walking egyptian

laurel refuses to give up the hammer pants

million dollar pyramid

suckered into buying these hats

laurel says:
to go to egypt or not go to egypt, that was the question.  in the end we decided we could not be an hour flight away from one of the 7 wonders of the world and not pay a visit.  so we risked life and limb and headed to cairo.  and i am so happy we did.  the pyramids of giza are an absolute masterpiece, 4000 years old and still going strong.  one of the blessings and curses of the current situation in egypt is that we had these gems nearly all to ourselves.  we spent 4 hours walking like an egyptian around the 3 main pyramids and glorious sphinx on a perfect 85 degree day.  i was amazed at the sheer scale of the structures and found it difficult to imagine how the slaves/laborers (depending on who you ask) hoisted the huge blocks of limestone 4 centuries ago into exactly the perfect dimensions.  you can actually enter 2 of the pyramids and see some of the ancient tombs inside.  it is claustrophobic but worth it.  and keeping watch over it all is the entrancing sphinx, whose deformed face has an almost hypnotic effect.  the only annoyance was having to dodge the extremely aggressive touts who try to sell you everything from a camel ride to a keychain to a pet rock.  it wears on you, but at the end of the day you can't help but feel bad for them.  tourism to egypt has absolutely plummeted, and everyone is trying to get by.  our only brush with downtown cairo was a quick loop thru tahrir square on the way to the airport, the remnants of the previous days' million man protest still very much intact.  i truly hope egypt can pull together a democratic election process and return to peace in the near future.  i would love to come back one day and experience more of what this ancient and marvelous country has to offer once the political environment simmers down.

camel valet

he couldn't resist

enjoying the pyramids all to ourselves

emil says:
the pyramids of egypt are a monsterous mathematically intricate site to behold.  that said i am afraid to wikipedia the number of slave laborers used and killed in the process of their construction.  we landed in cairo and headed straight for these collosal structures. the sheer mass and scale is difficult to comprehend, particularly considering these were built circa 2500 bc. the largest of the pyramids took 23 years to complete using 2.3 million building blocks weighing an average of 2.5 tons each. pretty cool considering most of us couldn't build a miniature version using a lego set. but the tourism flow to egypt as a result of the clashes in tahir square make for a rather bleak and sad scene.  the area around the pyramids is ground zero for aggressive touts and pushers of all sorts of unnecessary tchotchkes.  there are just not enough tourists at the pyramids and, while great for us, you can tell it was really causing some hurt to the local people.  one other cool side trip was on the way to airport the cab driver took us for a spin around the infamous tahir square just a day after a 1 million person march. it was an intense little area but here too it seems the media is creating an image of greater disarray and chaos than is really the case.

pyramids by night

bigger than legos

capturing my best angle

objects near pyramids are larger than they appear

all three of the great pyramids

the great sphinx of giza

heavy israel

dome of the rock

crowded and 70's tel aviv

overlooking old jerusalem

emil says:

why do i get the feeling that as i write about israel i need to be positive and constructive? talking about israel is like talking about abortion. everyone has an opinion but proper etiquette is to turn the conversation to the upcoming undefeated jets season with tebow at the helm. israelis are a tough breed. its not a california smiley type attitude. i thought russian babushkas were tough but older israeli women are refrigerators with the head of a rottweiler that can easily solo kick-start a jumbo-jet. the first town we visited, eilat, was fantastically disappointing.  i was told this was a sort of 'riviera' on the red sea. it was more similar to an uninteresting part of poorly developed baja mexico, accept extremely expensive. next up was the 'the miami beach of israel' or tel aviv. i was hoping to catch a 'viver-fever', but alas here too i was underwhelmed. 10% of tel aviv is a sub-splendid stretch of uber crowded mediterranean sand and zero surf that goes on for miles but with an impressive boardwalk for running and spectacular people watching.  5% of tel aviv is almost-soho and kinda cute streets with smoothie and falafel shops aplenty, and an almost san francisco modern ferry building scene.  but 85% of tel-aviv is extremely run down and tired looking. buildings and architecture circa 1950s and maybe even as modern as the 1970s in spots. dilapidated and soviet-bloc grey facades are truly everywhere. on a positive note the gritty urban landscape does lend itself in kind to a sincerely vibrant and fun urban hipster scene, which goes on 24/7.  it was finally in jerusalem that we saw some captivating scenes. history and more history and more faiths than i can count all tightly wound in a ball of near fury in old town jersusalem. walk along the path jesus carried the cross. go through several metal detectors on your way to the wailing wall. go over the wall via a footbridge (which the jewish community does not condone) to the muslim side of the temple mount. its all so compact. everyone is on top of each other and all feel they have claim. it is here in old crowded jerusalem that you get a sense that peace might forever be elusive.  18 year old israeli soldiers with big machine guns are as common as hummus and they are busy keeping the peace (or taking it, depending on your perspective).  its a tense place. religion and religious artifacts are literally everywhere around you, yet so too is the negative energy.  our next stop, bethlehem in the west bank, was where i began seeing the non new york times perspective.  hundreds of thousands of palestinians being patrolled with suffocating checkpoints which all but stifle any tourist flow to this area, and the depression in the local economy is obvious. add to which are the ever expanding israeli settlements on the outskirts of town. surely there is another side to the story and the reality of day to day israeli existence, always defending and protecting one's turf and identity is something i cannot begin to comprehend. 

