Asia – Page 2 – Traveling Epic!

Touring Iraq – Travel Adventures in Kurdistan

December 13, 2013April 14, 2014Posted in Asia, Extreme, Middle East, UNESCO, WarTagged Amna Suraka, arbil, citadel, erbil, iraq, irbil, kurdish, kurdistan, kurds, Sulaymaniyah, sulimania, travel2 Comments

Everyone I know who have ever visited Iraq were there for military reasons. When I told a local in Iraq I was a tourist, they said… “Tourist?” What’s that? Tourism is really a foreign word, but no longer. The Kurdistan region of Iraq is open. Visa restrictions in Iraqi Kurdistan aren’t bad for many western countries. For Americans you can currently get a 15 day visa on arrival! I was impressed how easy it would be to get into such an incredible place. The cradle of civilization. Abraham himself is said to have traveled to this area. Chaldeans, Assyrians, Babylonians, there is a serious history to this region of the two rivers. I stayed in the Kurdistan region my entire stay, but traveled through a number of check points going both ways between Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. We ultimately took two routes between the two cities by cab. One went on the highway and through check points. We were worried there might be problem with driving between the cities, but the road itself was controlled by Kurdish forces. So while we did get our passports checked a couple of times. We did avoid entering Kirkuk and we avoided Mosul. I really wanted to go to Nineveh and the tombs of the prophets, but instead stuck with our plans to spend time exclusively in the cities.

Our route through the Iraqi-Kurdistan region. Syria just on the other side of Mosul and the hills of Iran on the other side of Suliamaniyah. Yep those hills! While we were in Erbil (Arbil/Irbil) we met a man in the square who was a Syrian refugee.

Erbil, Iraqi-Kurdistan

I started my visit with the best, the ancient Citadel. At 6000 or 7000 years old this citadel is the one of the longest continuously inhabited cities.

The fountain and clock tower attract vendors and families coming to the beautiful square to shop and take pictures.

Old pictures of Erbil show the Citadel and the Minaret. Over 500 years ago the city of Erbil was only what was on the hill protected by the city walls, and the minaret.

We walked nearly all the way around the citadel hill. “A city on a hill cannot be hid.” I have to wonder if this old saying came from this city. As we walked I saw a group of old men. I needed to find a restroom. I just had to go and decided to ask them. We found this tea house was actually a game center. The men were drinking tea and playing some high volume game of dominoes involving slamming tiles. Even though they spoke little english and we spoke little to no Kurdish or Arabic we were able to build trust enough after playing a couple of games and getting tips from our new friends. In travel I have found there are moments to really dive in. It’s not all about going to tourist destinations. It’s about learning to understand people and visit new people and cultures.

Most people if you told them you were going to Iraq to visit. They would say avoid crowds. Well, in a local market in Erbil we seem to have met the real masses.

The faces on the people do seem to be hard, but I can attest that the Kurds are some of the kindest people you will meet. They have sacrificed much. It has not been an easy life.

Life goes on… Kids on their way to school

Our last night in Erbil we went to the Christian part of town. This Chaldean church was in service. My friend Michael and I enjoy visiting cathedrals, mosques, temples, and find that you can learn more about it’s people by understanding their passions, their worries and their faith in God. We stayed for the entire service. The prayer for the Filipinos was so strong it brought tears to my eyes. The group of minority Christians in this vast land of Muslims with their faith prayed for those suffering in the Philippines. It was so touching to see them turn their thoughts. They have not had an easy life here in Iraq, but many came here to provide a better life for their families back home. They saw this as a land of opportunity. One of the people at the church had lost 30 members of their family in the Philippines. It made the disaster personal talking with this group and hearing them pour out their hearts.

(This picture above and a couple of the others were taken by Michael Noel travel blogger at http://travelingtheglobe.com, my good friend and my traveling companion on this and may of my trips.)

Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi-Kurdistan

When we first planned to come to Iraqi-Kurdistan we tried to find connections in our technology. You can read more about the visit to the University and our technology sessions with the Computer Science students and faculty of University of Human Development (UHD) in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. Those who wonder how I travel the world best understand it is my passion to visit the world and connect with people of all cultures and people. How I do it is through my connections and relationships. I sacrifice my time and money as well to visit places around the world like this, and not only are the people changed through our encounters but I am changed. Hearing stories from the students blows my mind making Iraq real and the horror stories of Saddam’s rule. One of the assistant professors told me about his 3 brothers being killed and how he barely escaped and just recently came back from spending many years in the UK. Amazing personal stories. I feel for these people. Over night I became friends on Facebook and LinkedIn with over 15-20 of the students in the room. I hope I can help them in the future in their pursuits.

So after a couple of nights in Erbil, the next morning we left for Sulaymaniyah by cab. We arranged for a driver to take us on the road through the hills through the Kurdistan region. On the way back we were feeling more confident and drove back through the highway faster route through Kirkuk.

When we first arrived I did a quick search and came across the Amna Suraka Museum known as red prison or Red Intelligence Museum. This prison was the former Ba’ath intelligence headquarters and prison. Just as some death camps and concentration camps have been preserved, this captures the essence of torture and death in the treatment of Kurds. In my travels I have found it fascintating to visit places in the world where minorities have been treated poorly. I see a lot of parallels in how the Armenians were treated by the Ottomans as the Kurds were by Saddam’s regime.

Turned into a museum at the behest of First Lady of Iraq, Hero Talabani, in 2000, the façade still bears the bullet holes evidencing the scars of its past.

Our cab driver shared his person experience having been there only 11 years prior. His wife and 3 of his family were killed.

You really could feel the emotion of the place. The prison was haunting with

Hall of mirrors… represent those that were killed in the mass genocide

There are other reminders of mass death in this region. So many unmarked graves, and these that are marked with simple rocks that dot the hillside.

Interesting food choices!

Hope is strong in this region. They are ready to bring in the New… The tower in the background which looks like it’s from Dubai is made by the same architect.

It still isn’t Disneyland, but would you believe that there is an amusement park and gondola? The construction going on is also quite impressive. There is a lot going on here. Change is coming. The people are ready to see change.

