The Golan Heights

This high planes of the Golan plateau are located at an average 1000 meters high between Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Captured by Israel in the 1967 war most of it’s territory is under Israeli law. Places of interest exist there dating from the Paleolithic era, and raging through ages of the bible, Babylonians, the Romans, Greeks (Byzantine), Syrian and now Israel.

Driving up and down the Golan Heights it’s a wonderful experience, the winding, Cliffside roads with an outstanding view of the Sea of Galilee laying down 200 meters under the sea level, the hills and the valleys of the Jordan river. Along the road abandoned trenches, bunkers, tanks and ruins of villages and mosques reminds of the violent recent past, including various sites plagued with landmines. But the beauty of the place is still worth the visit, excellent trip for nature lovers, families, sightseeing, adventure and archeology.

This are some of the things worth to do:

  

• Israel Road hiking trail, beginning in kibbutz Dan, the trail zigzags around the northern part of the Golan, taking you into nature reserves, waterfalls and amazing views of the green pastures.
• Mt. Hermon, located at 2810 meters above sea level is the highest point in the area, the entrance to the mountain features activities for winter and summer.
• Mass’ade, a little Druze town serving cheap and tasty local foods.
• Nimrod Fortress, a crusaders castle overlooking the Golan
• Tel Dan Nature Reserve, visit one of the most charming places in Israel, hiking trails go around rivers, waterfalls and a lot of nature
• Qatzrin, the ancient city and the musseum are an interesting and educative site. Houses are recreated in the ancient city to show how people lived in biblical times.
• Gamla, both a nature reserve and an archeological site it also host a family of vultures.
• Rujum al Hiri, Israel’s own Stonehenge is located 12 km walk from the Junction on the Golan trail.
• Hamat Gader, Roman Baths ruins and hot pools of water, with a crocodile farm. Makes I the ideal place to relax after the walks.
• Hippos (Susita) ancient roman and byzantine city located atop of a hilltop, overlooking the Kinneret.
• Jordan River Park, walk in the jordan river water trails, ideal for camping with the family.
• Golan Winery, the biggest winery in the golan producing great wines.

Thai Temples Favorites

	Bangkok Maybe one of the most famous temples, this one is located in the heart of Thailand’s capital and in a huge complex that includes the Kings Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple This leaning Buddha measures almost 40 meters long and some 4 meters high and it barely feats in the beautifully decorated building that houses it.
	Sukhothai this temple i found it in one of my random walks around a place. I was newly arrived at the city of Sukhothai, which is famous for its Ancient park with old structures, when I decided to take a short walk around it and in the unbearable heat I found refuge in this temple, dedicated to a Chinese deity, and to the Buddha.
	Golden Triangle This White temple is quite impressive on the outside as well as on the inside. Taken out of a fairy tale the White structure resembles a castle with a bridge and a surrounding lake. Inside the frescos include bizarre images of the twin towers on fire,Aliens, Superman and Spiderman.
	Chiang Mai One of the hardest things of reaching this temples is the long dragon shaped stairs climbing up 100 meters into the mountain top, where the temple is located. Scores of Thais praying to Buddha and several donation boxes (from all temples around Chiang Mai) interact with monks, Dharma students and tourists

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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From Rome (Italy) to Athens(Greece) Overland

Uniting this two ancient capitals of the greatest European empires was an old cream of mine. This trip description is just a part of a bigger Eurotrip that I made back in 2006, which started in the Netherlands and finished up in Greece. This exiting middle stage lasted for about 2 weeks and took me from the ancient capital of the roman empire, south to the port city of Bari, an overnight ferry to Patras, a small city in the south west of Greece and finally a train to Athens. In the way I saw the memorable landmarks of Rome, Pompeii, and the Parthenon.

I arrived to Rome in a train proceeding from Venice late at night, a thing that I don’t normally do since I regard risky arriving in the middle of the night to any big city without knowing where I’ll spend the night. Anyway I knew the address of a hostel recommended by a fellow traveller and decided to check it out. I could hardly find the place, located near the train station and when I did, it took something like half an hour for someone to pick up the buzzer and open up.

