Basketball at Midnight

After my night bus from Olympos, I ferried across the Bosphorus Strait into Istanbul,  Turkey, Europe: this is the first time I have been in Europe, my fourth continent!
Truman, a traveller from Colorado, came here as the first point on his first trip overseas. He’ll be spending the next few months jumping around Europe. Being new to [...]

One of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been in: Olimpos. Set amidst high, craggy mountains, with some snow-caps in the distance, the shoreline has nestled beaches between high cliffs (mostly pebbles with some sandy patches), ancient Greek ruins, and “turquois” waters in which one can see their shadow on the sea floor more-meters-below than swimable. The [...]

On and on and on…
The middle of Turkey is contradictorily amazing. Cappadocia, the highly acclaimed “must see” destination is rather uninspiring for me, but the mountains I passed through in order to reach it (coming from Syria) were beautiful: towering, jagged craggs sticking snowcapped into the sky. I was maybe 500 meters from a patch of snow and [...]

Wandering through northwestern Syria via local transport, admiring the scenery. A post on landscapes:
A mountain range runs down northwestern Syria between the borders with Lebanon and Turkey and becomes the western border with Lebanon in the South. Beyond the valley to the East of these mountains are a set of foothills; all of this land is fertile, [...]

Escaping the insanity of Jerusalem, I had returned to Jordan and today went piecemail to visit Jerash and enter Syria. According to my first Jordanian visa, today would have been the last day I could exit, and I’ve heard Syria checks the dates to make sure that you don’t have unexplained extra time in countries near [...]

Still in Jerusalem, and I’m really really really leaving tomorrow. I *tried* to leave yesterday afternoon, but the guys at the service taxi stand laughed at me, saying I wouldn’t be able to fill up a service that late in the day. I went back to the hostel, figuring I would leave early this morning, met up [...]

Still alive!
But
what to say ?
After spending the rest of Shabbot and Sunday with Tova, Kalman (not Common), Jordan, and various other people and guests, Jordan and I went to points north in Palestine on Monday. Now, my “restless dissatisfaction,” as Emily once called it, pushes me on. I leave for Jordan later today, probably to the Dead [...]

Yes, yes. I know. Before you go stark raving mad….
I’m in Jerusalem again, having gone to Palestine/West Bank/Judea & Samaria (depending on your leaning). I’m safe and sound. Be worry free.
Here’s how the thing went down:
At dinner (always at dinner!), I met Tova and her husband Common (both of New Jersey, in Israel for five years, I think, about [...]

Day 3, Jerusalem.
It all continues, similar to yesterday. I continued my tour of the divided lands, and met some more people on the edges of sanity (many of you may feel this is a strong statement, coming from me). What would you like, character sketch and the places, or reverse? I’ll go with places.
I took a rather uneventful [...]

Wouldn’t you expect it from me?
I am in Jerusalem, and have cleverly avoided having my passport stamped at immigration (by simple request). I *left* Amman, Jordan, yesterday in time to arrive here about 9:30am. While sitting at the border waiting to be searched, however, the Middle East correspondant for Sweden told me about tighter border security due [...]