Their faith will carry them.

On our final departure we saw this wild tower piece of metal near the airport. It took at least 4 scans to work our way from the street to the gate at the airport. They are very serious about security. I felt safe while in Kurdistan. Speaking of God, I felt like he was watching out for me on this trip. The faith of so many in this region is very strong, and the people of this land itself has had a strong connection Abraham’s God for thousands of years.

One of my most fascinating trips. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It isn’t for everyone, but I do see reason for investment. I see passion and interest in the people. People are ready for change. As well, the Kurds are great people, a great heritage that has suffered greatly, and will rise from the dust. I made some great friendships that will last though the years.

Taj Mahal of Agra India – New 7 Wonders of the World

July 31, 2013December 14, 2013Posted in Asia, Bucket List, Photography, Road Trip, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, WonderTagged Bikaner, Bikiner, Blue City, Dehli, featured, India, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Pink City, Rajasthan, Rat Temple, Taj Mahal3 Comments

My trek through India was truly EPIC. One of the most interesting and amazing trips. The assault on the senses was so intense fascinating world of spice. Some of the oldest cities on the earth are in India. India is the second most populated country in the world, but driving across the country you wouldn’t know it. The Indus of 3000 BC had a written language, a complex society. In a country with 1.2 Billion people with one of the richest cultural destinations in the world, I highly recommend India for the adventure seeker, the world traveler, and for those looking to find themselves. The eat pray love movie suggested that Bali and India are great destinations for getting at your soul. Trying to find your inner being. I agree. India is fantastic, and the wonder the Taj Mahal is the most impressive display of love in the world. You haven’t seen India, until you’ve seen it the way I have.

This post is in an Adventure Travel Series on the “New 7 Wonders of the World”

I wrote about my experiences with the holy rats of Bikiner. That one incident was culture shock like no other. I definitely dove head first and loved it. I throw out everything I have ever known about rats, and listen to the kids and humble followers that told me to remove my shoes and walk among the rats barefoot. They say no one has ever even gotten sick from these special rats. Hundreds, thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of rats in the temple. That was my real introduction to India and while an extreme it prepared me for what I would experience through the nearly 5000KM trip across India and ultimately to Kathmandu, Nepal and up into the Himalayas and up around Mt Everest.

The Gates of Jodhpur, the Pink City

Three dips in the Ganges the dirtiest but holiest river in the world as well, was a fascinating experience that made me really consider the healing effects of water and help me appreciate and respect the faith of all people.

The Gattes… steps to the Holy Ganges river

As these men hosed down the steps into the water, not far pilgrims were drinking the holy water

Dipping in the Silty powerful Holy Ganges River

We drove nearly straight for 3 days across the Rajasthan province of north western India through the the most amazing cities of Jaipur (The Pink City) and Jodhpur (The Blue City) [map].

Mehrangarh Fort high on the high on the hill in Jodhpur

Above Jodhpur the Blue City!

Floating Palace near Jaipur

It was after seeing these awesome examples of great kingdom with palaces and forts, that I arrived in Agra the home of the Taj Mahal. I had already been in India for about a week by the time I arrived. We parked outside of the site, and walked. It was a pretty good hike. In our visits across Agra and even in the south in Pune and Chennai we hadn’t seen many tourists, but here we weren’t alone. Here we across our trip we saw more tourists than we had seen in total. I try to avoid tourist spots, but I also have to see the wonders of the world. They draw me in.

The Taj Mahal Mosleum – Designed for the Favorite Wife of the Emperor Shah Jahan built in 1632–1648 as a tomb

India has such a rich culture. Amazing people filled with joy, sadness, and a rich history.

Watching sundown from the Taj Mahal

World UNESCO Heritage, Wonder of the World, as a true legend of eternal love of an Emperor for his favorite Queen! It is an amazing story.

Though he spent much of his time subduing Hindu kingdoms to the south, Shah Jahan left behind the colossal monuments of the Mughal empire, including the Taj Mahal (his favorite wife’s tomb), the Pearl Mosque, the Royal Mosque, and the Red Fort. The Taj is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife. It is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.

Great Wall of China – New 7 Wonders of the World (1 of 7)

July 23, 2013October 29, 2013Posted in Asia, Bucket List, History, Photography, Tourism, Travel, Unique, WonderTagged Beijing, china, Great Wall of China, Wonder of the World, Wonders6 Comments

If you ever feel like getting to China is just too impossible. Have Faith. It’s definitely possible. I had seen most of Asia before I made it to China. For some reason I just kept finding other things, and I felt like if I was going to visit China, I wanted to see it all, I wanted to have enough time. I changed my attitude. The forbidden city wasn’t going to remain forbidden any more. I visited the Chinese embassy on a visit to San Francisco and within a couple of hours I had my visa. I was on my way to the Forbidden city with explicit plans to see the Great Wall of China one of the most exclusive travel lists in the world… the New 7 Wonders of the World!

The Forbidden City, in Beijing at night near Tiananmen Square

I decided, I wasn’t going to have time to spend a month or more in China anyway so I should break up my trip to China and plan it like I would Australia and simply break it into regions. Same as seeing Canada, you just can’t see it all at once. I’m sure many people say the same thing about the USA, or they should. Those who go to NYC and Las Vegas and think they’ve seen the US are kidding themselves. Those who rent an RV and Drive along route 66 are still only seeing one piece, but I understand the draw.

This post is in a series of 7 posts on the 7 Wonders of the New World

Gate to the Forbidden City

China is an amazing country. Looking for a culture shock!?? China is awesome at that. I’ll save another post for digging into my travels into China, and share my Wonder Experiences in a series.

We woke up early to head out to the Great Wall of China. It was surreal. Dux one of my techie friend’s from the Philippines who speaks great Chinese was our real connection to the locals. He helped us arrange a van to take us out to the Great Wall. We drove for a good hour from our hotel. The homes were getting more and more spread out. As we drove along it felt like we were entering the country side. I can’t remember if it was 2 hours, but it seemed like when we thought we were there, it was another 20 minutes. Then once we got into the parking lot, we realized it was going to be another 20-30 minutes of hiking up steps. The wall wasn’t designed for accessibility.

