travel – Page 25 – PalmTreeMusings

A road trip around Israel

January 20, 2013March 20, 2022Posted in Middle EastTagged best things to do in, Haifa, israel, Jerusalem, tel aviv, travel, travel blog1 Comment

Chris and I were able to meet in Israel for a week over the Christmas holidays. I arrived in Tel Aviv on Christmas Eve night, exhausted from almost 20 hours of flights.

The next day was Christmas Day, but being Israel, everything was still open. I walked all around Tel Aviv and down to Jaffa, exploring the Carmel Market, the beaches, and Old City Jaffa along the way. Great temperatures in the 70’s and lots of sights to see. Late that night Chris showed up, and the next morning I took him to visit all the sights I had seen the day before. Then we got on a bus for Jerusalem.

view of jaffa and the mediterranean sea israel — Deah in Tel Aviv

man standing at spot where abraham prepared to sacrifice isaac israel jaffa — Deah in Tel Aviv

The next morning we returned to the Old City to see the rest of the sights- the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, David’s City, The Temple Mount- we were not allowed to go inside the Temple Mount to see Al Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock- (don’t even get me started on sites that exclude due to sex, race, or religion)- but we climbed to the top of the Austrian Guest House and could see Jerusalem from above. Later that day we took a bus to Bethlehem, where a friendly taxi driver showed us the Fields of the Shepherds, the Church of the Nativity, and lots of Palestinian street art on the wall that separates Israel from the Palestinian West Bank.

church of the holy nativity israel — Jerusalem

Shepherds in the field church bethlehem israel — Jerusalem

On Friday we took a day trip to see Masada and the Dead Sea. Along the way we saw the Qumran caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We took an aerial car to the top of Masada and learned about the siege by the Romans in 73 AD, which ended in the suicide of the Jews on the mountain. We went to the Dead Sea, covered our arms and legs with mud from the banks, and floated in the salty water. When we returned to Jerusalem, Sabbat had begun, so no trams, buses, and few restaurants open. We walked down to the Old City and found an Armenian place open and it was great.

man floating in dead sea israel — The Dead Sea and Masada

On Saturday we paired up with two other people and rented a taxi to Haifa, north on the coast. What a beautiful city, or at least the part we explored! It was a bit rainy and we were pretty exhausted from our continuing jet lag and all our walking around, so we had a late lunch, walked around a bit, and went to bed.

The next day, Sunday, we went to see the Museum of Clandestine Immigration and learned about all the sneaky ways the Jews got people into Israel before the British left in 1947. They had artifacts and photos and even some of the ships they used. Very interesting, especially if you’ve read Leon Uris’s Exodus. Across the street was Elijah’s cave, a sacred site to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and open to all. Then we took a tram to the top of the Baha’i Gardens and took a tour down through the amazingly maintained green space. It was really lovely.

boat at museum of clandestine immigration israel — Haifa

All too soon it was time to take a train down to Tel Aviv, where we got a hotel right on the train tracks near the airport. Chris left late that night, and I flew home the next morning. At least I got a layover in Istanbul- mmmm, Turkish delight!!

We return to the US- and get married!

June 30, 2012May 19, 2023Posted in North AmericaTagged best things to do in, Biltmore, north carolina, northern Virginia, repatriation, reverse culture shock, travel, travel blog, Washington dcLeave a comment

One of the great things about coming back to visit the US is the chance to be a tourist in your own country. Some of the local or near-by sights that others take for granted have a new-ness to them that is refreshing. And the ease of public transportation and the efficiency of the US National Parks Services is a great thing.

girl standing in front of great falls national park virginia — Great Falls National Park

man standing at C&O canal sign Chesapeake and Ohio Canal national park washington dc georgetown — Chris on the C&O Canal

After leaving Chad, we stayed in the Washington DC for a month, looking for a house. During that time, we explored a lot of the hot-spots of DC, visiting monuments, museums, and restaurants. My parents came to visit, so it was great to see them and celebrate with them. We visited the Washington and Lincoln monuments on a beautiful April day when the kites were flying, the trees were blooming, and the flowers were at their most colorful. It was great to see my parents again- it had been almost a year since our last visit- and Dad and I enjoyed the Smithsonian together, while both my parents got to meet my new husband. (We also took advantage of a rare time when we were both in the US to get married!).

