My main reason for visiting Jordan - other than living out my “Lawrence of Arabia” fantasy – was to visit Petra. Petra is an incredible Nabatean city carved out of the cliffs, dating back to the first century BCE. There are still Bedouin who live in the caves of Petra, making this a city that has been inhabited for at least 2,500 years. To that end, I had arranged with my hotel to hire a taxi for the day to take me the 128 kilometers from Aqaba to Petra. The hotel manager assured me that this was a driver he trusted; the driver would wait for me while I explored Petra and drive me back. The fee was JD85 (about US $120) which was steep, but it was certain, unlike the buses. My driver, Naef, spoke ... read more

The walls of the old city absolutely fascinated me, and when I found I could walk the ramparts from the Jaffa Gate on the west wall (not to be confused with the Western Wall) to the Dung Gate on the south wall, I was in. Entrance to the ramparts costs NIS 16 about US $4.70, but if you are looking for history and some fantastic views, it’s worth it. Jerusalem has been fought over for millennia. As each invader entered the city, they knocked down the city walls, or at least part of them. Once the conquerors were comfortably ensconced, they rebuilt the walls to repel the next round of invaders. Quarrying stone is hard and heavy work. So, instead of quarrying new stone, the conquerors would re-use the stones they had previously knocked down, or ... read more

The Temple Mount is one of the holiest sites in the Abrahamic religions. This was the site of the First Temple, built by King Solomon around the tenth century BCE. This temple was built on top of the location of the Foundation Stone, believed by Jews and Moslems to be the spiritual junction of heaven and earth. The temple stood for 410 years before being destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar II. The First Temple contained the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. Today, the Dome of the Rock stands on top of the Foundation Stone. This is also considered to be the place where Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice before being stopped by an Angel of the Lord. This story is mentioned in the Koran, as well ... read more

I had heard many stories about the added security screening people face when going to Israel. El Al’s pre-flight security checks are legendary, and I had read horror stories about getting though (or not getting through) Israeli Immigration. There is good reason for these precautions, and I certainly understand the Israeli’s caution. I wasn’t particularly concerned. My point of departure was a small regional airport in California, where getting through security took all of three minutes. I wasn’t flying El Al, I am a near-sighted, middle-aged, reasonably pleasant woman with a US passport, and I am registered with the US Global Entry and Trusted Traveler programs. I connected in Newark to my flight to Tel Aviv. Even though I had already gone through security at my departure airport, I had to go through security again in ... read more

Normally I put group tours in the same category as whiny children and bad hangovers: things to be avoided at all cost. Fortunately, the Garrison Heritage Tour was a happy exception. I’m interested in military history, and for a long time I had wanted to see some parts of Garrison that are not normally open to the public, like the armoury and the inside of the Main Guard building. So, when I saw the small ad in the local newspaper pitching “Historic Garrison” tours to residents, my interest was definitely piqued. We started the our visit at the George Washington House, a place I have visited before. (See my blog George Washington Slept Here) However, since my previous visit, several miles of tunnels underneath the area have been discovered, some leading to St. Ann’s Fort, some ... read more