The next day I woke up anxious to see the many sights in the city. I started up in the Roman ruins, The Colliseuum and the arc of Titus representing the conquer of Jerusalem and the destruction of it’s temple. Walking in the midst of a lost empire surrounded by international tourists from all over the globe is quite distracting. Adding to that, the beggars and pick pocketers drive  people insane. I got a paranoid American shouting at me cause he though I was trying to get his camera!

The next couple of days I spend them trying to get lost in the city, and trust me it ain’t difficult at all… the little winding alleys and the turns in the streets, adding to the river and bridges and the presence of many old and interesting buildings help a little bit too. I got most of the time the sensation that I was missing something, that there was right there a really important sight and I just missed it. With so many things to see in Rome though I don’t think that is a weird feeling. Still in all places that I been the crowds are a little bit too much.

Next I visited the Vatican. I have to be honest here, when I saw the incredible and excessive amount of people waiting to enter the place for hours in the cold morning I really wondered if it was indeed worth it. My first thought was to take off to another place, but then I went all the way to the front to see what was happening there, and what I discovered, shocked me… A complete chaos, with no guards or security checking who is getting in, or waiting, or whatever. So, I decided to take my chances and went for it, I entered the museum and approached the ticket office right away, got my ticket and enjoyed the morning wandering around the Vatican with almost no people inside.

After a few days in Rome I got enough of the crowds and decided to move on to one of the destinations that I was waiting to see for many years, Pompeii. Fascinated with the Vesuvius, during the train to Napoli, I was glued to the window as I saw the volcano. It’s impressive presence in the city, and the houses built on the hills of it, with no memory of the great power of the sleeping mountain above. After arriving to the Napoli central station I headed forward to the city, to the local train station, just a couple of blocks away. The time I spend in Napoli was like being back in south America some how, the people and the activity in the streets, the vendors, and the cobblestone streets created a mirage in my mind.

After a pizza stop I got to the train from Napoli to Pompeii itself, the crowded train had no tourists in it and I wondered how people got there, and if I was in the wrong place. I guess I expected tons of visitors heading the same way. After an hour or so, I saw the first McDonalds sign and the the golden arches were an indication that we might be near. I got down in Pompeii excavi station and walked to the gates of the old city. I wondered there in awe at the Roman city, dig out completely and so perfect that I can actually feel how it was back in the day. The Amphitheater, on which Pink Floyd performed, and the bathhouses are great, but just wondering around the far away houses and the streets  was my favorite.

Hours went by until I got tired of it. When I came back to Napoli, I realized that I had no place to sleep, so I returned to Rome for the night, which turned out a couple of days, as I went to see the stone of the truth and other small sites. I decided it was time to move on and head towards Greece, so I started raiding to Bari. I got on the train and headed south. Arrival at Bari was on time and I headed straight to the seaport, which was located a couple of blocks away from the train. I met a guy whose name I cant spell on this alphabet, but it was something like Phebus, he was heading down to greece as well but on another ferry. We arrived at the port, and find out that both ferried leaved in the evening, and that I was gonna sleep in the deck.

I decided to get some provisions for the trip, and went to a supermarket near by, Phebus joined me and we went around to see a little bit of the city and to find a place to shop for food. We couldn’t find anything, but we saw almost the entire old city and the port. On the way back a small neighborhood store was open and we got there water, sandwiches, cookies and muffins for the breakfast.

The Ferry was fine, a little bit noise on the deck, so I left my bags in there, locked into a pipe and went to walk around. I found some cabins opened and unoccupied with bunk beds. like 20 beds, it was clearly the cheapest class and everyone was sleeping, so I decided to do the same, I laid down and woke up the next morning fresh having coffee and muffins while sailing in the blue Mediterranean waters.

Arriving in Athens required a small step, a train ride from Patras to the city, about half an hour or so. I headed to the station and when I was waiting for the train to come I saw Phebus, and we started to chat. Upon arrival in Athens he told me he was going to a friends house, that he had called and told me to come as well. I was shocked and a little bit uncomfortable, but I agreed, after all goodness comes in many ways. We arrived to a house in a nice neighborhood, and went to his friends house. I stayed there for almost a week, as we jammed, went out and sightseeing. They were so friendly and I was very grateful for the hospitality.

The Eurotrip finished but every end turns out to be a new beginning, as I was standing in the line to board my plane to the middle east new challenges came and adventure began again.

