Tag Archives: Traveller

The Wadi Araba Border Crossing

It was a bit like one of those spy movies. You arrive in the car, there’s no one there, the driver waits and has a cigarette, we hang around, and then out of nowhere, a van appears and another guy comes out. A conversation takes place, passports are exchanged, and we are all walked to the border. This was the Wadi Araba border crossing. Our helper guide was an English guy who lived in Eilat. He clearly did this all of the time, mainly for day trippers from Eilat, but we were going deeper; three nights at Aqaba, Jordan’s Red Sea resort. The crossing did not take long. We woke up a few border guards, walked our bags across a dead zone, and men in black and white camouflage fatigues welcomed us on behalf of the Jordanian Army. Pictures of the Jordanian royal family were everywhere and on the other end a transit van, driver, and guide picked us up and drove us to the Kempinski Hotel.

The Red Sea. There it was in between the lights of Eilat and the distant lights of the Sinai in Egypt. We were in Jordan’s 22 kilometers of access to the open sea. Welcome to Aqaba.

A Night on the Town, Aqaba vs Eilat

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If Eilat is a sprawling, disco inferno, dance until dawn, restaurant-infused, party machine, then Aqaba is not. There is a bazaar, a few terrible restaurants, a pub called the Rover’s Return named after the pub on Britain’s long running soap opera, Coronation Street, for some reason, and a scattering of Chinese restaurants. Finding any place that accepted credit cards or served fish was going to be challenging. Of course, alcohol was often in short supply.

So this is the Jordanian Riviera – a sparkling mosque, some run down restaurants, and a couple of hotels that looked out of business. Tomorrow it would be the Wadi Rum and the day after Petra. But this evening, it would be a dodgy Chinese restaurant and a warm beer. How I long for the lights of Eilat.

Heading South into the Negev

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The idea was that we would drive down to Eilat, the hedonistic playground for Israelis searching for even more sun, on the glorious Red Sea. In between, we would stop and take in the spectacular scenery that featured heavily in my guidebook. Of course, what we had not planned for was our driver who was a smart 70 year old man with 5 years of military history and had seen it all. He had that clipped Israeli accent and his English was not brilliant. Worst of all, he liked to drive fast – like 100 mph fast. Getting the guide to stop at a vineyard here or a rock formation there was like bargaining in the bazaar. In the end, I had to pretend that I was car sick to get him to stop at important historical sites. He wanted to speed down to Eilat and dump us at the border crossing. I wanted to stop serendipitously because the scenery was so incredibly spectacular. It would be a difficult day but the reward was that we got to see Avdat and the Makhtesh Ramon.

Today was about the Nabataeans and frankincense and myrrh in Avdat. This was the desert where the incense traders moved their stuff from Yemen to Petra and across to the Mediterranean ports. I have some frankincense in my spice jar at home and everything that sits inside of that spice jar reminds me of the scents of Arab lands like Morocco, Egypt, and all of these magical places I have been to. So trying to imagine being on a camel 1,000 years ago, bringing the riches at that time for onward sale to the Europeans, was an amazing thought. This is the land of David Ben-Gurion’s desert home; Ben-Gurion being the founding father of Israel. It is a land of vineyards on carefully irrigated land. It is a lunar landscape of “grand canyons” that reminded me instantly of the western part of the USA. And I had to negotiate with the driver who clearly had seen it all before.

The Makhtesh Ramon reserve is the largest protected area in Israel. It is vast with multicolored sandstone and volcanic rocks and is 300 meters deep, eight kilometers wide, and 40 kilometers long. The visitor’s center was one of those strange places often encountered in Israel where the service was less than optimal again. The information booth was staffed by pretty uninterested people and the lunch place had arguably the worst service we had encountered so far. No one seemed to care and they just seemed tired of dealing with tourists. The funny thing was that there were not that many of us! No matter, we grabbed more hummus, took some fresh juice, and watched some crazy guys cliff diving.

It was difficult to leave but the driver could not wait to pack us into his fancy Mercedes and get us into the drop-off point by the border. He spoke rarely except to point out the date palms which were prolific, the milk farm trucks which amazed me, and when we said that we were heading to Jordan, he looked back at us and said, “…Why?” He will be back in Tel Aviv in less than two hours. I think that he felt sorry for us.

The Coastal Road

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The funny thing about Israel is that the roads are so darn good; Massachusetts Turnpike should take note. The exit north of Tel Aviv was very smooth and we passed a whole bunch of mega factories and Silicon Valley-type high-tech places on the coastal road, close to very upmarket residential beach areas.

