Religion – Page 2 – Traveling Epic!

Traveling Ireland’s Ancient and Natural Wonders

July 15, 2013July 15, 2013Posted in Culture, Europe, Family, History, Nature, Religion, Tourism, Travel, UNESCOTagged ancient, Brú na Bóinne, giants causeway, Irish christianity, megalithic, natural wonder, neolithic, newgrange, solstice2 Comments

Ireland has been inhabited for thousands and thousands of years. For Eons and Ages, Ireland has constantly been inhabited and has a rich culture of folklore, myths, and a myriad of megalithic structures scattered across the country marking structures from these older ages. Early man left evidence from the mesolithic, neolithic, stone, bronze, and iron ages. I love traveling to Medieval and Neolithic sites. The ancient world history is fascinating to me. From the pyramids and temples of Egypt to Avebury & Stone Henge and on to the Nazca lines and the underground cities of Goreme and Cappadocia. I’m absolutely fascinated with it. So much of what we know is so little. We talk about these places like we know all about them, but honestly it’s pre-historic and we know very little and are still learning.

History in Ireland started in 400 AD with the spread of Christianity. It’s amazing to think of it spreading so far and wide. There are some amazing structures to see in Ireland. Within a short drive from the beautiful city of Dublin, you can be at amazing places. I recommend Wicklow for an afternoon at Glendalough. Glendalough is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is known for its early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, a hermit priest. It’s a beautiful drive and history itself unfolds as you walk amongst the graves, churches, and stone archways.

Like these ancient sites. Very easy to connect with nature and get a feel for what it was like in a village. This tower entry reminds me of Rapunzel. The entry to get in the tower is twenty feet off the ground. Apparently the monks would climb up a latter and then pull it up. They could drop rocks or oil and fire on the invaders.

These ancient rock churches are beautiful, but not an uncommon site in Ireland. They have lasted well through the ages. You can see how important faith was through the ages.

Glendalough is home to one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. This early Christian monastic settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and from this developed the “Monastic City”. Most of the buildings on the site today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. Despite attacks by Vikings over the years, Glendalough thrived as one of Ireland’s great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 A.D.

Amazing structures, history from an ancient time… you can feel it in your bones.

Walking through the graves and the amazing Celtic crosses makes you feel an appreciation for the deep faith of the people.

Older than the Pyramids or Stone henge, Newgrange was an amazing find. I was amazed to find such an ancient megalithic structure that I hadn’t heard of with such importance. Driving north from Dublin straight north in the small town County Meath, Ireland on our way to Belfast and Northern Ireland, we saw a sign for this ancient site. I was intrigued. What is this Neolithic site I’ve never heard of? Newgrange is a large mound in a circular shape with a stone passageway and decent sized chamber inside (no pictures inside). On the tour they told us that during the 70’s some hippies were inside when it lit up during the winter solstice. Apparently they really didn’t know what it was used for prior. There’s still some confusion, but essentially this mount is not isolated. There are a lot of them in a small area.

This stone mound is surrounded by large stones with Neolithic carvings that still show up reasonably well. I absolutely love the swirls. It reminds me of the tail of the monkey in the Nazca lines. What you don’t realize is just how old they estimate this place.

These megalithic structures are called portal tombs (a chamber consisting of upright stones with one or more large flat capstones forming a roof) or passage graves or dolmen often there is often no human remains. There are 40 of these passage graves near Newgrange. The carvings on the rock are one of the largest collection of megalithic art.

Incredible examples of one of the largest natural collection of Megalithic art… Newgrange is part of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the tour, they simulate the light, but there is actually a lottery to be able to be one of the lucky handful who can be in the chamber when the light enters.

In Northern Ireland is one of the great natural wonders of Ireland. The Giants Causeway. This basalt has dried in amazing formations on the sea side. It’s like Black Chrystal formations.

In the Giants Causeway with my sons. I’m lucky to be able to travel with my family on occasion. Ireland is a good family destination. Very family friendly destinations, and accommodations. They really enjoyed Ireland as well, and to think I was afraid there wasn’t that much to see. Incredible structures, incredible history, and very fun people. I’d be happy to go back to Ireland… anytime. So much more to see.

Meet the Fijian Hindustanis – The Other Side of Fiji

July 13, 2013July 13, 2013Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Extreme, Family, History, Oceania, Photography, Religion, Tourism, TravelTagged culture, fiji, fun, fusion, hindu, hindustandi, Holi, Indian, paint, party1 Comment

Fiji is a multi racial and multi ethnic place. In my previous post on Fiji I wrote about the native Fijians and my experience connecting with the locals. The majority of Fijians are native Melanesians. 43% of the population are Indo-Fijians or Hindustanis. Indian indentured laborers were initially brought to Fiji, Indo-Fijian. In the late 1800’s Indians came as indentured laborers to work on the sugar plantations. Most have been here in Fiji for multiple generations. They even have a fusion language. After the indentured system ended, many stayed on as farmers and became businessmen.

Now you have the most amazing fusion. Hindu temples on an island jungle with culture, language, and society that is culture and tradition rich cultural island nation mixed with the incredible history of India. A little bit of curry goes a long way to spice up a dish. The colors really light up the place.

My friend Michael of sharingtheglobe.com is *really* good at travel. When we put our minds together, we put together incredible adventures. Michael knew that the hindu holiday of Holi was happening. So while the first day of our trip, we knew we wanted to venture deep into the island and spend our time in a village.