Cemeteries around the world

The subject present in all cultures and societies is inherited in human mind, death, and what to do with the earthly remains of the loved ones who departed this world. There are places in which people are cremated, others were they are buried down. This is a look of how cultures and places bury their loved ones.

 

Argentina: Cementerio de la Recoleta,

Opened first in the year 1822 and named after the Recoletos monks that settle in that part of Buenos Aires it host several famous people burried here including Eva Peron and other former Argentinean political and military.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey: Sufi Muslim Cementery

 

This small cemetery is adjacent to the main Sufi order in Istanbul and buried there are some of the greatest minds of the order. Although there are not many tombs the most important ones are enclosed in shrines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

France: Père Lachaise Cimetière

 

Established by  Napoleon in 1804 this huge cemetery is the final resting place of many notorious individuals in French life as well as Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison lead singer of the US band the Doors. The intricate design of some tombs and the long list of notorious burials make this place the most visited cemetery of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Czech Republic: Old Jewish Cemetery

 

Dating from at least the 14th century this place in the heart of Prague and because of it’s age and numerous layers of tombs it’s almost imposible to know how many people are buried here.

 

 

 

 

 

Japan: Koya San sacred burial grounds

 

This cemetery is located in the Koya san sacred mountain in the WakaYama prefecture in Japan (click here for more info). Many samurais and Japanese businessman are here.

 

 

 

 

 

Israel: mount of Olives Cemetery

 

Since ancient times Jews buried here prominent rabbis and politicians in believe that they will be the first to reincarnate when messiah comes. Located on the slopes of the mount of Olives, mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, facing the temple mount.

 

 

 

 

 

New York Calvary Cemetery

 

Located in the Queens borough this spot grants one of the best views of the city skyline, this cemetery opened it’s doors in 1847 in response of an epidemic. Many Organized crime burials have taken place in this place, making it a known place in police or detective movies and shows.

Japan Matsuri, is it all about the food?

One of the things that struck me the most when visiting festivals in Japan was the amount of food there is in those events. The background can be a celebration for the gods, a firework show, portable shrines or parades, but there is undoubtedly the same tasty and wonderful food. Portable stands, which are rumored to be connected with the local Yakuza, are placed in the sidewalks leaving the street free for people to walk. Of course also the police takes care to cut incoming traffic to those streets. The stands are divided into games and food and rarely there are some people selling other stuff. Games are for kids like it would be in a fair, but in these case are things like fishing very small fishes with a paper, to see how many you can catch before the paper fades away in the water. Other games include catching eels and other creatures. On the food side, Sausages, Ra-Men (stir fried noodles), Okonomiyaki (Japanese cabbage pie) Yaki Sakana (grilled fish) and seafood, Karaage (fried chicken), and Takoyaki and even French fries are some of the delicacies served. (for more on Japanese foods, check this blog post) Alongside the main event there is this atmosphere where people come to relax and have a good time having their favorite snack and a beer,or Sake cups. The custom is for people to walk around the streets where the traffic is blocked drink in hand, watching the stands and the food that is being cook and eat a bit here, a bit there, sitting down to see the fireworks, or stand and watch the parade always with something good to munch.     pictures clockwise: Stand owner cooking Ra-Men, Okonomiyaki Stand, Yakisakana on a stick, girls playing the fish game, a street closed to traffic, and finally the food stands on the sidewalk.

Praying around the world

Catholics Church

Churches in anywhere around the world include statues of Jesus while dying in the cross, the symbol of the religion. According to the time and architectural style they were built there are also frescoes and carvings depicting the last supper, the apostles, virgin Mary and in some cases miracles of events in Jesus life.
In the entrance normally you may find a vessel with holy water followed by rows of chairs for prayer. In the front there will be the main altar where the priest talks to the congregation. Also to be founded in a church are the confessionary and in some cases pipe organs.
Service is held on Sundays and includes a sermon by the priest as well as chanting and reading out of the bible, but is normal for people to go to confess during the week, as well visiting the church to pray.