Today we had elected to drive as far north as we could get to check out a town called Akko. In between we would pass the principal port of Israel, Haifa, which had been written up in my Lonely Planet book as a “very picturesque city with spectacular views from the top of Mount Carmel.” The views were pretty nice and there is obviously history in the hills. The Bahai Gardens are world famous and stunning. But, at least on first reflection, it seemed like a good place to move on from. Anyhow, our principal destination was Akko which is very close to the Lebanese border.

Akko is a town that Marco Polo passed through and it was mentioned in sacred Egyptian texts and in Greek mythology. From a history buffs point of view, Akko has it all – Alexander the Great, the Egyptians, the Romans, and the Arabs who conquered Akko in 638 AD until the nasty Crusaders came by and seized the city in 1100 AD. It was the principal port of access contested by Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and Philip II of France.

Today, Akko is a very mixed city – 70% of the residents are Jews and 30% are Arabs – but the population of the old city with its winding souks is about 95% Arab. Akko has a seawall, ramparts you can walk on top of, and a dry moat. We dove into the towering Knights’ Hall built 800 years ago and a tunnel just big enough for one person that leads out into the bazaar. You can also take the Templar Tunnel which is around 350 meters long. Suffice to say, this place is a treasure trove of history and worth a visit, if not an entire day.

We headed down to Caesarea to look at the amphitheater and the aqueduct and walk the sandy beaches. In less than an hour, we would be back in Tel Aviv. Everything in Israel is close by. Every piece of history and every conflict is no more than an hour and a half away. For better or worse, for richer or poorer.

Jaunt in the Desert

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The excursion spiel was that we would ride four-wheel trucks in convoy, in a jaunt in the desert. It frankly sounded like the caravan of gondolas that you see when you walk across the bridges of Venice and look down as 100 tourists are being serenaded by disinterested gondolieri. In other words, I had my gondolieri radar on high alert. We put on our helmets, submitted our driver’s licenses dutifully, piled into a whole bunch of trucks, and off we went. After all, we were in the West Bank and there was nobody around except for us. It was amazing. Not a tour I had thought.

We took pictures and of course there was, out of nowhere, a Bedouin and his son with two camels. That took us on a short journey and back. There were some caves, a lookout point across the hills to Jerusalem and on the other side to Jericho. For some reason, we lost the light and ended up driving back in the darkness, passing a couple of Bedouin villages and feeling a little vulnerable I must confess. A couple of the cars broke down but were easily repaired. At some point, we had to bail out of the desert and get onto the super highway to cut short the trip because we had run out of time and daylight. Imagine a trail of vehicles doing 20 mph on a 70 mph modern highway. It was a funny end to a phenomenal day. We concluded with a campfire and a typical dinner with what looked like roasted lamb but could have been goat and had been cooked in a clay oven. That, and the usual lashings of hummus, and I must say, it was a perfect day.

The Dead Sea

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The Dead Sea is something that you just have to go to once in your life. The surface is 428 meters below sea level – the lowest point on the face of the Earth. It’s part of the Great Rift Valley and is fed by the Jordan River to the north. Its salt content, because of the lack of outflow, is about 34% or 10 times more than the normal salty ocean that we swim in. Essentially, it is two lakes held together by a thin thread in the middle. There are “health resorts” on the Jordanian and Israeli side which promote all sorts of minerals that are supposed to make you young again. Yeah, right.

There is actually nothing quite like going into this hyper-salty lake/sea. It is very difficult to stand up and for the most part it is pretty uncomfortable to hang around for more than about 15 minutes. If you shave the night before, you are in for a rough time, and if you have a cut, think pain. There is no way out in this bathtub. It will attack you wherever it sees a weakness and if you make the mistake of putting your eyes in the water, you will suffer temporary blindness. Yep – it was a lot of fun. Probably the greatest single moment was that moment when you get to stand under the fresh water shower and remove the salty deposits. That will keep your hair looking strange for several days no matter what.

As for reading the newspaper, it is easy to do. Swimming is impossible, floating is fun, and more importantly, if there is anybody in your party that cannot swim, they will overcome their fear of water and swim. This has to be the place where Jesus walked on water.

There were Russian groups here that were all staying at the hotels by the beach. You had to be a hardcore salt water person for that. For me, been there, done that, great stories, funny photos, but I couldn’t wait to get to the shower.

Jaffa

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How strange that we were strolling to Jaffa for an evening out and we caught a wedding!? Jaffa is the oldest part of Tel Aviv and is the original settlement. It has a good flea market, an impressive clock tower, and lots of small, winding streets that lead to the hilltop for good views. There is a train station that has been converted into trendy shops and a scattering of bars and restaurants. It was the old train link to Jerusalem. But this evening we caught a wedding. The photographers wanted us to be part of the photo shoot and so we dutifully cooperated. It was a great moment – the sun setting, old Jaffa in the background, and the modern Tel Aviv in the distance with the ever present beaches forming a crescent around the edges. And a beautiful bride too. Not bad for a stroll along the boardwalk!

