Around the World in 135 days

This is the End

2005-12-08T21:27:00.000-08:00

This is our last day on our trip. Wow. Can't believe it, but it is here. I do not think of it as an end of the journey. One thing i have realized from this trip is that i have always been on the road. I have had some stopovers, but the journey continues on...even past this life.

Lessons learned

When asked where i am from, i smile. So many possible answers. I am American, Palestinian (with Italian and even Yemeni blood), Indian (of Persian origin), Kuwaiti, Cajun...i say 'i live in America'.

British PM Disraeli once said: " Like all good travellers, i don't remember everything i have seen, and haven't seen everything i remember."

Amen, brother.When you read my blog, all of it is the truth, but thru my eyes. Jammie will have different views at times, so would Layla. So if you get inspired to go to the places i mention, do not be disillusioned when you get there. i am a romantic. i seek out spiritual energy and beatiful souls. So maybe all i saw was what i wanted to see and not the 'truth'. But alas, i truly believe we create our own reality. Mind over matter? Yes. Prayers and spiritual energy guiding and guarding us, oh yes.

Do not expect to find what i wrote about in these places, rather find your own journey and what you need to find.

i have learned something about my soul. Even more important than where i am, is if i am at one with the Divine. Whenever i feel connected with the Oneness, that some call God, no matter where i am or how good or bad the situation...it just is, and i try to make the best of it.

If i can bring that mindset back to the US, and on into my life, i will be at a lot more peace. It is easy to be alive and at peace when on a vacation, let's see if i can put it into practice on a daily basis.

'Not where you go, but how you go, with which eyes you see'

It was in a Buddhist temple in Ayuthaya. I was staring at a 30 foot golden Bddha that it really hit me on a very deep level that Nietsche was right on one level, man did create God in his image. I saw it in every holy place i have been. God looked a lot like a man. In some places he was a Thai looking skinny man. In others, an Indian looking raja, in yet others he looked like a mediteranean man with long hair (blond in some countries, brown in others). But this has freed me on a deep level. I can bow to a Buddhist statue, a cross, the kaaba, a picture of Zoroaster, Rama, Krisna, Laksmi, Kali....(you get the idea), because all i see is the divine as represented by man.

I do not wish to smash the idols, i do not think of it as bad or good. It just is. i do not think people who do not believe in God are wiser or more stupid. i do not think that people who believe in an unknown Oneness are any better or worse simply for believing. We just are what we are, trying to find our relationship to the universe around. So too all the best of luck on your path.

Jatinder's mom told me a story about idols. An Indian raja heard of a sage preaching to the people to pray using statues if they felt it helped. The raja being a learned man knew better and was outraged at this simple form of religion.

So he called the sage to his palace and asked him why he believed it to be okay. The sage said that God prefers any prayer than no prayer, and that people, until they learn to sense the presence of God are better off using idols. It gives them a mental picture to focus on in their prayers.

'Bah!' exclaimed the raja in conceded disbelief. So the sage seeing a portrait behind the raja asked him who the portrait is of? The raja responded that it was his dead father, the old raja. The sage asked him if it was okay for him to take the portrait down and spit on it, and then tear it to pieces.

'NO! Of course not' the raja responded. As he exclaimed that, the Raja realized the power of images.

The sage had made his point.

Another thing i have learned is that the world is really very small, and yet is vast. Tvs and radios make us think we know what is happening in other parts of the world. Documentaries give us a glimpse, but actually experiencing it is really worth while.

Thanks

i want to thank Divine Oneness that has truly watched over us on this trip. For a 4 month plus tour, we have been blessed with a very easy passage. Thanks to all who prayed and watched over us. I can truly say i could feel the protective power/energy around us. When things could have gone really bad, they somehow would work out in some fashion.

As Jim Morrison once said: "You cannot petition the Lord with prayers". I agree, kind of. If all you are sending is empty words, you get emptiness. But if you send energy out to the universe, it comes back multiplied.

Thanks to Hans, Jean, his brother and his parents, Sue and Jimmie (Paris, Greece and Thailand), Ibtisam, Adel and Nanou, my mom, Khairy, Abu Basil and Im Basil, Basil (Ketchup! Ahhhh!!), Nicole, Mike Diek, Imad, Cyrus, Shiraz, Benafsha and Zenia, Hormuz & Perviz, Shahzad and Rushad (the 4 we burdened the most on this whole trip. And believe me...we burdened a lot of people around the globe), Meherwan and Shiraz, my aunts (Homai, Khurshed), uncle (Melhi and wife, Navaz), cousins, second cousins, friends and distant relatives in India, Auntie Mako, Jatinder, his mother and her mother....to all, thank you for your hospitality. love, generosity and friendship. You've made this a very memorable trip. (If i have forgotten anyone, i apologize, i am delirious from lack of sleep and have been typing for 3 hours straight.)

Before we left, a few people told us how jealous and/or proud they were for doing this trip. Thanks, but this was something we did for ourselves and for Layla. My hat goes off, and i bow in reverence to some heroes of mine:

Jay and Tanya (Jammie's sister and her husband) who after hurricane Katrina, gave up their house to Jay's boss, as he and his family had no where to go. Jay and Tanya stayed with Sue and Jimmie (who also had to make sacrifices) so that Jay's boss's kids could smile again.

Another hero of mine is Ruzbeh (my cousin in India) who went under very dangerous surgeory to donate part of his liver to his father-in-law when his wife, Beniafer, said she would do it. To protect her, he gave himself up. This is a successful man with a lot to live for, and yet was able to make this decision.

That is so selfless, and i am almost in tears as i write this. Thanks for setting such a great example for us in this day and age.

To all....bye, hope to see you in the US.

Cambodia

2005-12-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

Border Crossing

So I set up a bus to pick us up from our hotel in BKK (aka Bangkok) and take us to the Cambodian border (about 4 hours away), where we are to go thru immigration and then be met on the other side by another bus that takes us to Siem Reap, the town closest to Angkor Wat.

I wanted to set up a hotel too, because we were told that Siem Reap is famous for their cabbies who do not take you to where you want to go, but rather to a friend's hotel where you are almost stranded and have to choose to stay at that hotel or else....walk?

I tried online, but I got no answer. So the night before we left, I went to a travel agent to help, but they were all closed. Yikes!! What do we do??? Well, although I was concerned, I wasn't worried. This same thing happened to me on my first visit to Thailand, in Chiang Mai. So I know the best way to deal with these situations is go with the flow, and be firm when need be.

So we get on the bus to the border from BKK and we happen to sit next to a Brit named Chris. We start to talk (Traveller's tip: ALWAYS TALK TO STRANGERS!! If you're afraid of that, stay at home). Turns out he lives in Siem Reap. So he gave us all kinds of advice.

We decided that we would take a cab from the border, instead of the bus offered us, to Siem Reap, that way we would miss all the shady city cabbies there. And he called ahead a few friends and they set a reservation up for us at a hotel, so we were all set before we even made it to Siem Reap. Chris, cheers to you, mate, a great help. Woohoo!!!

Well, almost Woohoo. We still had to cross the border. Okay. We have travelled a lot. We are used to anything, really. But the crossing into Cambodia makes you thank God for our own brand of bureaucracy. We were waiting in a LONG line for about 30 minutes before the immigration officers decided to open shop again. Then we had to wait our turn. It took a WHILE to go thru the border, needless to say. Wasn't too bad, and we even made the best of it, but Lord have MERCY! :) I love border towns. Legal and illegal traders, smugglers of all types, people trying to sneak into Thailand and being sent back in a paddywagon...crazy.

So...we finally made it into Cambodia. Since we didn't plan on coming here, i had done no research, and we were basically going in blind. To be honest, i think the Cambodia trip was one of the highlights of our whole trip. Very surprising, exotic and rural. Now i know what Thailand was like maybe 40 years ago.

There are jokes about La.'s bad roads, and how you know you're in La. by the bumps in the road. Well, Cambodia is the real thing. As soon as you enter its borders, the roads get bad...bad, and then worse. Thailand has such nice roads and highways...smooth, comfortable. Cambodia has basically the opposite. The road was basically red dirt/mud with a few stones, pebbles and rocks here and there. There were holes in the road a small child could get lost in. Let's pt it this way...India's back roads were better...mch better.

Bumpy ride into the land that once was ruled by the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot. If you don't know of the Khmer Rouge, read up a bit on the subject. Killing fields, land mines galore, mass torture and death to the intelligencia. Rough.

Luckily the bastards are gone, and Cambodia is trying to heal. It is a poor country by many accounts, but the people are happy. This is the most rural country i have ever been to, i think. Rice paddies everywhere. Jungle afar, with green mountains and hills in the distance. Farmers in rice paddies, bicycles and scooters all over the road, and beautiful country scenery in all directions. Pleasantly surprised.

Siem Reap

So we got to Siem Reap and checked into our hotel "L'auberge de Mont Royal". An old French villa from colonial times that has been converted into a boutiqe hotel. Very stylish and classy place. We enjoyed the hotel while not out and about (pics to follow).

Siem Reap is a small town that basically lives off of the tourists who come to see Angkor Wat. Laid back, chilled yet bustling in a Cambodian way. A place that if we had discovered earlier in the trip, we would have stayed a few weeks just there. Really.

What is it with the French and their colonies?? Every ex-French colony that i have been to (Morocco, Tunisia, New Orleans, Cambodia) are cool places. Did they just pick well when Europe was splitting up the world? Did they just get lucky? Or is it their influence? i am truly intrigued. The French were jst as racist and greedy as any other colonial power, but...hmmm....will research that.

Floating Village

Our first day there we decided to go see a floating village. Yup, village. Not market. A whole village of boats that people lived on. From what i understood, it was a Vietnamese boat village. But i didn't understand how they got to the Northwestern part of Cambodia. Maybe from during the Vietnam war. It was an interesting experience going by boat down a river to see the village. What a different lifestyle. When the waters receded in the area, they moved with the water to different parts.

Happy Herb Pizza

We discovered a restaurant (thanks to Chris's advice) as we were walking around the central market called 'Happy Herb Pizza' that was THE coolest restaurant/bar/cafe we have been to on this trip. It was the real deal. A small place with about 4 tables inside, 2 outside. Among other shops and restaurants, but not flashy or catchy. Dimly lit, the peach concrete walls had bamboo sheets hanging against them, all the way around. A dusty world map was above the bamboo, hanging on the wall. A gecko sitting a few inches above the map, waiting for its dinner.

Jack Johnson (a musician) was playing on the speakers (Louv, thought of you, man). What a place.

So we had a pizza, drank some beer and sang and talked, while Layla entertained a Japanese couple next to us with a few of her classic hits.

This was a place worth coming back for.

Angkor Wat

I set up a driver and his van to pick us up at 6:30am to go see Angkor Wat. Note: this is the best way to see a place like Angkor Wat, becase yo can go at your own pace. So i set the alarm for 5 am since we had to get breakfast first. Well, after a night of beers and singing and dancing, Layla and Jamm felt the need to sleep in. So i went by myself.

It worked out perfectly. I went by myself in the morning and Jamm went in the afternoon by herself. Angkor Wat was too hard for Layla. A LOT of walking and a lot of climbing.

Angkor Wat is up there with the pyramids and Petra. They are huge complexes of temples. Some of them Hindu from the times of Indian influence in the area, but most are the later (11th century or so) Buddhist temples. Wow!! What a place. Historically...great. Significant? Ofcourse. But the feel, the aura of the place is mesmerizing.

A lot of people have prayed here, and the stones almost whisper their prayers. Very old, very holy place. A good bit of tourists come here, but there are many complexes of temples to visit, and they are so vast, that you can easily slip away and be by yourself among the stones. Just listening to the wind, the stones and even the exotic bird sounds coming from the jungle that surrounds the ruins.

My favourite temple was Ta Promh which has HUGE trees growing out of the stone temples. These temples are powerful. I could feel it, this was one of a few magical places where man grew more concious than he was previously.