the wailing wall

church of the holy sepulchre

the old jerusalem citadel

streets of old jerusalem

emi dons a yarm to enter king david's tomb

streets of bethlehem

entering old jerusalem thru damascus gate 

laurel says:
isreal is a tough one for me.  i have to say, i just don't get it.  i have heard people rave about the place.  and the isrealis we met while traveling said tel aviv is a city amongst the ranks of ny or la.  maybe we did not stay in the right place or go to the right spots but i leave isreal slightly confused as to what all the hype is about.  our first stop in eilat, on the red sea, was one of the biggest busts of our whole trip.  there were hundreds of people crammed on a tiny patch of rocky beach.  then you are nickle and dimed (or shekled as the case may be) for everything.  you have to pay for your chairs, lockers, snorkelling, breathing (just kidding, but close!).  and it is not exactly the riveira!  afterwards we headed north to tel aviv.  i had visions in my head of sleek, modern, cool.  in reality it is a super dilapidated city full of cement block buildings from the 70s.  the party scene, which has a huge reputation, was fun but nothing to rival ny to which it is often compared.  there were some nice cafes on tree lined streets that gave off a very buenos aires feeling.  and the beaches were ok, if you don't mind sharing the sand with about a million other people.  needless to say, i was really starting to fade on isreal until we got to jerusalem.  our experiences there made the whole trip worth while.  undoubtedly one of the most unique places on earth.  christians, muslims, and jewish folk all crammed into a tiny old walled city.  each group holding it equally sacred and fighting for every last inch of land.  seeing the place of jesus' crucifixtion and resurection, the room where the last supper was held, the western wall and the dome of the rock were humbling experiences.  you are standing in the cradle of all society.  and it is overwhelming to think about how we are still essentially fighting about the same things we have been for the past 2000 years.  our trip to bethlehem, in the west bank, was another highlight.  crossing thru the horrific check point is a gut wrenching experience.  i am not sure how people can live like this.  palestinians have been absolutely crippled by the creation of the 'safety wall' that divides isreal from the palestinian territories.  the people of bethlehem are left trying to scratch out a way of life.   and we met some christian palestinians who aren't even allowed to go into jersualem for church, because they don't have the right permits.  it is a land filled with so much hatred and so much segregation that i struggle to believe there can ever be peace.  i leave this country feeling very uneasy and slightly depressed.

the jets have chutzpah

passion at the wall

mosques meet churches in jerusalem

the go to for yarmulkes

greek orthodox at church of the nativity

site of jesus' birth

checkpoint between jerusalem and bethlehem

graffiti on the 'safety wall'

walking the 'safety wall'

petra jordan

the treasury

harrison ford looking for action

cliffside caves

sunset over petra

petra by night

laurel on the old caravan trail

laurel says:

when we were putting together the roadmap of our trip back in august, i had no intention of visiting jordan.  but as we met other travelers along the way who raved about it and kept hearing buzz about petra becoming one of the 7 wonders of the world, we were intrigued.  still, the idea of going to jordan seemed so exotic and quite frankly so scary.  i was dragging my feet.  eventually emil convinced me to go and i am so happy that he did.  simply stated, the middle east is not nearly as dangerous or intimidating as the western media leads us to believe.  on the contrary, the people we met welcomed us with open arms.  and there are plenty of other western tourists around including several families from europe with small children in tow (americans just need to get out more!).  by the end of our trip emil and i were laughing at ourselves for even hesitating.  petra is an absolute gem.  the rose red city of the nabataens dates from the 3rd century bc.  in their hey day they controlled the lucrative trade routes from demascus to arabia which funded the creation of the incredible city of petra.  and despite a few earthquakes, the structures carved into the sandstone walls remain in incredible shape.  it is a surreal experience to walk thru the buildings and imagine how it must have been 2000 years ago when the caravans of spices, silk and slaves passed thru.  petra is especially remarkable because you can spend a whole day wandering thru the massive park, hiking the trails and experiencing the ancient buildings without being on an organized tour or sticking to a marked path.  it is a self lead adventure that even rocked indiana jones' world (the last crusade was filmed here).  i can't recommend it highly enough, especially as an easy tack-on to a trip to isreal or egypt. 