The adventure began when we woke up on Holi morning. We knew we wanted to find out where the holi celebration was happening. We asked around and some mentioned that the Hari Krishna temple was where it was happening. We tracked it down, and visited it, but while a beautiful building, they weren’t having it there. They told us to go to a different hindi temple. It was there we saw a small gathering. It was the super soaker of purple dyes that really made a mess. We knew as we approached that we were going to get really painted up.

Within a couple of minutes, we were soaking with colors of the rainbow. It was fun, exciting, and we joined in music and food. The kids were loving it just as much as the adults.

It was after we left the temple that we we driving a long all painted up when we saw a big truck full of Holi day people. The truck was like a large military truck with room for tons of people. We waved and they waved back. They were excited to see follow holi friends and gestured for us to follow them. We followed them as they drove to a house. An older lady answered the door, and the music and dancing began and paint started flying. In western terms it felt like a mix between trick or treating for Halloween, and Christmas caroling, but the colors feel like a mix of easter and a spring water fight. Amazing. I hope you can just imagine the joy we were spreading as we were going from house to house, singing and dancing, and letting go of norms. It was very energizing to let go and connect with these people. In the end we stopped for a round of Kava.

The purple dyes would take over a week to get out, but the feelings lasted even longer. I gained a huge appreciation for the hindi people in this experience. The love, the friendship, it was amazing to see the outreach and ability to connect a community. These traditions should be respected. When I found out that not 50 miles from where I’m currently living, the hindu temple has an annual gathering and the community gathers to celebrate with the Hindu people. If you ever get the chance to celebrate holi. You must. It will help you gain a huge appreciation for India, Hindus, and the global culture that has brought spice to the world. Happy Holi, and I pray for continued peace on the island of Fiji. What an amazing place!!!

Fiji – An Experiment in “No Reservations” Cultural Island Travel

July 13, 2013July 13, 2013Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Family, Favorite, Food, Oceania, Religion, Travel, UniqueTagged culture, drink, fiji, fijian, island, islands, kava, nadi, no reservations1 Comment

I bought a cheap flight from New Zealand on my way back to the U.S. On a discount Jet Star flight, I was in Fiji for a couple of days for less than a difference of somewhere between $100-200 USD. It was great. I loved Fiji. The people were amazing! The adventures I had in Fiji could not have been planned, and no guide could have planned some thing as authentic as what we experienced. This post is the first night and I’ll separate the other experience in another post. Fiji was just too amazing for one post. Michael condensed his into one post on Fiji titled “Kava Shots and Holi Wars”, and I borrowed a couple of his great photos. This post on our experience with the native Melanesian people and my second post on the hindustanis and celebrating “holi” with them.

When some people think Fiji, they think of beaches in paradise. I was thinking… Natives in grass skirts, a real tribal experience that I couldn’t find in the Caribbean. I knew I wouldn’t have my wife and kids with me, and hanging out on the beach was the furthest thing from my mind. I wanted to go local and seek out a real adventure.

On the flight to Fiji I asked a flight attendant where I could find the most native village and one where I could live with the locals. I was imagining huts or sleeping on mats or hanging hammock. I was given the name of a place somewhere deep in the island. When we went to pick up the rental car, they said we’d want a 4×4 to get there. Ultimately we picked up a 4×4 and headed out into the woods. Before we headed out, we wanted to make sure we had a gift for the village to cover any expenses we might incur to the village.

It was long before we started out on dirt roads, and deeper and deeper crossing rivers, and getting strange looks. Miles and miles deeper we drove. The stares started getting longer and polite “Boolah!” we would get. We’d respond, “Boolah!” and smile big. Then someone stopped us… where are you going? We explained we were going deep into the heart of the island to this very native village. He told us that was impossible and that we should turn around. We let him know we weren’t in a hurry and were enjoying the drive. He gave us a warning that the river had washed out the road. It got more and more challenging as we drove along and finally we met our match. The road was too much, so we turned around. You’ve heard about Anthony Bourdain and his No Reservations show. On this day we were definitely traveling without reservations. We were both up for adventure. I was traveling with my friend Michael Noel of SharingTheGlobe.com and I said. Tonight I want to sleep in a village, and we agreed even if we were on someone’s floor. We were open to adventure. As we drove back the way we came, we saw a big tent and a local gathering. We slowed down to avoid the crowd walking along the street and gathered around the tent.

Young men were pounding long metal pipes in little wooden canisters. They’d lift and pound, twist lift and pound. We slowed and said “Boolah!”… What’s going on? He replied, it was a birthday party for his 1 year old daughter. The entire village was gathered for the party. The women were inside the home, and the men underneath the tent. He invited us to join them. We had heard about the need to bring cava roots as a gift, so we were prepared. I was so excited to join this exciting moment and the family was happy to have some foreign guests of honor. We were brought to the head of the tent to the elders of the village and sat down on mats.

The village chief elder asked us a few questions, but invited us to participate in a ceremonial “Kava” drink. Kava is such an important part of the culture. It is only consumed sitting with your legs crossed, with no legs and foot pointing to the sides. The kasava root is pounded then put in a sock and water is added to create the drink. The first person claps their hands twice, and from a large bowl a half coconut is dipped in and then the person who is presented the cava claps twice, then drinks the cava, after he’s finished he throws any remainder over his shoulder and hands the coconut back. Both hands are used at all time. It felt like a handshake, trust, confidence, and an opportunity to make friends all at once.