After Ta Promh i went to a lesser known temple. i walked for a while on a path to get to the temples that was almost completely empty of tourists. As i was getting closer, i realized that the temple was under reconstruction or something and was closed. But i heard this beautiful and entrancing Cambodian music coming from up ahead. i almost turned around to go to another temple, but the music just kept drawing me towards it.

Come to find out it was a band made up of land mine victims. They were sitting on a carpet on the ground playing traditional instruments. Instead of begging, the government helped by training them and giving them instruments to make money for playing music (What a splendid idea) They invited me to sit with them. So i did. They then handed me a violin type instrument and told me to play along. So i did. The cacophony i produced was so pathetic, i had to laugh out loud. They laughed too, but appreciated me trying with full effort. I thank them, and bow in reverence to their radiant smiles that shine so bright thru all the bad things they went thru.

There are many off beaten places to visit around Angkor Wat. Worth every bump and rough ride it took to get us here.

Baked Hams

We've all heard of baked hams, but...not Cambodian style. As you go down any Cambodian country road, you will see people on motorcycles with large pigs in bamboo baskets riding into market. Well, to keep the pig relaxed until it is slaughtered, they feed the pigs a lot of marijuana. That sedates them so they don't freak out on the bike, and also so that the pigs aren't crying and afraid when they are slaughtered.

What a novel idea. Cambodian pork is supposedly some of the best you can get, because it is tender (when animals are afraid and are dying, they release chemicals into their blood stream that we injest too. In fact, that is why Jatinder says most Sikhs don't eat meat. They believe meat eaters are more afraid and hence violent.)

Thailand

2005-12-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not blogging in a while. To be honest, India had an effect on me. My family there, the spirituality and the insanity of India are addictive. Thailand at first couldn't compare to that experience. I had to wake up out of my stupor.

Bangkok

We arrived in Bangkok in the wee hours. Sue and Jimmie (Jammie's parents) met us at the airport, they made it the day before.

If you've never been to Bangkok, it is a pretty cool urban city. Southeast Asia has some really cool huge cities that are 'Western' in many ways, but definitely Asian too. Like Hong Kong, Bangkok has learned and uses modern technology, but has not copied the west in everything.

Traffic. That is a part of life here. Bangkok is like 3 or 4 major urban cities combined. Great roads, lots of byways and passovers, but still traffic galore. So if you ever come here and want to move out of Bangkok or to the outskirts...just deal with it.

There is a lot of great street shopping in Bangkok. Our hotel was close to Patpong (the sex street) here, and around that are some great shopping areas.

As much as i like shady parts of cities, i am not a big fan of the Patpong area, or the sex industry in Thailand. Unlike the Netherlands, you feel the women are really being exploited here. In the Netherlands, I think the trade is more regulated and legitimate.

Royal Grand Palace and the Laying Buddha, Bangkok

Sue & Jimmie hired a driver and minivan for the whole day and we decided to visit the Royal Grand Palace. I had never been here before, but am SO glad we came this time around. A trip to Bangkok would not be complete without a stop here. It is a major tourist attraction, but deservedly so.

There are ornate, detailed Buddhist temples here that will blow your mind away. Fantastic structures, paintings, sculptures and gardens. I will have to let the pictures do the talking on this as well. .

I would love to walk through the area early in the morn, before the masses come in.

From there we went to another group of temples (Wat Pho) where a giant golden laying Buddha lays. This area was more authentic, ofcourse. It was quiet. You could here the small man made waterfall, the chimes ringing for meditation, the children at the attached school playing. There were places for you to sit in the shade and simply be. Very nice experience.

The Laying Buddha was astounding. He takes up almost the whole temple and there are huge wooden posts that divide your view as you walk around him, so you can't really see the whole Buddha at one time. You only see glimpses as you walk around him. The fullest view you get is when you are at his feet looking down the temple.

I think it was done for symbolic reasons. No one human can have a complete glimpse of the divine. We are in motion thru time/space, and the view changes with the years, and our consciousness. So it is at the temple, the view changes as you walk and where you are on your path.

Alas, the best way to get a full view of the divine is when you are humbled enough and realize your position (beneath the metaphoric feet of the divine). This interpretation is mine, and i may be reading more than is there...but so what, eh? :)

Khao San Road

So we went to Khao San Road, which is the independent traveler's hub in Bangkok. Lots of hippie clothing, cheap Thai clothing, restaurants, pubs, travel agents and suit makers. Yeah, Thailand is famous for its cheap and good quality suits made to your size.

So Jimmie and I went to get suits made for us. 3 suits made of very good material (even one raw silk), 5 shirts, 2 ties and a men's kimono for under $400!! The suits and shirts are made for you. So you talk about fit.

Jimmie got some stuff too, then Jammie got dress pants too. We had a blast, and we became friends with the Badu, the Nepali guy who worked at the shop. We would leave the shop with a hug, and he even through in free kimonos for Jammie, Jimmie and even Layla.

Ayuthaya and river cruise

Jimmie and Sue wanted to do a tour that took us to the ancient capital of Thailand at Ayuthaya (85 kms north of Bangkok), the summer residence of the king and finally a cruise down the river back into Bangkok. SO ofcourse we were down for that.

Ayuthaya is one of those places you have seen in pictures and on tv before but didn't know you have. These ruins of old Buddhist temples are major symbols of ancient Siam. They were ruined when the Burmese attacked Siam in the middle ages.

We went to another set of temples right by the river (forgot the name) that had an amazing number of Buddha statues next to each other. Really trippy temple. Will write in more detail about this if I end up writing a book on this trip.

Finally we did a cruise down the Chao Phraya river back to Bangkok, seeing small villages on the water's edge, temples, and ancient landscapes and ways of life that have changed minimally in the past 2 centuries or more.

Pattaya

We went from Bangkok to Pattaya, which is Bangkok's closest beach resort. Sue and Jimmie wanted to check it out. Pattaya makes Patpong look like chump change. The sex industry here is thriving. It is like a sex market by the beach.

But they had cool bars. So Jimmie and I, and sometimes Jammie would go and sit at one of these bars on the beach, drink cheap beer and play games like 'connect four' (a popular bar game here).

We basically chilled in Pattaya. Sue was ill for a while. Jammie was too for a bit. So we did a lot of relaxing.

One night we went and saw a theatrical extravaganza that told the history of Thailand thru fireworks, live elephants acting among people on a huge stage with flying Goddesses called "Alangkan". We really went for Layla's sake. Sue thought she'd really enjoy it. Well, she did...a lot. It was just as much fun watching her as it was the show.

The show itself was really quite wonderful and was definitely worth seeing.

The next day we hopped on a ferry that took us to a small beach on a small island off Pattaya's coast called "Coral Island". We relaxed in the sun and had a nice time.

Back to Bangkok & The Floating Market

So we headed back to Bangkok after Pattaya. We all decided we wanted to see the famous floating market (which is 2 hours from Bangkok actually) and the weekend market in Bangkok itself.

So we woke up early one morning and headed for the floating market. That was a cool experience. You ride in a small canoe or boat down these narrow canals that are clogged with other small canoes full of vegetables, fruit, souvenirs, beer, snake shows, and you just experience it. A really cool experience.

From there we went to the weekend market which is 35 acres, 15,000 shops and about 200,000 shoppers in an open air Thai style market. You can get almost anything there. What a market. Also an experience worth trying atleast once.

At this point, Jammie and i had to decide what we were going to do. Sue and Jimmie were heading back to the US, and we had an extra week. Do we go to the heavenly beaches of southern Thailand and chill on the beach? Do we go to my favorite city in Thailand, Chiang Mai, famous for its hundreds of temples? Or do we go to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat by bus (12 hour trip each way)?

Of course we took the 12 hour bus ride!! Cambodia here we come....

Delhi, Chandigarh & Amritsar...and our finale in Mumbai

2005-11-23T04:59:00.000-08:00

To be a good traveler you can't have fixed plans. You have to just go with the flow.

Well, my uncle Nabil was supposed to come meet us and his college friend, Jatinder, in New Delhi and we were all supposed to go together north from there to Chandigarh (the capital of Punjab), where they went to college together, before heading back to Agra, where the Taj Mahal is. SO we booked our plane tickets to Delhi and were getting excited to see Nabil. We missed him. Well, Nabil didn't get a visa to come to India and last minute had to cancel his whole trip. We were first of all bummed out, and then lost for what to do. Luckily Jatinder was already in Delhi and told us to come up and he'd take care of us. So we went.

Our original plan was to stay one night in Delhi before heading to Agra to see the Taj Mahal the next day. Then the day after we wanted to head to Chandigarh. Well, we found out that evening that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays, which was the next day. So that changed all our plans. No Nabil, no Taj Mahal just yet. We had to change plans again.

I didn't want to stay in Delhi very long, it being a big city and all, but once again, i was pleasantly surprised. Jatinder set up an all day taxi for us for around $11, so we had transportation to go to many different places in Delhi and sightsee. And i was surprised at how much there was to see in Delhi itself.

Our first stop was at Qutob Minar. An old Mogul mosque and palace site. The pictures you see do NOT give justice to this place. It is a mixture of Persian, Indian and standard Muslim art and architecture. An ancient feel, with a lot of detail in the work, beautiful gardens surrounding open courtyards, and tall minarets like i have never seen before. We spent much more time than we thought we would, just strolling and imaging what it was like centuries ago.

Our next stop was the Lotus temple, a Baha'i temple. The Baha'i faith is of Irani origins and started only at the end of the 19th century. They are persecuted in Iran, or atleast were during Khomeini's time, and yet are a very peaceful and openminded religion. Their temple is open to all, and you can go pray in any way you wish, or meditate. It is a modern temple, so it wasn't as interesting as Qutob Minar et al., but getting a stopover to say prayers and sit in peace in the middle of the day was nice.

Next, we went to Humayan's Tomb (i think i misspelled that). It is the opposite of the Taj Mahal. This beautiful structure was built by a wife of a king after he died in his memorial. It is not as flashy as the Taj, but it had its own earthy beauty and amazing gardens to walk in. I somehow deleted those pictures before saving them, so have no pics of that :( The following day, we started by going to the Red Fort in the heart of Delhi. The red fort is another amazing Mogul palace. It is a huge estate with many structures and buildings. There was even an open-air room where a fake stream would flow thru the middle of the marble room. What luxury!

We later went to Old Delhi to a bazaar next to an old mosque that was the most authentic bazaar I have ever seen. It was not for tourists. It was the real deal. Some stores were hundreds of years old, and the alley ways, the shopkeepers and even the goods looked that old. We didn’t want to even take the camera out for this. It was to be experienced only.

Overall, we had a really nice experience in Delhi and am so glad we ended up staying 2 night and 3 days there.

Chandigarh

Jatinder was heading to Chandigarh, and we felt we should go with him first there and then return for the Taj on our way back. We took a bus up to Chandigarh. Chandigarh is in Punjab, a state that most Sikhs come from. Sikh men and women are to never cut their hair. Most men wear large turbans on their head, and use string or a net to hold their long beard close to their face. But in Punjab, many had their beards down.

I could have taken SO many pics of these beautiful white beards, piercing eyes and hearty smiles and laughs. Punjabis are famous for their music and parties. In fact a lot of the Indian dance music you hear in US clubs is Punjabi style remixed.

Anyway, so Jatinder had us stay at his mother’s house in Chandigarh. She was so gracious and hospitable. They were pure vegetarian, and yet the food was so good I had no problems with that at all.

Jatinder’s brother in law came the next morning and took us all to see Chandigarh. Chandigarh is the cleanest and one of the most beautiful cities in India by far. It is close to the foothills to the Himalayas, so has fresh clean air, beautiful lush scenery, and a wonderful climate. It was quite chilly at nights, yet sunny during the day.

We went by the lake in town where people go to bird watch and relax. We went to see where Nabil and Jatinder went to school. We even went to see where they would go for breakfast and dinner. We went to sector 17 market that was a whole lot of fun. It was nice to see all this. I truly wish Nabil was there. Jatinder was so nice, and we had a lot of fun. One thing though, he wouldn’t let me pay for a bloody thing. Even Layla would plead with him to let me pay sometimes. But no.