 

 

 

 

 

Muslim Mosques Masjid

Mosques architecture is impressive, the towers surrounding the building are called minarets and from there the call to prayer  (sema) is emitted 5 times a day, normally with loudspeakers. Before entering to pray Muslims clean their extremities, in fountains or pools located near the entrances. Muslim prayer is done facing the holy city of Mecca is Saudi Arabia, and in carpets on the floor, so floors are covered with carpets and sometimes people bring their own one. 
Holy day is on Friday but most Muslims pray every day and go to the masjid  for the evening prayer. There is a routine of movements, standing, bowing prostrating and sitting, and in each position they repeat phrases of the Qur’an.
Inside the mosque you may find a big empty space to accommodate all the visitors and a balcony with stairs where the Imam leads the worship and talks to the followers.

 

 

Jewish Synagogues Bei Kneset

Synagogues are now for the Jewish people the answer to the lack of a great temple in Jerusalem and normally the structure tries to resemble the holy temple. In the front and as a sacred object in the altar are the Torah Scrolls, with are inside a cabinet covered with curtains. All the building faces to Jerusalem, as all prayers are directed to the holy city.  On a side there will be a place for the Hassan (who sings and prays in concentration) and a big table where the Rabbi addresses the congregation. Walls may have windows or be plain. All kind of Religious, prayer and study books are on shelves for easy access to daily study.
Prayers are daily in the morning, midday, evening and night, but the holy day is the Shabbat on Saturdays to remember and respect the rest of the creator after He finished His job. Prayers include reading of the weekly portion of the Holy Book, as well as chanting and the declaration of faith proclaiming of the acceptance of God’s will .

 

 

Hindu Temples:

In India every thing seems full of life and colors and its temples resembles that. Most of them are built in a typical Hindu Architecture and adorned with all kind of carvings, murals and statues of the main gods and their stories or adventures. The flow of people in a Hindu temple is almost constant and it’s easy to guess that prayer and meditation are deeply rooted in society. Most people pray everyday at home and visit a temple to make an offering or donation very often.
Ceremonies starts with an offering to the gods usually incense, flowers and money. There is a priest or monk who will read from the Vedas and, the Sutras and later explain the, or add commentaries. After that the prayer continues prostrating to the feet of one or several statues and purifying one’s body with incense . At the end of the ceremony, a tikka is places with red or yellow paint in the followers forehead, just between the eyes.

 

 

Buddhist Temples:

We can find Buddhism now in many western countries, but it’s origin are in India, and spread widely throughout Asia. All temples will invariantly have a statue of the Buddha, Either on Meditation, or resting position. Walls are adorned with paintings and there are generally very colorful. There are no visible sights of holy books and each culture has a different way of praying.
Although  the way of praying varies slightly, in most countries a offer to Buddha is made before the prayer in the way of incense, candles or flowers that can be purchased at the door. There is no specific day for praying and monks have an ascetic lifestyle, praying and living in the premises.
Some temples have local costumes associated with religion, as in Thailand or Japan where you can get the fortune by taking out a numbered stick out of a bamboo case and exchanging it for a pre written prediction for the upcoming year, weeks or days.

 

 

Shintoism Shrines
Shinto shrines are located mainly in japan and the center of them is a mirror and a bell. The procedure for praying is to ring the bell to call the gods, then donating money, bowing, clapping and finally wishful thinking and prayer.
Architecture is typically Japanese, with the interior covered with tatami mats and decorative items, also drums. Jinjas have Tori Gates in their entrances and hold in their premises prayers written down in wooden tablets, as well as fortune telling papers that Japanese ties or hang on trees. In the altar many things can be found, statues, mirrors, candles and sometimes scrolls with holy texts.
Ceremonies are closed to foreigners, but in festival or Matsuri Temples become the start and finish points and is possible to follow the crowds and see the carriages and people parading. In New year is custom to pray in the night, just after midnight.
 

 

 

Taoist Temples
There sacred grounds are normally dedicated to nature phenomena (like a mountain god), great personalities (like confuciuos) or to ancestors, and people pray there on their way to a place from another. Offerings are normally on sale on the entrance to the premises which include big Incense sticks and candles and boxes to donate money
Their buildings are addorned with yin yang images and the main statue will depend on which deity the temple is dedicated to. Basic beliefs come from the Dao De Jing and the teachings of Confucius,  where the Tao is the path or way to be followed and also a sacred energy present at all times and in no time.

Moving Around: a nomad basic guide to work and travel

There is really nothing more desolating that arriving alone to another country to try to make a life there, just the first days are incredibly painful as you have to get a place to live, a way of communication, a job, friends and countless other things to have a decent life… that you will finally give away to continue traveling. But again, difficult is not impossible.

