Jerusalem is Lifechanging

Kelsey and I are in Jerusalem, a city of dreams, place of blood and worship, of ancient and contemporary conflict. I can only begin to understand the meaning and implications of this place. It is a city divided, and yet it unites thr faiths in one aura and location. To try to understand is to question, and I have been questioning much.

We arrived in Jerusalem two days ago and decompressed from our desert car ride with a long looped walk around the city

As it was the evening before Independence Day, the city took on a New Year's Eve atmosphere, with street parties and music ringing through the street until the early morning hours. Kelsey and I met an Italian medical student over dinner, and we wandered the streets with him, taking in the spectacle. 

In the light of the street lamps, we followed crowds of young and old Israelis to the Old City. Following our noses, we tried to make our way to the Western Wall. With Antonio by our side we approached a harried looking ultra orthodox Jewish man. He swept past us, black coat swishing around him, and told us to follow him. Obediently we fell in line, struggling to keep up. Like a guiding spirit, his voice carried behind him, disembodied and matter of factly asking us, as non-Jews, why we would want to visit his country. Stumbling on answers, he abruptly peeled away from us as the Wall came into sight. Later we would learn that he hadn't looked at Kelsey and I as dictated by his faith. It was a strange, yet honest encounter. 

The Western Wall, the Wailing Wall. In the warmth of the evening, we approached the Wall. There were very few tourists at the late hour. A few Jews were praying in their Independence Day party clothes. I walked to the Wall, surrounded by women and girls, and placed both my hands on the stone. I tried to clear my mind, to open myself up to a spiritual feeling. I tried to meditate, slow my breathing, and let myself exist within the moment. I ended up focusing on those I love. It may have been a prayer, but I have no experience or anything to quantify that in my mind. The rocking motions of prayer were all around me, and feeling as an insider and outsider I walked backwards from the Wall, never turning my back. I felt silly, and sobered in the same moment.

Yesterday morning we joined a tour from our hostel to cross the wall to Bethlehem. This is what affected me:

We visited three holy sites: the Field of Shepards, the Church of Nativity, and the Milk Grotto. I felt that same detached curiosity familiar from our religious excursions in northern Israel. It was a bittersweet experience in Bethlehem. We were physically overwhelmed by the crowds of strangely aggressive Christian pilgrims at the Church of a Nativity. After being jostled and waiting for an hour, Kelsey and I were accused by a woman from a different tour of trying to skip the line to see where Jesus was born. With sadness, Kelsey walked away from the situation, affected by the woman's tone. I walked away indignant, skipped over to where the pilgrims exit from the holy chamber and ignoring all looks and the guard, walked the wrong way down to see the site that had incited such chaos. This is what I saw:

Our thoughts on the tour.

On our way back across to Jerusalem, we implored our driver to stop and allow us to snap some photos of the wall art on the Bethlehem side. Surprisingly, only six of the 13 tourists wanted to exit the bus to walk along the wall. Quickly I ran down the wall taking pictures of these words of hate and peace. The honking of the van brought us back after a only a few minutes, and I felt like I had missed the point of my trip to Bethlehem. We had been ferried into the past, and had glossed over the "now". It was humbling to be in this volatile area that for me has only existed as media words. There is so much I don't know, don't understand. So much struggle and suffering on all sides. How do we fix these human problems? How do we practice faith and spill blood? I am naive to be sure, but it leaves me sad, confused and wary of my ignorance.

On our tour, we met two young Americans, one of whom was wearing a University of Michigan hat. In a twist of life, he just finished his first year at the Ross School of Business. Grabbing a falafel in Yehuda market, Mark and I excitedly went back on forth on life at Ross, rock climbing around Ann Arbor, the difficult decisions between a social life and academics, travel, career changes and much more. School suddenly seemed real to me in a way that it hasn't yet. I am still waiting to hear back from Ross, but Mark sparked my curiosity to what life may look like in a few months. The world works in wonderful ways.

Heading off on our own, Kelsey and I walked through the Old City towards the Mt. of the Olives, Basilica of the Agony and Gethsemane. In this place, Jesus prayed with his disciples the night before his crucifixion. Amazing vistas of Arabic neighborhoods crowding the valley below the Old City accompanied us on our way back to the hostel. 