The coolest thing to see in Chandigarh is the Rock Garden. When we were told about it, I thought it was a Zen type garden. WRONG! It is one man’s creation. A man who worked at the city dump recycling a lot of old decided one day to use the refuse around him to create things of beauty. So he took shattered plates, bangles, oil cans, and many other things and created these amazing pieces and surroundings. Truly amazing!

We happened to be in Chandigarh for Guruparb (the Sikh version of Christmas). We went to a Sikh temple and prayed and had lunch there.

Amritsar

We decided to go to Amritsar, about 15 miles from the Pakistan border, and the holiest city for the Sikhs to go see the Golden Temple. SO we took a bus from Chandigarh and it took 6 hours. OY! Rough ride. But Amritsar was worth it. It was a small town that basically grew around the temple. The bazaar outside the temple was ancient. Smells of incense, sounds of prayers and chimes, pilgrims from all over coming to pray.

The Golden Temple itself was an experience itself. All people are welcome. You just have to remove your shoes to enter. Seeing pictures of the Golden Temple, with it surrounded by a lake, I thought it was a temple in the middle of nowhere. Alas, it is in the middle of a bustling town, but is surrounded from 4 sides by a marble building that has 200 or so rooms for pilgrims (for free) that separates this place from the outside world.

The temple is a very spiritual place. You can feel it. A lot of energy and love. Layla was even praying very deeply, she really was. SO cute, as we finished praying, and were leaving the temple she made the sign of the cross. Luckily Sikhs are open minded and didn't freak out. It was so innocent and so cute.

It took us another 6 hours to get back to Chandigarh by bus. We were exhausted. We were supposed to go the next morning by bus again to Agra (a 12 hour trip one way!)…so we decided to not go.

Mumbai Finale

We were going to go back to Mumbai and then go to Goa for our last 5 days in India. But we decided to stay in Mumbai instead. Crazy, we are in India for 5 weeks or so and don’t see the Taj or Goa, the 2 biggest destinations for tourists our age.

But, believe me when I tell you, we have little regrets. My family is so much fun to be around, we missed them when we were in Delhi, and decided to spend the last few days enjoying their company.

We will miss Mumbai so much it’s scary. We missed Mumbai while we were even in Chandigarh. We got used to the noise, the hustle, the bustle, the insanity, the poverty, the lavishness….ah..Mumbai.

We also will miss my family’s weekly potluck parties, where about 8 or 9 couples get together at someone’s house and either cook or order food and drink, drink, drink and laugh and talk.

I just want to thank my whole family for the wonderful time we had here. We truly were at home, and enjoyed everything, EVRYTHING! A special thanks to Hormuz, Perviz, Shahzad and Rushad whose life was the most effected by our visit since we stayed at their place and took over. I know they enjoyed us as much as we enjoyed them, but they went way beyond the necessary.

God bless them all.

Sorry this email was a bit hurried. We leave tonite for Bangkok. I am excited about that, but if we were not meeting Jammie’s parents, I would have loved to extend our stay in INdia for another week or 2 and go to Goa and be here for one more potluck.

I posted pictures of India so reread the other blogs, and do not worry if we do not blog from Thailand. It all depends on Internet availability.
Peace and much love.

Neral, Matheran & Pune

2005-11-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

Greetings. It's been a while since I've blogged, so much to update you on....

Neral

My cousins, Meherwan & Hormuz, have a development outside of Mumbai near a village called Neral. They have created a retreat for city dwellers to get away from Mumbai's insanity. Country homes sit on a beautiful small lake for the owners to come on weekends and holidays and enjoy the natural beauty.

Their house there is amazing. Last time I came here it was still being completed. It is now a house that can sleep 40 easily with sleeping bags and roll up mattresses, hence enough space for teh whole family to come at one time.

So for Diwali (Hindu festival of lights), most of the family came to enjoy a week in the countryside. I am not kidding when i say this was one of the closest things to heaven i have experienced. For those who know me, know i love to chill and be around family. Well, we were in a heavenly, picturesque surruonding with about 25 relatives.

The kids enjoyed themselves alone, the adults enjoyed themselevs alone, and then we all enjoyed together aruond dusk when almost all went swimming in the lake each day. It is a beautiful lake, and my cousins have canoes, so we did canoing, hiking and swimming.

But mostly we sat and enjoyed each other's company and drank and ate a lot. I even made a gumbo (well 2, one chicken and one seafood) out there. We had Pani puri another nite, Biryani...well....you get the idea.

Our stay there was one of the top highlights of our trip. Truly. I didn't know this many people could be around each other for 5-7 days and be so relaxed and enjoyable. My family is very laid back, fun loving and easy going. Great company.

Jammie and i would truly love to retire here one day. India has changed a LOT! Even since my last visit 7 years ago.

Matheran

While we were at Neral, we decided to go one day for a day trip to Matheran, a village on a picturesque mountain close to Neral. You can only drive your car to a point, and then no cars allowed, and you have to walk or ride a horse or rickshaw. It was a very pleasant hike (tough after just sitting, eating and drinking at Neral for a while).

And to reward ourselves for hiking all the way to town, we had a nice meal at a resort there and....more beer. Woohoo!!

Pune

On our last day at Neral, we decided to go to Pune to visit Steve's brother, Shaman, his wife, Ayesha and their beautiful daughter, Revati. We had a wonderful lunch at Ayesha's parents house and it was so nice to see them. They are living in Pune. It was weird in a nice way to meet each other half way across the globe. We usually meet them at Steve and Kine's house in the DC area around Christmas. What a difference!

India - Part II- Kerala (God's Own Country)

2005-11-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

Even before we came to India, we had decided after researching a lot, that we should go to Kerala, a state in the Southeast part of India that strecthes to its tip. Everyone here in Mumbai confirmed that. It is nicknamed 'God's own country' because of its beauty. So, we decided to go.

A friend of the family, Behram, who is a travel agent was nice enough to set everything up for us. We wanted to stay 3 nights at an Ayurvedic resort, and then do a houseboat ride down the backwaters of Kerala.

Ayurveda is an ancient India science of human health that is based on trying to keep a balance in your body. It is a holistic science and all remedies are natural with little if any side-effects. So we wanted to get some Ayurvedic treatments and rest at the resort.

We did the houseboat because of what everyone told us...it was an experience of a life time. But little did we know how it would be and what to expect.

India is not as cheap as it used to be. It used to be a steal. Now it is still cheap, but flights are almost as expensive as in the US. Trains are cheaper, but take a while....

SO we decided to take the train down to Kerala, to see the nature and environment on the way, and take a flight back to Mumbai to save some time. The train was supposed to take 26 hours!! Luckily now trains have A/C sections with private beds (seats that convert to beds), so it was comfortable.

So we get onto the train about 45 minutes before departure, and the train suddenly starts going...and going and going. We were sitting next to this Indian lady and her two 10 year old twin daughters, and another older couple and their late teen daughter. Thank God for these people. They were SO nice, and we all felt so at home. Indian people are laid back and chilled. Formalities seem silly to them (that is why some snooty cultures are baffled by them). The lady had her feet up on our bench, we did the same. No worries, just getting comfortable and relaxed.

Layla got along so well on the train, and the lady and her daughters basically had Layla on their bench the whole time. Stories, jokes, songs, sharing food....we passed the time well. Since it was such a long trip, food was served to us on the train. The quality was great, the prices were phenominal. A veggy meal which was enough rice for 2, with 2 veggy curries and a soup, and bread was about 75 cents. The Non-Veg meal was around $2 (OK, India is still cheap!) Snacks such as wadas, dosas, samosas, masala chai and milky chai were brought every few minutes by theses teenage boys. I drank maybe 10 chai masalas (they were about 10 cents a cup).

The scenery was so beautiful. Southern Maharashtra, Karnatika, Goa and Kerala are beautiful states in India. Lush green mountains, rice paddies, small villages, rivers and even glimpses of the sea. So nice. And we slept quite comfortably too. BUT....

remember how i said the trip was to be 26 hours? Well, due to heavy rains in Goa, our train was diverted and it took....(drum roll please)...................34 HOURS!!!!!!!!!!! Really, 34 hours on a continuous journey with no stop overs!! It was the longest trip Jammie and I had ever done. Layla said she had done one longer when she was younger.

It was insane, so thank God for having the other 2 families next to us, who really helped pass the time.

OK, Time out:

Something I realized about India as it compares to the US. For me, the US and India are 2 opposites of the same coin. They are in many ways the same type of country, but in different stages of their lives. But what i realized is that they both are very good teachers.

The US gives you what you want, much easier than what you need. India gives you what you need a lot easier than what you want.

I think this is why India is so famous in the west. It frustrates the Western mentality of getting what we want when we want it, how we want it. But in the end, a Western soul leaves India having got what it needed, although it may have not known that is what it needed.

I think living in the US can teach you self-control, responsibility and decision making. But they are hard lessons, and most of us in the US do not do those things well, maybe. But since it is so easy to get what you want, you have to learn these things or sink into debt and depression.

OK, back to our story:

So we finally reach Allepey, Kerala a day and a half later. Delirious and tired. Luckily we had a driver waiting for us at the train station to take us to our resort as it was quite late at night.

The resort we stayed at was really a treat. It was a quiet place that could accomadate maybe 15 people at a time only. We opted for our own private cottage right on the water's edge (maybe 20 feet from it). It was very rustic, but clean, with electricity and a very nice bathroom. The bathroom was so interesting! It was another room in the house, but the shower area had no roof. It was made of wicker walls, with beautiful floor tiles. Above you as you bathed was simply banana tree leaves from the tree next to the cottage, and the sky. I LOVED that. It was a very nice touch, and done very well. The toilet area was roofed and was modern, but showering there was a special treat.

The back waters of Kerala are like little water ways that seperated pieces of land. Villages were seperated by the water, so most villagers' main transport was via canoe. LOUV...i thought of you a lot here. This was your paradise. Believe me.

We would wake up each morning at around dawn to the sounds of Hindu prayer floating over the water from the other side of the water, from some village. The music was so beautiful and peaceful, and the voice calling on God to bless this day, and thank him/her for the new beginning. So beautiful and moving.

Our first day at the resort we decided to get Ayurvedic massages for the both of us. We took turns, so we could watch Layla.

Ayurvedic massage is not like any other type of massage i have had. It is not to relax you per se, but rather to get your body organs, muscles and energy balanced and functioning well. First, i had to strip down to nothing. I was given a loin cloth to wear and then asked to lay down on a large wooden massage bed as two men massaged me in unison. Each would work on one side of my body at the same time, so it was all balanced.

The massage was done in a small cottage in a clearing behind the resort's dining room. The windows were open, and a nice breeze and silence flowed into the room that helped in relaxing me. The massage took about an hour, and my whole body was felt rejueved and amazing after words. I felt organs start functioning that i didn't know existed!

We met a British couple who was also there at the resort, and we became good friends real quickly. We would enjoy meals together at the resort's restaurant. They were so nice, and we really enjoyed each other's company.

You Get What You Need

So one afternoon at the resort we decide to go walking down a path and see if we can walk all the way to town. There were no signs, no directions, we WANTED to go to town, but instead as we were walking, we heard someone playing the Indian flute. Haunting Indian music that sounds like a beautiful bird crying softly stopped us in our tracks. I was mesmerized by the music, and something told me to check it out.

I took a couple of hesitant steps towards the music, that was coming from a shabby resort next to ours. I wasn't sure if we would be tresspassing. Suddenly a man saw us listening and bid us come hear the music. The guy who was playing the music had a big black beard and dark piercing eyes. He welcomed us to sit and listen, and we started talking....

That is how i met Murali Krisna, a nationally awarded painter, and state awarded cinematographer from Kerala. He was at the resort with a director, Martin, an Indian Christian, and their producer working on a film script in the peace of the backwaters.

