I thought to myself, “I knew this was a bad idea.” I was officially stuck on top of a camel. Even after two weeks in this scandalous country, I had managed to fall into yet another obvious scam. A young boy had approached me at the base of the Great Pyramid in Giza and sweet talked me into climbing onto his camel for a picture. It seemed harmless enough; camels are pretty docile, and I was not obligated to pay for a ride. Just a quick … [Read more...]
Jerusalem: the Lion of this Kingdom
In May of 2009, my mother and I traversed France over 10 days. On our final day, at a Paris hotel, I perused cheap flights on the Internet, chancing upon a low-cost Belgian airline, JetAirFly, with one-way flights from Liege, Belgium, to Tel Aviv, for 99 euros. In Jerusalem, my nephew, Guy, and his mother, Miri, agreed to shelter me from the incoming cultural storm. My nerves tingled as I considered the implications: Judea, Israel, Jerusalem, … [Read more...]
Balbaa Village, Alexandria Egypt – January 2013
Balbaa Village is located in Alexandria Egypt and is an authentic Egyptian meat and Barbeque Restaurant. They are located in the Sidi Bishr neighborhood at Malik Hefni St - Phone: +2.03.5400888. This is the original Balbaa Village and they can easily seat 300+ people when its busy. Upstairs and downstairs dining. The highlight of a visit here is their huge selection. As soon as you sit down a plethora of plates are immediately brought to your … [Read more...]
Seychelles, an Introduction
Warm tropical waters - aquamarine colors layer, upon layer - clear waters and white warm and inviting sandy beaches. Perhaps those are the thoughts that come to mind when one mentions the Seychelles. Rightly so! However, geographically their location may be a bit hazy and one may grasp for their exact location. In fact these small islands are a part of Africa. The Seychelles are located about 1600 km east of Zanzibar and the Eastern African … [Read more...]
Tales from the Desert Kuwait
Staring out at the blackened waters of the Persian Gulf from high atop our hotel room near old town Kuwait City. The sun has obviously set and we are free to go out on the streets and eat food. 8 more days of Ramadan await us and our daylight appetites. Upon flying in our flight attendant enthusiastically made an announcement, "If you would like to see a spectacular view of desert sand, please pull down your window shades". Based on her tone … [Read more...]
Petra, Jordan – December 2011
Petra, Jordan is one of the world's great historical regions and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra attracts visitors from around the world - especially since it was voted as one of the "New Seven Wonders" of the World in 2007. The original ruins date from over 2000 years ago and the most well preserved of the ruins on site is the amazing "treasury" or Al Khazneh (in Arabic). To reach this ruin, allow 20-30 minutes walking mostly all downhill … [Read more...]
Where to listen and dance to traditional Hungarian music
As it is well known Hungary it is an exception in linguistic terms, as it's the only country in the central Europe where a non Indo-European language is spoken. This part of the world is also very peculiar for its music traditions especially because the Hungarians are making a big effort to preserve their traditional music and dance. The great Hungarian composer and pianist Bela Bartok himself has studied folk music deeply. Together with … [Read more...]
Still Alive
I'm learning to read his jaw. Sometimes I lose the language in his translations, but his jaw telegraphs the unspeakable. But, tonight, I can't see it. We're facing each other, squaring off in the shadows over outdoor vanilla sundaes laced with crisp kiwis and strawberries, arguing about whether I should accompany him to pick up his food rations from the United Nations. The UN had suspended food giveaways, and he finally has an appointment … [Read more...]
The Two Sides of Marrakech
Since the situation in Libya and other Arabic countries remains tense and we are all hoping for a more peaceful resolution of the conflicts, I would like to do follow-up on my post from last week and talk about the city of Marrakech, Morocco. Staying in one of the apartments in Marrakech you will come to find that the city can be divided into 2 very different parts: The Medina, the historical old part of the city and the Gueliz or Ville Nouvelle, … [Read more...]
Southern Jordan, Fun in the Sun
We are watching the sun slowly drop below the Egyptian skyline here on the edge of the Red Sea merely 3 clicks from the Saudi border. It is so quiet from our mountain side desert perch. 6 minutes walking gets us to the beach. The air is warm and intoxicating. We are on the Jordanian side now. This arm of the Red Sea contains the world's most northerly coral reefs. The Red Sea is full of coral and brightly colored fish. Just got in from a 1 … [Read more...]
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