancient monuments of Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and Egypt Read more
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  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Wadi Rum Tour with Ra'ad

    October 16, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    After some confusion with Google maps, I met up just before 1 with my driver Ra'sd in Wadi Rum village where about 2,500 locals live. Ra'ad is a 22 year old local Bedouin who lives in the village or at the camp and is employed in the tourism industry. His father lived until recently as a nomad near the Saudi border. He was an engaging and amusing young man with a basic command of English and a cursory knowledge of the history or geology of Wadi Rum, As we went along the day, we met other men, all of whom belong to the same family, and whom Ra'ad said were his cousins. Before long, the running joke was that after every interaction I asked Ra'ad "Another cousin?"

    Ra'ad stopped at a snack bar and bought me a shawarma wrap and we discussed the agenda. Then off we went in our Toyota 'camel'.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    The Lawrence Spring

    October 16, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    This first stop on the 4WD tour was to a watering hole written about by Lawrence of Arabia in his book, There is a hike up where you can see the source, but from below, you can see the tree where the water comes out. Now there is a pipe that takes the water into the drinking troughs. There is also a rock with inscriptions that would have told caravans that water was to be found here.

    The pattern for these stops was established. Ra'ab would park, give me a brief introduction and tell me to wander around and take pictures, and he then went into a tent which was set up at every stop and have tea and talk with other Bedouin there. When I came back, he would invite me to sit, offer a tea and continue to talk loudly with his cousins until he decided it was time to go.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Al-Khazali Canyon

    October 16, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    This is the opening to a very narrow canyon ( a siq) with some inscriptions on the walls. There are more inside, but for safety reason, the entry has been sealed with boulders. The inscriptions are in petroglyphs, Arabic, Thamudic and Nabatean done at different times. Basically ancient graffiti.

    Actually there wasn't a tent here so no tea!    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Lawrence's house

    October 16, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    TE Lawrence allegedly stayed here in during the Arab Revolt 1917. It was originally a water cistern built by the Nabateans a couple of millennia ago. Not much of it is left and there is not much of interest to really see, although the setting is impressive.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Mushroom Rock

    October 16, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    As the name says -- a natural rock formation that looks like a mushroom

    🍄

    From all angles.

    It's big.

    What else can I say.

    Another tent. More tea.

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Um Frouth Rock Arch

    October 16, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Another, larger natural bridge. Very busy with tourists. Difficult looking climb made more challenging because of the large numbers of people some going up and some coming down vying for the same route when there are virtually no footholds. Decided to enjoy the view from below.

    Another tent and another tea. By this time Ra'ab was even singing a little ditty "Every Bedouin loves his tea". He also calls it "Bedouin whiskey". Being busier at least they seemed to be making a few sales.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Sunset view point.

    October 16, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Arrived too early at 5:15. Just two trucks, the other one a group of three.. Each of us gingerly clambered up a rock to find a 'padded' spot and settle in. Ra'ab on the other hand, climbs up barefoot with teapot and cups to pour us a cup of tea.

    Sunset came after 6 and it was pleasant.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Bedouin Camp

    October 16, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Arrived at our camp. Eight sleeping tents and a dining tent. Solar panels provide enough electricity for an LED light in each hut. There is a communal washroom with 'cold and cold' running water from tanks that get refilled by tanker trucks and flush toilets.

    Dinner was cooked in hot coals in a pit the traditional Bedouin way and was quite good along with the usual salads.

    After dinner most of the guests sat around the campfire but it was an early night.

    Very comfortable bed with two thick blankets despite the very cold night.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Aqaba Waterfront

    October 17, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Didn't spend much time in Aqaba. Thought I might briefly visit the museum , but wandered around the Great Arab Revolt Plaza which has a number of new buildings that are not open and an absolutely enormous flag called "The Flag of the Great Arab Revolt" but could not see an entrance to the museum. I decided I would just sip a coffee at a beachfront café instead.

    Aqaba is larger than I expected and has a number of upscale hotels and a nice looking beach. Can't say much else about it. The waters and beaches do look nice and I can see it is a popular place for diving and snorkeling.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Drive like a Jordanian

    October 17, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We left camp right after breakfast as two other guests were booked for a camel ride which was on the way back to the village. I got in the car and followed Ra'ad to a gas station which is the only place for miles that takes credit cards and we used my Visa to get cash to pay for the tour. I then headed straight to Aqaba. After a brief peek at Aqaba waterfront, I dropped off the car at Aqaba airport.