Seeing the wall was promising, but we could really see it from the car. We could see it weaving across the mountains for as far as we could see.

At first it just seems a lot like a wall made of bricks, but then as you take it in… in its magnitude, and splendor to realize its age, its role in history and in its preservation of culture and history… and then really start to understand the sacrifice of this man made feat. It brings humility and awe. Lots of sacrifice.

While we all decided we didn’t want to go down the way we came up, Michael and I decided we wanted to go for a walk, and the other guys decided to take the roller coaster. There were some interesting options once on top. You could walk 2 miles to a gondola one way, or another way was the gravity based roller coaster with a metal track, it was next to an impromptu zoo. We all decided we’d meet back at the bottom of the hill near where they were.

(A few of these photos are from Michael at Sharing The Globe a Traveling companion and Great photographer.)

Walking from tower to tower it seems close, but it really isn’t. It might be 1KM or more between towers. The area where we were while there were a number of tourists, we found space to be alone and found it not too challenging to take people-less photos. Yes, that’s me trying to run between the towers. It isn’t the easiest running, but I imagined those working the walls trying to share a message.

I picked up the Chinese Police hat. While it didn’t go with my jacket, I did like the fun reactions from the locals.

After walking along the wall for a few miles at a pretty fast pace (Can you believe there is a Great Wall Marathon?), I took a couple of early moments to reflect on this incredible structure. While I know it wasn’t all maintained as well as where we saw it, it was amazing about it. It started as far back as the 7th century BC against intrusions and nomadic groups and incursions and in protecting the spice route. Amazing how these towers were used in defense and in notifying the troops of what was coming.

How long is it actually? Depends on if you count the structures that also help support the defense of the wall. I’m going to say more than 5000 miles! Wikipedia proposes a couple of different estimates:

The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east, to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. A comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has concluded that the Ming walls measure 8,850 km (5,500 mi). This is made up of 6,259 km (3,889 mi) sections of actual wall, 359 km (223 mi) of trenches and 2,232 km (1,387 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers. Another archaeological survey found that the entire wall with all of its branches measure out to be 21,196 km (13,171 mi)

This post is designed to be post 1 in a series of 7 of the Wonders of the World. Follow this blog to be notified of the rest of the series.

Cappadocia Turkey Underground Cave Cities

July 21, 2013July 21, 2013Posted in Asia, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, Unique, WonderTagged cappadocia, Derinkuyu, Goreme, Kaymalki, Ozkonak, Troglodyte, turkey, Underground cities, Yehalti Sehri3 Comments

It was while watching a SCI FI Ancient Aliens show I first heard about the underground cities of Derinkuyu, Kaymakli and Ozkonak. These and the other 200+ Underground Cities are a huge mystery that may never come to full light. Everything we know is just from what has been found in excavating what remained. This could be remnants from those who were last there, as these caves could be much much older. There really are so many cave systems and underground tunnels and essentially full cities underground that it may never be fully excavated. These cities contained wineries, stables, churches, school, cellars, storage rooms. The largest of the underground city of the in the Derinkuyu district in Nevşehir Province, Turkey. It’s only been open to visitors since 1969 and less than half of what has been excavated is accessible to tourists. At peak this city could have supported 20,000 residents and was up to 85 Meters deep!!! According to the Turkish department of culture the cave is 8th to 7th century possibly built by the Phrygians either for religious purposes or refuge.

Now if you’re looking to visit this region, Goreme, Turkey is a great central location and really setup well for tourists where you can sleep in your own cave, but not part of any major tunnel system. Goreme has shuttles to and from the airport. Warning: If you are planning on not renting a car (which you shouldn’t need to do), you need to make sure you arrange ahead of time with one of the shuttle companies, the small airport in Kayceri has no ticket desk for shuttles and the taxi ride is pretty steep comparatively. I was denied entry into a shuttle bus even after offering to pay him his price. The driver won’t take money, it has to be pre-arranged. I ended up catching a ride with an older couple that was headed into the city. Really I got lucky, I didn’t want to pay the high price of the taxi, and there were no bus options that were convenient. It was going to be a long walk and an inconvenient trek to the bus station, and who knows how long I may have had to wait. WIth as many tourist shops and vehicles as there are in Goreme it was amazing to me how there was really NOTHING at the airport.

On the surface you really wouldn’t even know it was down there, save the entrance sign and a few air vents that look like wells.

Based on the size of the 500KG door that’s only able to be opened from the inside, I can definitely imagine it being used for refuge and for hiding from someone or something.

There are some spaces that are very wide open such is just outside the church which makes the shape of a cross, underground, or the very tight spaces that is speculated as being a doorway that forces the person to be penitent. They must go onto their knees to enter. The self inflicted punishment is they would go around and around through the small tunnel to learn humility, kind of like the hail Mary or doing rosary beads.

When inside unless you’re claustrophobic, you feel very safe. The walls seem very solid and there isn’t any crumbling rock. There are some areas where you need to bend over to avoid hitting your head, but the hall near the church has a lot of room, and supports really large gathering of people.

You can take a virtual tour of the caves at http://www.muze.gov.tr/derinkuyu

Look closely at these boards and you have one of the primary tools used to carve the stone with much sharper stones. The would drag the board across the softer stone and it would essentially carve away the stone. In this way they could remove the stone in large swaths. For smaller areas, they would use smaller tools.

Those who speculate that it was designed to be very temporary need to explain the graves in the area called the Morgue. Here the rooms in this section of the cave are designed to handle the dead… Is it possible these graves were temporary holding places for the dead until they could find peace long enough to bury their dead.

Yes, it was very dark 7-8 stories down. The little lights are wired up and brought in through wires attached to the wall.