Of course, I fell HARD on the slippery streets of the Old City, tearing up and re-bruising my weakened leg (about five shopkeepers ran to my aid and tried to fix me with Turkish coffee and Kleenex). Luckily I didn't break open the scar and scab of my mini-surgery. Later I almost passed out trying to clean the wound with alcohol wipes. 

Kelsey can do layers with tiny scissors! She is just so fabulous, in every way.

Catching a leisurely dinner with our new friends, and firmly continuing our trend of European lifestyle, we turned in at 1 am to catch some sleep before today. 

The beauty of my day today will be difficult to express in words and I will attempt it in my next post. All I can say is it was lifechanging. I was shaken, moved, educated and provoked (in a good way). Jerusalem...shalom.

Road Trip Israel!

Behind the wheel (for the first time since traveling!) of a tiny Chevy manual, we set out from Tel Aviv on May 1st to Ceasarea. These ancient ruins, situated an hour north of Tel Aviv, are set dramatically along the Mediterranean. Brilliant location and city planning skills for this Roman city, Byzantine capital and Crusader base. We arrived at the ancient Roman aqueduct north of the ruins a few hours before sunset, and explored until the sun set over the sea. 

The next morning, after a hotel splurge, we returned to the site of the Roman ruins south of the aqueduct, meandering through tiled bathhouses, gladiator stables and public latrines. I can only imagine the splendor of this city, and wonder that such a place could have been left abandoned and to ruins in history. 

Leaving Ceasarea, we drove past Haifa and to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Akko. Clotheslines draped with brightly lit fabric crisscrossing across the tightly winding cobblestone streets, combined with smells of spice and Turkish delight, gives this port town an ancient but lived in feel. In the Old City we walked through the Hospitallers' Quarters, a 12th century Knight fort, where we learned of the thousands old history of this town. Crouching through the Templars Tunnel, we emerged by the ancient port and took a route through the souk (falafel time!) to our Chevy ride and headed to our destination for the evening, Nazareth.

In the Templars tunnel.

Had to do it. 

Navigating through the confusion and congestion into the old city of Nazareth, we found our fantastic hostel, Samira, steps from the Basilica of the Annunciation. As the largest church in the Middle East, the Basilica houses the grotto believed to be Mary's home and where the angel Gabriel appeared to her before Jesus' conception. I recognize the religious significance of this place, especially for Catholics, and I witnessed many tears of emotion of those visiting the church and grotto. However. I was more taken with the modern feel of this church with its dozens of murals depicting Mary from around the world. The church felt inclusive, more like a testimonial of the sameness of Catholics around the world despite any differences of culture.

Which country depicted Mary in 3-D emerging as a silver warrior from a technicolor field of fire? U.S.A.

From Nazareth, we started driving north and inland to the Golan Heights, swinging through Tiberias along the Sea of Galilee towards the Tel Dan Nature Reserve. On our way we took a chocolate break in Rosh Pina, home of the first Zionist pioneers from Romania in 1882. Now it is a gorgeous restored hillside town full of galleries, cafes, and vistas. One of the most poignant stops of our Israeli trip so far was visiting Nimrod Lookout, a magnificent lookout over the vast wild beauty of Galilee. Nimrod was a 28 year old soldier serving in second Lebanon War when he fell in the line of duty. In his grief, Nimrod's father built the memorial site to give a glimpse into the childhood dreams of his son who was born and raised in the Galilee region. Arriving at the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, approximately 2 miles from the border with Syria, we stretched our legs with a walk in this desert oasis. 

We opted to stay in the small town of Katzrin to enjoy the network of trails around the Golan last night, waking this morning to wander around the desert for a few hours. In the words of our Dutch hostel hostess, "you are going to walk into the nothingness." It was beautiful.

Camino, oh, Camino memories. 

Eating an authentic mom and pop shop falafel on our way out of town, we wound around the hills of Golan to Capernaum, home of the ministry of Jesus and then on to the Mt. of Beatitudes, the site of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Wandering, and then taking a nap in the cool of the worship structure over the House of St. Peter's, we experienced the archeological site of Capernaum as a once thriving Jewish town. The feeling of Mt. of Beatitudes was in keeping with all of the religious sites, masses of people praying and singing, connecting to the history of a central component in their lives. I read the Sermon for the first time in the place that Jesus delivered it. I felt like my experience was very different from many of the people around me. 

