If you’re looking for idyllic, try Slovenia. It’s one of those places that is so rightfully self-confident and pulled together, it’s almost other-worldly. Once a part of Yugoslavia, Slovenia declared its independence in 1991, following the death of Yugoslavia’s long-time benevolent dictator, Tito. Since then, Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, has changed a lot. It’s a wildly popular tourist destination and I understand why.
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On my way from Syria to somewhere else, my first stop was Istanbul’s airport, where I took a short flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is a region in Central Turkey called Anatolia that’s famous for its “fairy chimneys” — geological formations created by volcanic eruptions that occurred when the region was underwater. That was about millions of years ago.
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I left Syria about a week ago, both gratefully and regrettably. On the morning I was scheduled to fly to Istanbul from Damascus, the US and Israel launched a senseless war against Iran. The war forced the closure of the airports in Syria, as well as those of many of its neighbors. At the time, I was in Damascus visiting my (amazing) nephew who works for an NGO after traveling with a (wonderful) group to Syrian cities and historic sites. I had an uncertain five days after the war started, and then a kind Canadian couple invited me to join them in their hired car to Amman, Jordan. From there, I flew to Istanbul.
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I’ve been in Egypt for the past few weeks, lucky enough to see the most important pyramids and temples and tombs for the second time. I’m not going to write about them here because you have a million online resources at your disposal, or you can check out my postings from 2014. https://kimmie53.com/category/egypt/
Of course, anyone who travels to Egypt should see the antiquities but, like everywhere else, Egypt has plenty of lesser known magic and I personally needed to get away from the crowds. Egypt is one of the most visited places on the planet right now. Of the 73 countries I’ve visited, it’s also the most difficult from the standpoint of keeping my equilibrium. It’s been a constant hustle. I’m glad my first visit here was on a tour. And I’m glad my second visit included these gems.
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For some reason, I thought a weeklong silent Zen meditation retreat — called “sesshin” — would be an important life experience. And it was, although maybe not in the ways I expected. I certainly chose a good one. It took place at Mar de Jade, a gorgeous resort on a secluded beach north of Puerto Vallarta. The priest, Norman Fisher, was once the head of the San Francisco Zen Center, and understands the “western,” non-Zen mind. The description of the retreat welcomed “beginners.” I don’t have a Zen practice, but I’ve read books about Zen, so I was a beginner, right?
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Pushkar is a small town in Rajasthan, the region that many Americans most associate with India — a desert with camels, palaces, forts, and elephants. I happened to be in the area during the time of the Pushkar’s annual Camel Fair. I had to go!
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Not many people know about the Yazidis — an ancient tribe of Mesopotamia with beliefs and traditions that are part Muslim, part Christian, and a lot their own. I met a few Yazidis when I was in Greece during 2015 when thousands of people were fleeing to Europe from wars in the Middle East. At the time, many Yazidis were escaping persecution by ISIS. I recently visited their most important holy place — Lalish Temple — in northern Kurdistan. Lalish is only a two hour drive from Erbil but, in some ways, it feels like a million miles from anywhere.
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Last week, I went to Kurdistan in Iraq. I’ve wanted to visit Kurdistan because the Kurds I met in Greece when I was working with refugees in 2015 were such motivated, kind people. And the Kurdish women had a strong sense of empowerment.
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Camino Milagro 