1. Accommodation:

It’s always always better to have a planned place to stay beforehand, can be someone’s house or a hostel but you should know before where you gonna go after getting off the plane. If you have someone to stay with your whole stay, you are going to be fine for this one, but still as life is unpredictable you will need a plan B so is good to know where you can get a bed. If you don’t know anyone you will have to start in a Hostel, choose your bed carefully since normally a hostel will be full of parting kids trying to have fun (they are tourist and come for a week or two just to have fun, and they have they right to be noisy at night). You can try couch surfing but that’s only for a couple of days, unless you are really lucky and find someone willing to rent you for a long term.
Of course that depends on the country but generally speaking getting a long term rent is out of a nomad’s reach. Normally there is a lot of money involved in contract for over an year (deposit and fees) so you will need a sublet. Some websites take care of that matter and some real state agents also provide month to month rents, but they can be slightly more expensive and there will be a fee involved.
The best option is to check in local magazines, ads and newspapers you will need to be very proactive and look decent to go to several interviews and meet landlord of house owners. Another good option is to walk around the neighborhood you want  to live in to look for rentals.

As a orientative way here are some websites that will help you with accommodation:

Around the world:
craigslist.com Here you can find mostly Americans, either in or out the USA. Some rents are overly expensive.
couchsurfing.com Basically someone offers a couch or extra space in their house for a free stay, normally a couple of days.
hostels.com Good source to find hostels around the world, once you find a cheap hostel Google it and you will save the booking fee.

Local:
America (NY): villagevoice.com
Japan: kansaiscene.com 
Israel: homeless.co.il
 

2. Communication

No matter what, if you are going to stay in a country for more than 3 months and you want to get a job you will need a cell phone. It will also help your social life, and to keep in touch with people abroad as well. Nowadays cellphones can be opened to be used with any sim card of any company. It’s good to have a jailbroken phone to use around. Sim cards are cheap, an although the minute will be more expensive with prepaid than with a plan, is completely hassle free.
Sometimes traveling with a computer is more of a liability than anything, you have to consider leaving yours at home, or even selling it. It will give you much more freedom, and it’s posible to get internet access almost anywhere in the world.
The best thing in my experience is to have an intelligent phone, with wifi internet access and a browser ready to use in any country.

3. Source of Income

This is basically the most difficult aspect of living abroad, in any country. Sadly the world is handled in economic matters so you will most likely need money to continue traveling and to live in a place (there are exceptions of course, you can get a job in a farm, or live in community but always have a return ticket or money for an onward ticket or you will get stuck).
So, as I said before if you are serious about this you will need a phone, otherwise its hard for potential employers to get in touch with you. Next step is a resume. Each country has a different culture regarding resumes so its not recommendable to take your resume from home or the previous country and expect it to work. You will need to find out how resumes are in any given country and proceed from there.
For example in Argentina resumes have more that 1 page, you must include a picture of yourself and tell all about your life, family, previous jobs, hobbies, etc. On the contrary in America a resume has only one page with your contact information, your skills, last jobs and highest educational level achieved. No photo is required for most jobs. In Japan resumes are sold in the dollar store (100Y shops, actually) and are filled out by hand in black ink pen and you must include a new picture of yourself (you need to look exactly the same). In Israel personal details are expected to be present in a resume. So as you have seen there are wide differences from one country to the other regarding resumes so find out how they are in the country you are going to.

Now, finding a job suitable for you will depend on 1. Your Nationality, 2. In which country you want to work, and 3. Your previous skills. For last is the Visa issue that actually It will also depend on these 3 factors. For example if you are a native English speaker and want to live in Japan, most likely you will finish up teaching English and you will get a proper visa easily. If you are a Spanish speaker from Latin America and want to get a job in the USA, you will most likely finish up working without a visa in the entertainment industry (restaurants, bars, clubs, etc). Stick to that rule or you will just loose time, specially if you are going to stay in a country for less that 1 year. So, find out what other nationals of your country or region are are doing and copy them.
Working without a proper permit is Illegal in any country and a dangerous thing to do. You have to be aware of the penalties for doing so, since the softer thing that can happen is that you get deported, and in some countries you can do jail time. That said, It’s still happening in many countries and many developed countries need foreign labor and most of it is illegal.