The tent was filled with happiness and order. Those with the most age were at the front of the tent and as a rite of passage, you had to be twenty or twenty one to enter the tent. Those at the back of the tent had paid their dues in the pounding of the cava and only those who had come of age could drink the cava.

In our search for a unique cultural experience we were given one. We had arrived late to the party and the men had already eaten. We were invited to eat with the women and children who as custom would have it, eat after the men.

They accepted us and we had some interesting looks, but had some great local hand cooked fish and rice. The children thought we were interesting or funny looking. Either way, we made friends with the kids, and eventually re-emerged back out toward the tent. A couple of younger guys from the back of the tent approached us and asked us about our story. Why we were here, asking if we were having a good time… Of course we were. We were offered more kava. At this point I was getting a little nervous. I wasn’t sure if I was going to have strange dreams or what affect this kava might have. I knew there wasn’t alcohol in it, but beyond that I didn’t know much about it. I explained to the young man that I shouldn’t have too much. He asked why. I said for religious reasons. He asked what religion. I said. LDS. He said. “No way.” I said, “yes way. I am a Mormon.” He replied… That was impossible. He stopped and said. I am a Mormon. That house over there. They are Mormon. Many in this tent are Mormons. I wasn’t sure if he understood me, or what, but then I remembered as we had turned off the road, I had seen an LDS church. He said the prophet had told them that they could drink kava, but they should not drink too much. Having spent the last 3 hours involved in the ceremony with the elders I could see the cultural importance, and for a young man this was a huge privilege for him to be under the tent and mingling with the men of the village. He asked us where we were staying and I told him we were hoping to find a place to stay. A while later he told us he had talked to his mother and we could stay with them. Perfect! We would be able to stay in the village and even if on the floor we had a real local experience rather than staying in some cheap hotel. He wanted to stay at the party as late as possible, so I asked him about what time he’d be leaving. He didn’t know, but somewhere around 1am. We agreed that would be fine. He ended up going back to the party after we settled down for the night. The 1 year old’s party lasted till at least 2 or 3 am. Wildest 1 year old party I’ve ever heard of… The people celebrate together. It’s a very communal society.

Music got more lively and ultimately it turned to dance, and we were invited to boogy. After learning a few local moves, we were invited by some locals to start dancing. We had some more kava. Danced some more. Had more kava, met more locals and spent the evening having a blast with the local Vatuvu villagers. Fiji was amazing and we were experiencing it raw. No guides, not paid group. Our payment, a gift of Kasava root, smiles and friendship.

That night I would sleep on my new friend’s couch, and feel what it was like to be a villager. Mission accomplished!

Travel Back in Time – Smell the Mint Tea of Morocco

July 8, 2013March 9, 2016Posted in Africa, Animals, Culture, Religion, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, UniqueTagged architecture, culture, desert, Fez, Morocco, sahara, simple life, travel back in time3 Comments

I am entranced with Morocco. There are few places in the world that do such an amazing job of preserving life as it was hundreds even thousands of years ago.

Fez, has truly captured life as it was 1000 years ago. The Medina or urban center is the gated old city in Fez. The only transportation in the Medina is by foot, or by donkey. No cars. I have seen a scooter or two, but the preference is no motorized vehicles. The narrow old streets couldn’t support a car anyway. It is amazing how well preserved the the traditions, culture, and structures are in Fez.

You see water being hauled in for drinking, common community ovens for cooking bread, hammam or bath houses, and common tanneries and more. The beauty of this gem of the desert is most precious.

I stayed for a couple of nights in Riad Fez – very beautiful feel to it. The wood is so intricate, and the tile beautiful with color.

This chandelier the size of a VW bug is hand made stamped metal. Morocco is known for the lamps and chandeliers.

In Fez, this Coca Cola delivery donkey is the same as a Coke Truck. Fez, now preserved as a UNESCO heritage site.

The Medina of Fez was founded in the 9th century and is home to the oldest university in the world. Fez reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. Much of the infrastructure in the city dates from this period.

The Medina of Fez is considered as one of the most extensive and best conserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world. The unpaved urban space conserves the majority of its original functions and attribute. It not only represents an outstanding architectural, archaeological and urban heritage, but also transmits a life style, skills and a culture that persist and are renewed despite the diverse effects of the evolving modern societies.

15th Century Tanneries of Fez from a neighbor balcony

You just have to imagine the sounds and smells of the tanneries. Here they start with sheep, camel, goat and various animal skins. Here they soak them to remove the wool with lyes, and then move to drying and dying. You can then purchase a huge assortment of hand made leather goods.

Much of Morocco is still very local. I worried I would see tons of tourists in the cultural capital of Morocco. I didn’t see a single tourist until I reached the square. Going through the narrow labyrinth of the Medina was awesome. While I would have preferred to simply get lost in the streets, the locals all really want to help. At some point it is easier to allow someone to be a guide than continue to be bothered. There are official guides and hotels can arrange them, but the students love to help as well even if they may be restricted to their routes. Don’t let someone tell you they can’t take you somewhere. There is much to see and experience.