Israel

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Israel is a strange place unlike any other place I have visited. Locked in between hostile desert nations and four seas, it creates its own karma. Everyone has a story here. The modern history of Israel is tragic and brave and unresolvable at press time! The people are in siege mentality and you feel it. It’s not that they are unresponsive. Everything works really well. The beach looks like Rio de Janeiro, but has no crime, and the market is old world charming. The troubles here are “untroubling.” Most locals put it down to rain. Yes, we have some problems just like we have occasional rain but it never lasts too long and eventually it dries up.

Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

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Next day was a free day; a Sunday. We got a limo and a guide and a bunch of us headed to Jerusalem. That morning there were several news stories about some problems in the Old City and so we had some trepidation. Yet in the interest of massive curiosity and fear of the CNN factor getting the better of us, we pushed ahead. We are in the travel business after all. This is what we do. It made the day even more exciting than it already promised to be!

Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a short journey of about 70 km or about 43 miles. En route, we stopped to look at the settlements and take in the wall that separates Israel from the Palestinian territories. A fascinating, albeit slightly strange, experience. We drove up to Mount Olive for a view across the city. The Dome of the Rock, the ancient Al-Aqsa Mosque, all sitting there in the distance.

Eventually we headed towards the inner city, lost the car, and walked the old town, the Souk (old market), and the Arab quarter. We followed the Stations of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was allegedly crucified and where his body was laid to rest before wrapped in a shroud. That shroud can now be found in Turin.

We stopped at the western wall and I touched it. It was quite a magical feeling. The guide, who actually was very good, managed to cover about 5,000 years in an hour and gave us the essential lowdown. There was just this sense that we were at this ancient vortex of civilization. Arabs, Christians and Jews all played out in this incredible holy city. It was sort of like Sunday school coming back to me as a field trip. This holy place was loaded with stories and relics from the very beginning of civilization to the torturous modern history that still plays out in the streets every day.

Actually as a city, Jerusalem was lovely. There were picturesque narrow winding streets, reminding me of a Turkish bazaar, nice people, and an intermingling of the old and the trendy. Great food if you can adjust to hummus served all day long and pomegranate vendors squeezing fresh juice on every street corner. Jerusalem was dramatic and iconic and left me with so many questions. I wondered how I had ever survived my religion class. Not to mention the politics in all of this which we started to touch on. But that would be another day and a walk through the modern twentieth century Israel. Complicated doesn’t even get close.

The Hotel Intercontinental David

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The hotel staff at the Intercontinental David were nice but not overly friendly – like they didn’t quite trust us. The service was decent, but not brilliant, as if they had other things on their mind. And obviously they do! Everything was spotless and clean but there was an edge and you always had this feeling that you were an outsider. And we were.

The guides went out of their way to put their point of view across and everyone had the same point of view. It was logical and understandable but sometimes it formed a gulf as if they suspected that you were probably too sympathetic to the Palestinians. But in spite of all of this, I started to like the place. The buzz of Tel Aviv got to me. I liked the mix and the history and the California feel to the beachfront. I liked the scene at night and unashamedly, the Bauhaus architecture. The tension became part of the vibe and I was getting the hang of the place.

Welcome to Tel Aviv

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When we got off the plane, the guy with the sign was right there. Perfect. Welcome to Tel Aviv, ACIS and Pietro Place! The interrogation that I had feared was nonexistent and we were through and walking to the van in next to no time.

It is a short drive into the center and our hotel, the Intercontinental David, was in a nice neighborhood close to an old market place. It was a 5 minute walk to the beach which honestly is never far away in Tel Aviv. We met up with some friends and strolled along the promenade towards Jaffa, the old city, and had fabulous seafood overlooking the sandy beach and the Mediterranean. It was dark, but it sure looked good to me.

A Late Flight to Istanbul

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The great thing about flying on Turkish Airlines from Boston is that they have a very late flight at 11:40 pm. In addition, if you are heading onwards to Tel Aviv, as I was, connections are pretty good. Package that with a business class fare that is not one of those jaw dropping dreadful price points that make you wonder who ever pays for those flights at full fare, and you have it. Dinner at a good restaurant in Boston and a late night flight departure is a great way to spend the first part of a transatlantic flight. The preparation at least is going to be decent!

Turkish Airlines, as I found out, unfortunately did not have flat beds, but staff were pretty good, seats were decent for business class and the rest I simply can’t remember as I took an Ambien! Next stop was Istanbul about 9 hours later. Istanbul is a funky airport. Old bits shoved onto sleek new bits makes for a decent transit stop. Tel Aviv was next on my journey and flight time wasn’t bad. Actually, service on the Tel Aviv flight and leg room was better than the long transatlantic flight. They must know we all take Ambien for the long hauls!