Nevşehir Province has several other underground cities and Derinkuyu itself connects to Kaymakli via an 8 km tunnel. The deepest cave city is Derinkuyu and the widest is Kaymakli. You can’t travel the tunnel between them. Derinkuyu is about 30 minute drive from Goreme, which is the city where most of the hotel and tourist support is. Access to these cities is no longer open to local residents without going through the main entrance. They remain generally unoccupied. In excess of 200 underground cities containing a minimum of two levels have been discovered in the area between Kayseri and Nevsehir. Some 40 of those contain a minimum of three levels or more. The troglodyte (underground) cities at Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu are two of the best examples of habitable underground structures. Reaching Derinkuyu or Goreme and the underground cities and cave churches, one can purchase a domestic ticket on Turish Airlines to Keyseri or Nevsehir. There are overland bus routes as well from across the country with flying being the shortest and not a bad way to reach the city. Turkey is a big country so plan accordingly.

Why you need to visit Cappadocia the Underground Cities and Cave Churches

There are so many incredible things to see in Cappadocia that you could spend a weeks here and still discover new places. The main ‘must-see’ attractions are the open-air museums which are essentially groupings of caves, cathedrals and homes and the two best underground cities. At the same time it wouldn’t make sense to go this whole way and not see the incredible Rose Valley, the Ihlara valley which has many of its own small cave churches, but even just outside the Goreme Open Air museum is one of my favorite cave churches. What you’ll find when you arrive is there are many tourist companies that have organized the tours into the blue route, and red route, and so on, to group the various activities for those with limited time. As well, don’t forget to get up as high as you can to check out the valley, this may be in a hot air balloon or on a hike to the top of the canyons. One thing you must do is explore. There’s so much to see and not everything is behind closed doors. Even just hiking the valleys, you’ll be amazed to find abandoned caves.

Goreme Open Air Museum: cave churches with frescoes
Zelve Open Air Museum: an empty cave town with churches
Kaymakli Underground City: the largest underground city
Derinkuyu Underground City: the deepest underground city
Ihlara Valley: the deepest gorge of Anatolia
Uchisar: Roman rock-cut castle. You’ll see it driving back and forth. Very cool looking.
Ortahisar: Roman rock-cut castle.
Pasabag: mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys, monks valley
Devrent: animal-shaped fairy chimneys, imagination valley
Hacibektas: center of Bektasi sect of Islam
Gulsehir: first settlements in Cappadocia

I shared some of my stories on the Open Air Musuem, the Ihlara Valley and Monestary in “Early Cave Churches of Cappadocia Turkey” and more on the “Underground Cities”

Christian Cave Churches and Monasteries in Cappadocia Turkey

July 19, 2013July 21, 2013Posted in Asia, Culture, Favorite, History, Middle East, Photography, Religion, Travel, UNESCO, Unique, WonderTagged art, cappadocia, christian, Goreme, Painting, turkey3 Comments

As a traveler one of the thing that really stands out in digging in to understand a people is how much of culture is influenced by faith and religion. In Europe you must visit the cathedrals because it was the center of the universe for the people. In Istanbul you must visit the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia or you haven’t seen Istanbul. I have found Israel, Jerusalem, Bethehem, and Jordan to be quite amazing. Even Cairo had places that reminded me of Moses and the red sea. I have found the cathedrals across Europe to be quite amazing, even Ireland had some amazing history as it relates to early Christianity. Rome and the catacombs. Early Christians in Ireland, or Monserrat in Spain… incredible. These early Christians driven into caves and into the mountains the hermits of Bulgaria and Macedonia are fascinating and must see. The monasteries in the cliffs of Meteora where they survived from decimation for more than 500 years. I love thinking about Thessaloniki or the Thessalonians. My visit to Armenia and connecting with locals and making friends the thoughts and attitudes of the people cannot be separated from their faith as a people. Mount Arrarat and Noah’s Ark and God’s dealing with the Armenian people is so deeply ingrained in their art, their life and spirit.

A One trying to understand the mind of the pre-Nicean church can do much study the rich art and paintings captured on the walls of the hundreds if not thousands of painted caves now abandoned art work of Cappadocia. The cave paintings while much has been destroyed have preserved a lot of history and messages through the images. I find it quite inspiring and very peaceful. In some of the churches that you pay to see one with no cameras allowed. I could easily spend an hour staring at the ceiling and unweaving the thoughts in the heads of these early christians. Their faith, their perspectivies, their stories. Much of the tradition has been preserved, but a lot has been lost as well. Lots of contemplation are required to understand not just the story, but the perceptions of the artist.

This photo is not a direct photo, but actually a photo of what I saw, but photographed from a book at the gift shop, or a post card. You can see how much color is still in the images. The color alone is quite the story as the paint was made from pigeon poo.

My travels took me to Goreme, in central Turkey. These natural occuring ferry chimneys are amazing. I’ve only been in a few places in the world where they have these, Utah’s Goblin Valley, and Bryce Canyon, but what those places don’t have are the primitive Christian churches and the underground cities. The Tuff left from the volcanic ash turned rock helped provide a substance that was very easy to carve, but also very strong, like a more dense pumice.

There are multiple locations in Cappadocia where you can find these cave churches. First the largest collection in a small area is the Goreme Open Air Museum. There are lots of great cave hotels in Goreme. I recommend staying in a cave at least one night. It’s a unique experience and it’s quite affordable.

Unfortunately nearly all of the churches would not allow photography or video cameras at the Open air musuem. You could take pictures outside, but definitely not as compelling.

There were a few select churches that they allowed photography in. The names of the churches come from the art work inside. Apple church, snake church, etc…

While these may look impressive, the reality is these were pretty bare.

On a walk through the various churches you’d mostly get directed at the various figures and stories from the bible, but it was stories like the animal below that represents paganism that really caught my interest. I was interested in the explanations of what was different and how they lived and what they believed. Like can you believe that most of the well preserved cave paintings have the eyes of the people carved out.

I was told the local muslim people felt threatened and the eyes alone could convert. So you have these scary pictures where the eyes are carved out.

Not only were the churches carved into the stone, the people as well lived in caves in stone where archways could be fancied up. On the left you have the homes of displaced Greeks in Turkey. Most of them moved back to Greece.

Next we travel to the Ihlara Valley were over a dozen caves were turned into churches. One of the most amazing hikes… Combines peaceful walk along a stream with basalt canyon walls like the snake river valley in Idaho or, and pillars of the Giants Causeway in Ireland.

