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?

Sri Lanka

What do I think of Sri Lanka?  I'll try not to.  I don't know what I expected from Sri Lanka but this ain't it.  I have been thrown for a loop and humbled from thinking travel is a pony ride in May.  Testament to the resilliance of life is that anything here survives beyond infancy.  Yet despite all the carnage and despair, the locals are pleasantly friendly, smiley, and keen to show genuine interest in your personal story.  But I require a new and greater level of acclimation and adjustment as Sri Lanka is crustier than any of the countries I've been to thus far.  Breathing the air through anything short of a surgical mask can be hazardous.  I don't imagine India being worse but I'm about to find out.  Sri Lanka is the launch pad into India.  I suspect I may be jumping from the fryer to the fire. 

In Colombo, the Cricket World Cup is being hosted.  And as a result, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces are out in full gear trotting & strapped with Russian firepower.  It's their Cricket World Cup message: "Watch the test, then go home quietly!"  I find Colombo to be frightening.  The locals assure me the situation in Sri Lanka is well improved since the cessation of the Tamil Insurgencies.  My imagination lacks ability to envision what could have been before.  Concrete bunker rubble homes and shack-roofs' twisted metal are the choicest dwellings in this town.  Village after village looks like they've been bombed.  Heavy, major floodings in the southeast and a zillion un-detonated landmines in the northern hills make tactical planning an urgent priority.  We can't go there and we won't stay here!  

I've opted for Kandy, a city up in the central highlands where temperatures are friendlier and the air a bit more 'see-through.'  By bus, the trip takes 3 hours and costs 65 cents.  But neither the bus's dash-mounted Satya Sai Baba snow dome nor the blue plastic Ganesha elephant god bouncing on a spring carried enough Shiva power to haul us up into the hills.  We quit and broke roadside.  It was the little bus that couldn't.  But I've got a good feeling about the new bus.  Rigged with golden Buddhas whose tiny lights blink and flash when we brake, they keep me relaxed as we speed our luggage-laden, rooftop-heavy, hoopty of a bus up nasty, hairy, & curvy mountain roads all inches from stupidly steep drops.  A disaster in the making?   It wouldn't be the first time a bus tumble & crush made headlines here.  I'll stay attentive to the blinking Buddhas, they're helping me. 

Kandy has culture.  Home to fire walking, local music, dance and dress, it's a great place to take in some Sri Lankan arts.  But to be fair, Kandy is loud, filthy and aesthetically unpleasing.  I need something, anything else.  Strike two!!

Time out!  Hold the phone!  What?  Take the noose off, this priosner has just been pardoned.  Huh?  Don't write off Sri Lanka just yet because the beaches here rival the best coastlines in Australia and Hawaii.  Fully recovered from the 2006 Boxing Day Tsunami, the beaches are long, white, and immaculate with crystal-clear, warm, & glassy turquoise waters on the doorstep of the Maldives.  Oh my, do I feel a sense of rebirth to have landed here, this place is phenomenal.  This is just what the doctor ordered.  It's been ten weeks since I've had my feet in the sea.  Ahh, am I ever in the mood to sun, sand & surf after all the noise and pollution that is Colombo, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.  This is the ticket!  At home at last.  I think I fancy some fresh pineapple.  I might even read another book.  Yeah, we're staying right here in Eden's garden until D-day to India.  Third time's a charm...

Travel on My Wayward Son

Singapore Chinatown has Dim Sum 

As I suddenly find myself eating an unexpected yet savory dim-sum in Singapore, a question begging an answer arises; How did everything come to this?  Not that I don't approve of dim-sum, it's just that Singapore and Malaysia were a never a thought in the plan.  But I digress.  The original blue-print for this journey was to explore Taiwan, visit Hong Kong, and take adventures through VietNam.  The alternate plan: fall back on Chiang Mai if all else falls. 

Aside from an unexpected month in China, another in Cambodia, and a few weeks along the Mekong in Laos, I'd say all went well and to plan.  But as six-months travel pass under my feet, my options become clear: Go home and work, go to Japan and work, or keep on truckin'.  Instinct & desires compell me to travel further...  "But to where?", I ask the little voice inside my head, "Where do we go now?"  The response is clear;  "You must pilgrim through the oldest and most populous nation on Earth.  The ancicent civilization of India.  The timing is right.  The season is right.  The location is right.  The price is right.  It's now or never.  Carry on my Wayward Son, go on and get some!"  So, like playing a little unexpected 10th-inning baseball, the game is tied and about to get exciting.  We didn't order this but we'll take it. 

I have purchased a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sri Lanka for a ten-day vacation there before I delve into the South of India for six weeks.  Hence, a jaunt from Thailand to India has given birth to some unforseen extra bonus travel in Malaysia, plus a side-trip to Singapore just because, and to Sri Lanka as a 'pre-India' warm-up.  It's icing on the cake; above and beyond the original deal. 

From here on out, all bets are off.  My plan is out the window.  I have done what I have set out to do and I don't know what will happen a day from now.  We're flying blind, but with the wind.  All I can do is jump into the saddle and live life moment to moment on this one.  Time, money and health will dictate what happens from here on out.  I'll keep you posted as reality unfolds itslef.

Batter Up.... Let's play some ball!!

Singapore is a FINE City

The proverbial "they" say that Singapore is a fine city.  Well I suppose "they're" right.  $200 for spitting,  $50 for chewing gum, $100 for urinating in an elevator shaft, 10 years for unwanted sex, 6 cane lashes for vandalism, and death for the possession of drugs.  But in all reality, Singapore is a fine city.  It is remarkably clean, disturbingly orderly and extremely calm in relation to its neighboring countries where chaos and mayhem run supreme.  Singapore makes for a nice getaway and a quiet time-out from the hustle and bustle that is the rest of Asia. 

The last time I had the opportunity to visit Singapore was five years ago and I had my way with it!  I tried everything: the Riverboat cruises, the Night Safari, the Sentosa Cable Car, the Singapore Sling on the 70th floor during sunset, the Shisha Bar on the River's Quay, some steamed frogs at the Hawker Stalls, and even a few Aikido classes with Hachi-dan instructor Francis Chong, Sensei at the Singapore Aikido dojo.  It was a grand visit I do recall.

Now as I unexpectedly find myself in Singapore's vicinity, a desire has come upon me and I've decided to heed.  I feel the sudden urge to revisit this jungle-island city-nation once again, only this time, it should be a quick "in-and-out" mission.  Some things have changed since the last time; it's more expensive now.  Some things have remained the same; it's so bloody hot here.

But Singapore is a world-class food orgy for those who know where to look.  Today I have opted for some Hong Kong-style Sharkfin Dim Sum in the Chinatown, a gourmet ice cream sundae on Orchard Boulevard, a french latte in the downtown business district, a Malaysian hotpot uptown, and some Rotti Murtabah on Arab Street dining mosque side in the Indian Quarter.  An aimless wander here, a little look-see there and all is considered rather pleasant.  Simple, effective and affordable, it was a delightful way to spend a day or two during an economic recession.