Instead the squares are full of locals who browse the flea market style spreads of clothes and shoes. One doesn’t have to feel like a tourist. You can try to blend in.

Unfortunately, in a crowd watching an acrobat it’s still tough to blend in. Reality sets in. Of course, they need to see a tip. Make sure you have lots of small bills and coins on hand to keep the entertainment going. Asking for change with this crowd doesn’t work.

This Jewish cemetery in Fez reminds me of the scattering of Israel and gathering of Israel. Amazing how far the Israelites were spread across the world. Ethiopia, Georgia, and across Europe and even Argentina and Mexico city. Amazing stories abound of how the King would keep the Jews as advisors, ambassadors, and tax collectors. Apparently 15% of the current state of Israel or 1,000,000 Israeli Jews are of Moroccan descent, while only 35,000 Jews remain in Morocco. Jews have 2000 years of history in Fez.

There isn’t just one amazing city in Morocco. There are many. I love Marrakech and Meknes as well. Do not judge Morocco based on a brief visit to Tangier. I highly recommend you spend time in the Atlas mountains. They are magical. They themselves contain the history of the world. Incredible fossils have made their ways across the globe. Rock hounds will find heaven. Those wanting to see a simplier life will see the mountain people with their goats and sheep walking on trails thousands of years old. If you can… escape to Ait Ben Haddou. As a child when I imagined visiting Jerusalem, a visit to Ait Ben Haddou is closer than the real thing. It’s in many of the biblical stories.

From Ait Ben Haddo, Oaurzazate is a quick trip and the great Sahara is nearby. The gateway to the Sahara with a variety of multi day excursions with Berbers into the sand and mystery of the desert. I found this the beginning of another world.

Simple and pure I found many people who willed life itself to slow. While many vendors simply want to show you their wares, and the children want to put you on the backs of their donkeys and horses, the simple life is pure. Tourism has left some scars, but there are ways of finding the past and connecting with time gone by. Slow down, sip the mint tea and relax and listen to the stories of the desert.

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.

Nicaragua: Historical Gem in the Rough

March 10, 2013May 10, 2013Posted in Central America, Culture, Religion, Road Trip, Tourism, UNESCOTagged Colonial, crime, Granada, history, islands, lake, managua, Nicaragua, ometepe, volcanoLeave a comment

Cathedral in Granada

Nicaragua is one of the poorest/cheapest countries in the Americas. It’s been an underdog for a couple of decades. As a tourist attraction it’s easily overlooked for Panama or Costa Rica or Guatemala. Many may not even consider it. Nicaragua is really under the radar as a tourist destination, and as someone who loves discovering places off the radar where they knock your socks off and they haven’t been discovered I LOVE Nicaragua. I actually had doubts about writing this because some who have made Nicaragua as their home away from home or for their escape may not want extra attention, but that hasn’t stopped me in the past. I’ve been to Nicaragua twice and love loved both times. The first time I did a bunch of research. In my pursuits I came across a lot of warnings and enough to really scare you.

“Armed robbery attempts have increased in popular tourist destinations where armed, and sometimes masked, assailants emerge from roadside locations to stop vehicles and rob passengers. One common tactic is for assailants to place rocks, tree branches, or other large objects along roads and wait for cars to stop. When the driver gets out of the vehicle to remove the obstruction, assailants come out of hiding to rob victims. Criminals posing as Nicaraguan traffic police occasionally target visitors. The imposters conduct traffic stops and rob vehicle occupants at gunpoint.”

One post I read was an expat from the US that runs a white water rafting place, they had moved from central Oregon. In the post, they went on to explain that Nicaragua gets a bad rap that it doesn’t deserve. They compared the crime rate in the worst city in Nicaragua with an average city in Oregon and explained it was worse in Oregon. Looking again there are horrible warnings designed to scare you. In my research the crime rates are comparable to the US and in many cases worse. Compare Numbeo country crime rates of Nicaragua 41.93 and US 53.44 a higher crime rate. Hey, I’m a fan of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, they both have a lot to offer and shouldn’t be compared since they are so different in terms of what they have to offer. Costa Rica has the beaches, and Nicaragua has the big lake and historical colonial cities.

The cost of living is one-third cheaper in Nicaragua. Tourists are very concerned about safety, so it is necessary to look at crime statistics. The homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants in Nicaragua was 12 in 2005, 13 in 2011, an increase of 8%. The homicide rate in Costa Rica in 2005 was 7.8, with a 32% increase in 2011 to 10.3. The ten most violent US cities each have more homicides than the whole country of Nicaragua. Chicago a city I wouldn’t even bat an eye to visit had 50x the homicide rate.

I hope you notice the HUGE lake, the largest freshwater lake in Central America, and really the largest islands in freshwater in the world.

Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordering Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south

In Nicaragua it’s about the lakes, volcanoes and natural beauty. Lake Granada has hundreds of small islands in addition to the big volcano islands. Beautiful personal islands with one house. Jump in the water, it’s nice all year round. I have heard about the fresh water sharks, but they don’t hang out near the city on the Granada side. Catch a ferry over to Ometepe, and stay on the island. I went on a kayaking excursion. Amazing views.

Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua

Colonial Towns Granada – Ometepe holds the distinction of being the largest island in a fresh water lake in the world. It is also full of pre-Columbian history, statuary, and other relics, plus two magnificent volcanoes.