As you can see by the little yellow dots along the slides of the river in the Ihlara valley, for miles along the river, caves were turned into places of worship. If you were simply walking along the river, you would have really No idea this was happening. It’s Fantastic!!

Do these caves above look like they might contain this… image to the right.

Beautiful art still remains on the walls. Much has been destroyed or defaced. Eyes of the saints in the pictures are scratched out. One guide told us that the people were worried about how the beautiful icononic art might convert them. The watching eyes were just too powerful. So much so that for much of what you see there are few eyes you’ll find.

Below the three magi or wisemen and their gifts for the birth of the savior minus their eyes. If you look near the hat you can see names in Greek. It looks like the names of the magi were added afterward. The shape of their hats is interesting. It brings a historical understanding. Studying this brings much more understanding of the early 6th century church.

Mary on the Donkey… Did you know the reference to Mary riding a donkey is actually not found in the bible, but in apocryphal writings in the text the Infancy Gospel of James? This may be one of the earliest paintings that exists showing Mary on a Donkey.

It is very incredible to think of the condition that these paintings were made. These were painted many many years prior to the crusades, and the spread of the ottoman empire. These were made at time when the Christians were hiding in caves. The paint was made from pigeon droppings. To think about that part of it it’s really very remarkable much remains at all.

When in Goreme and surrounding you’ll find that you need at least 2 to 3 days to simply race through everything. 4 days to a week will allow you to take a slower pace to really enjoy the valleys and take more in. The tours are very inexpensive, and they are organized into the blue tour, the red tour and so on, and they really are packed with places to see and visit. One morning you need to do the balloon ride for the adventuresome. If you are thinking about the balloon, don’t wait till the last day because they are frequently cancelled due to weather conditions.

View of Goreme from the top of the hills.

The Fairy chimneys… turned home and now abandoned. A honeycomb of mystery and intrigue.

The Messiah, with a scratched out face…

For more adventure… On one end of the Ihlara valley is the Selime Cathedral. Walking to simply get to this Cathedral makes you feel like you’re rock climbing. It isn’t for little old ladies or old men. This requires a little bit of skill to navigate across the rocks, through tunnels and a bit of scrambling…

But the payoff is big. Huge rooms with archways and columns still remain while much of the artwork is destroyed and soot covers the ceilings.

If you look closely you can still see remains, of what was once majestic.

If there was any doubt that this valley wasn’t backed with mystery, intrigue and wonder… I hope a few of these picture have opened your mind. Goreme and Cappadocia still remains one of my favorite destinations and the my appreciation for the early church and their cave dwelling days has shaped what we think of even as a catheral or church. We have much to share in appreciation for these devoted follower of central Turkey.

Bahrain – Top 5 Things to See and Do

June 10, 2013June 10, 2013Posted in Asia, Culture, Middle East, Religion, Tourism, Travel, Travel Tips, UNESCO, UniqueTagged bahrain, burial mounds, dilmun, formula one, fortress, manama, Mosque, Unesco3 Comments

Bahrain is your oyster. You’ll likely start your travels of Bahrain in the capital of Manama. Manama means “Sleeping Place” and while it may seem quaint, there is some fascinating places to see and visit. Bahrain has changed a lot in the last decade, and is poised to change even more in the decade to come in competiting with it’s neighbors to be the Next Dubai, or compete for fans of Forumula one. People come to Bahrain to relax and have fun.

Many may plan their trip to Bahrain around a race, or football competition. The stadium is huge, and the infrastructure is designed to host a very large crowd. There’s also a lot of international food places that will surprise you that they’ve got. You likely didn’t know some of these places made their way to a place like Bahrain, but that’s also important in understanding the future of Bahrain. Once you think you’ve got it figured out… it will surprise you. There will likely be more struggles in this country in the future, it is a place of change.

1. Manama Souq

Manama Souq, known for it’s pearls and gold in the warren of streets behind Bab al-Bahrain. The souq is the place to go for electronics, bargains, spices, sheesha bottles and a other Bahraini essentials. It definitely isn’t just a tourist destination. You’ll see all types of people shopping Most shops in the souq are open from about 09:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 21:00 Saturday to Thursday, and after evening prayer on Friday. It’s a great way to people watch and see a great variety of people from the well dressed upper class Bahrainy to the working class folks. May I even entertain the idea that you can see Shiite and Sunni doing business together in the market?

2. Mosques: National Mosque – Al-Fatih Mosque

The national mosque is open to visitors. Happy to share information about the life of the Muslim and more of the faith of Islam this grand mosque has very informative guides. The Al-Fatih Mosque is the largest building in the country and is capable of holding up to 7000 worshippers. The mosque was built with marble from Italy, glass from Austria and teak wood from India, carved by local Bahraini, and has some fine examples of interior design.

National Mosque of Bahrain

3. Tree of Life

Before and After pictures of the Tree of Life… out in the desert.

Located in the middle of the desert, the Tree of Life, a 500 or 800 year old mesquite tree, stands alone. It is a mystery as to how it stays so green and alive in the waterless desert. Standing alone in the desert about 1.2 miles (two kilometers) from the Jebel Dukhan. It’s quite large and has huge branches. It looks too old, but the leaves still fresh green…

The tree source of water remains mystery, some others believe that it gets nourishing from the underground but no one knows why this tree still surviving.

It was quite the trek out of the city to go track down the tree, and I was disappointed to find someone had tried to burn it, and vandalized it. I found a lot of what’s going on in the region in the appearance of the tree and it’s treatment. It seems to represent life. It’s undergone some rough times, and this tree has seen a lot and despite all of that it has continued to persist.

While we were out there looking at the tree, we could see a group of tanks doing military exercises.

3. Dilmun Burial Mounds – A’ali Burial Mounds

As far as the eye could see, thousands and thousands of mounds dating from far back as 4000 years ago. Not the size of the normal burial plot, but the size of a small house. Over 350,000 ancient burial mounds covering spanning over 1000 years. Some think it’s where Adam and Eve came from. Could be the largest pre-historic ancient burial plot in the world covering many square kilometers. There are so many that even today the locals are debating what to do with it. If they excavate they can reuse the land, but some debate there isn’t much in them beyond pots and modest means, but some have copper and bronze weapons, jewelry, pottery that could tell the story of Dilmun civilization, an ancient trading hub that connected Mesopotamia, South Arabia and India, is believed to have inhabited Bahrain during the Bronze Age. While I was there I saw an archeological team digging, finding bones, and pieces of pots, and so on. The national museum has an exhibit on these strange mounds.

