Heading into Month 9 of the Big Wait, I thought I would indulge my travel fantasies by responding to a question people often ask me that I never really know how to answer:
“What’s your favorite country?”
Israel/Palestine
Ten Incredible Places to Learn World History While Having Fun
Martin Luther King said “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” I’m not sure about the first half of this quote coming from history-maker Martin Luther King, but I am good with the second half. And for me travel is one of the best ways to learn about what we are made of. Some places are especially good for understanding a little bit about world history, and feeling the past and how it has influenced our world today.
Akko
Quick stop over in the very cool city of Akko, Israel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near the Lebanese border. I am so happy to be on the coast again!
A Wonderful Last Day in Safed
All’s well that ends well and it did!
But first, did you know that if you don’t speak for three days, your voice sounds like you have laryngitis?
Shanah Tovah
Rosh Hashanah is over but that doesn’t mean I have access to food except what it stacked up on the bathroom sink, or transportation except my feet. It’s Shabbat.
The Power of Dashed Expectations
I am in Safed, a small Israeli city 3 hours north of Jerusalem. The picture in my mind of Safed was pretty different from reality so far. The picture above is where I am staying. As a center of Jewish mysticism with hippie-ish sensibilities, I expected a city that would feel loved and welcoming and in tune with the natural state of things. You know, like Berkeley before the iphone.
New Friends and Old Things
I decided to spend the day at the Israel Museum, which has a nice cross section of western art but is famous for the Dead Sea Scrolls and archaeological artifacts organized to unwind the 9,000 year history of the Levant. Steve Tobias reminded me of this word.
WWJD?
Jerusalem is pretty much closed down on Saturdays for Shabbat. So I hopped on a Palestinian bus headed for Bethlehem. From what I have learned recently, I don’t think this is what Jesus would have done.
Camino Milagro 