In June, between Chris’s training and his deployment, we had an unexpected free week, so we split the distance between us and met in Charlotte, North Carolina. We spent a week exploring the city, as well as nearby battlefields, the US National White Water center, the Speedway, the Biltmore House in Asheville, and the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The views were amazing and we learned so much about the area while we were there. Plus, it was nice to spend some quality time together before a lengthy time apart.

bass pond bridge reflection last of the mohicans north carolina asheville biltmore — Chris and Deah in Asheville

Now Chris is on a nine month deployment, and Deah is job hunting for a librarian job in the local schools. Hopefully Chris’s work schedule will allow for us to meet for a long weekend in the early fall, or for a week at Christmas. Meanwhile, I’ve got some adjusting to the US to do! Reverse culture shock is a real thing.

Solo Travel to Togo, Burkina Faso, and Ghana

March 30, 2012March 20, 2022Posted in Africa, Solo TravelTagged Africa, best things to do in, Bobo-Diolasso, Burkina Faso, Cape Coast, Ghana, lome, Ougadougou, Sabou Crococile lake, Tamberma Valley, Togo, travel, travel blogLeave a comment

Deah sitting on back of crocodile sacred lake at sabou burkina faso africa

First, a big thank you to Joy, for being my first visitor to come see me in Chad! It was great to have Joy visit us for a week and show her around town, and totally cool that on her last day, we took a boat ride on the Chari River and saw a HUGE herd of elephants drinking at the river!

Chobe river three elephants playing in water Botswana — Elephants in the Chari River

With Chris in the US visiting family, and Joy back to Sudan for work, I took off for Togo and parts unknown. As soon as I landed in Lomé I could see the ocean and smell the salt- and feel the humidity! The first two nights I stayed in a small hotel above a bar, called Le Galion, unfortunately in a non a/c room- big mistake. West Africa sure is sweaty!

palm trees and ocean lome togo africa — Lome, Togo

I tried to visit the Lomé museum but it was closed, and after visiting the big marche, there wasn’t much else to do in town (except enjoy being out of Chad). So I hopped on a bus and went north to Kara, the gateway city to the Tamberma Valley. I met up with three Belgian volunteers and we hired a car and driver for the day to take us to see the traditional villages out in the hinterland. Very interesting architecture, but it made me sad to see the way the people live in the village- they seemed malnourished and out of step- and not in a good way, just listless and unprepared for the world around them. The next day, the four of us had the same taxi driver take us to the Burkina Faso border (a seriously bad road). After paying a whopping $190 for my visa, I entered Burkina and the four of us got a bus to Ougadougou. We arrived late at night and they invited me to stay with them at a friend’s unfinished house that night. We slept under the stars in what was to become a surprisingly chilly night!

Tamberma Valley togo thatched roof mud huts — Tamberma Valley, Togo

outdoor camping in unfinished home ougadougou africa burkina faso — Camping outside in Ougadougou

The next day I dropped off my passport at the Ghanaian embassy for a visa, and took off for Bobo-Diolasso. I liked it better than Ouga- a bit quieter, more manageable. But both cities have this quality of a dusty, dirty, run-down city. I guess nothing on the edge of the Sahara desert stays pretty looking for long. I loved my little guest house, Villa Bobo, and sampled some great cuisine, especially a totally delicious local yogurt with honey. Mmmm. Had it three times.

sand mosque in bobo dialassou burkina faso white mosques with sticks poking out — Sand mosque, Bobo-Dialassou, Burkina Faso

Back to Ouga to pick up my passport and visa, and I stopped at the village of Sabou along the way to see my volunteer friends. We visited the sacred crocodile lake (animists in the village believe the crocodiles are the reincarnated souls of the chief’s ancestors) and we actually paid a visit to the chief himself, as one of the volunteers was new to the project and the chief likes to meet anyone new to the area. That night we slept outside again, as the volunteers’ house has no electricity. Living rough in Africa!