    I will find out in a couple of weeks how to 'Walk Like An Egyptian', but can now say I know how to 'Drive Like A Jordanian'. The roads are rough (like Kingston, Ontario rough) and they have NO PAINTED LINES!. This works because the first thing to understand is that the drivers here are all totally crazy. However, that works out just fine because you know they are crazy and the other crazy driver knows that YOU know he is crazy, and thus you are ready when he does something crazy because that is what crazy people do, right? So when an oncoming driver pulls out to pass a car on a road only meant to have two lanes (remember the no lines thing?) he knows that both you and the car he is passing move over to use the six inches of shoulder and that gives him just enough room in the middle. See, Jordanians are a very sharing people, and that includes sharing the road in the most literal sense.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Leaving Jordan

    October 17, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Jordan is a country of great beauty and variety. It is a very easy to visit and get around with uncrowded roads outside of Amman (don't even think of driving in central Amman) and English is fine to get away with. The Jordanian people were the warmest people I met on this trip and I generally found the people I met to be easy-going and patient with visitors.

    There is a lot of variety of activities from beach resorts in both Aqaba and the Dead Sea, incredible historical and archaeological sites, adventures in nature and the out of this world landscapes of the desert.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Arrival in Israel and Bus to Tel Aviv

    October 17, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    So walked over the border, which is a painless, if lengthy process with four passport checks and a security screening on each side and a moderate number of people in line. The Israeli border guards called for a taxi for me and I cabbed it into the Central Bus station. The driver told me there was nothing to do today because it was the last day of a Jewish holiday. So I bought a bus ticket on the next bus. There is a remarkable amount of agriculture coaxed out of the desert including miles of the palm trees. Also miles of greenhouses and 'shade' houses. Where there isn't this intensive agriculture, it is just as desolate as Jordan.

    Got into the huge Tel Aviv Central Bus Station and managed to find my way out and to my hotel by about 8pm.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    ANU - Museum of the Jewish People

    October 18, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This was formerly known as "The Diaspora House" or "Beit Hatfutsot" and was rebuilt and opened in 2021. It traces the history of the migration of the Jewish people around the world and the triumphs, contributions, trials, tribulations and persecutions they have faced. It is a powerful introduction to the motivations underlying the great desire of many Jews to return to their roots in Israel after the 2,000 years of the Diaspora.

    It was a complete enjoyment and surprise as I expected to do this in an hour or so but ended up spending more than three hours. The exhibits were highly educational while remaining engaging and entertaining.

    There were too many subsections, but one very interesting area was about "The Great Migration" when a third of Eastern European Jews (such as Tevye's daughter) emigrated to the USA. Emma Lazarus, a Jewish worker in NYC who helped to resettle Jewish immigrants wrote the poem 'The New Colossus' which was inscribed on the Statue of Liberty (“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”).

    There was also a room dedicated to Leonard Cohen, who was a great supporter of Israel with a film of his last concert here.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    The Yitzhak Rabin Center

    October 18, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    This museum is dedicated to the life and times of Yitzhak Rabin who went from undergound freedom fighter with the Palmach to army general to two-time prime minister and driver of the peace process with Egypt and Jordan. The very well done exhibit intertwines his life with the founding and growth of Israel in which he played such a prominent role before being assassinated in 1995 by a hardliner. Highly recommended.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Hayarkon Park

    October 18, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Between the Rabin Center and waterfront, you can walk in a nice park along the river on part of the Israeli National Trail. Rowers and dragon boaters practicing on the river, families strolling, joggers and bikers along the banks. Pleasant 2.8 km walk.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler
    1

    Tel Aviv Old Port and Promenade

    October 18, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    At the northern end of Tel Aviv's famed beach promenade is the Old Port, a redeveloped complex of shops, restaurants and public spaces.

    I arrived in time for sunset and found a waterfront restaurant and had a nice dinner of fish and chips. The cod was really good with a light and crispy batter.

    After dinner, I walked much of the length of the beach enjoying the perfect temps and the activity of walkers, joggers and beach volleyball and soccer volleyball. . Th entire length is lined with nice hotels, and the beach has many bars, restaurants and cafes.