Looking for a Job and getting interviews at this point will depend on those 3 factors, and the visa Issue. Normally for nomads you will fall in the “no visa” category, there websites wont work for this you will have to network and be in the street to get a job. Also talk with as many people you know so maybe someone has a friend that has another friend that needs help in doing something for a couple of weeks or months, or know a restaurant owner or a shop owner that needs help. Never underestimate the value on social relations.

4. meeting People

So if you arrived alone you will need to meet and make friends. Where to start? be open, that’s the basic rule. I had met lifetime friends while doing laundry in NY, is a bus trip in Israel, on the street in a drunken night in Japan… there are countless ways. Hostels with common areas are good to meet travelers, Bars are a good option to hang out but normally keep out of discos and clubs its hard to meet people there. After living for a while in a place you will get used to the way of meeting people and the social rules for talking to strangers.

5. Enjoying the experience

Basically never ever forget that you are on an adventure, getting depressed is for routine bored office workers, after all you are living abroad having an experience of a lifetime and you need to enjoy it, enjoy life at all times. For example, make time to wonder around, make sure you will have a couple of free days in your job every week to enjoy the new city where you are living, to meet friends and make new ones, for sightseeing and so on. Its advisable, if you have savings to travel around your new country before you get a Job as it gets difficult to leave you job for more than 4 days in a row. Other option before you leave the country to your next destination quit your job a couple of weeks before and travel around.

6.  Living Cheap

Every single Dollar, Peso, Yen, Pound or Euro that you save while living in a place will be useful for further travel, so living cheap is a must for a nomad. So how to save and in what to save? Most likely your major expenses are going to be Rent, food and going out. You can save in most of them. For example, some employers offer places to stay in the workplace (if its a decent place its a good option), you can share an apartment or move in with your temporary couple.
To save on food the best thing is to cook by yourself and avoid take out food (still you have to try local delicacies and typical dishes). Find out how to do your groceries smarter and what food is cheaper. For example, in NYC i found very convenient to shop in Chinatown, and got a Tofu factory that was both delicious and incredibly cheap. In Japan supermarkets are really expensive so its better to shop around, to go to the butcher shop, the grocery store and the 100 shop instead of making all the shops in the same supermarket would save me around 20% each week. In America is wise to know about discounts and savers cards.

Koya San, The Samurai sacred mountain

This mountain is located south of Osaka in the Wakayama prefecture. It’s known as the base of the Shingon Sect in Japanese Buddhism. This sect taught esoteric secrets that came from China and many samurais were practitioners of this early tantric teachings. Nowadays is a sacred pilgrimage site as well as a tourist attraction named as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Getting there it’s quite an effort since there are no direct trains. Your trip will start from the Osaka Namba station of the JR line, but actually the railway line that take you there is the Nankai Line. There you are able to buy a full round trip ticket, including train transfers and the lift to the top of the mountain. The trip takes around 3 hours, and you must be careful to leave early, since the place gets crowded very fast.

Once at the top of the mountain though, which lies at no more than 2000 meters above sea level, you will find as very typical in japan a full range of services, vending machines and a mini city. People still live there, so there are many houses, streets and even a bus line. Take the bus, as it’s a long distance from the entrance to the attractions.

The site offers a diverse range of things to see and to do. First starting by the old temples and Shrines. The most famous view of the mountain is the Danjogaran, a huge Pagoda like building that hosts a temple dedicated to the Buddha. It’s actually one of the few places in Japan that is forbidden to take pictures inside. Next to this shrine we can find 3 wooden buildings dating from the early 9th century. This structures were part of the Series of temple complexes built there including also a citadel with dorms and the administration of the temple.

All over the mountain top Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples  scatter around in random order. The most famous temple in the hill is the Kongobuji temple, but most of them are really pretty and deserve a visit. In many of those temples you may find a place for burning offers and also people splatting water to 7 Buddha statues in their different positions, both characteristics of Shingon Buddhism.

Besides the temples and Shrines the mountain is also home to several cemeteries, some of them pretty new were nowadays some notorious people are buried, and others ancient graveyards where samurais warriors found their last resting place.  In the new cemetery is interesting to find that big companies burry their long time employees in their own parcels… maybe as part of the job benefits for senior salaryman. Contrast between the mold covered old tombs and the new polished monuments is astonishing.