He wanted to teach Layla the flute so we stuck around. We suddenly started talking more and more and we connected. SO we came back after dinner for more conversation and we had a great discussion on religion, philospohy, God, Krisna, Christna (Christ), Islam, Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, films, documentaries, poverty....and on and on.

He is a soul friend. So is Martin. We connected very deeply. He invited us to his house in Cochin (a major city in Kerala) to spend a week or so and work on some film ideas and documentaries. Unfortunately we had plans already.

He had made a documentary called 'The Pain of the Soul', a short piece about orphans in India, and the tough life they go thru. He made it and wanted all money made from the film to go to an orphanage where he supports secretly a few children. But a friend of his sold it in Canada and kept the $$. So I want to ask Monica Rouaud if she would want to help me help get this film some marketing and help his project.

It was very special to meet Martin and Murali. I am thankful for somehow meeting them, although all we WANTED was a way to get to town. But what we actually got was what we NEEDED, and that was finding good souls trying to do good and a good cause.

The Houseboat

Going down the backwaters of Kerala is higher on my list of things one must do when they come to India than seeing the Taj Mahal. Oh the experience!

You basically start off in the morning on your own private houseboat made of whicker type material. The crew consists of 3 people (a captain, a cook, and an engine operator). You spend most of the day sitting at a shaded, yet open air table enjoying beer and food, or laying on a matress that is open to the sky...and you just slowly cruise down the backwaters.

I will try and post some pictures when I can, but let me tell you....pictures do not capture the experience. The peaceful experience, the scenery, the kids and adults who walk by smiling or waiving, the little inlets that are like driveways for canoes of a small neighborhood here and there, the farmers working the field or fisherman fishing much like their forefathers had done for centuries...

Louv, this is a cajun's home away from home, you'd love it.

The food they made for us was excellent. We've had so many types of Indian cuisine. In the US all we get is vindalu or curry, but man there's so much good cookin' going on in India. YUm!

Then came night time!!!! So we dock by a rice field for the night and are to have dinner and tehn sleep in our indoor cabin. Well....I killed may be 30-40 mosquitoes during the day and evening, and when night came about, there was a conference of mosquitoes, and maybe 20 other types of bugs.

If you know me well, you know i am a mosquito magnet. I attract mosquitos from miles away. I HATE mosquitos (they are the only beings on earth I can truly say that about). I get paranoid, I get nervous, my body senses when a mosquito is in the room (i am THAT sensitive to them).

So you can imagine the nightmare this was for me. Layla and i were bit a bit, Jammie wasn't. We put mosquito repellent so the mosquitos didn't bite that much, but just seeing them everywhere with other bugs...AHHHHH!!!!! Luckily Layla is still young, and was not that bothered by the insanity this was. Don't worry no malaria or anything like that. It was so overwhelming, there were so many bugs, that while we were eating, we were swallowing bugs at times. It was crazy!! All we could do was laugh, we put

Then at night, we went to the room to sleep, and i became paranoid. I slept about 2 hours the whole night. I stayed up waiting for any mosquitos to fly by. I was deliroius and even laughed at myself like a mad man. I stayed up all night thinking about ideas. My cousin, Meherwan, read my blog and told me I need to publish this as a book called 'One Love, One People, One Heart' my motto. I loved the title, so started thinking about it seriously.

I was so happy when dawn arrived, i could have ran around naked singing 'In da Gada da Vida'!! :)

With everything considered, I would still go again on the backwater boat ride. It was so amazing, that it was worth the mosquito experience. In fact, once again, I didn't get what i WANTED, but rather what i NEEDED. I am now not as paranoid as i was about mosquitos. I no longer hate them...i just don't like them at all now... :)

That morning we took a cab from where we were (Allepey) to Cochin to catch a flight back to Mumbai. The cab ride was nice, since we got to see even more of Kerala.

Kerala is awesome. Truly.

sami 11-08-05

India - Part I - Mumbai & the Parbhoos

2005-11-05T02:44:00.000-08:00

As soon as you arrive at the airport in Mumbai (aka Bombay), reality slaps you in the face. Anybody who is depressed, sad, feels forsaken, angry at God, etc. should just come to Mumbai for a quick reality check.

The insanity starts almost immediatly as you see families living and dying in the street. Thousands of autorickshaws crowd the street, scents of all sorts float thru the air, you feel life flowing past you, and it is much larger than you.

As I always tell people, India, and especially Bombay, seems to somehow contain the whole gamut of human experience in one place. There are people here richer than can be imagined, and people who can't even afford hope, people enlightened and naked, and others materialistic to the opposite extreme and everything in between.

India is as old and as corrupt as Egypt. It is neither beautiful or ugly. The only adjective that can truly work is 'real'. It is the 'realist' place i have been to. It makes Brooklyn or NYC look like a children's playroom at Disneyworld.

There is the largest slum in the world here, and some of the most expensive real estate in the world too! There are places that sell food for about 8 cents, and malls that sell shirts for about $50. People living among cows and buffalos, children playing in gutters, others in villas with many maids....

I watched Jammie as we were driving fom the airport, tears forming in her eyes as emotion welled up in her heart. It is hard not to have compassion the first time you drive thru the streets of Mumbai. I felt so humbled, so thankful for all the blessings i have, like family, health, food, limbs, and so many other things we take for granted.

If you didn't know, my family is Zoroastrian (the first monotheistic religion as we know it), and Parsees (as Zoroastrians in India are called) live in colonies (walled neighborhoods). So my cousin, Hormuz and his son, Shazhad came to pick us up from the airport and took us to the colony, Malcolm Baug.

Malcolm Baug is a green, quiet haven amidst the insanity that is Mumbai. Almost all my relatives live in the colony. It is so wonderful. Surrounded by family and greenery...so beautiful.

My family is SO LOVING it can be overwhelming. I am tearing up writing this. They give unconditional love, and are making us feel so at home.

Hormuz and his wife gave up their bedroom for us. They would not hear anything else. They have a brand new house that is so comfortable and cool, so we are staying there. The interior design is really 'fly'. They are taking such good care of us, it is almost ridiculous. They are going way out of their way, WAY OUT. Any wish they know we may have, they are making it come true. Hormuz is just with us the whole time making sure all is well. I just hope we can repay them their hospitality when they one day visit us in the US.

Natalie and Omar, I really wish y'all could have made it with us on this trip. Our family rocks, and they ask about you and want to see you. We would have had an amazing time!! Mom and Dad, everyone remembers you and wants you to visit.

Now, Layla...Layla, who now has an Indian accent when she talks English (so cute!!), is having the best time of her life by far. Malcolm Baug is like a big garden of Eden for her. It is a safe, walled community, where everyone knows each other, and relatives and friends live on all streets. So Layla for the first time in her life is allowed to be a free child. No constant parental supervision, children (especially young girl relatives of all ages) play with her and take care of her. She is experiencing what we experienced as children, but what children in the US rarely get to these days, and that is a childhood.

No need for TV, Internet or Playstation for her, she runs, jumps, laughs and simply has a child's life right now.

We have been having such an incredible time here. Parsees love to eat, drink a lot and be happy. They have pot luck parties every weekend, and relatives visit each other daily or so just to hang out. If you know me, you know that suits me just fine.

One night, Ruzbeh, my cousin, and his wife, Beniafer, took us to Juhu beach, where Layla played on the small rides and we enjoyed a stroll on the beach. After that they treated us to dinner at a fine dining Chinese restaurant, where we saw an actor who was in 'Monsoon Wedding' (the young guy who is getting married)! Chinese food in India, is not the same as in the US. It is really Indo-chinese and is quite good.

One morning, we went to the train station (their metro) to catch a train to downtown. Riding a train in Mumbai is an experience! They can get SO packed, that you basically stand, and let the crowd push you in and when you are in the train, you try and hold on to something so you don't get pushed out the other end. It is an experience!!

I will leave you with a quote i read in Mumbai:

'You will find outside, only what is inside you.' - outside a church.

- Sami

Oman Part II - A Beach, more forts and the Scent of Kings

2005-10-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

Muscat Old Souq

We started today by going to the Muscat old Souq (market). It is a traditional Arab market full of incredible scents, smells and old artifacts. Oman is famous for its daggers, swords, frankincense and bakhoor (incense).

Oud and Bakhoor

There is a type of wood known in the Persian gulf simply as ‘Oud Hindi’ meaning ‘Indian Wood’. It is the bark of Agarwood trees from India and Indochina that is atleast 50 years old and has a fungal infection that forces the tree to create this oil that probably is the best smelling thing on earth.

I remember it from my childhood in Kuwait. Persian Gulf Arabs scent their clothes and houses with the smoke when this wood is burned over coal.

To experience this scent, you will have to come visit us at our home. We couldn’t afford the tree bark, but instead got a bakhoor, ‘incense’, that is made of small chips of it. The tree bark goes for about $5,000 or more a pound!!

A man was in the store when we were buying our bakhoor, and he bought a box of about 15 2-inch oud wood chips for $250!!

Muscat Beach

Cyrus and family took us to this beach about 15 minutes from their house that was surreal. Mountains end right at the water edge, creating beautiful vistas and small coves of soft, soft sand in between.

We took a small boat to go see natural arches and rock formations around the beach. I will let the pictures speak
for themselves, as words could not do this beach justice.

Quriyat and Barka

We decided to rent a car for a couple of days to go see small towns outside Muscat. Oman is so beautiful and rugged, but public transportation is not that great and tough with Layla and a lady, Jammie.
So we set off one day south of Muscat through desert mountains to Quriyat, a small town that was a fishing village at one time (and still subsides on that), to see an old fort and residence.

It was such a beautiful ride. The mountains of Oman are made of many layers that are visible, and so you may see maybe 8-10 different color rocks side by side as part of one mountain.

The next day I went by myself (Jammie and Layla decided to sleep in) to Barka, another sleep town famous for a fort/castle and another old residence. Since I was by myself, I stopped in a few small fishing villages and stopped to get a feel of these places.

These villages, although they have cars, the odd paved road here and there and one or 2 satellite dishes, are really from another time period. A few children and goats played in the streets, while the adults sat in the shaded alley ways between old terracotta colored Arab houses waiting for sunset, so they could break their fast. Fishermen slept by their boats on the beach, or sat and mended their nets in the shade…the only sound was that of the waves crashing.

I made it to Barka and visited the Barka castle (which is really a fort) and spent an hour so wandering around daydreaming about past times, pirates, and life that had passed between these walls.

We have had such a good time with Cyrus, Shiraz, Zenia and Benafsha, it will be hard to say goodbye, once again. They promised to come visit us in Florida so hopefully we can repay them for their hospitality and generosity.

On Wednesday we fly to Bombay (Mumbai) and start our Indian escapade.

Sultanate of Oman - Part I

2005-10-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

Oman

I know I sound like a broken record, but the hospitality, generosity and warmth we have been met with has been overwhelming. ‘We’re not worthy’ is our motto now.

My cousin Cyrus, his wife, Shiraz, and 2 daughters, Zenia and Benafsha have been SO nice. Layla is having the best time here of all the places we’ve visited so far because she has 2 girls to play with most of the day. Their maid, Josephine cooks up GREAT Indian dishes... we would be gaining many more kilos if it wasn’t for the heat.

Anyway, Oman is a very interesting mix of Arab, African (Zanzibar) and Indian cultures. So I feel quite at home :). There are so many Indians here. In fact, Cyrus and family don’t even speak Arabic after 12 years of staying here. There are restaurants, shops and everything else under the sun Indian here.

Omanis are very down to earth and humble. They are (in general of course) pleasant and respectful to even the lowest of the low and all nationalities. I really like that about them.

Oman is a gorgeous country. Muscat, the capital, is a bunch of small neighborhoods in between desert mountains. The mountains go all the way to the sea and create incredible views and environs.

It is not yet very developed outside the big cities, so you need a 4WD to go to a lot of beautiful places. Oman is famous for its old forts (that protected the tribal kingdoms from pirates and other tribes in the desert), its Wadis (oases in the desert mountains), frankincense trees and its ancient history.