Granada is a very historical city. Nothing compares with it across central america, the closest is Antiqua, Guatemala. Incredible beauty.

At night go out on the closed walking streets and be serenaded with incredible food from around the world.

Managua has the big man in the hat on the largest hill in the city. Great views. You may not agree with the politics, and some local friends of ours are waiting for change, but it’s amazing. I personally would recommend spending your time with Granada as your base. Don’t hang out in Managua. It doesn’t have much to offer. Get out to the lake and you’ll feel the relaxing atmosphere. As a non native Spanish speaker, I still found enough people who spoke enough English to get around. You will want to have a few words. One of my friends only used USD while in Nicaragua. Even the ATM provided choices for USD or local. Our hotel took credit cards. You likely will want to make sure you have cash before you take the ferry out to Ometepe. On the islands things are pretty spread out and the roads are pretty rough, but that’s part of the adventure.

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.

Empires and Castles of Ethiopia

November 23, 2012October 14, 2014Posted in Africa, Culture, Favorite, Religion, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, UniqueTagged aksum, axum, Castle, christian, coptic, Debre Damo, ethiopia, fasilidas, Jewish, king solomon, Kingdom, sheba, timket10 Comments

When you think of Ethiopia you think of impoverished people where 3/4ths of the country live on less than $1 a day. When I first came across the fact that not only there were castles Ethiopia, but a vast Kingdom that rivals the Kingdoms of Europe and was larger than the greatest kingdoms of the world, I was blown away. Ethiopia has quickly become one of my favorite places in Africa. In fact what I’d discover was wild stories of King Solomon of Jerusalem of the famous Temple of Solomon and his many wife’s including the Queen Sheba whose kingdom is believed to have been in modern Ethiopia and Yemen. The more Kebra Nagast I read the more I was fascinated and even becoming convinced of the connection between Ethiopia and the old Judean kingdom. In Ethiopia you can’t separate religion and these vast kingdoms. As a Kingdom there are strong Judean traditions and Christian influences and is the first Christian Kingdom. If you read the Ethiopian scriptures you’ll find the marriage and first born son of Solomon and the connection to Sheba and her son Menelik.

Aksumite Empire and Kingdom

The Aksumite Obelisks marked the reign of the old kingdoms. One of them was taken by Italy and then returned in 2005. Imagine if England and France returned the obelisks from Egypt? I know the Paris one was for a trade for a clock that never really worked.

The Empire of Aksum at its height extended across most of present-day Eritrea, Ethiopia, Western Yemen, southern Saudi Arabia and Sudan. The capital city of the empire was Aksum, now in northern Ethiopia. It was known as one of the four great powers of his time along with Persia, Rome, and China.

Right: St. Mary’s church which contains the Arc of the Covenant behind the curtain in the Holy of Holies according to the Ethiopian Coptic church. They wouldn’t let us go back there. Instead they wanted to show us their old colorful Holy Book or Bible.

The Aksum empire achieved prominence by the 1st century AD, and was a major player in the commerce between the Roman Empire and Ancient India.

Aksum’s capital is found in northern Ethiopia in modern Axum which is now smaller than it once was. The Kingdom used the name “Ethiopia” as early as the 4th century. It is also the alleged resting place of the Ark of the Covenant and the purported home of the Queen of Sheba.

Abyssinia (Ethiopian) Empire – Solomonic Dynasty

The Solomonic Dynamisty claim direct male line descent from the old Axumite royal house. Menelik II, and later his daughter Zewditu, claim direct male descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The importance of this is very significant for Rastafarians and much of Ethopia. The last emperor of Ethiopia born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael, known as Haile Selassie I was Emperor of Ethopia from 1930 to 1974. He was the heir to a dynasty that traced its origins by tradition from King Solomon and Queen Makeda, Empress of Axum known in the Abrahamic tradition as the Queen of Sheba.

I took this picture of Emperor Fasilides (1603-1667) Castle in Gondar, which was one of the best preserved of the many castles in a small area in the city of Gondar.

Here Paul and I were messing around amongst the castles.

Above: Emperor Yohannes I Castle in Gondar – 1667-1682

We were a little surprised to find a heard of donkeys running down the road. The castles are on the other side of the rock wall.

These cool Banyan roots remind me of Cambodia.

Below: Coffee Ceremony. Coffee is originated in Ethiopia. If you love coffee I highly recommend the personal roasted coffee bean ceremonial experience. I’m not much for coffee being LDS, but my friend Paul must have tried it a half dozen times and loved every one of them.

Fasiladas’ bath – created by Fasilidas back in the 16h century. It’s a beautiful place where they perform baptisms.

Timket – Once a year the Ethiopian church celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river on January 19 (or 20 on Leap Year), corresponding to the 10th day of Terr following the Ethiopian calendar.

Below: This blue house appears made of dung and this fabulous blue color.

Below the ancient kingdom of Yeha even older than Axum as the capital for Ethiopia and has the oldest building in Ethiopia dated to somewhere around 700 BC. We were definitely out of place in this little village. If you really want to see people who rarely see outsiders this is a great place.

The Monastery of Debre Damo is on a flat-topped mountain with and contains a 6th century monastery available only to men. While on top of this plateau you can see hills and landscape in Sudan and Eritrea. It’s a real treat for multiple reasons. The only entry is via a rope made of animal hides that’s dropped. You tie one it around you and start climbing up the other animal rope. It’s an incredible experience climbing up 100 foot cliff straight up.

