Wadi Rum, Searching for Lawrence

After two days at Petra, Herman and I retreated to an even more desolate place, Wadi Rum. It’s a vast desert with fantastic rock formations, rather like the Monument Valley of Jordan. We drove into the heart of silence and spent a night. It was as close as being Lawrence Of Arabia as I’ll ever get.

But to prove how small a world this is, even out in the center of all that empty space, we ran into another gay couple on a similar tour, and after a few minutes of excited talk, we realized we four had a mutual friend who now lives in Bangkok.

Visiting Petra, in Jordan

Anyone who knows me, understands I love to crawl through ancient ruins. I’ve climbed the pyramids at Giza, crawled all through Angkor Wat, walked Borobudur, and hiked to Machu Picchu, just to name a few. This last week I had the opportunity to travel from Tel Aviv into Jordan to visit Petra. Herman and I spent two days at Petra, and it turned out to be one of the most interesting and inspiring hikes of our lives. We loved it.

More than two thousand years old, Petra was built by the Nabataeans in the heart of the Shara Mountains. It prospered in the first centuries BC and AD as was a vital part of a major trading route connecting ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Today, intricate facades sculpted into the sandstone cliffs of the area can still be seen, along with other remarkably preserved structures and monument of this fascinating civilization. At its peak, it housed fifty-thousand inhabitance. By the middle of the 7^th century Petra appears to have been largely deserted and it was then lost to all except local Bedouin from the area.

Petra was also known as the rose-red city, a name it gets from the color of the rock from with the city's magnificent structures were carved. The city has numerous tombs cut into the mountainside, along with temples, a theater, and a colonnade street with two free-standing churches.

Needless to say, I was in hog heaven.

Hello Jafa

Another day spent in Jafa, just south of the White City in Tel Aviv. What we found was a Hungarian festival and the Jafa flea market.

Hungarian Days. There are roughly 22,000 people of Hungarian decent living in Israel, so why not have a Hungarian festival? Great music and dancing, along with arts and crafts. Ever try dancing with a wine bottle on your head? Apparently Hungarians do.

The Hungarian Days festival took place in what was once a train station, the HaTachana Station. It's now converted into a row of shops.

There are market areas and flea and art markets just about every weekend.

Hello Tel Aviv

After spending two days roaming around Tel Aviv, I’ve begun to form some impressions. Everyone I know who’s been here has raved about how wonderful it is, so my expectations were very high. Sadly, I’m somewhat disappointed. That’s mostly because my expectations were inflated.

The city seems a bit shabby, and because people don’t clean up after their dogs, a certain odor hangs in the air. It has a Southern California feel, meaning, it has a young vibe, and with lot’s of hipsters running around. Has lots of restaurants serving mediocre, yet expensive food; coffee shops galore, and an active gay night life. There is a thriving beach community, but it’s also a city where old and new architectures clash. In fact, it seems to be a place where old and new everything clashes.

This town has an abundance of: hot-looking young men; people of all ages zipping through traffic on electronic-assisted bicycles; groups of loud lesbians who have made being annoying an art form; and families clogging the sidewalks with baby carriages. Seriously, there is a baby boom going on here. I see dozens of baby carriages every few blocks. One stroll around any part of town tells the story about what the national pastime is in Israel.

Still, Herman and I are having a wonderful time. Today we walked south to Jafa, the Arab quarter, for a look around the old fort, mosques, and Christian temples. It had lovely views of the city, and we found a fantastic restaurant serving Arab food. Need to go back soon, just for another meal at that restaurant. We strolled along the beach coming back, and there were plenty of hotties to feast our eyes on. Makes me want to buy a beachfront property and spend my days watching the people strut by.

Still In Istanbul

Visiting one or more of the several mosque here in Istanbul is a must. This city has dozens, and several of them are major structures, beautifully titled. The most popular is the Blue Mosque, named for its blue titled interior. But all the ones I’ve visited are spectacular.