Ramadan

It being Ramadan has shaped our trip to Oman. Unfortunately we can’t do much during the day, since it is hot and drinking water and eating is not allowed in public. Everybody is lazing around until evening, but Cyrus and Shiraz, being Non-muslims are stuck with full shifts, so it has definitely effected our trip.

Nizwa and Jibreen Forts

Our first weekend there; Shiraz borrowed a 4WD for us all to go to a couple of forts in the desert mountains outside of Muscat. Our first stop was Nizwa, which is a small oasis town with a restored fort, and old market. It was beautiful and was a good intro to forts in Oman.

After that they took us to an abandoned old village where ruins were scattered around a small oasis in the desert. In most other countries, this would be a major tourist spot with a fee to go see. Luckily, Oman is still not yet discovered on a large scale.

From there we went to a fort in Jibreen. I felt like such a kid in that place!! Once again, not many tourists (in fact none that we saw, since it was Ramadan), you can wander anywhere and touch anything, and no ‘Do Not Touch’ signs, no velvet ropes…just an old fort for your enjoyment.

If I was 10 years old, I’d want to got there every weekend to play boys’ games there. They had hidden rooms, small holes big enough to stick a gun out and shoot at intruders, bullet holes in the walls, a tomb of a religious leader, secret passageways (we even went down some!) that were under certain rooms to hide and surprise enemies from and canons galore. What more could a young boy ask for???

Salalah

A few days later, Jammie, Layla and I hopped on a bus (12 hours long) and went to Salalah, which is the second biggest city in Oman and is very close to the Yemeni border (the other side of the country).

You leave the mountains of Muscat and start into flat country of sand and rock. Then you get to the oil fields in the desert and the oryx (animals) preserves. From there you continue through small sand dunes (that are the beginning of the ‘Ruba al Khali’ aka ‘the empty quarter’) and then desert fields of frankincense trees before getting to the lush forests and mountains that surround Salalah.

We had planned to rent a car and go see many things around Salalah. The town itself is small and quite. BUT I forgot my driver’s license, so we got to only see a few things. REAL bummer since there actually is a lot to see around Salalah.

So we got a taxi and he showed us around a bit. He took us to the old incense market (Salalah made its fortune in incense over many years), the beaches of Salalah, and then we took a drive into the forests of the mountains outside Salalah.

I happened to mention to the taxi driver that my Palestinian grandfather’s family was, hundreds of years ago, originally from Yemen. He asked the family name, and I said Hirezi. He smiled, he knew some Hirezis in Salalah. They were a tribe from the other side of the border in Yemen.

It was SO cool to hear this. If we had more time, I would have sought some out, but it being Ramadan, things were topsy-turvy.

I truly think my sibling and I should be given a UN passport. We are too diverse for one passport.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL...COMMENT PLEASE!!!!

Jordan - The Shahin family, Petra and more

2005-10-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Jordan. First thing I should say is that one week is not enough for Jordan. It is a small country, but there are so many naturally beautiful sites, historical sites and enjoyable things to do.

The Shahin Family

The Shahin family are relatives of ours that i knew from Kuwait. We have a fun family, if i do say so myself. But the Shahin's are some of the most fun ones in the bunch. I always remember their parties, their sense of humor and
their warmth.

Well nothing has changed in those departments. We felt so at home with them from the get go, and we miss them already. They opened their home and hearts to us. We must have gained a few kilos each from Auntie Noual’s cooking (man, she can cook!) and Uncle Shukry kept us laughing with his non-stop comedy.

Getting to see them again, hanging out with Nicole (who is now a cool chick, I remember her as a 2 year old baby) and Basil (Basil is still Basil, loves life and living it!), meeting uncle Mike (who sends so many kisses to everyone in the US!!), his sister, Auntie Huda, her husband Tawfiq, their son, Imad (who is so cool) and many more relatives…It was so wonderful.

Speaking of which, we got to see Ranya and meet her husband, Bashar and their adorable Celine. Celine and Layla are very alike. They both are mischievous, very intelligent, and funny. Believe me if they lived close to each other, they could take over the world. They only got to see each other once, and play once, but they bonded. Ranya lives a hectic life (like we do in the US), so we only saw them once. I feel this is the most important gift Layla is getting from this trip. She is getting to meet family and friends who are like family. She is getting to create bonds that will grow in time. This is what we wanted from this trip. To re-strengthen family bonds, and for her to make new ones.

Amman

Our first full day in Amman, Basil and Nicole took us on a tour of Amman. We went to the acropolis of Amman, which has SO much history…so many peoples over millennium who have inhabited that hill, saw different parts of the city and went to an artist flea market. Amman is pretty happening in its own little way. I actually met a friend from DC walking down that street!! What a small world, eh??

We finished the day by going to an international food festival at a local college, where we ate a lot and drank beer. Yum!!

The Dead Sea and a view of the West Bank

Nicole and some of her friends were going to a Dead Sea resort for the day, so she invited us to tag along. The resort we went to was a 5 star place. 3 or 4 pools, a beach on the dead sea coast and great views of Palestine. This was the first time I set eyes on Palestine. It was a very moving experience.

We had a blast at the resort, swimming, joking around with Nicole and her friend’s and floating in the Dead Sea itself. It is such a bizarre experience! You almost can’t swim because you are so buoyant. We also did the Dead Sea mud treatment. They have buckets of mud and you put it all over yourself (fun in itself!) and then once it dries you swim in the sea to get it off. We could definitely feel the difference to our skin.

Layla as usual made lots of friends at the resort. We were sitting at one of the pools. She started talking to this guy who was very nice and talking to her like an adult. So we all start talking. Come to find out he was a cousin of the queen of Jordan, and he went to the New English School in Kuwait! So suddenly as we are talking, other people next to us hear that and say OH Yeah! Me too. I went to NES. Before you knew it, we had a group around us fighting over who will buy Layla juices and play with her.

Thanks to Nicole and Imad, and Nicole’s friends for that day. A Blast!

Petra

Basil and Uncle Shukry helped us set up our trip to Petra (they should be travel agents!!). We had a private taxi take us from Amman all the way south to Petra where we spent one night and 2 days. What can I say? I was shocked, to tell the truth, at how beautiful Petra was naturally. I honestly thought it was the carved buildings only that made Petra so famous. But actually the natural beauty is just amazing!!

The buildings sit in a canyon carved by water and wind over many years. The rock is of so many different colors and is shaped in so many bizarre shapes. I could spend a few days looking around at just the natural beauty there. Really. BUT…one of the most memorable moments in my life was when, as we were walking thru the beautiful canyon, I first caught a glimpse of the Treasury building. (see the picture attached). It is awe inspiring and catches you off guard.

Petra is a place of SO much beauty, and it was cool and shady, due to the canyon, so it was very enjoyable. Honestly, I enjoyed Petra even more than the pyramids. Maybe it is the way Petra gradually shocks you, and shows you a little of herself at a time. The pyramids you can see from afar as you drive up to them. But Petra is like a veiled woman. She shows a little at a time and only when you come close. From afar, Petra does not look beautiful, but rather looks like a regular mountain in that region. No wonder it was not really found until recently, in historical terms.

The Bedouin Donkey Driver

Petra is really spread out, so you need to walk a lot or take a carriage or donkey around. So we got a donkey for Layla to ride on so she wouldn't get tired. Well, I start to talking with the driver (actually, the guy who pulls the donkey around) and he was so nice. He pointed out places to take pictures from, showed me other sites i had not seen. Then as we were finished and about to leave, he invited us all to his house for dinner. He was about 20 years old, and lived with his parents, so I felt uncomfortable intruding on them. But he insisted. Jammie felt uncomfortable since we didn't know the customs, and if she would accepted, being not covered from head to toe, so i went alone.

They served me a traditional meal and we sat and drank buckets of tea. It was really nice of them to invite me over and share of their food. Typical bedouins, very welcoming and generous.

Once again, it is these experiences that make a trip like this EXTRA special.

Madaba & Mount Nebo

Mount Nebo is a mountain close to the Palestinian/Isreali border. It is the spot prophet Moses supposedly stopped after the 40 years in the desert and God showed him the promised land. From up there you can see all the way to Jerusalem on a clear day. They erected a metal staff of Moses with a snake going up the staff, from the story from the bible.

Anyway, so we wanted to go there, and to get there you have to go to the town of Madaba. Madaba is famous for its churches. So we decided to go visit the churches before we took a taxi from the town to Mt. Nebo.

It was in Madaba that I felt again my Christianity. There is something about churches in this part of the world (maybe they remind me of my childhood). I felt the presence of Christ, and really felt moved. There is a famous Greek Orthodox Church there that has an ancient tile map on its floor. But there is another church, a Latin church made of stones, that Jammie and I really felt the presence. We sat in the courtyard and felt spiritual rejuvenation. Powerful.

From there we took a taxi up to Mt. Nebo. I didn’t know there was a charge to go into the church area at the top of the hill (the top of the hill is owned by the Vatican, not Jordan). So I refused to pay, thinking it was a scam. The taxi driver was so nice, he paid for us to get in and even gave us a tour. Of course I paid him back later, but he did not expect anything.

When we got to the top of Mt. Nebo, Jammie started crying. She felt very emotional, a strong wave of emotion and energy came over her. She felt like she had been here before, and that something bad had happened here a long time ago. It was definitely a powerful place. You can feel the history beneath your feet. It is like walking into biblical times.

Mezza, Arak and great company

One of our last nites in Amman, Nicole, Imad and Basil decided to take us out to have fun. Since Layla was with us we had to go to a restaurant. Nicole picked a gem (to us atleast). I forgot the name of the place, but it was an old villa turned into a restaurant. Open air seating with vines all around. A oud player playing music, Arak (Arab liquor) flowing, mezza (small dishes like hummos), kebab and great conversation. So wonderful.

I just want to thank Nicole, Basil and their parents for really making our stay special. Really. May we one day be able to return the favor.

Cairo - Part II AUC and an artist

2005-10-05T03:50:00.000-07:00

AUC

My mom had graduated from AUC (American Univ. in Cairo) back in the....well, past. So we went with her and her friend, Ibtisam to see the campus thru their eyes. I must say, that was so nice to see. They were reliving memories and telling stories as we walked around. It is a beautiful campus, and was a nice walk down a memory lane we now share a little with them.

Khairy

We have an Egyptian relative thru marriage named Khairy who is an incredible artist. He lives out in Giza, and you can see the pyramids from his balcony (what inspiration, eh??). He had invited us over to his apartment to see his art work, so Jammie, my mom and i went there to see him (layla stayed with Niimat, Ibtisam's daughter).

Khairy is an interior designer, sculptor, painter and stage and film set designer. So his house was designed to his liking, and it was like entering a museum, with all his artwork all around, but yet had that warmth and humanness that allowed you to relax and simply be.

We saw a lot of his work, had great conversations, drank a few beers, listened to great music and felt the presence of a creative force. He is a character. Wily and wise, stubborn in his ways, yet open to criticism. I truly enjoyed his paintings a lot, and my work will be influenced by his use of colors. Thanks for that memorable night, Khairy.

- Sami

Cairo, Egypt (Mother of the world)

2005-09-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Oh Cairo, oh Cairo. Cairo is like a bad drug. It is bad for your health, but you want more and more of it. It is polluted, poor, polluted, corrupt to the core, noisy, chaotic, did i mention polluted?

But alas, it is beautiful.Cairo has an energy that is raw and powerful, that i have only felt in India. It is alive. The nile river, the beautiful restaurants on its sides, the beautiful old bulidings...But it is the people that make it special. The people are so warm, welcoming, friendly and above all funny. Egyptians are like no other people when it comes to their sense of humor. Life is tough, very tough. Their answer to this is to laugh. They are witty and love to crack jokes non-stop.

This was another city we almost skipped. What were we thinking??