Also to be found there are the incredibly beautiful Ryokans, Japanese typical guest houses, as well as several places that are only for pilgrims. These places are quite expensive and really only for pilgrims so are not open to foreigners. Most of them though you can access and their gardens, gates and rooms are worth the visit.

The atmosphere at Koya san is definitely sacred and strolling through the old tombs, buildings and shrines is a wonderful fulfilling experience, worth the hassle of the trip there.

What Happens in Vegas….

Las Vegas, Nevada… any image that can pop up in your head after hearing this words might include pole dancers, roulette balls spinning, all night parties and the wildest dreams, and it’s all true.

I arrived to the West Coast in the middle of the summer while on vacations, I had a place to stay in LA near the beach of a friend of mine who took off, so I was alone most of the time. I hanged out a lot in Venice beach, walked around and drove around until bored to death, so one night fooling with the internet I came across a deal I couldn’t quite really reject: flight and hotel, for 4 days and 3 nights on a Vegas strip hotel… for 250 USD. It was the cheapest deal on earth, i refreshed the page twice to make sure it was not some kind of stupid mistake and the bought it. I was leaving the day after.

Doing things in America is not hard at all, I went to LAX in the early morning and checked in too early, I was not used to planes being like buses but local flights in America are like that. I printed my boarding pass at home and never checked luggage so in 30 minutes I was at the gate, the security guard thought that it was strange and decided to inspect me closer, he got quite a surprise when he opened my body pouch and saw almost my complete monthly salary in it… then asked me to be careful in Vegas!

I arrived to McCarran International airport a couple of hours later, the plane ride was swift and we got served breakfast before landing. We also saw the whole Vegas city from above as the plane circled the runway for landing. Once in the Airport I was shocked, the place looked more like a shopping mall casino that an International terminal and next to the baggage claim you could bet your spare change in a slot machine!

Again, doing thins in America isn’t hard and a Minibus was waiting for passengers to carry to the hotels, roughly the city is divided in “old” Vegas and the strip. The strip is now where most of the action is, Hotels, Casinos, Shows, International dining, everything is within reach here. My first move was to go to the hotel to leave my bag and get a shower, the heat outside was unbearable but inside it was freezing cold. The hotel clerk told me I should wait 3 hours to be allowed to check in so really pissed off I went for a cup of coffee and second breakfast.

As I was stepping out of the lobby, a huge place with rows of slot machines, I decided to go to the toilet in the hotel, hoping that it would be better than in a bar. I was not really accurate with that thought. The toilet was a real mess, including cocaine leftovers in the ashtray next to the toilet bowl. I was delighted though that food in Vegas seemed to be very cheap, I guess the only worries around here is that you spend your money in the casino and not eating outside or shopping.

The day passed really quick, I walked in the most spectacular places thinking of all the money needed to build a replica of the Venice Channels, or a massive roller coaster swinging alongside a fake Manhattan skyline going in and out of the Hotel building… billions of dollars in half empty hotels and full of camera wielding tourists… what a waste!

The night caught me in the street as well, having a cold beer to try to get the heat off my back and walking towards the famous Las Vegas signs that is really far away in the edge of town… finally when I arrived it was a small ad and a row of people waiting to get a picture with it. I asked a couple of girls to take my picture and got a ride with them back to town. I got down in the Caesars Palace for some gambling, first I seated in the slot machines and asked for whisky, it’s free when you are gambling so I decided to fake gamble a lot in each casino to get wasted.

Then I changed to the Roulette and to Tangueray Tonic, I had some luck at the beginning but a couple of hours later I had already spent the money that I had on me (Always that I go to a Casino I leave only with the money I want to spend, and leave the rest in a safe place including cards) I had to walk back to the hotel but it didn’t seemed to be a problem at all, I had actually a good time while walking but I was surprised at the amount of drug dealers in the streets, I was asked at least 5 or 6 times if I needed crack, heroin, weed or coke…

Second day in that oven of a city was too much, I had already my dose for casino gambling and money loosing so I decided to stay in the pool, surprised by the lack of people around me. After soaking and tanning for a good couple of hours it was time for lunch, so I head out to hunt some bargain and fill my stomach. After lunch it became clear that Vegas alone and without a passion for gambling was not exactly the craziest thing.