If you visit Axum Ethiopia it’s a short 2-3 hours through an amazing countryside ride. Yeha is less than a half hour away. We were able to see much of Axum in the morning and make it out to the amazing unique monastery.

O Little Town of Bethlehem: Touring Palestinian Territories

November 22, 2012November 22, 2012Posted in Bucket List, Favorite, Food, Middle East, Religion, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, Unique, WarTagged Bethlehem, christian, Dead Sea, Dome of the Rock, Gaza, Hebron, Jerusalem, Jew, muslim, Palestine, West Bank2 Comments

With all this talk about air raids in Palestine and rockets in Israel makes you think it must be pure chaos. It’s far from the truth. The people I’ve met are use to the rockets coming from Gaza into southern Israel and haven’t been really concerned until as of late, but the latest special rockets with targets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem bring in a whole new dynamic. That’s serious when random rockets can reach Jerusalem and Tel Aviv! I probably won’t be taking my family to Jerusalem for a couple of years, but it is one of my favorite cities in the whole world. I love hearing the stories in church and thinking about the places I’ve been. I’ll tell you more about Bethlehem as well. There’s nothing like it. Seeing the struggle in person is unreal. Tours can be organized to go to areas in the West Bank from Jerusalem. My first encounter with Palestinians was in Jordan, a real must in the middle east and required on your collection of the 7 wonders of the world to see Petra the amazing place made famous by Indiana Jones. Later I met a friend of a friend in Qatar who took me around Doha and discovered this national Judo champ was Palestinian.

Also make sure to pull out a map of the middle east. There’s still a big difference between the West Bank and Gaza. Here are some clips from the BBC maps that show the complication.

The two governments (3 if you count Hamas, but lets focus on the West Bank) while attempting to be united are still not there. I’ve even had friends who have visited Gaza while rockets were going off, and felt unaffected. It’s wild.

I’ve visited Israel and the West Bank three different times, and outside of security and check points… I really enjoyed my time. I do have friends in the technical community in the Israel Office/SharePoint User Group and in Palestine SharePoint Users Group. In fact I randomly came across SharePoint training on the streets of Bethlehem! If you don’t know what SharePoint is, don’t worry. For me it’s what gets me around the world. It’s the technology that I speak about and cover on my technical blog at http://sharepointjoel.com

On your holiday you must go to the dead sea. Believe me, the mud that is shipped all over the world is amazing. You must cover yourself from head to toe and then take a dip. The worlds lowest bar in the world (Kalia –418 meters) is next to the dead sea. There are rumors that Sodom and Gomorrah from the Old Testament is the same location as the dead sea. Avoid your eyes and ears from the salt water, but do lay back and float. It’s amazing. I’ve tried it in the Salt Lake in Utah, and it works, but the salt content isn’t as dense and it sure stinks in Utah because of the brine.

Must see places in Palestine

1. Bethlehem – Church of the Nativity (in the West Bank)

O little town of Bethlehem. I sing about it every Christmas season. You may too. I will now never have a Christmas come and go where I won’t be thinking about the little town and what I experienced. There are pilgrims that visit all the time. I’m sure the numbers will be less this season than last, but it should be bucket list item for all Christians if not Muslims and Jews as well.

Go through a small opening, then venture through some amazing columns then wind yourself behind the alter and back under and down some stairs to a small little area where you’ll find a star. This star marks the place where the Christ child was born.

Jesus is special to both the Christians, Muslims, and Jews. So while he may not be the Son of God to all faiths, you can have conversations about Jesus in all circles and they know where he was supposedly born. Many assume that Palestine is nearly all Muslims. This is also not the case. There are a lot of Palestinian Christians and many Israelis that may or may not be Jews referred to as settlers, and Bedouins that may or may not be Muslim.

2. The Tomb of the Patriarchs and Mosque in Hebron (in the West Bank)

The burial place for Abraham, Sariah, Isaac, Rebeccah, Jacob (Israel) and Leah. Built by King Herod King of Judea about 2000 years ago. Sacred to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. 2nd holiest site for Jews after the Western Wall.

Another fascinating part of Hebron is the fact it’s divided in two. As is the Tomb and caves. You’ll find 10 days where the Jews have the whole thing, and that’s the day we happened to have been visiting, so we didn’t get inside, but we did get to experience what it was like peering in from the Palestinian side into the Jewish settlement side.

3. Dome of the Rock – Jerusalem and nearby Al-Aqsa mosque (silver dome)

The Dome of the Rock is located at the visual center of a platform known as the Temple Mount. For Muslims this was where Muhammad’s night journey took place. Many believe it was the site of the Solomons Temple. In 2006, the Temple Mount was reopened to non-Muslim visitors between the hours of 7:30–11:30 am and 1:30–2:30 pm during summer and 7:30–10:30 am and 1:30–2:30 pm during winter. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering after 2:30 pm and may not enter on Fridays, Saturdays, or Muslim holidays. In the few times I’ve tried to visit, I keep missing the cutoff. You really do have to plan ahead for this one. I’ve seen the guards do a quick test to determine the faith of Muslim believers in off hours. The nearby Al Aqsa mosque is believed to be the location where Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Note: Many Orthodox rabbis regard entry to the compound to be a violation of Jewish law. This is based on the belief that since the time the Temple was destroyed during the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the precise location of the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary entered only by the High Priest, is not known. Hence a restriction applies to the entire compound. I’ve heard religious Jews should not plan on visiting for this or other reasons.