    The route home took me up Allenby, a popular street with many cafes etc, especially around King George.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Haganah Museum

    October 19, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Went to the Independence Hall first, but was being renovated so carried on to the Haganah (predecessor to the IDF) Museum and then the Lehi Museum nearby which is on a combo ticket,

    Israel would not even exist without the heroics of the underground army they built from 1920 to defend the kibbutz's (as the defensive force, Haganah, which means defense in Hebrew) and later fight the British (as the offensive arm called the Palmach) in organizing the immigration of Holocaust survivors. They trained soldiers and ran hidden arms factories. The British hung anyone found with weapons or ammunition, so the fact they were able to build a force that then became the Israeli Defense Force in a single day on Independence day, then defeat four counties with air forces and armored divisions is almost impossible to imagine.

    Like all of the museums here, this is also very well done.

    I also stopped at the sister museum, Lehi Museum. This group was not part of the Haganah, but was a much more radical group that carried out terrorist acts as the Irgun and Stern Gang. The museum is in the house where Abraham Stern was assassinated by a British policeman.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler
    1Great Synagogue

    An Evening in Nachalat Binyamin

    October 19, 2022 in Israel ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Took the afternoon off to rest and do laundry, then an evening walk took me back to the area around Allenby and King George an area called Nachalat Binyamin and the adjacent Carmel Market.

    Had dinner at a sidewalk restaurant called Ha'Mitbach Ha'Kaful. This was probably the best meal so far on the trip. Fire-grilled chicken skewers with a lemony marinade, salad and a really good hummous.

    It would take days to wander all the streets around here as they radiate in all directions and run off into back lanes. Even the back lanes have back lanes! This whole area is very lively with thousands of people enjoying the nightlife. The Carmel Market was closed, but spreads for blocks with food, meat and seafood stalls.

    Passed by the impressive Great Synagogue on the way home.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler
    1

    Jerusalem

    October 20, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Bus from the massive Tel Aviv Central Bus Station at 1140. Left TLV early as just didn't feel like storing my bag, dashing around town and getting in late. Scenic and relaxing trip, quick tram ride and walk to hotel where my room was ready!

    Went for an exploration of the Ben Yehuda neighbourhood which is a network of pedestrianized streets with lots of cafes. Also lots of cats again. What us up with stray cats over here?

    Walked past a bagel shop, looked normal then a double take when I saw the iced versions! Resisted temptation though.

    The Ibis Styles Hotel itself is very nice. Room small with no seating but everything works and it is very well located.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler
    Bunting's Cloverleaf Map (1581 CE)Hall of VisionariesHeinrich BüntingLights in the Darkness

    FOZ - The Friends of Zion Museum

    October 20, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Heard about this after I arrived earlier than expected in Jerusalem and found it just a couple of blocks from my hotel. This private museum has a fantastic and powerful series of exhibits that tells stories of non-Jewish supporters of Zionism and assistance in the establishment of the State of Israel. State-of-art technology makes this a highly effective way to present the stories of many individuals.

    The museum begins with the famous "Cloverleaf Map" from 1658 by Heinrich Bünting showing Jerusalem as the hub of the continents and Old Testament quotes about the desire of the Israelites to return home. A series of halls present the contribution of the Friends of Zion such as Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, Orde Wingate and several Righteous Among the Nations such as Oskar Schindler. Raul Wallenberg, Irena Sendler, a Polish nurse, Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese consul general and the Ten-Boom family that saved lives during the Holocaust while risking their own lives. Especially moving was the black and white Lights in the Darkness movie.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation

    October 21, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    This church was along the path to the Holy Sepulchre, so stopped in for a brief peek. It serves as the headquarters of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchal Dependent Territory of Jerusalem This is an Eastern sect that broke away and became Catholic. Explains why the Pope visited.

    Very elaborate Orthodox style, with what look the paintings in the Renaissance style but were actually ;painted in the 1970's. Fooled me.

    . Quite pretty.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsMiddle East 2022Traveler

    Christian Quarter

    October 21, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The Christian Quarter is (obviously) one of the four sections of the Old City (Christian, Arab, Armenian and Jewish). For some reason, it feels even older than the other quarters with extremely narrow and winding alleys. I came through fairly early in the day, so most of the shops wee still closed up.Read more

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