Here, O Israel

Temple Mount's "Dome of the Rock" above the Kotel, Jerusalem

Jerusalem, once hometown to prophets and Kings, has evolved into a modern day freak show.  Roiled by bitter conflict for more than 3 millennia, it's the focal point & ground zero for bad religion.  You've got ultra-orthodox Jews, Christians from all denominations, Muslim missionaries, pilgrims, mystics, tourists and raving lunatics all mixed together with their spiritual baggage in tow.  Loads of brainwashed simpletons dressed in costume come to Jerusalem to spread the "good word of God" while the Israeli Defense Forces stand ready to keep these Men of Love and Peace from killing each other.  And although I deem this place a festival of ignorance, paying homage to its majestic religious sites feels enriching; it's the wild cultural diversity that is Jerusalem's lifeline.

Jerusalem is built to last, they just don't make 'em like they used to.  The first time I laid my eyes on the Wailing Wall I cried.  Forever a photo of a place far away, the chance to know it is indescribable.  At 11 million, the Jews are but a tiny fraction of the global community yet the whole world knows them.  They are the Lions of Zion.  They have averted extinction more times than the Yanks have won the pennant.  Every nation that has set out to destroy the Jews, be it Ancient Egypt, the Philistines, the Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Crusaders, the Spanish Empire, Nazi Germany, & the Soviet Union, have all been eradicated.  Is Iran next?

Being Jewish is exclusive.  Recognized only as someone born of a Jewish mother, there are only a finite number of Jews in the world and all are a spark of the soul who were present when Hashem gave the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai.  Today, as I stand in awe of the Western Wall, (the 2,500 year old ruined remnants of the Second Temple built by King David's son, Solomon,  and gutted by the Romans), a massive Torah has been unveiled from its cloak and is carried around like a rugby trophy.  Everyone comes to touch & kiss it.  The Jewish Holy Bible is in the middle of a mosh-pit.  This place embodies the spirit of the Jewish people and their spirit is strong, alive and well.  It's powerful to see. 

The Middle East; Welcome to it!

Downtown Amman,  Jordan

At the Oman border crossing, fat barrels of machine guns peak over sandbags while signs in Arabic read, "Welcome to Oman."  It's very clean, very Muslim and very ready for a contagion of revolution. Very illegal to snap shots of Oman's government's militia's prearations to repel dissent.  But allow me to assure you the tanks are in the streets, armed, loaded and passively awaiting those who will fight for their right to party. 

Jordan: Very old.  Very Interesting.  Relatively inexpensive.   Relatively quiet.   And with the exception of one late-night taxi ride, relatively safe.  But unamusing is the way life goes from being perfectly normal to totally fucked up before you can say,  "What's going on?"  The ol' Filipino-style 'switch-the-cabbie' scam had me in a sudden & vulnerable kidnap scenario.

As my driver took me down a dark alley and walked away without taking payment, a new driver jumps in, floors the accelerator and has me in the neighborhoods of downtown Amman you'd rather never see. As I advise him of my requested destination, he warns me, "Welcome to Jordan."  Holy shit!  I need out of this bad dream right now.  To dive out the back door- impossible; it's child-locked from the inside.  My bags are in the trunk.  The drama ended at a slightly up-market business hotel whose commission to the driver was sure to bring in late-night guests.   Fortunately, they didn't play kill-the-infidel.  As my blood pressure descended to normal, I realized how lucky I was that I didn't get scragged.

The Gulf, 2011 A.D.

Old Town Dubai

Ahh, the Middle East.  This is where that Garden of Eden place is supposed to be, isn't it?  It appears I may have made a hasty decision by coming here.  Oh the life and times of the Middle East in its present day.

As a U.S. citizen traveling on a U.S. passport, it's best if I skip Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and Lebanon.  Add to the situation a successful and forceful overthrow of the Egyptian government, street riots in Yemen, major civil unrest in Tunisia and Bahrain, UN-led airstrikes on Libya, rumblings in Saudi Arabia, and fresh terror attacks by Hamas, Fatah and Hezbollah in the Gaza, West Bank, and Israel, and I'd say this is a unique time to be touring the region.  It seems that more tactical planning may be necessary to avoid complete & total bodily harm.