Jews have traditionally regarded the location of the stone as the holiest spot on Earth, the site of the Holy of Holies during the Temple Period. According to Jewish tradition, the stone is the site where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac; Muslims believe it was Ishmael, not Isaac, who was to be sacrificed.

4. Arafat’s Tomb in Ramallah

Yasser Arafat who for years represented the Palestinian Liberation Organization for years and years is buried in this tomb.

Abbas’s palace or equivalent to the white house is nearby

Growing up and seeing Arafat on the television is still fascinating. Now there’s a mystery surrounding his death. Was he poisoned? He body is going to be Exhumed on November 26th to determine the cause of death according to China Daily News and Aljazeera. Also just outside where the compound was you’ll find the flags of the nations that recognize Palestine as a nation.

While the UN doesn’t yet officially recognize it, UNESCO has joined the ranks, and has sacrificed US support as a result. It will be fascinating to watch to see if there’s a two state solution in the works.

5. Jericho and the Mount of Temptation

It’s a beautiful view, and there is even a gondola ride. This is the supposed place where Christ was tempted by Satan and told to jump and have the angels save him. Great views, and old monasteries. We walked it on a beautiful night followed by some gelato. As I walked the roads of Jericho, I thought of my Sunday school stories of Joshua and marching around the city. “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve, but as for me in my house, we will serve the Lord…” this is still a very powerful statement and one I use with my kids.

Getting from place to place between Israel and Palestine, and even getting to places like Bethlehem require passing through checkpoints that become bottlenecks. As well, large walls divide the settlers from the Palestinian people. These walls fashioned after the ones formerly in Berlin are huge, and tower above the people. It does restrict travel and movement for sure.

There are some political prisoners that are often touted in political prisoner exchanges.

I was pointed to this map of Israel and Palestine while in Bethlehem. While controversial it shows a perspective of the Palestinian people and their concerns of over land. It’s not my point to say who’s right or who’s wrong. Visit Israel and Palestine. You’ll get both perspectives. The people, the governing, depending on political alignment, and depending on where the person lives and the color of their card all may tell you different stories. Keep an open mind.

Below: Damascus gate is near the Garden tomb, another of my favorites and one that has a very peaceful spirit. Watch the hours… it’s closed on Sunday and closed for lunch and not open late. Be sure to get some awesome food, and enjoy the Muslim quarter in East Jerusalem, considered the capital of Palestine while.

In a traditional Palestinian scarf with some traditional Muslim women with head scarves. Just because they wear the scarf does not mean they are Muslim though. Some women in Palestine will wear it for fashion. As well, some Muslim women may decide not to wear it.

Palestinian food is good food. They love their savory meats, stewed veggies, mezze, mixed grills and deserts. Lots of lamb, goat, but hold the pork. No pork for Muslims or Jews.

Let me leave you with a final caution. The situation between Israel and Palestine is complex and goes back for many generations, not just since 1967. I don’t pretend to understand the full complexity of it, but I do appreciate the desires of the people on both sides to have freedom and peace. I appreciate the desire of a two state solution, and even the one state solution with full citizenship, but there are people on both sides that aren’t happy with anything on the table. It’s incredible to me that there really isn’t anything that will make the radicals on either side happy without horrible repercussions.

While I posted this blog with the intention of showing those that travel that there are some really interesting places to visit, I hope as well that those that visit will get to know the amazing people that have had some really rough times and a very bad rap.

I also hope the Israeli security will give me a break and allow me to visit every once in a while without interrogating me for 3+ hours. By the way if you are visiting Palestine, make sure you focus on your trip in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, but any time spent in the west bank be prepared for a few hours in interrogation. You’ll likely end up getting my treatment involving many trips through the scanners and someone going through all your socks and underwear with their wand. So far I’ve never missed a flight. Ironically the interrogation is always on the way out.

Israeli’s, don’t be offended by this post. I love you guys too. Tel Aviv is amazing, great beaches, love the Golan heights and I’m happy to attend a bar-mitzvah any time!

Lalibela Ethiopia and the Famous Rock Hewn Churches

October 15, 2012October 15, 2012Posted in Africa, Bucket List, Favorite, Food, Nature, Religion, Technology, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, UniqueTagged canyon, caves, christian, cross, ethiopia, Hiking, Lalibela, orthodox, Rock Church, St George14 Comments

In our world there are few places shrouded with as much mystery, culture, and history as Lalibela the second holiest place in Ethiopia. Designated as the 8th wonder of the world, and a UNESCO world heritage site. These rock hewn churches made in the 16th century are an ancient treasure built by Angels.

Lalibela starts with the story of a King that as a baby was shrouded in bees. The bees weren’t bees at all, but angels. The angels took him up to heaven and showed him how to make tools and how to carve churches from rock.

The story doesn’t end there. King Lalibela shared the ideas of the tools that were ahead of their time, and the humans took the day shift and the angels took the night shift and together they built amazing churches that are built with deep symbols of early Christianity. Rather than pilgrimage to Jerusalem at a time when the Christians had been kept from safely visiting Jerusalem and the other holy sites of Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the life of Jesus.

