Bonjourno amigos,
It's a beautiful sunny day here in Israel. Spring has come to Lakiya! Its still cold sometimes, but flowers are blooming, and it's lovely in the sunlight. Good times.
So, as my time here winds down, I decided to go to Petra, Jordan. I just HAD to go, especially since I was so close! Also, being in Israel and seeing the mountains of Jordan rise up in the east, my curiosity was always there. What was on the other side of those mountains? Answer: more mountains.
Here's how it happened. I met a german girl, Pia, while in Haifa. We went hiking with a mutual friend and one thing led to another and I invited her to go with me to Petra. And she said yes. So we booked a hostel, and planned to meet in Eilat on Friday and then cross the border, which went by without any issues.
This was my first time walking across a border. It was odd, open air, minimum security (Israel cares only when you ENTER the country). After getting scolded by an Israeli about my passport (it's not in the best shape) we crossed no problem. Grabbed an overpriced taxi and drove to Petra, another 2 hours. By then, it was a bit too late to go and see sites, so we wander around... and met two Bedouin guys.
They were Abdullah and Mahmoud or the alcoholic and chain smoker. They were flirty and pushy, and really had only one thing on their mind. It was funny, annoying, and sad all at the same time. Funny because they were like high school boys. They tried to hard to show off (they pretended to know Japanese), buy us meals and tea etc etc. I could see through it, and it was funny to watch them keep trying and such.
Annoying because they didn't really see me as a person. My nos were never taken seriously (if so... you stop flirting). They didn't get that no i don't like to be fed by you. Or that maybe I didn't want to smoke/drink/etc. I kept saying no. They kept teasing me about saying no. That pissed me off the most. I was supposed to just smile and go along with everything. Because once again, a woman is meant to nod, smile, and be willing. I compromised and didn't punch em.
You could say oh how sexist/antiquated the Bedouin are. I suppose they are to an extent, but you see it in the States too. I mean just look at our love of romance (women's nos aren't REALLY no, she just "doesn't know" what she wants). I could go on, but there will be more time for that later.
The only reason I hung out with them was to stay with Pia. But we ended up spending Friday evening with them and Saturday evening, and they drove us to the border on Sunday. They sort of worked in Tourism, but kept blowing it off to hang out with us. It didn't make much sense, but whatever.
It was sad because they weren't happy. Abdullah drank more than anyone I have ever met. He put away 500 ml of pure vodka. For breakfast. Mahmoud went through 3-4 packs of cigarettes a day. While Abdullah didn't talk about it as much, Mahmoud just wants to get out of Petra and go somewhere else. They use alcohol, cigarettes, and girls to distract themselves. It's quite sad. I couldn't help but think of Buddhism. People try to escape their problems with "pleasure" but really it doesn't help you, but kills you. But it's not my role to save them.
But Petra the place was gorgeous. Rocks of multiple colors swirling, and these amazing buildings carved from the stone.If you want to see some of my photos go here. It doesn't do the place justice, but it's a start. We spent a full day walking on Saturday (7:30-4:30) doing most of the sites, all the way to the end at the Monastery (lemme tell you: it's far) and the end of the world (also gorgeous). The next day we did two hours walking to the place of high sacrafice (they aren't lying when they say it's high up). We covered almost everything, but without a guide. We could have learned more, but it was nice to be outside with nature, and seeing such amazing things.
Fun side fact: Petra used to have hundreds of Bedouins living there. In the 1980s the government forced them to move. So now you have two towns next to Petra: the peasants (or farmers) town and the Bedouin town a bit further away. A few people still live there, but most left. Tourism does strange things to places. Everyone is pushing you to spend money, to do this or that. You aren't a person, you are a dollar bill. I hate it but I feel powerless to stop it as well.
So after that, I came back to Israel. it was a long day, and with all the buses i took, I didn't get back til 930 PM but i made it. I'm glad I went to Petra. It was a crazy weekend, but good at the same time. I have another 10 days in Israel working etc. I may finally go to the west bank this weekend. I may not. We'll see.
It's hard because I am trying to finish projects for work and feeling stymied too. Nothing really ends I suppose, but new things begin. I'm so ready to move on, and waiting for it is making me antsy. Hands are in too many pots. And honestly, I'm tired. I don't know if running around this weekend will really make me feel better.