The United Arab Emirates is safe, clean, organzied, full of nationals from the world around, and very Arabic.  Women wear black drapes and burkahs with eyeslits despite the 140 degree desert heat.  Men wear white.  As a tourist on a tourist visa, it's extremely important to know your place in society.  You are a guest in their country and expected to follow the rules.  Take no photos of the women.  On second thought, don't make any idle chit-chat or small talk with them for any reason.  Ya know what, best not even to glance their way lest you desire a personalized fatwa.  This is the land of Shria law; women are covered from head to toe, men walk the streets holding hands, and homosexuality is illegal with death by stoning as decree.  All of this I do not understand, just to observe- it's all been going on like this long before I came.

Dubai: Civilization here dates back over 5000 years.  From 3000 B.C. the highly populated Old Dubai area was a center of construction, agriculture, crafstmanship and art.  Archaeological finds at Hatta date back to 4000 B.C., and al-Qusais is thought to have been the largest population living in the Gulf.  Dubai was a vital link in the old trade routes between Oman and Iraq during the early days of Islam in the 5th and 6th centuries A.D.

Today there exists a new Dubai.  Oil proceeds and real estate speculation have built and financed a Las Vegas / Disney World atmosphere of odd looking skyscrapers including the Burj Khalifa- the tallest building on Earth.  Ultra-modern hotels like the 7-star Burj al-Arab, indoor ski slopes and ice skating, man-made islands of reclaimed land that can be viewed from outer space, the Dubai Mall (home to the most exclusive retail outlets known to man), and oil shieks who drive around in some of the most expensive vehicles life has to offer.   Yes, it's all good and fun in this desert playland for the rich and infamous.  And currently, it's all under heavy construction and might be for the next 30 or 40 years.  Good things take time but Dubai might look like Hong Kong if these Arabs continue to have their day and way...   

The Unsuspected Detour:

...we interrupt this blogspot to bring you impromptu coverage live from Dubai...

It seems a strange and fateful twist has arisen.  Sri Lankan Airway officials unloaded a bit of surprising news when they informed me that my seat assignment was doled to another as proof of payment was never received despite E-Ticket confirmation.  In another place and time I'd have displayed some concern but I feel I am meant to be cultivating detachment from the peaks and troughs of emotion.  Besides, being able to take an opportunity to choose random flights off the Departure's Board is one of the great privileges of not working- I like not having any plans.  

So, with passport in hand, I view my options for today's departures out of Colombo International: Kuwait...Baghdad...Tehran...Riyadh...Doha...(that's in Qatar I think??)...Dubai...London...Kuala Lumpur...

Dubai!! I've heard a lot about this place.  Man-made islands, mega-malls, indoor-skiing, the Middle East; I've never been to the Middle East.  I think it could be worthy of a visit. A quick inquiry at the service desk and a few keystrokes by the attendant has me opting for a window seat; I wanna see what this place looks like as we come in.  The Dubai Outbound Flight 651 on Emirates leaves in two hours.  I better grab a guidebook.

Emirates' in-flight service: fantastic!  The meal and complimentary liquor selection: commendable.  A few bourbons down and I'm feeling relaxed as I start gaining doubts about such a rogue decision.  I anticipated bedding down in India when I awoke this morning.  That's not happening anymore.

Upon descent the enormous immensity of the desert unveils itself.  Holy Shizzle!  We're really here.  The United Arab Emirates sitting atop its massive oil reserves.  This is all starting to feel very real.  I'd better shake off the bourbons and collect my wits.  I'll take a turkish coffee now please.  I suspect the Mid-East will be a whole 'nother ball of wax from easy Asia.  Different people, different architecture, different foods, alphabet, religion, history, customs and mindset.  It's a giant shake-up of last-minute proportions. Was this decision sane?