If you think there are a lot of mounds now, there’s only 1/5 of what use to exist, cleared for housing or already looted. UNESCO has considered adding some of the burial mounds to it’s list.

4. Bahrain National Museum

The most popular destination is the National Museum. (It’s nearby where the Pearl Monument was located were recently (Mar 2011) it was destroyed during the civil unrest in uprisings that occurred there. Bahrain is still known as one of the more liberal countries in the Persian gulf.)

This Museum Bahrain National Museum is the best place to start for an intriguing, well-labelled introduction to the sights of the country. It’s also walking distance to the waterfront. The museum showcases archaeological finds from ancient Dilmun and includes beautiful agate and carnelian beads and earthenware burial jars – used for the body as well as its chattels. It also outlines the local history of pearl fishing including information on the boats the dhow, complete with pearl divers.

Read more about this and other attractions on Lonely Planet guide to Bahrain.

5. Fort, Bahrain

A UNESCO World Heritage, Fort Bahrain is a remnant of a former time when the port was controlled by the Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries. This was during the times when they dominated trade routes in the Indian Ocean One of the more important historic buildings on the island, the Bahrain Fort (or Qala’at al-Bahrain in Arabic). This fort is one of several built in Bahrain and around the Persian Gulf to protect these trade routes. You can climb all over it and there are great views of the water from there. Nearby there are some more ancient ruins (4000 years ago) of the Dilmun capital referred to in Sumerian writings (bronze age) surrounding the fort.

There are a couple of other forts as well in Bahrain worth seeing if you liked this one: Arad Fort (near airport) and Riffa Fort (near Riffa).

As you explore Bahrain you will continue to find things to see… there are some older sites to see including this ancient Mosque no longer has its roof and a few remaining walls. You can still climb the minaret in the old mosque from 1400’s.

Enjoy exploring this fascinating country that isn’t going to stay still… it’s a progressive place and modernizing like crazy. Expect Bahrain to be the place to be with the likes of Doha, and Dubai.

Finding Peace, Relaxing in Laos

January 29, 2013January 29, 2013Posted in Asia, Tourism, TravelTagged Buddhism, Laos, Monk, Stuppa, templeLeave a comment

Michael wanted to go to Myanmar, and I wanted to go to Laos. So we compromised and flew to Thailand. The wonderful thing about Thailand is it is a great hub. The people are amazing, the food is amazing, the culture is very rich, and it’s very cheap to get around. Can you believe it’s 30 Baht to the $1? It’s a good time to visit Thailand for sure. Day tripping from Chiang Rai to Myanmar or Laos is very easy. We ended up spending a couple of days in Laos, but in hindsight it was really really peaceful and relaxing.

Peaceful Laos monks — Is there anything more peaceful than young monks

After getting a couple of photos for a couple of dollars on the Thailand side, we cross the river in Chiang Kong. I think we paid less than the equivalent of a dollar to cross the river into Laos. The first place we visited was this temple pictured above. The oldest monk we ran into was the one next to me. A very young contingent of monks and what was different about these guys was their interest in us. For the most part when I’ve visited buddhist temples the monks usually avoid the camera and stay in the background. In contrast these very friendly monks were very interested to get to know us and understand why we were visiting. It also explained why there was a guy on a guitar playing to a group of monks as we ascended the hill up many stairs to visit this temple on top of the hill.

Gyitar music with laotian monks — Acoustic tunes with the monks

What’s more relaxing than listening to some acoustic guitar with monks as the sun goes down? These brazilian guys were really relaxed as well… no hurry at all.

When I say this is a great place to relax, I’m obviously not talking about getting away from it all, and taking life at a different pace. Very easy to leave your worries behind and take a breather. I was amazed how immediately it seemed to happen, almost within seconds. The river really takes a hold of you.

From where we were, you could go upstream to China, or downstream to LPQ. One thing that really surprised me was the integration of army surplus. This hut is literally built on B52 bombs. These were either unused or duds. Most of the explosive material has been taken out, but I’m not sure they still wouldn’t have enough to cause problems if the kids started hitting these with a hammer.

Let me give you a quick list of why it was so relaxing…

1. The people aren’t keeping up with the joneses. In fact they are just surviving and thinking about their families. They could be working on bamboo for the roof, or working on making whiskey a long and drawn out process.

2. The numerous number of temples and monks who seem so peaceful and make me want to sit on a pillow and meditate. I took that opportunity a couple of times. Very peaceful.

3. Industry – What do the locals do? They aren’t doing major commutes, they simply walk or ride their scooters everything is very local. Our guide owned duck farm, fish farm, and he was a guide on the side.

4. The River – those who have studied Siddhartha know it was the river that helped him find peace. Right outside our $20 hotel was the river. The Mekong gives life. Life revolves around the river.

5. Massage – A good massage is so valuable. I can’t resist a good massage. Especially when it’s very accessible and cheap. It’s the right price and the right time.

I don’t want to tell the MAN, but I know Laos is one place that’s a great place to escape the pace of life and focus on peace if I ever need to.

Road Less Traveled: Top 5 Travel Destinations of Armenia

December 9, 2012December 9, 2012Posted in Asia, Culture, Europe, Photography, Religion, Tourism, Travel, Travel Tips, UNESCO, Unique, WarTagged Armenia, christian, Garni, Genocide, Khor Virap, pagan, temple, tourism, tours, Unesco, yerevan5 Comments

Armenia view Mt. Ararat, the site where Noah’s Ark landed, according to Genesis 8:4. In addition, Armenia has the distinction of being the first country to adopt the Christian faith (301 A.D.) and being evangelized by two of Jesus’ apostles (Bartholomew and Thaddeus). The landscape is dotted with ancient churches and monasteries.

