Middle East

The Condom of King Tut

Egypt could be the first country on our trip where we found the history more fascinating than current life. We’re talking about a land which was ruled by thirty dynasties and dozens of pharaohs for three thousand years. A civilization with customs so appealing that even the Romans played along for a century or two. [...]

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The first days of Egypt. . .

Every day in Dahab seemed a lot like the one before. Every morning brought flies, breezes, heat and cats. Michael went running. I read or did yoga. Every day, Shepl would deliver our meals. Every day, Mustafa and Waleed would wash another section of rugs, positioning the pillows like crayons in a box before late-rising [...]

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A Little Like Homer

Back in Turkey, many falafels ago, we learned that the Turkish word for “one” was “beer”. Nice and easy to remember. In fact, we learned the numbers 1-5 by inventing a bar conversation: 1.Beer? 2/Eke (yuck) 3.Ooch (ouch! don’t insult my drink) 4.Dirt (it tastes like dirt) 5.Besha (that’s bullshit) The word for ‘beer’ in [...]

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Red (Wadi) Rum

Michael just loves to take everything in one trip. . . I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you what we were looking at. Climbing the Rum dunes. . .

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Lost in the Crash

I found the Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit at a hostel in Jordan. Sometimes books are placed on our own mosaic-potted patio by the universe herself. I’ll never forget when I read The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, an parable-like tale of poverty, gender discrimination and cultural strife in 17th century [...]

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Petra

Wadi Musa, the village where Petra tourists complained about the smelly rooms, crap food, Last Crusade marathons and long walk to the famous façade, was unremarkable in every way. Closer to the actual ruins, the Indiana Jones café might have once been a cool Hollywood tribute, the CaveBar once a Star Wars-reminiscent freak show, if [...]

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A Different Kind of Family Tree

My friend Claire Hamlisch, who has worked for UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) since before I was born, sent me dozens of contacts when she discovered I’d be traveling through the Middle East and Africa. One of those was Ben Yami of Israel. Ben led us to Sali Organic, Farm #19 to be [...]

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Israel, U.S. State #51

Without warning, we had walked through our own front door. In Tel Aviv especially, there were leashes on dogs, work out clothes on women, and bikes with clip-attached pedals. Service was suddenly worthy of a 20% tip. People were in a hurry. Shiny hard foliage and bougainvilleas wrapped streets of stucco structure like display window [...]

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The Garden Tomb

Due to some botch in planning, and despite enough churches to lift entire town at least a few kilometers closer to heaven, there was no Catholic mass in English on Easter Sunday in Jerusalem. So we went to sunrise service at the Garden Tomb, the spot where Protestants believe Jesus is buried. I’d slept just [...]

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On why one should be very, very careful about taking a guided tour. .

We’re not the guided tour type. Museums are not our thing. Quite frankly, they are for people who prefer to be led and handheld as they walk through an unfamiliar neighborhood. Which is fine. For everyone else. But in Jerusalem, there was just too much relevant history to avoid the whole cross-bearing, guilt-smothered enchilada. I [...]

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