A Bad Beginning

Our introduction to Egypt was horrible and started in Athens as we boarded the plane for Cairo. Behind us were three very naughty boys who kicked, slammed their trays, yelled and joked all flight. Their mother seemed to not realize they were even on the flight as she talked to her friend. The thing is, our flight was at 2 a.m. , so we were tired and wanted to sleep. WRONG!

Then we arrived at the airport, and we got the sleeziest cabby in Cairo. He had a smile that would scare a marine. He made politicans look like nice people. He quoted us a price, and then the whole way to he hotel tried to convince me to pay him more. It was a rough ride. We were so tired, frustrated from the flight and just ready to sleep, and he was like a bird of prey when it realizes its prey is weak and about to die....it starts picking at it, picking at it, trying to hurry the death, and feeding.

We were so disgusted, the next day we awoke in our hotel afraid to leave our room, lest we be preyed on again. But thank God we didn't let a blood sucker ruin our stay and image of the people of Egypt. Everyone we met after him, has been so nice and welcoming. Sure, some ask for more money, or try to over charge us, but with a sense of humor. And we can laugh it off.

Zamalek, my dad's old stomping grounds

Our hotel is in Zamalek, an island in the middle of the nile in the center of Cairo. It is home to the embassies here, lots of trees, beautiful old buildings, and once, in the 60's was home to my dad. Dad, i now can see why you loved Cairo. Even though Zamalek has changed, it has not lost its charm.

Ibtisam and family

Honestly, the reason we are enjoying Cairo so much is that my mom met us here. She went to college here so has friends here and knows the city. Her friend, Ibtisam, her husband, Adel and their daughter, Niimat have opened their hearts and home to us. They have been so generous to us, especially with their time. We can't thank them enough. It makes a BIG difference the company you keep. We felt like family from the moment we walked into their house. Dad, Ibtisam misses you SO much. And Samir and Iten also miss you SO much.

Al-Ahli vs. Al-Zamalek

We were lucky enough to be in Cairo when Al-Ahli played Al-Zamalek. When these 2 Cairo soccer teams play, it is like the Superbowl. When you meet an Egyptian anywhere, one of the first questions you would ask them is if they are 'Ahlawi, or Zamelkawi?' It is a BIG rivalry and great to experience Cairo during a match.

Al- Ahli won 2-1, so the Ahli fans were in the streets waving flags, dancing, singing, cars honking their horns...traffic was at a standstill.

The Pyramids and the Sphinx

What can you say about the pyramids and the sphinx? I got the chills there. Seeing the pyramids and the sphinx moved me so much. The pyramids are HUGE and truly strike awe in people. They are not pretty. They are not like a pretty teen girl. They are old, withered, like an old classy woman, who knows who she is, knows she is old, but can stand up with pride and a true beauty eminates from within.

Cruising the Greek Isles

2005-09-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

I must say, if you're ever coming to see the Greek isles, I would recommend not taking a cruise. Yet, we had a nice time and made the best of it.

After 3 days on Mykonos, we hopped onto a cruise ship and sailed for Kusadasi, Turkey (the site of ancient Ephesis). We have been roughing it for so long, it was weird having people waiting on us hand and foot. It was nice, but not our thing. But the worst part about cruising is that, at least on this cruise, you stop for only 4 hours at each stop. That is ridiculous!!!

The only place we stopped for 11 hours at was Rhodes. That may be why that was my favorite stop. Rhodes is BEAUTIFUL!! We anchored at the port and were about 200 m. from the old walled city. It was so cool. I could spend a week walking the back alleys taking pictures of doors and buildings that spanned many centuries.

But before we went to the old city, we went by taxi across the island to Lindos, a small town on the Mediterranean side on a hill facing a beautiful cove filled with crystal blue water. We got to see a lot of the island because we had time, and that made us love the island. If we ever come back to Greece, Rhodes would be top on my list.

We also went to Patmos, Crete and Santorini. I think if we had more time, we would have loved Crete and Santorini. But in 4 hours? nope. I could tell Santorini was awesome, but i didn't even go to shore. There were SO many tourists waiting to go to shore (we anchored at sea and had to take small boats to the island), and then at shore there were lines of people where you'd have to take donkeys or cable cars up the mountain (the main towns in Santorini are on top of cliffs). Not my cup of tea.

The main things i remember about the cruise are 1) the nice people we met on the ship and 2) Layla. The WHOLE crew of our ship , the Agean I, and most of the tourists fell in love with Layla. She was dubbed princess of the ship from the first moments when we boarded. They loved her, and she was treated like royalty (and hence so were we!). She was given gifts, given free fruit drinks, pina coladas, bracelets...SHE WAS EVEN TAKEN TO THE CAPTAIN'S DECK !! She steered the ship, wore the captain's hat, and at the captain's gala, where he introduces his crew leaders, she was called up to stand by the captain's side and hold his hand. Let's put it this way...Layla is very spoiled now. But you can't blame her.

Mykonos, Greece

2005-09-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

So we flew from Paris to Athens. We spent a couple of nites in Athens. Athens is cool, but is simply a big city. It has the old part (the Plaka) that is very pretty, but is so touristy now that we were happy to be on our way to the islands.

Our first stop was to Mykonos. We were to spend 3 days there then take a cruise from there to see Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Rhodes, Crete and Santorini. Note: The best way to do the islands is take ferries, island hop and stay a few days on each.

Mykonos. Paradise. We stayed at the Princess of Mykonos hotel...oh my. A bit up the hill from a small beach that would have about 20 people on it at a time. It was about 2 km out of the town of Mykonos, which was nice, relaxing and....heaven.

Great cuisine, great chill out music playing by the pool side. Sipping on Ouzo, nice people from all over hanging out...God smiles a knowing smile. Yes God! Yes!

Our last day there, Jimmie and i decided to rent scooters and go see the island.

First stop: Paradise beach. So cool! Awesome bars and restaurants right on the beach. Couches on the sand under linen tarps. Beds with mattresses to lay down on in the sun, open tents with carpets and cushions to sit and chill out on....cool beach electronic music, the beautiful coast, the naked beauty all around....Paradise Beach? Yes, i can see why.

Our next stop was to be the other side of the island, but as we were going around a curve, Jimmie slid off his scooter and scraped himself up pretty badly as a truck was coming the other way. Thank God he was okay, it could have been a lot worse. He needed some stitches, but he is okay. That was a VERY scary moment in my life.

That evening we got on the cruise ship....

Sami 09-20-05

Paris, France

2005-09-22T23:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that when we were planning our trip i wanted to bypass Paris.

Paris is magical. It is truly worthy of all the hoopla about it. It's like New York in that it has it all, beauty, excitement, tons of stuff to do, charm, character, wildness and rawness around the edges, but it has more of all that and is cooler and more artistic.

And Parisians aren't as bad as they are made out to be. i think living in DC, another touristy big city, gave us that insight.

Ofcourse we had a great meal our first nite there. Sue and Jimmie (Jammie's parents) met us here and would continue with us to Greece . Awesome food, and Sue knows the places to eat. Great food at locals' prices...right on.

We were lucky to have a small balcony in our hotel room, so Jimmie, Jammie and i sat there and drank some very good wine. At around 11pm, i decided to go walking by myself around the Tour Eiffel. I found this mini temple in the garden around the tower that was definitely a masonic shrine. It had interesting statues that tried to give clues on what the shrine was all about. It was very interesting and seemed to be telling stories, but you had to know how to decifer it. With no one around i was able to imagine it as a secret entrance. If you solved the story it was telling, it explained where to meet the others...

There were so many incredible buildings and streets in Paris. Too many to mention. If you've been here, you know what i mean, if you haven't, you should come see. Photos will follow when we get to Jordan or Oman....Inshallah.

Our last nite in Paris we went to Montmarte to seethe Sacre Coeur. That is one of the most beautiful churches anywhere...inside and out. i had seen pictures of it, but it is amazing in person, sitting on top of a hill overlooking Paris. The interior was so moving, so humbling, it gave me the chills. What passion, what faith, energy and love went into creating it.

It is amazing what beauty the human spirit is capable of.

After that we walked in the early evening to the actual small town of Montmarte, just behind the Sacre Coeur. We ate a mediocre meal at a touristy restaurant. BUT Sue and i started talking a bit with the old gentleman who owned or ran the restaurant. He liked us, so he started telling us stories about this place. How Marlon Brando when he comes here, he drinks a fifth of scoth quicker than should be possible.
How 40 years ago, the restaurant was a night club where Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour, among others performed.

As we finished our meals, I went and thanked him for the stories and meal. He stood up and asked if we had ten minutes. We said 'sure'. He decided to show us the other side of Montmarte, off the toursit track. So we went walking into the neighborhood. So beautiful. So quiet and classy. He showed us where John Mcenroe's house is, where Johnny Depp's house is, and other artists...

But the best part was when he took us to this gated huge house and garden which you had to know the code to get in (4238). It was a beautiful old house that was converted into an artist commune, paid for by the government. It was so cool walking by the open windows and seeing film hanging in the rooms, or the smell of tarpentine and paint, and music oozing out....artists at work. Art is placed very high in France.

Merci Paris, et merci beaucoup Mr. Raymond.

Sami 09-15-05

From Sousse to Kairouan

2005-09-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Tunis. We are back in the capital and leave Tunisia in 3 days. I am actually sad about that fact. We have met such warm, wonderful people, and had a great time. It is the people we'll miss the most.

Layla became really good friends with the manager of our hotel in Sousse, so the lady on our last day there brought Layla one of her childhood teddy bears to give Layla.

Anyway, from Sousse we went away from the seaside back to the interior, to Kairouan, the 4th holiest city in Islam. We stayed right outside of the medina. We had our worst nite so far on this trip, at that hotel.

That nite, we decided to sleep early so we could wake up early and take early morning pictures of the medina. Yeah right. First, it was quite warm, no AC, no FAN even!! The window opened to a noisy, noisy street with no breeze. It was so bad that at around 2 or 3 (who knows), Jammie and i just started laughing hysterically.

I mean, it was so hot, the cafe downstairs was full of macho men explaning their view on every subject, each yelling louder than the other; next door was a wedding party hall with a live band that blared music louder than a Metallica concert; BUT what made us laugh the most is when even the cats were meowing SO loud it woke me up, and the birds...there must have been about a thousand birds camping at the 2 trees outside of our hotel (note: not many trees in Kairouan) that were also adding their 2 cents. It was a cacophony that was beyond belief. We could have cried...we laughed.

Needless to say we skipped out of town the next morning. But before we left, we did see the medina, and i must say, Kairouan is really worth seeing. i was surprised. i thought it would be a fundementalist haven, but actually people there were very religious, but were not upset to find out i was Christian after welcoming me like a brother due to me being part Palestinian. I must say, Islam in Tunisia is a beautiful sort. They have taken the lessons of the religion, but have not taken it to extremes.

Anyway, the next day we headed to Kelibia in the far northeast tip of Tunisia. It is a lot like southern Italy (only 140 km from Sicily) we were told. Rolling hills with grape vines everywhere. Mountains in the distance, and a crystal blue sea on the other side.

We stayed one nite and then came today back to Tunis to regroup, rest and recharge before continuing our trip.

i wish i could thank every Tunisian we met and enjoyed in person once again. Such wonderful people EVERYWHERE!!

Tuesday we head for Paris, France. Until then...Maasalamah

Sami 09-10-05

P.S. Mom what are your flight details to Egypt?

Mahdia, Tunisia

2005-09-07T03:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am trying to get everyone caught up on where we've been. We are now in Sousse, but before we got here we went to Mahdia.

Ah, Mahdia. Ok, if this blog encourages anyone to come to Tunisia, Mahdia should be in the top 2 or 3 places to see. It is a small peninsula, less than a km wide, and maybe 2 kilometers long that was established by the Fatimids (who from here moved on to establish Cairo as their capital). It is a peninsula that is an old Arab Medina, with views and coffee shops to rival any other Mediterranean cool town.

For some reason I kept thinking of Misho here. Misho, I think you could retire here. There is a cafe on the rocks facing the sea. Great views, beautiful music...just have to experience it. There are squares in the middle of the medina, with leafy cool seating areas to have a tea or coffee. Just relaxing and beautiful.