Narrow valleys carved into the rock can take you from church to church, each with it’s own story. The largest megalithic church in the world is found among the 11 rock hewn churches in Lalibela. All of them are within a couple of miles, and easy walking distance. You can easily spend a day or two. Loyal Christian orthodox priests act as guides for a negotiated price. I was trying to explain that these churches were a lot like the church caves in Cappadocia, but our guide wouldn’t have it. These were literally carved by Angels. It was great to have a guide who was so loyal.

At lunch we stopped at a little place. We were told it was Friday and so we couldn’t order the lamb. It’s fasting day. So we ordered the fasting food.

The Ethiopian fasting food is made up of various veggies. The food is designed to be eaten with your hands and is designed to be a social family experience. Beets, potatoes, lentils, cabbage, tomatoes, amazing food. It’s served on a traditional injera which is not only edible, but is how you eat the food. Rip off some injera and wrap it around whatever you’d like. Sometimes it comes in a roll so you can rip off a little and have plenty to eat a nice big pile of food. There really is a lot of variety in the food, served on large platters. Ethopian food really grew on me. I had some in Zanzibar and a few years ago in Capetown. It’s really a fun food.

Ahead of time I did a little research and came across the Tukul village hotel. I *really* enjoyed it. They were cheap enough, around $50-60 that both Paul and I got our own rooms. The nicest rooms in town. We had hot water 24×7, plenty of power, and free wifi and it almost reached to our room. I say 24×7 cause some say they have hot water, but it’s only on in the morning. One also said they had wifi, but it was a hard wire in a room behind reception. Across Ethiopia this was our favorite city and favorite hotel.

The rock churches were about a mile or two walk from the hotel. When we’d walk around, a group of kids that would grow as we’d walk would tell us stories about their lives. They were from the countryside. In a sort of boarding type situation. Groups of kids put together sharing a room. Most, basically all, don’t have money. Part of the story you hear from the kids is that they are going to school and need supplies. Notebook, dictionary, and more. If you’re around long enough you hear about how they are months back in rent and will get kicked out of their place. Some don’t have shoes. In some places I wouldn’t believe the stories, but I was convinced.

After a day of walking through the rock churches, I overheard some amazing traditional music and as we got closer found what looked like the whole of the 15,000 of the village gathered to watch the dancing in a festival. I was offered a prime seat, but instead found a spot next to some young kids. One of the children was a blind boy, and his faithful friends who he held onto, one behind and one in front. They filled me into what was going on. None of them had parents around… they too were from the countryside and were here in Lalibela for school. They told me about their need for notebooks and that they would struggle without them. After hearing the price and seeing the sincerity I walked with the boys to the little store and purchased a pack of 10 notebooks which they shared. Word got around, and we saw some kids that we’d seen earlier in the day, so we went back and decided we’d buy them out. 70 more notebooks, but this time the story was more sincere. The 3 of us will share. Ok. I’ll get a notebook for all the children, there can’t be more than 70 around here. I was warned by one of the older children that the kids will fight over the books. Paul and I weren’t sure how to take the advice we were given of giving him all the books and have him distribute them. Images of him running off, or only giving books to the older kids concerned me. We gave him a pack of 10 and committed him to promising to share. Then another and another and then Paul and I each took 10 or 20 to distribute to the growing crowd of children. To my surprise, it was as if we were handing out food to a starving crowd who hadn’t seen food in ages. Fights broke out, emotions ran high, as older kids pushed and little kids tried to find a way to get close to us. I was nearly in tears as I saw the thirst. As I saw one notebook ripped to shreds I put the rest under my shirt and said no! I wasn’t going to waste these. The needs were too great. We were beyond sincerity. This meant their ability to learn. One child then explained to me that 3 kids could share one book. I appreciated his willingness to share and gave him a book. Another tried to line up and smile. Those that were surrounding me reminded me of what I had seen earlier in the evening before all the amazing cultural dancing. It totally reminds me of chickens fighting.

At the beginning of the festival a sort of sacrament or communion moment was happening. It was loaves and fishes Ethiopian style. A large platter with a large loaf of bread was split among the elders of the group, then to the guests like myself and other adults. I shared my ripped off piece with the blind child and his friends, really felt the spirit of what was going on, that is until it never made it’s way to the children, and others were chastised for grabbing at the loaf of bread. I needed to find a way to distribute the books in a way that wouldn’t result in ripped up pages. As I walked away to see how Paul was doing I secretly pulled out a book at a time with no one looking and gave it to the children who seemed heart broken. It really lit them up. Paul had given out his books and had a similar experience of kids fighting over them. We were both really shaken by the experience and knew we’d never forget it. Paul vowed to buy a dictionary, which he did, and ended up giving away wads of local currency to the children we walked with. Hoping that they could buy some shoes for the boy with no shoes. We don’t know how it worked out, and if the dictionary purchase was a ploy. That one to me did seem that way me, but we both hope that it ultimately would be used for good.

Lalibela is in my top places of the world. It has has special place in my heart. I was only there for a couple of days, but it did change me. It also makes me consider the wonders of our modern world and make me wonder what we’re contributing to our future. How will they judge us based on our megalithic buildings propped up around economics. These walls will fall much sooner than those in this little town of Lalibela, Ethiopia and they won’t mean as much as these either.

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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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