What Cuba Needs

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What Cuba Needs

My Israel and Jordan post is coming soon (check Facebook for live updates!) but right now Cuba is everywhere. 2015 is set to be a record breaker in terms of visitors welcomed to the island. There will be 2,000,000 arrivals between January and July alone; this is a 16% increase year-on-year. 3,000,000 visitors came in 2014. For the first time in its history, and with the relaxation of rules for Americans, this trend is going through the roof. Between January and May, over 50,000 Americans legally visited Cuba.

Good news all around? Well, sort of. Here is the problem. It begs the question of what Cuba needs. One word – infrastructure. It is cute to drive in a ‘55 Chevy but there are only so many ‘55 Chevy’s to taxi us around. Unfortunately, hotels cannot support the boom and they cannot build efficiently and fast enough to absorb this increase. So what happens? Logjam. As everything has to go through those old, commie agencies, it’s triple logjam. This is all before they figure out the non-stop air services from USA cities. Right now, the island of Cuba could not support a 4,000 passenger luxury cruise line docking in Havana Bay. There are not enough buses to do the sightseeing, not enough guides to take you around, and not enough restaurants to feed you.

So dear Cuba…please. You have a great island and probably the most fascinating and beautiful in the Caribbean. Let’s get organized. Tourism is great. But right now, you are too pricy and you have no space.

The End of Delays?

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The End of Delays?

How about this for a nail biter? To cut down on the inevitable airline delays, air traffic controllers are starting to use time instead of distance to space out airplanes. While this doesn’t mean that the really silly game where they tell you that the flight takes an hour longer than it really does, and without that ridiculous announcement from the pilot that we have been “held up a little bit but will try and make the time up,” is going away, this is a good thing.

Incidentally, what is that “make the time up” thing? Is he going to fly 1,000 mph instead of the usual 650 mph? How does that work? Or is there a short cut from LA to Boston that I didn’t know about? You know the deal…if you go over Memphis and catch the magic jet stream, it only takes two hours. Nope. Actually, they are working on reducing delay time in a smart way. The idea is if you space airplanes by time instead of distance, you can actually optimize and improve timing for landings and take offs.

At Heathrow in London, they started to use this system. Typically, planes are spaced three to seven miles behind each other depending on the airplane. They have begun experimenting with minutes rather than miles.

The results are remarkable. Most of the Europeans have already authorized air traffic to adopt time-based spacing by 2024. The FAA is working to jump on the European band wagon. Bottom line, what used to seem too close is no longer too close anymore. Analytics and headwinds are all thrown into an algorithm and out pops spacing by minute. Good news for everyone in the future although I am not quite sure how I feel about being that close to the jet in front of me. In the meantime, don’t think that the announcement from the pilot stating, “There are 18 planes in front of us but we should be set for takeoff in the next 30 minutes and with “luck” we should catch up to get you there on time,” are going away. Incidentally, what’s the luck thing? Yikes.

The Revolution

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The Revolution

You know that moment when some unbelievably smart person figured out that a suitcase with wheels actually could be turned so that the wheels went on the widest part not the narrowest part? It was one of the great game changers in travel. Then the bag moved to a 4-wheel option and you could maneuver your bag like a Mini Cooper through a city; holding it tight to your body but always upright in a busy airport. Yet still, you have the hassle of either being the first person on the plane, paying the extra bucks for first class, or sweating that your bag is going to get dumped down below in the hold where you will have to “check and pay”. The worst of all nightmares since you may never see the bag again. The cost of bag check-in on a budget flight can often be more than the flight itself. Then there is that resentment of all of the people who got on before you that stuck their bags in the overhead bins.

Now there’s a solution and it’s a revolution. Overhead baggage compartments are being redesigned and refitted as we speak with a view to increasing the depth by a few more inches so that the bags can be pushed in vertically on their sides. It is literally doubling the possibility for carry-on baggage. Alaska Airlines is leading the way. Partnering with Boeing, Alaska were the first people to understand that change was not just a good idea, but a necessary idea. The sacrifice? Two inches of head room. There is even room on top of the bags to put tiny bags, coats, or you name it. The time that it takes for an airline to be fully ready to fly and passengers to be comfortably seated with bags all set, is projected to greatly decrease. In other words, departure times are going to improve! Yay! Tempers won’t get frayed (as much) and flight attendants won’t have to break the bad news to a disgruntled passenger who simply cannot bear the thought of checking in their bag. All great news.

Now the re-fit begins. Pretty soon there will be sleeping compartments up there too!