Armenia may not currently be a top of tourist destination due to the challenge of getting there, but my experience is there is a lot of hidden gems and may be one of the top emerging religious tourist destination yet to be discovered, it’s off the radar for most. It’s definitely an ancient kingdom that has been passed from empire to empire until it gained it’s independence from the Soviet Union. Since that time it’s had a hard time with a couple of it’s neighbors. There’s some disputed Territory that was a gift from Stalin to Azerbaijan and another to Turkey. The Turkish relationship isn’t as strained it appears, but the Azerbaijani relationship is still strained with land disputes.

(Above: Khor Virap Monestary)

There are some amazing destinations in Armenia. The history of Armenia is fascinating. I do think it’s worth visiting and not one to overlook in your visit to the former soviet union and in your visit to the Caucuses. You really have to plan your routes through this region of the world. For example simply flying into Armenia is a challenge. We found getting from Georgia to Armenia was a great way of seeing the region and there were many more flight options into Tbilisi such as through Istanbul (one of my favorite cities for extended layovers). Both Georgia and Armenia are Christian nations.

1. Where Noah landed the Ark – Mt Ararat viewing from Khor Virap Monastery – The Khor Virap Monastery is a 17th century Church provides a spectacular and majestic view of Mount Ararat and one of the most visited church and tourist spot of Armenia. Saint Gregory was imprisoned in a pit for 13 years and as the story goes came out and the miracle of surviving this pit resulted in a conversion of the King and further prostylting led to the country converting to Christianity in 301 AD.

The Pit – Climbing down these steps is a freaky experience. It feels like the latter isn’t straight up and down. It feels like you’re leaning backward.

Khor Virap Monestary with the Bible famous Mt Ararat in the Background. There were some farmers burning their fields that day, so the mountain isn’t as looming in this photo.

2. Garni Temple – The oldest and best preserved Pagan temple in the world. This building plays a significant role in the establishment of Armenia as a country and hence has been preserved where a lot of pagan temples around the world were destroyed with the rise of Islam and Christianity.

The nearly 2000 year old temple has some older structures around it including some interesting mosaics and likely one of the most incredible views of river valley which remind me of the Ihlara Valley in Turkey and have similar looking basalt columns of the Giants causeway of Ireland.

(View inside of the Garni temple)

While we were there, some pagans were holding a ritual for one of their members who was off to join the military.

3. Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the oldest state-built church in the world. While meditating in the old capital city of Vagharshapat, Gregory had a vision of Christ’s coming to the earth to strike it with a hammer. From the spot rose a great Christian temple with a huge cross. He was convinced that God intended him to build the main Armenian church there. The Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the oldest state-built church in the world. The original vaulted basilica was built in 301-303 by Saint Gregory the Illuminator with the Kings help when Armenia became the first officially Christian country in the world.He renamed the city Etchmiadzin, which means “the place of the descent of the only-begotten.” This UNESCO herritage site is a 4th Century church with a rich history of the Christian nation of Armenia.

Courtesy Wikipedia

There was construction going on on the turrets while I was there so my photo didn’t turn out this great. The church is part of a greater complex of religious buildings including religious seminaries.

Above: Seminary Students and Armenian Priests in the greater complex

4. Armenian Genocide Complex – Memorial Complex of Tsitsernakaberd

Right near the national stadium is the Genocide memorial with an eternal flame and a pillar pointing toward heaven. My friend Marvel told us stories of his families making the experience very personal. The Government of the Ottoman Empire ordered the destruction of Armenians in Anatolia (Eastern Turkey) in an organized expulsion and extermination of Armenians. Women, children and elderly were from February 1915 sent on death marches towards the Syrian desert. Some 1 million to 1.5 million died.

Apparently there is controversy in the use of the term “genocide” as Turkey and Azerbaijan choose to say these events were part of the war. It’s very sad.

Armenian Genocide Memorial 1915-1922, the flowers pile up in a circle around the flame. Online there’s a 3-D video of the Armenian Genocide complex including the ability to place flowers.

5. Yerevan Republic Square – The Republic Square is the place where ceremonies and meetings are held. The statue of Lenin used to be located in the southern forehead of the square, but when Armenia regained its independence, the statue was brought down. Now you’ll find dancing fountains in the summer.

The square is surrounded with seven major buildings:

The National Gallery and the History Museum building (north).
The Ministry of Territorial Administration (north-east).
The Government House: holds the main offices of the Government of Armenia (north-east).
The Central post-office of the Republic of Armenia (south-east).
The “Mariott Armenia” hotel (south-west).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (north-west).
The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (north-west).

Christmas in central republic square

Vernisaj Market in Yerevan, this is a must see on the weekends. Lots of fun things for travelers. Lots of crafts involving Noah and the local landscapes.

This is the Old Yerevan Restaurant Band. There were tons of fun. Lots of great food to eat. The food was one of my favorite things about Armenia. Lots of great food.

Incredible India Series: The World Famous Temple of Rats

June 30, 2012October 15, 2012Posted in Asia, Culture, Favorite, Photography, Road Trip, Tourism, Travel, UniqueTagged amazing, Bikiner, culture shock, incredible, India, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Karni Mata, Rajathan, travel2 Comments

Our world is evolved enough people should NOT be dying of hunger any longer. End of story. I don’t think we should put up with it any more. If a handful of priests can keep alive 20,000 rats in the lap of luxury. We surely can apply some of these principles to help sustain communities all over the world. In my next post I’ll tell you what we can learn from the rat temple, a place that’s one of my favorite because it’s sooo different from the culture I’m use to. I spent a couple of weeks across India and Nepal with a couple of friends… Majid from Iran and Michael Noel from San Francisco.

While traveling in India I came across a peculiar place unique to any other on the planet. It was the Karni Mata Temple known as the Rat Temple in Rajisthan province near Bikiner.