the chief's compound sabou village burkina faso thatched roofs

I stayed in Ouga for two days after that, recovering from some unfortunate stomach distress, at a beautiful little garden pensione called Jardin de Kouloubra. A great place to recover. Finally I was feeling ready to take the 8 hour bus down to Tamele, Ghana, where I spent the night at a Catholic guest house, then another bus to Kumasi (hello, humidity; I remember you!). There I visited the Asante palace and museum and learned a lot about the Asante culture. From there it was an easy bus ride to Cape Coast, where I finished up my trip with some visits to the beach, the slave castle, and a few good restaurants. The history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade was pretty interesting and very moving to see the actual places.

man standing in front of door of no return cape coast slave castle ghana — Cape Coast

cannon and coastline cape coast slave castle ghana africa — Cape Coast

From Cape Coast, I skipped right over Accra and took my flight back to Chad. Although I’m really glad that I went, because I had really wanted to visit West Africa before we leave the continent, I found the whole trip a lot harder than I had anticipated. The infrastructure, the (lack of) hospitality industry, the huge amounts of trash everywhere- all of it is just not ideal for easy tourism- definitely not for the faint at heart. The fact that Togo and Burkina both speak French, and even in Ghana, most people spoke a native language more than they really spoke English, made getting around and getting things done just that much harder. In the end, I felt like West Africa didn’t have the amazing animals like Kenya and Tanzania did, the fascinating culture like Ethiopia did, the stunning scenery like Rwanda and Uganda, or the general together-ness like Namibia and South Africa. West Africa has a lot of ground to cover if it wants to have tourism be a big draw for their economies.

A surprise return to Khartoum

December 19, 2011March 20, 2022Posted in AfricaTagged best things to do in, International Teaching, khartoum, Khartoum Sudan, Sudan, travel, travel blog, Unity High SchoolLeave a comment

In a surprise twist, I went back to Khartoum to do some emergency substitute work. The day I arrived, Tina had a Halloween/birthday party, so I got to be a surprise guest! It was a great reunion with my Khartoum colleagues and friends.

Louis, Brenda, and Deah at Tina's Halloween Party — Halloween party- and I got to be the surprise guest of honor!

Joy and Adam at Halloweehn — Halloween party- and I got to be the surprise guest of honor!

While I was there, the fall weather was beautiful and we were able to take a few boat trips on the Nile, have a hash on Tuti Island (at the confluence of the Nile Rivers), attend the Caledonian Ball with Joy and our friend Patrick, and go to several parties. Oh, and work! I taught middle school geography and high school geography, and since there wasn’t a teacher apartment available, I lived in a hotel just down the street from the school. Twice a week, I went to yoga with Melanie, one of the new art teachers at the school.

on a nile river boat ride khartoum sudan — Joy and Deah on the Nile Boat Ride

Tuti Island Khartoum Corinthia hotel blue Sudan Nile River — Hash on Tuti Island

sunset over Tuti island Khartoum — Hash on Tuti Island

three friends celebrating caledonian ball khartoum sudan — Deah and Patrick and Joy at the Caledonian Ball

The last night I was there, Chantal and I hosted a Going Away/Graduation party to celebrate my newly awarded Master’s Degree. We partied hard on the roof of her apartment building, with all of my friends there to celebrate. At 2 am the party ended and it was time to get on the plane and return to Chad- just in time for Christmas!

celebrating graduation in sudan — With Melanie, Joy, and Chantal, celebrating my Master’s in Library Sciences

Life in Ndjamena, Chad

September 21, 2011March 20, 2022Posted in AfricaTagged best things to do in, Chad, Ndjamena, travel, travel blog2 Comments

Aside from a missed 6 am airport shuttle and a 500 yard dash down the terminal to reach my plane (last passenger on!), the flights to Chad went pretty smoothly. A quick layover in DC, one last slice of pizza, then a layover in Addis Ababa, a St George beer (8 am, y’all, that’s how I roll), and finally made it to Chad around 1 pm the next day. Of course I didn’t sleep on the plane and instead watched six movies.