I am having a range of thoughts being in this Holy Land. I am distinctly aware of the religious significance of places with names like Nazareth and Capernaum, and I respect the acts of faith that bring people to these places. To be honest though, my interest does not extend beyond the curiosity of seeing a new place. Kelsey, as a spiritual person in the Christian sense, is experiencing the wonder of being in these holy places. I suppose, the historical significance of Jesus alone makes these places intrinsically important. Maybe I will feel more connected to this spiritual feeling in Jerusalem, with a melding of religions and contemporary and ancient history. 

We are spending this last northern evening on the banks of the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias. Just now, we experienced our second moment of national silence, standing along the water as a siren rang out. This time it is for Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism. There is much to remember in this wild, beautiful and mystical place. Tomorrow we will trace the border of the West Bank to Jerusalem. Shalom to all.

Tel Aviv!

Where to begin? I am in the Promised Land and I am fulfilling a dream to myself. Tel Aviv, this distinctly modern and ancient city, with its promenade like Venice Beach, street markets, ancient ports, Jewish, Muslim, Christian...it is a city unto its own. 

Kelsey and I greeted Tuesday with more wandering. We looped around the city, walking to the posh neighborhood of Neveh Tzedek, and taking part in the Israeli style of stretching a cafe break to a couple of hours lingering over cappuccinos. (Note: I adore Kelsey. She is wisdom and grace. Period.) Neveh Tzedek, peppered with high end galleries, French style patisseries and chic boutiques had me distinctly aware of my traveler ways. Watching young Israelis walk arm in arm down the street in beautiful clothes and perfectly coiffed/distressed hair, it occurred to me how much I have adjusted my lifestyle this year. To be fair, I have flown all over and adventurized in incredibly ways, but I am not keen to buy anything too unnecessary and I am more interested in how bulky clothes are then what they look like. I actually very much enjoy the simplicity of of it all. 

Finding our way back to the promenade, we walked south to Jaffa and the oldest port in the world. We wandered through the flea market, Elvis t-shirts next to antique menorahs and Persian rugs. After a delicious lunch of Israeli salads, we wandered the winding streets of Old Jaffa, regarding the many galleries and jewelry stores tucked into sand colored ancient buildings. 

Jaffa-Tree-hugger

Upon returning to our hostel, we met Audrey, a beautiful Maltese girl who we promptly invited to join us for our evening plans. What followed was a journey to glimpse the sensations silence and darkness. We walked back to Jaffa port with Audrey, to the Nalaga'at Center. This large open space is dedicated to the Nalaga'at Theater, a troupe of blind and deaf actors, and Blackout Restaurant, with a staff of blind waiters. We experienced an emotional journey of the hopes and dreams of those that are blind and deaf through the play "Not by Bread Alone," in which the actors baked bread on stage in a symbol of the necessity of more than just physical nourishment to sustain life. It left me feeling at times lonely, sad, hopeful, lucky, connected and ultimately grateful. Both Kelsey and I were wiping away tears throughout the play. 

Blackout! 

Following an actual breaking of bread with the actors on stage after the performance, we went to Blackout Restaurant, where we entered a standalone structure completely devoid of light. Simply surreal. It may be the darkest place I have ever been. I found myself continually turning my head in some strange need to focus my eyes on something. Flashes of imaginary light played against my eyes, and I became hyper aware of the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses from the tables around us. Without being able to see our food, the tastes and textures meant more. I couldn't be choosy about the mixture of food on my plate. I ate slower, more meaningfully. The conversation between Audrey, Kelsey and I was without external distraction; no phones, no people watching, no daydreaming. We were connecting by way of a loss of visual connection. On our walk back to the hostel along the promenade, looking at the midnight ocean, hearing the waves crash, we understood that we had returned to our world of sight and sound. I want to hold on to this experience forever.