The beaches here are gorgeous. The water is so clear you can see pebbles in 4 feet of water clearly!! It was so nice. Beach during the noon hours, walking and relxaing in the evenings.

I got to see a wedding procession! The man is decked out in classical Tunisian garb, looking sharp. He is surrounded by all his male friends. They gather in the main square, and have sufi musicians play drums, flute and sing these entrancing songs. Then the whole entourage goes together with him to the woman's family house to pick her up. There she waits with her family and friends. It was so beautiful and mesmerizing.

We stayed at a family run pension. The hotel owners invited us to have lunch with them one. Once again, such nice people.

Ok, i will update on Sousse another time. Please leave comments. We miss everyone, and want to get some feedback.

Much love,

Sami 09-07-05

A Family in Jerba

2005-09-07T03:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings. I feel better about NO, thank God things are getting better for the people there.
So back to blogging!

I forgot to mention the best thing that happened to us on the island of Jerba a few days back. Jerba is a very touristy place. Beautiful, but touristy. So Jamm and I were not overly excited to be there. Our hotel was a beautiful tiled caravanserai with a courtyard in the middle. We planned on spending our time just relaxing in our hotel.

One evening, we decided to walk to the beach from the medina, and stumbled upon a small park on the beach with slides, seasaws, etc. for kids. SO we decided to stop there and let Layla enjoy herself.

I started talking to the waiter who was waiting on us. I told him what a relief this park was, since it was only Tunisians there, and that i wasn't that fond of Jerba, because of the whole tourist situation.

Note: i have no problem with tourists, we are some, but when many tourists visit a place, the energy changes, the situation changes. The locals see you more as dollars than people, and the tourists become colder and more rude, and it spirals.

Anyway, so i am telling him all this, and he understands. He tells me how he just waits on tourists as his job, but feels comfortable with me and appreciates me talking to him. Of course he loves Layla, so invites us all to lunch the next day at his house, so Layla can play with his 3 children. I didn't know what to say, so I said OK.

So next day he takes us to his humble abode in Riyadh [a small town famous for its beautiful old synagogue] . His wife cooks for us a wonderful Tunisian spicy spaghetti, and Layla has a blast playing with his kids. We were so moved by their hospitality, generosity and openness. His wife was also very nice, and we all had a nice afternoon.

Over and over we are blown away by the hospitality, genrosity and openmindedness of the Tunisian people.

Sfax, Tunisia

2005-09-02T04:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings.

We decided to stop over in Sfax, the second largest city in Tunisia. What a pleasant surprise. If there was a city I'd live in in Tunisia, it would be Sfax. It is a laid back big city. Nice architecture, NO TOURISTS and a wonderful Medina. The medina is made for the locals to shop in, not tourists and touristy knick knacks.

So much I want to share, but honestly I don't fell like it. i am almost in tears after reading about NO and the surrounding areas. I have never felt so Louisianian as now. I wish I was in the US to go help. I pray for those there and the surrounding areas. I have MANY friends from that area and I pray for their families.

Please keep us updated. News here only mention the basics. Thanks to JJ who sent a good update about our friends and their families. Louv, U 2.

Ok, peace and love.

09-02-05

Sami :(

Surviving the Desert and now the Island of Lotus Eaters

2005-08-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

First, all of you in Louisiana are in our prayers. PLEASE leave comments about things in BR, Lafayette and N.O. If possible please get in touch with Jammie's parents.

Mom we will try calling you with your calling card, but phones are a headache here, so not sure we can.

Natalie, happy birthday in advance, and congrats on becoming American!! Come meet us somewhere.

OK, so now we are in Jerba. An island in the south of Tunisia. It is supposedly the Island of Lotus Eaters that Ulysses visits in The Odessey. The crew of his ship did not want to leave, and their decendents are the people of Jerba.

So I went on camelback into the desert after I emailed you last. I was supposed to go with a small group, but they never showed up, so it was just me and my bedouin guide. What a break!! That is exactly what i wanted. Although we didn't go too far (maybe 9 kms) it was memorable.

The best things about the desert are 1) The waves of sand going over the dunes. So amazing to see. It is mesmerizing. 2) The Silence. Only the sound of the wind and the camel's steps. 3) the desert sky. The stars, stars, stars. And even more beautiful, the moonrise. Seeing the moonrise that night was one of the most beautiful times in my life.

My bedouin guide was only 26 but very wise and knowledgable. We discussed history, languages, religion, plate techtonics, evolution and constellations. Wise man.

The next day, Jammie, Layla and i hopped into a 4WD with a driver who took us to Ksar Ghilane for the nite. Ksar Ghilane is an Oasis in the Sahara. The only way there is on a road, well, a semi-flat, rocky tire tracked road. We got there and road on camels to an old fort that was in the middle of sand dunes about 3kms from the oasis camp. We watched the sunset from the fort. Another moment in my life that will stand out, especially since Jammie and Layla were there to experience it with me.

The next day we got back into the 4WD and headed for the Ksour (old Berber strongholds) aruond Tatouine. From there we went to Matmata, where the Berbers built there houses underground. From afar it looks like craters only, but it is actually houses. A great way to survive attacks, eh.

We were lucky enough to spend the nite in the one that was used in STAR WARS, called Sidi Idriss. Google it.

Got to go, much love,

Sami 08-29-05

The Sahra (aka The Sahara)

2005-08-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally made it to the desert, sahra in arabic. We arruved in Douz today. It is the biggest town before you hit the Sahara. It is an Oasis town, as are all the towns this far south. So there are over half a million palm trees near town. Great Dates too!!

We have set up with an agency to take us into the Sahara to Kasr Ghilane, an old fort in the middle of a desert close to a small Oasis. The only way there is by 4Wheel Drive or camel. Camel would take days, so 4WD it is. We will camp at the oasis over night and then continue to Matmata, known for its Berber underground villages. Tomorrow i will go for an overnight trek on camel into the desert (too hot for multi day trips).

Mom, Misho, Mary, don't worry about Layla, snakes, scorpions, camel attacks, etc. in the desert. To be honest, it is all set up for tourists. It is probably safer than Disney World. There is a McDonalds at the Oasis, and a CVS for emergencies, don't worry. ¨:)) Just kidding y'all. We just have to trust in God and be careful.

Last time I blogged was in EL Kef. Well, we had a really nice time there, and met a British couple and French man at our hotel. Actually, independent travellers have been rare, so it was nice to meet them. They advised us to go to Sbeitla in the south to see the ruins there. SO we changed plans and headed down there.

The hotel the Frenchman recommended in Sbeitla was....an oasis in the middle of a desert of a town. Sbeitla was a shabby rough town. Reminded me of towns in the wild west, where flies buzzing was what you heard all day, people all waiting for someone to die. But the hotel was the jewel. The chubby happy couple that ran it reminded me of one of our family members. We all connected so quickly. We really felt we were at a relative's house.

From there we went south to Tozeur. An oasis town close to the Algerian border. This was the first true desert town we went to. The people changed, and the heat was extreme (but Douz is even more intense!!) It is a town that sleeps in the day and comes out in the cool afternoons and evenings.

We met some carpet and clothing sellers and connected. We had tea with them during the day and then met them after dinner for more hanging out. It is these experiences that i love. Hanging out with the locals and just being. Ahhhh.

Today we had to wait for about 3 or 4 hours for a way to get to Douz. Waiting in the shade...waiting, waiting. It was an experience.

Let me tell you, before you idealize this trip too much, it isn't all beauty. i haven't told you yet about sitting on a tin can of a bus in the heat waiting for the bus to start with 50 other sweaty people. Or our bathroom in Bizerte that was so small you could poop, throw up and bathe at the same time. Really. You know those times when you feel so sick you're not sure from what end things are going to come out... well this bathroom is a solution.

Or the coffee shop bathroom in EL Kef that was so bad, i kid you not, there were no flies in it!! i swear it was too bad for flies even. What i saw scarred me for life. What i smelled...i will leave to myself.

So, just a little reality check. But, we have been really careful and sanitary, so thank God, no major problems.

Hope all are well. Please say prayers for Louv's son, Sami, i mean Sage., and my aunt Mary.

Mary, i hope you can come too to Egypt.

Pictures can't come up until maybe Jordan. Sorry.

God bless and peace out.

Sami 08-25-05

El Kef, Tunisia

2005-08-20T02:34:00.000-07:00

First, if you didn't know, you can click on the pictures on the blog and see larger size images.

Greetings. We have left the northern beaches of Tabarka and Bizerte. We are now in Le Kef.

I feel like we have left the surface, the superficial (although beautiful and wonderful) part of Tunisia and are heading towards the soul of Tunisia and ourselves.

At last today, i feel i am not a tourist but a traveller.

Our room in Le Kef ( a town on the top of a hill side) is serene. We are at the edge of town, near the wall of the old Kasbah. Our window opens to a road not travlled much that goes out of town, with a forest of pine trees in the distance. A beautiful contrast, these pine trees and the sand colored rocks and wheat colored plants that lie at their feet.

After lunch today, we went and sat at a café. It was around 2 pm so it was quiet. Only 2 other men at the café watching the odd car or scooter go by here and there.

The sun and breeze were enchanting. We sat and sipped on café au laits and just dazed out into the distance. Tunisians LOVE people, but children especially. So Layla has more fun at restaurants and cafés than even we do. The men in the cafés who may have grim faces suddenly beam with joy. Layla usually is dancing or talking to them, and they are having a blast. SHe usually sits at the table next to us rather than with us, being waited on hand and foot.

Anyway, at the café, there was one 40ish man (named NAJI) sitting across from us who reminded me of my friend, Mishaal. He looked like a deep man...a thinking man. I had a feeling i should talk to him, or that we would end up talking.

It so happened that we got to talking. Come to find out that he was a local healer. He healed people in the name of Christ, but is a muslim who finds Buddhism as the most beautiful path for him. As you may be able to tell, we felt like kindred spirits and our conversation of about 3 hours was amazing.

He had travelled to Germany and lived in a monastery for 3 years. The teachings of Jesus touched him deeply and led him to Buddhism. So he went and spent 8 months in a Buddhist monastery in India.

We discussed many paths of truth and wisdom. Sufism, the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, Carl Jung, Khalil Gibran...

He shared with me some lessons a sufi teacher shared with him.

The voice of God is heard everywhere you seek it. All is holy, even what is 'unholy'. God is within and without. All is one, All is one. And so our conversation went.

In the meanwhile, Layla was having a blast with the café owner. She reminded him of his granddaughter, and he reminded me of Sido. Loving man, gentle heart. Jammie was listening to music andwriting in her journal. We all had a beautiful time.

So far, Le Kef is the town i feel the most at peace in. Gentle, more mystical than the beautiful beaches of the north.

Last time I wrote, we were in Bizerte. From there we went to Tabarka, another northern beach town. It's about 20 kms from the Algerian border and has an old Genoese fort on top of an island right near the beach.

That island was once the property of the muslim pirate Barbarosa. He gave it to the Genoese as ransom for his partner in crime. The beach was magnificent, but the pirate lore and history, which i have loved since childhood made this stop a special one in my heart.

From Tabarka, we wanted to visit the only ancient underground city that has ever been found at Bulla Regia. So we headed to a town called Jendouba that was close to the ruins, although we had not planned on going there. Not many foreigners go there, so we were like rock stars there.

On the bus from Tabarka, we met a young man from Jandouba named Saber. He wanted to show us where to eat and hang out in Jendouba. I accepted his kindness with a little hesitance.
But his kindness, hospitality and generosity left a somewhat cynical guy like me humbled and ashamed. He wanted nothing but to make us at ho,e in his home town.

He paid for the cab, for our tea at a tea house, and if I hadn' almost fought with him, he would have paid for dinner. Here was a young man barely making ends meet, helping his family too, giving so much of himself. God bless you, Saber.