Love to you all and more updates soon,
KAS
It's a beautiful sunny day here in Israel. Spring has come to Lakiya! Its still cold sometimes, but flowers are blooming, and it's lovely in the sunlight. Good times.
So, as my time here winds down, I decided to go to Petra, Jordan. I just HAD to go, especially since I was so close! Also, being in Israel and seeing the mountains of Jordan rise up in the east, my curiosity was always there. What was on the other side of those mountains? Answer: more mountains.
Here's how it happened. I met a german girl, Pia, while in Haifa. We went hiking with a mutual friend and one thing led to another and I invited her to go with me to Petra. And she said yes. So we booked a hostel, and planned to meet in Eilat on Friday and then cross the border, which went by without any issues.
This was my first time walking across a border. It was odd, open air, minimum security (Israel cares only when you ENTER the country). After getting scolded by an Israeli about my passport (it's not in the best shape) we crossed no problem. Grabbed an overpriced taxi and drove to Petra, another 2 hours. By then, it was a bit too late to go and see sites, so we wander around... and met two Bedouin guys.
They were Abdullah and Mahmoud or the alcoholic and chain smoker. They were flirty and pushy, and really had only one thing on their mind. It was funny, annoying, and sad all at the same time. Funny because they were like high school boys. They tried to hard to show off (they pretended to know Japanese), buy us meals and tea etc etc. I could see through it, and it was funny to watch them keep trying and such.
Annoying because they didn't really see me as a person. My nos were never taken seriously (if so... you stop flirting). They didn't get that no i don't like to be fed by you. Or that maybe I didn't want to smoke/drink/etc. I kept saying no. They kept teasing me about saying no. That pissed me off the most. I was supposed to just smile and go along with everything. Because once again, a woman is meant to nod, smile, and be willing. I compromised and didn't punch em.
You could say oh how sexist/antiquated the Bedouin are. I suppose they are to an extent, but you see it in the States too. I mean just look at our love of romance (women's nos aren't REALLY no, she just "doesn't know" what she wants). I could go on, but there will be more time for that later.
The only reason I hung out with them was to stay with Pia. But we ended up spending Friday evening with them and Saturday evening, and they drove us to the border on Sunday. They sort of worked in Tourism, but kept blowing it off to hang out with us. It didn't make much sense, but whatever.
It was sad because they weren't happy. Abdullah drank more than anyone I have ever met. He put away 500 ml of pure vodka. For breakfast. Mahmoud went through 3-4 packs of cigarettes a day. While Abdullah didn't talk about it as much, Mahmoud just wants to get out of Petra and go somewhere else. They use alcohol, cigarettes, and girls to distract themselves. It's quite sad. I couldn't help but think of Buddhism. People try to escape their problems with "pleasure" but really it doesn't help you, but kills you. But it's not my role to save them.
But Petra the place was gorgeous. Rocks of multiple colors swirling, and these amazing buildings carved from the stone.If you want to see some of my photos go here. It doesn't do the place justice, but it's a start. We spent a full day walking on Saturday (7:30-4:30) doing most of the sites, all the way to the end at the Monastery (lemme tell you: it's far) and the end of the world (also gorgeous). The next day we did two hours walking to the place of high sacrafice (they aren't lying when they say it's high up). We covered almost everything, but without a guide. We could have learned more, but it was nice to be outside with nature, and seeing such amazing things.
Fun side fact: Petra used to have hundreds of Bedouins living there. In the 1980s the government forced them to move. So now you have two towns next to Petra: the peasants (or farmers) town and the Bedouin town a bit further away. A few people still live there, but most left. Tourism does strange things to places. Everyone is pushing you to spend money, to do this or that. You aren't a person, you are a dollar bill. I hate it but I feel powerless to stop it as well.
So after that, I came back to Israel. it was a long day, and with all the buses i took, I didn't get back til 930 PM but i made it. I'm glad I went to Petra. It was a crazy weekend, but good at the same time. I have another 10 days in Israel working etc. I may finally go to the west bank this weekend. I may not. We'll see.
It's hard because I am trying to finish projects for work and feeling stymied too. Nothing really ends I suppose, but new things begin. I'm so ready to move on, and waiting for it is making me antsy. Hands are in too many pots. And honestly, I'm tired. I don't know if running around this weekend will really make me feel better.
Love to you all and more updates soon,
KAS
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