Wednesday was, you guessed it, another day of Tel Aviv strolling, this time down Rothschild St and back to Neveh Tzedek, where I broke down and bought some earrings. More cafe lounging and laughing before a brief rest at the hostel. For dinner, Kelsey and I followed the enthusiastic recommendation of my parents and made reservations at the famous Orna and Ella restaurant. Oh! Just so delicious. Tofu! Veggies! Vegan desserts! 

Dahlia!

The world is small, and it is amazing the friends you have everywhere. My dad was friends with Bob and Richie growing up in Trenton. Both Bob and Richie moved to Israel as adults and raised beautiful families. The youngest of Bob's daughters, Dahlia is a kindred spirit living in Tel Aviv. So of course, we had to meet. And what a person she is! Like an embodiment of energy, she rolled into Orna and Ella embracing us fully in her arms and launched into conversation and laughter. She captured us with stories of her backpacking and nomadic wandering in Africa for 18 months, traveling South America, her military service, life as an Israeli and so much more. 

This morning Kelsey and I made another trip to Orna and a Ella for a fabulous breakfast. Vegan shakshuka! Mind blowing! 

On our way back to the hostel we cut through Carmel market for a few pounds of fresh fruit for the road. We are heading north to Caesarea, Akko and the Sea of Galilee. The Israeli adventure continues...

Aloha Tel Aviv!

Whew! Made it. After a few painfully boring days on Ascension Island (except for a few epic encounters with giant Green Turtles), I finally was on my way this past Friday to the U.K. My "tip-top-tastic" roommate and friend from the Europa, Rachel, picked me up at Brize Norton Air Force base and we spent a lazy day in her London home recounting all the wonder of our Antarctica and sailing experiences. Sunday morning she dropped me off at Luton airport for my nonstop flight to Tel Aviv.

Thankfully I had been warned of the intense security involving all things Israel, so I was bemused rather than alarmed at the 30 minutes of questioning and extremely thorough examination of my belongings by El Al airline officials. I was subjected to more questioning at the passport control upon landing, but was finally cleared to gather my belongings and take in Israel. 

Oh! Fabulous reunion! Kelsey and I met in baggage claim, and it is like no time has passed since our Camino conversations. She is that pillar of calm and wisdom, like a cool hand pressing my brow. It feels so good to be with my friend. 

As it was still Shabbat, we took a taxi into Tel Aviv, marveling at the heat and modern beach city feel. We headed for the beach directly after checking into Hayarkon 48 Hostel, watching the sun dip below the horizon. As it was Holocaust Remembrance Day, all shops and restaurants closed at 7, so we made a rooftop meal of Cliff Bars and Mentos.

This morning we woke to our hostel's Israeli breakfast of cucumber, tomato, red pepper and toast. After being out to sea, fresh fruit and veggies are simply divine. We made it to the beach just in time to observe the two minutes of silence to remember the victims of the Holocaust, as a siren rang throughout the country. Such an incredible sight, to see all people suspended in their movement, heads bent and reflecting on a common grief. 

We wandered the streets of Tel Aviv today, munching on fresh grapes and strawberries from Carmel market and taking part in the Israeli love of cafe sitting.

We wrapped up our day of exploration with good eats and live music. Tel Aviv truly is the city that never sleeps, a magnetic energy grips everything. 

My adventure is continuing and although I feel like I am emerging from the beautiful dream of Europa, I am coming back awake into the bustle of life and forward movement. Deep breaths and clear thoughts, that is where I am at. 

Europa Adventure!

Aloha all! I have had the most beautiful, incredible journey these past two months aboard Bark Europa. From colonies of penguins and seal pups, to climbing a volcano on the most remote inhabited island, sailing from freezing to tropics, and laughing through endless days and starry nights with 35 new friends...it was truly an adventure.

As with all tales, it wasn't without its hiccups. I am currently recovering from a severe infection and abscess on my leg on Ascension Island. Originally I was to continue my travels on the 18th to Israel, but instead found myself laid up in the small six bed tropical hospital with an IV drip and a steady stream of visitors. As the last Europa sailor standing on the island, everyone has flown home or continued with the ship as I recuperate for the next few days on the veranda of the islands only hotel. 

Much, much more will follow on all that I have experienced on Europa, but here are a few pictures in the meantime:

Love to everyone!