Karni Mata the world famous Rat Temple

The world famous shrine of Karni Mata can be found in the town of Deshnoke 30 km south from Bikaner on the road to Jodhpur. Karni Mata is worshiped as an incarnation of Goddess Durga. This temple is famous for rats which can be seen everywhere in the temple. The rats are treated as sacred and given protection in the temple. Thousands of people travel to the temple by foot. The temple draws Hindu visitors from across the country hoping for blessings, as well as curious tourists from around the world. Inside, you are required to remove your shoes, it’s good luck to have rats run across your feet as this brings good luck. It’s also good luck to find a white rat. Apparently among the 20,000 rats there are 4 or 5 white rats. We spent a while listening to the children who were telling us stories of where the white rat had hid in a wall and we waited around hoping to catch a glimpse. The temple is an ancient building from the 1500’s built in beautiful white marble and has a silver door complete with images of rats that was donated by a rich ruler nearby.

The priests of the temple are protectors of the rats. They bless the pilgrims and give them a special sacrament. This sacramental food that is a mix of rat saliva and other stuff that comes out very yellow called prasadam, a candy like food for the rats. Eating food or drinking water that previously has been sampled by a rat is considered to be a supreme blessing.

Why Rats? In India as well as in the west Rats aren’t that special. In fact they are seen as animals that carry disease, but these rats are special. For generations they have been taken care of in this prime state.

The story of the rat temple is quite unique. I’ll put the story in my own words and then let you discover a number of online variations of the story. The story goes that Karni Matta was the reincarnate of the goddess Durga. One of her children died and she tried to bring it back to life only to be told by Death that had cursed her and her child was reincarnated as a rat and all of her clan would be reincarnated as rats. Other versions I’ve found say she made a deal to have her clan come back to life as rats and those rats would come back as humans. Either way, you don’t want to hurt or harass the rats here, as they are very special, but these are relatives of a reincarnate goddess.

There are a few amazing things about the Rat Temple:

Look for the white rat definitely a fun and rewarding activity
Apparently of the 20,000 rats it’s difficult to locate any baby or younger rats. In our trip I think we saw some juveniles, but for the most part they all did look about the same size and age.
No one apparently has ever gotten sick from the rats.
Careful where you lean, there may be a rat on the ledge or railing. Killing a rat would result in you needing to replace it with a solid gold or silver one.

While at the temple I saw the largest mixing bowls in my life. These huge huge bowls are set over a fire and the priest cooks the food for the rats in mass quantities. They are feeding 20,000 rats and for a handful of priests it saves a lot of time to work with industrial sized feeding bowl. In my next post I’ll share a social biz idea to solve world hunger based on this amazing place. I refer to the idea as social mush.

Read more about this very unique temple on National Geographic’s Rats Rule at India Temple

Bali Indonesia Land of Peace and Land of the Monkey King

May 29, 2012May 29, 2012Posted in Animals, Asia, Nature, Photography, Tourism, TravelTagged baby, bali, culture, hindu, indonesia, monkey, temple, wedding1 Comment

Bali is clearly one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Beyond that the people and the culture there is the richest I’ve found in all my travels. The people are so humble, so nice, and so culturally rich. I had the chance to witness a Balinese wedding. Bali is far from where I live, and yet I still feel a very strong longing. I find there’s a real peace tangible there. Life in Bali is simple. The word simple doesn’t do it. It’s something much more pure, it’s not about how rich you are, it’s not about how smart you are, you feel that it’s not about judgment either. It’s more about understanding sincerity. It’s about being true to yourself, and respecting others. I understand why Eat, Pray, Love ends in Bali. The protagonist really finds something about themselves that they couldn’t find otherwise. I don’t care if you liked the movie or thought it was long and boring. The beauty in Bali in the movie was great, but what you really didn’t get to fully realize it there is something about it. Something special there. I hope I can covey a piece of what I experienced.

When I arrived at the airport in Bali, I was already feeling very relaxed. I hadn’t decided yet how I was going to get to my $6 hostel a block from the beach in Kuta. I was still at the airport, looking for some wifi when I was sitting in some little café when I noticed a young girl was staring at me. I’d look back and she was really staring at me. I smiled and she smiled back. It was great. I think I figured it out. I was strange to this young girl.

Later on, my first stop of my personal tour. In fact I hired a driver from the airport to take me to my hotel, drop my stuff and then we’d go visit a large torso statue. While I was taking pictures, a man approached me and asked if his daughter could take a picture of me. I was a bit shocked, but remembered the girl from the airport. Sure. I replied and handed him my camera. The girl took a picture, but didn’t seem ok. I asked what was wrong. He then explained she wanted to be in the picture with me. She then approached and was much much happier as she stood next to me and her father took a picture of her. This would repeat itself multiple times, and in other parts of Asia. I have learned to embrace it. It’s gets even better when I have my kids with me. It’s much more “lucky” to have pictures with my pale skinned kids.

Now let me tell you about Kuta. Kuta is known for it’s surfing, it’s a great tourist town, great shops, relaxing atmosphere, and it really attracts the tourists. Lots of Australians, lots of Japanese, and Koreans. Kuta is becoming more of a resort area. Most of the hotels on the island are in Denpassar, Ubud and Kuta the beach suburb. Ubud has everything a tourist could want minus the beach, which is why Kuta is popular… the great beaches. Bali is a very cheap place to learn to surf.

The south end of the island is Uluwatu. An incredibly beautiful Hindu temple on a cliff overlooking an amazing rocky shore. The sun begins to set and monkeys run around. A troop of monkeys including itty bitty little monkeys.

I was walking around, soaking up the sun and taking some video when this little monkey jumped onto my shoulders. I was taken by surprised as he treated me like a fellow monkey and started picking at my hair, face, and ears. It was then he started climbing down my arm to check out my camera. He was really getting quite comfortable, and I was definitely enjoying it when I started walking and he got freaked out and jumped back off.

Continue reading “Bali Indonesia Land of Peace and Land of the Monkey King” →

Erbil, Iraqi-Kurdistan

Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi-Kurdistan

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This post is in a series of 7 posts on the 7 Wonders of the New World

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Why you need to visit Cappadocia the Underground Cities and Cave Churches

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1. Manama Souq

2. Mosques: National Mosque – Al-Fatih Mosque

3. Tree of Life

3. Dilmun Burial Mounds – A’ali Burial Mounds

4. Bahrain National Museum

5. Fort, Bahrain

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