Tunisians are so friendly. So friendly. I have to keep saying it, because they are incredible. ANd Layla with us, has been a key into their hearts. From young teen girls to old men, the yall want to give her attention and sweets or nuts. She is loving it !!

Tunisians are so openminded. I must keep saying that over and over too. They hate what the terrorists are doing to Islam, and hate religious laws to control the land. Generally speaking, they want to live their own way, and do not feel like they have to force it on others. The government enforces that strongly too.

The next morning we awoke early to go visit Bulla Regia. It is really a magical place. The Romans built their villas underground to escqpe the heat !! I mean a courtyard open to the skies with Roman pillars, and dark cool rooms all around it with beautiful mosaic on the ground... all under ground. Wait for the pics.

We are all doing well. In good health.

Each nite we try to pray together. Each getting a chance to voice their prayers. Layla prayed for Mary, to ease her pain; for mom (Miranda) to do excercise for her back; for Teta and Dad (Erich)
to be in less pain. She really touched us. It was from the heart and of her own volition.

Mom, are you still meeting us in Egypt §

peace to all. Happy Birthday to Nabil (please tell him) and Teta too!!

Sami 08-20-05
The next morning we went to take pictures

From Bizerte, Tunisia

2005-08-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

Finally!! The internet service in this town is sad. I have been trying to blog for a while.

Ok. We are in Bizerte, our second stop in Tunisia.

Tunis is really cool. Well, cool is not the right word. The heat during the day is amazing. It is a reminder you,re only a few hundred miles from the Sahara. People walk in a daze during the day, hallucinating from the heat. But in the evening...they awaken fromm their stupor and come alive.

Tunisians so far have been SO friendly, so nice. Having Layla helps. But really welcoming people. Tunisia is a very liberal country by Arab standards. Women covered up walking with women in short skirts. You can tell women have a lot of rights in this country. They walk without fear, they are themselves. Wonderful!! Alcohol is served, you are not shunned for being different....

Tunis, the capital, is a bustling Arab African city. Lots of energy. Lots of concerts and festivals in thearea too.

2 nights ago Marcel Khalifa, a famous Arab musician played at the Carthage Music Fest. We couldn,t go since Layla was a bit sick (she,s fine now), but they broadcast it live on TV so we watched it. I remembered you Rheem, you introduced me to Khalifa and Tunisia.

We went to Sidi Bou Said, a suburb town of Tunis. Please Google images of this place...my favorite small town on the Mediterranean right now. It reminded me of Mykonos (blue and white) but Arab, friendly, artistic....beautiful.

We are now in Bizerte (doing the north coast of Tunisia before heading to the Sahara). A breezy old town with people that party late into the night. Lots of cafes around the old port, that reminds me of pics I,ve seen of Italy. Families hanging out on the beach...

Last night a surprise concert of (forgot his first name) Khfouri set the nite aloud. Misho, didn,t we see him in Jax?

i am having trouble with the keyboard...a bit different.

Cheers and much love.

Pau, France

2005-08-08T00:30:00.000-07:00

So Jean invited us to Pau, France, where his brother lives. It is a small town close to Spain and close to the Basque area. It was the home of Henry IV of France. So the pictures you see are of his Castle.

We stayed at his brother's place. He is a drummer in a hard rock band, and they all live in this old big house (a mini artist colony) in the middle of the small town.

We walked to see the castle of Henry the IV and then walked in the village. Beautiful, old. We had some amazing wine and cheese at a wine bar and then had an amazing dinner at this locally popular brasserie. Their sauces were awesome. Fresh mayonnaise and since we were in the right region, Bernaise sauce. Yum!!

That night, we all went to a party at one of the band member's girlfriend's apartment. So cool to hang out with locals rather than only as tourists. Everyone has been so nice, kind, generous and open. Merci y'all!

The next morning Jean drove us to his parents' home. They live on 20 acres outside of town in an old country farmer's home. His mother is Japanese, his father French. They were so welcoming. We had a wonderful lunch of omelets, french cheeses, sausages, salad and ofcourse... wine. Jean has a wine cellar out there, and he picked a nice wine for us.

His father at one point was teaching in Japan a long time ago and met Jean Paul Sartre. He was asked what he did, and he responded that he was a small teacher, that's all. Sartre responded no teacher is small. Of all vocations, they hold the largest job.

From there we drove into the mountains to a plateau that was so picturesque. We just laid in the sun and enjoyed the Spanish breeze coming through the mountains. Very relaxing.

Then it was back to Toulouse for a dinner picnic near the Garonne river (downtown Touluose) and then bed.

Today is the....8th. We leave for Marseille and tomorrow Tunis.

Au revoir France, had an amazing time thanks to Jean's and his family's hospitality. Merci beaucoup, and hope I can return the favor in the US one day.

Jean's dad joked about a famous quote: 'France is a wonderful place if you take out the French.' But alas they were all so wonderful. I know, I know....wait til I get to Paris, eh? :)

Sami 08-08-05

à Toulouse, France

2005-08-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Nous somme à Toulouse. The trains from Barcelona took about 7 hours. We stopped in almost every small village in Spain and France on the way to Toulouse.

The Spanish train took us to the border town of France called La Tour de Carol. I must say, the French Pyrennes are amazing. Small villages all over with beautiful waterfalls, rivers and peaks.
We had a sandwich and beer and waited to board the French train.

I cannot do the trip justice in words right now, so wait to see the pics.

We arrived in Toulouse qnd Jean met us and we went to his friend's house for a bbq. Really hospitable and nice folks. Lots of wine and bbq.

This morning we sat at a cafe for coissants and cafe au lait then walked thru Toulouse and had an amazing gourmet lunch.

Our plans changed, we're not going to Carcassone, but rather to Basque France where Jean is from. Then back to Toulouse, et apres ca a Marseille. From there we take our flight to Tunis.

Ciao, Sami 08-06-05

Barcelona Day ?

2005-08-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hola!

Well, we're still in Barca. Loving it! The weather is terrific, the views are amazing, and the architecture is unreal.

I honestly feel this city has the best architecture that I have ever seen. If you have never heard of Gaudi, check his stuff out. It looks even better in real life. So magical. Surreal in an old fashioned way. Misho, you must know about his style. Bloody amazing!!

Last nite we went and had a Litre of Sangria (a LOT more quantity than we thought! At least it felt that way) and had tapas at an outside cafe in the Bari Gotic. LOUV, you'd love the Bari Gotic....it is dark. :)

Today we did a touristy bus tour. We said we'd stay away from these things as much as possible, but today was wondeful. They have double decker tour buses with the top level open air, so you get to enjoy the beautiful weather and see a lot. Plus you can get off in different places, and get back on whenever you want. So it gives you the freedom to really check out certain parts of town.

We stopped in Gracia (a quiet mellow neighborhood in north Barca) for lunch. In Spain, always eat a big lunch and snack at nite. Why? The prices!! We had 2 entrees each, bottled water, a BOTTLE OF WINE and a Cafe latte after the meal for 7 Euros each!!

Full and buzzed from the wine we went to Parc Guell. Another Gaudi piece of art. There was a flamenco guitarist, so ofcourse Layla started dancing. She became part of the show as people were taking pictures of her as well.

Tomorrow we leave by train to Toulouse, France.

I love Barcelona. Really cool city. Better than I thought it would be. Gaudi Gaudi Gaudi.

We are having a wonderful time, only wish our our loved ones could be with us to enjoy it with us. That's the only thing missing.

Oh mom, last nite after we got back to the room, Layla says 'I wish I can be in Virgina.' I said: 'Layla, you don't like Barcelona? Virginia is not this beautiful'. She says 'Yeah, but my Teta is in Virginia.'

So much more to say, but I'd rather be out there than on a pc. Sorry. Much love and blessings.

Will blog when we get to Toulouse or Merseille.

Ciao, Sami 08-04-05 (Yes, i messed up the date on the last blog ;)

Hola! from Barcelona

2005-08-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hola, we are in Barcelona. Beautiful city! Amazing archtiecture and old buildings that are amazing. We are in the old quarter and the Gothic Area - Bari Gotic is just across the steet. Barcelona is also a city with a lot of character. Narrow alleys with small tapas bars or cafes. Lots of younger people.

We are still enjoying the trip itself too much to stop to write very long blogs. When we get to Tunisia, I think it will give us a chance to make the blogs more descriptive ( since we'll have more time).

We bought our train tickets to Toulouse today. We leave this Friday and go via the Pyrennes (something I have always wanted to see).

I am trying to down load pics from our trip onto the blog. Will see if I get to do so before getting back.

I hope all is well. Good to hear Omar is doing well in Japan. I checked out his blog too.

Peace and love,

Sami 05-08-05

Amsterdam - Day 5

2005-08-02T00:09:00.000-07:00

Amsterdam is the closest thing to my belief system I have seen manifested as a city. I love the open mindedness. I always believed that openness in society made it a healthier place, and I see it in action here.

Don't get me wrong, Amsterdam is a real city, so has its own problems. But people are happy, not stressed.

2 things that make it this way (it seems to me) is 1. The openmindedness - so you know that you can be yourself. (People keep their curtains open, not worried about what neighbors may think)

2. No guns - It really makes a difference. Even in the red light district, where the pimps, drug addicts and prostitutes raise the danger level a bit, I felt relatively safe.

Hans and I went to the red light district (Jammie had already seen it before). Walking down a street alley lined with 'red light windows' and suddenly came upon a church with a most beautiful stained glass. A Lutheran (i think?) minister and his wife step out to say good night to some friends who came over to dinner. It was so beautiful, religious and secular life sharing teh same space without trying to choke each other out.

That night we came back and saw a show on Animal Planet called HEART OF A LIONESS about a lionness who for some miraculous reason starts taking care of a baby oryx (an animal it usually hunts). The lion lays down with its prey. Both not eating (no milk for the oryx, no hunting for the lionness) their bond together stronger than instincts. Beautiful.

Today we head for Barcelona.

-Sami 08-02-05

Amsterdam - Day 2

2005-07-31T05:43:00.000-07:00

Still trying to adjust to the time change.

Went to the open air market, bought fresh fruit, cheese, bread and Belgian beer and had a nice brunch.

Later we went to a music festival (Dutch style). Something between a gypsy circus and a modern Dutch Artistic show. Layla enjoyed the gypsys a lot. Good Sangria, good friends and conversation again. Proost Amsterdam!!

Today Omar leaves for Japan. Godspeed Omar. May your trip be a blessed one. This will be a great rite of passage.

-Sami 07-31-05

Amsterdam - Day 1

2005-07-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

Note: this is the 3rd try at blogging today. I have written 3 versions of what happened. I kept losing what I had wrote. So humor me with this quick hopefully final attempt.
Our flight to Amsterdam went quite smoothly. Lots of movies and entertainment
helped pass the time.
My friend, Hans, and his sister, Angela, met us at the airport. SHe is really
cool. We all had some good conversations. She left to meet her partner and 2
kids at a sailing camp.
Amsterdam is beautiful, truly. Very human. More people on bikes than in metal
boxes. Easier to see thy neighbor and fellow human.
Old men with long flowing white beards...with suits on...gliding by on bikes.
Cobble stone small roads. People walking, drinking wine at open air cafes and
bars.
We bought some 'shiva' and went to the large park in the center of town.
Layla had a blast chasing ducks, playing with small puppies and meeting and
talk to as many people as she could possibly meet.
She was a trooper for her first true day of 'travel'. We exhausted her with
the walking, but she still had energy to crack jokes. Towards the end, she
was so tired. She commented maybe 3 times: "I think we should take a bus,
guys."
With a tolerant society comes a diverse and very interesting mixture of
people. Many layers, many states of mind and vision. Quite healthy thing to
see.
Sami 07-29-05

The Day Before

2005-07-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we're less than 24 hours before THE TRIP. We're packed and ready.

First stop is Amsterdam. My friend, Hans, lives in the cool part of town (the ADAMS-MORGAN of Amsterdam) and has taken 3 days off to enjoy with us. So we're excited. Rastas...start your engines!!