Jerash, The Ruins of Ancient Jordan
The history of Jerash, Jordan spans the Roman, Byzantine, and Muslim eras, and has well preserved archeological examples from all these cultures.
Middle East
Crossing Barriers in Israel with Guided Tours
Fred Schlomka is idiosyncratic enough that I shouldn’t have been surprised when our interview by email, between the U.S. and Israel, morphed into a personal meeting in Minneapolis. And even … Read more
Mapping 2015: Highlights and Snapshots
It’s been such a full year I needed to retrace our itinerary to get my head around all that we’ve seen in 2015. Initially, I just wanted to post some … Read more
Trip Totals: Accounting for our Whereabouts
Apart from toting up income (not enough) and expenses (too much), we endorse counting up other important things in your life, especially at tax time. Count your blessings; count your … Read more
Temple of Sobek, Kom Ombo, Egypt
The temple of Sobek at Kom Ombo is yet another of the fascinating temples along the Nile. I like this one because it’s dedicated to Sobek, and who doesn’t like … Read more
Cruising Egypt’s Nile River
If you know anything about us, you might say Sonesta Nile Cruises was taking a risk inviting us to enjoy a 4-day 3-night river cruise from Aswan to Luxor, Egypt. … Read more
Six Random Photos of the Nile, Egypt
I shot all of these on two occasions while we were cruising up the Nile. The ones of the boats were shot off the balcony of our cabin on the … Read more
The Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo, Egypt
The Mosque of Muhammad Ali (no relation to the boxer) in Cairo was built in the first half of the 19th Century by the then ruler of Egypt Muhummad Ali … Read more
Essential Museums in Jerusalem
I don’t care how many people tell you you must visit both the Israel Museum and the Tower of David in Jerusalem. We’ll tell you again. The fact is, there’s … Read more
Praying at the Western Wall, Jerusalem
On our first night in Jerusalem, Kris was ill, so I went out to explore the old city on my own. Jerusalem is an odd place, and probably the most … Read more