In our first month here we tried a few restaurants around town- according to the “Welcome to Ndjamena” handout we got, there are about 10 here in town- and had some pretty good food. Restaurant prices aren’t too bad, about $40 (or 20,000 CFA- Central African Francs) for the two of us. We tried a casual Lebanese place, a brick oven pizza place, and an upscale French restaurant- very good beef medallions with a yum sauce at that one. There is also a couple of Chinese restaurants, a couple of Chadian places, and I think another Lebanese cafe as well.

Grocery shopping, on the other hand, was not so successful. We visited 2 tiny little grocery stores- like the size of a small 7-11 back home- and spent about $50 at each one and came home with…. not much. No fresh fruits/veg, no fresh bread, no meat. Everyone here employs a maid 5 days a week (which costs about $110 a month) and gives the maid some money to go to the outdoor market to purchase fresh food. And they drive across the border to Cameroon and go shopping there.

Speaking of the weather, it’s hot all right, (this is Central Africa) but not quite as bad as Khartoum. It’s rainy season right now, so it rains- and I mean really rains- every afternoon around 4 pm and that really cools things off, so you can actually go for a jog in the evening or something. And someone told me that the weather gets pretty nice by late October. Although, along with the rains, comes the bugs. The week I arrived here was like BUG WEEK- you can hear them crunching on the driveway as you drive up to the house. If you accidentally leave a light on inside when you open your front door- forget it; your front entryway will be COVERED with bugs drawn to the light.

girl on chari river boat ride tchad — A boat ride on the Charri River

three hippos in chari river tchad — A boat ride on the Charri River

The internet went out at our house Friday night, so no communications on Saturday or Sunday. I was really starting to panic by Monday afternoon, as I had a paper due in my grad class by midnight, so we went over to the Marine House and I used the computer there and we watched the Emmy’s on AFN. Ah, good old Armed Forces Network. Of course afterwards, we came home and our internet was working again.

Field Trip! to the Brasserie du Tchad, where they make Gala beer

Tuesday was a better day- I worked on my classwork a while, got all caught up, read all the requirements for my Capstone week- please, oh please let the internet work that week- and then I visited the doctor at the Embassy (he gave me some malaria pills- in 8 years I have never taken malaria pills but maybe this year I will start)- visited the CLO and her library (ooh, books and DVDs- perfect!), and finally met with the Public Affairs Officer who may have a job for me. Looks like that will all get decided soon (inshallah).

We went to a security briefing- since Chad is not nearly as strictly Muslim as Sudan was, I have to worry less about being stoned to death for not being married to my partner. However, since there is Boko Haram activity nearby, I do have to worry more about kidnappings. According to the embassy, I’m not allowed to take a taxi, ride a public bus, or walk anywhere. However, since I don’t actually work for the embassy, at least not yet, I’m also not supposed to have an embassy driver take me anywhere. It’s a bit confusing.

Chris and I went to the 531 club (5:31pm, get it?) and had happy hour with folks from the embassy. I met some more people and I’m invited to French Conversation lesson tomorrow with Mrs. B, the ambassador’s wife, who is also from Dallas…. there’s tennis lessons at the French Rec center….. yoga at the Esso oil compound….possibly reorganizing the now defunct Ndjamena Hash House Harriers….. there’s a play being put on tomorrow that we’re supposed to go to, a reception on Thursday night for the new political affairs officer, and a goodbye party on Friday night for someone that is leaving here. Mia Farrow is coming to visit Chad soon for some charity work and there will be an event welcoming her to the area. So…. hopefully between my class and getting a job (hoping to talk to Esso oil people this week, see if they have any openings- they pay big bucks), plus lots of extra curriculars, our time won’t be too hard here. And Chris is going to Germany in November, so there is a possibility I could go along for a little R&R. We’ll see how it goes!