first glimpse of petra

the treasury

ashbury of jordan

emil says:
we were worried to land in amman, jordan.  there are several hundred thousand syrian refugees in various massive camps at the tense border, and the numbers are growing daily. we planned to land in amman and take a four hour drive through the jordanian valley (hopefully without pitstops) and arrive in petra, home of to one of the seven wonders of the world.  my fears were absurdly misplaced.  i watch too much cnn and read too much of the ny times.  surely there are hotspots of fighting and instability but there are many countries in the middle east that are truly suffering economically due to the over-exaggeration and media hyping of the various conflicts that are always simmering, but not necessarily bubbling, in this area.  petra is spectacular, and by far my favorite of the wonders.  think indiana jones meets lawrence of arabia.  think harrison ford galloping through the wind sculpted passageways deep in the desert in pursuit of bad guys.  2000 year old carvings abound but its the way in which one can explore the area that is so fantastic.  we spent 7 hours walking through the entire complex of hand carved tombs, theaters, monasteries in seemingly pristine condition and it felt like we were characters in one of the aforementioned movies. very worthwhile spot to come check out. unlike their neighbors, jordan is not an oil based economy so they can use all the tourists we can send them.

walking amongst the caves

the monastery

petra at sunset

planet dubai

welcome to planet dubai

tallest building in the world

cranes and fake lakes galore

gold atm: can withdraw from 1 gram to 1 ounce

emil says:
dubai is a tough one to write about. i walk away from our visit neither positive nor negative, just luke warm. vegas of the middle east it is not.  without casinos and without an accessible party scene dubai is probably a fantastic spot for the emirates who drive custom colored lamborghinis and cars i have never seen before, but it's not super fun for mere mortals. vegas seems tiny in comparison. dubai is a sprawl. new casinos in vegas usually physically replace old ones, in dubai they just keep on building malls and office space one after another after another. the cranes are all busy swinging around building new stuff right beside entire office buildings that read 'for lease' across the entire facade. it's a pretty cool story though. 50 years ago dubai found some oil, not a lot of it, and according to wikipedia the wells will run dry within 20 years. a quote by sheikh rashid bin saeed al maktoum describes the situation as "...my grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, i drive a mercedes, my son drives a land rover, his son will drive a land rover, but his son will ride a camel".  so a few clever dubian emiratis said 'ok let's try something crazy and build a western style economy based on real estate, tourism, and financial services.' if we build it, they will come is the route they chose. and so far it's working. if they can get beyond the '08 financial crisis they just might have pulled off something rather remarkable. modern dubai is a purposeful, planned creation. it's an insane concept. they put an x in the middle of the desert and transformed an oil based economy into a major european vacation destination and real estate empire. they created tax free zones, no regulation, no personal or corporate taxes.  they paid top dollar to bring world class sporting events to the middle of the arabian desert.  dubai is a unique spot. it's worth checking out a mall with a ski slope within its interior. it's worth checking out a series of manmade islands in the shape of an enourmous palm tree. it's worth seeing thousands of construction cranes swinging around building something even more ridiculous than before.  i would come back again but only after 10 or 20 years to see if this experiment has actually worked. 

fake bridge, fake lake, true love

brand new subway station to nowhere

ski resort within a mall

spice market in old town

old town meets new

m.c. hammer gettin ready for some off-roading

dune bashing

i drive a benz, but the tourist wants a camel ride

closest thing to a polish eagle

i didn't inhale

laurel says:
take every stereotype and pre-concieved notion you have about dubai and multiply it times 10.  yes, it is as fake, gaudy and as ott as you imagined.  dubai for me is a combination of las vegas and singapore set in the arabian desert.  it mirrors vegas in its quest to have the newest, best, biggest, most ridiculous thing.  tallest building in the world, check.  indoor ski resort, check.  islands in the shape of a palm tree, check.  but unlike vegas the party scene here is less than stellar.  islamic law forbids alcohol so the only establishments that can serve booze are hotels.  and the markup is ridiculous, squashing any chance at debauchery.  the singapore influence is reflected in all the laws and policies that are in place.  you can't go here, can't go there.  there are rules galore and exclusivity is the name of the game.  but beyond the quirks, dubai is definitely a fun place to check out.  for my first taste of the middle east i was shocked at how westernized dubai was.  case in point: as we were sitting in dubai mall (fyi the biggest mall in the world) all of a sudden i heard clapping ringing out.  as i turned around, i realized it was a group of arabs country line dancing to 'watermelon crawl' in the texas roadhouse restaurant.  it was one of those moments where you just wonder where in the world are you?  if you want a slice of the more authentic dubai, you have to head to the old part of town that existed long before the emeratis gave it a billion dollar makeover.  here the gold markets, spice bazars and old mosques provide a glimpse at the real dubai.  all in all dubai is worthy of a 2 day stopover in route to your final destination.  but there is not enough authenticity here to warrant an exclusive visit.

old town dubai

palm jumeriah islands as (barely) seen from our plane