During that afternoon I walked all the way to the “old Vegas”, and actually during my walk  I discovered the real Vegas. I love to walk in any place, generally it gives you a glimpse of how people live, specially far away from centric areas or landmarks. During my walk I discovered that not all of the city looks so good and like in most of America slums are just hidden, but present.

I took me around an hour to get to the now covered arcade where the first casinos installed themselves.  It looked pretty old in compare to the strip, and run down also. I gambled around 40 dollars on the slot machines and at the last moment recovered the money on a strike of luck, then decided to use that money to go back to the strip, but as I was going to take a cab I saw a bunch of people getting on a local bus and decided to jump in.

When I came back to my hotel I decided to relax and have a drink at the bar, unaware of how things worked in Vegas and in a naive move I engaged in conversation with a young woman that turned out to be a prostitute and with a dude that turned out to be a drug dealer, or maybe an undercover cop, in any case I shove him off.

I came back to my room with a sense of understanding of the term Sin city although I never expected it to be so open about it, all in this city seemed to be corruption, drugs, prostitutes and gambling and all of them was pretty available at all times. Huge books with photos of private dancers are waiting in the stands along the newspapers, drug dealers are walking offering their products products in the streets to passerby’s, party’s are going on all the time and inside the casinos you could easily lost your sense of time.

The third day I realized that there was nothing more to see for me. I woke up early and tried unsuccessfully to get a ride out of town towards the Nevada desert but after an hour or so of waiting I realized that to see the grand canyon I must take an organized tour, so I did that. I went to stand in awe in front of nature’s most impressive hole in the ground.

I came back late at night back to the city ready to go back to LA and back to NY, crossing the American continent from coast to coast.

Digging in an Archeological excavation in Israel

The Holy land is like a paradise for archeology and as a paradox a nightmare for architects. Why is that? because every time you open a hole in the ground you find something worth studying. And if it’s a graveyard even worst, you are forced to stop digging and let the dead in peace.

Anyway, i was lucky enough last week to visit and Archeological site in southern Israel, more precisely in the desert Oasis of Ein Gedi in front of the Dead Sea. Water sources permitted constant population and Jews established in the dead sea area since the second temple period (66 AC), in areas like Qum’ram where the dead sea scrolls where founded.

This place in Ein gedi was a Jewish Settlement from the byzantine period. In the site, which was excavated for the first time in 1996, were found gold coins, sea shells and pottery. Evidence of that was the fact that the archeologist dig out an ancient synagogue, with a mosaic floor indicating the production of valuable perfumes in the area. Other parts of the excavations includes ritually purifying baths called Mikves, the Rabbi’s quarters as well as study rooms and dwellings. The new excavations are focused on the west area of the synagogue, and believed to be study rooms and additional quarters.

The process of rescuing history is arduous, removing the dirt and sand is hard work and should be done with extreme care in order to preserve evidence as well as invaluable pieces of pottery and other items that may still be intact. Everything taken out of the excavation is kept, organic material can determinate the year in which was used thanks to carbon 14 tests. Rest of bones and other edible things can give us clues of the food eaten at the time, as well as the cattle that was taken care in the place.

First the area is marked in order to determine the excavation limits. Once the digging starts no brute force or machines are used and everything from Digging and brushing to classifying is done by hand. After the big items are removed, all dirt is separated in search of small items, which in many cases are broken pieces of pottery, including glasses, plates, vases and so on.

Pieces that are taken then stay on water for a day or two and are ten cleaned and classified. Pieces that can be put together are glued and the rest is discarded as it provides no additional information.

Invaluable items can be found at any excavation, and it ranges from golden coins or adornments, books or scrolls, riches, intact pottery or pieces of art, but of course that the whole excavation and the information that it provides is also out of the limitations of money. In this case this finding gives light to the existence of Jewish population during the byzantine rule of Rome, approximately in the year 1600 AC.

The settlement, is believed, was destroyed by a fire and evidence of the destruction was visible in the blackened walls and the big ammount of broken and burnt items. It’s also believed that it was destroyed by an edict from Rome that wanted to free the land of it’s Jewish inhabitants. Now The place is conserved and the original pieces are on display in the Israel museum as well as in other parts of the globe.