Tissa

On Tuesday, I made my way down a very curvy mountain road to Tissamaharama. The bus was jam packed with people and I actually felt a little nauseous part of the way. Usually my stomach can hold it together for most things, but I had to focus on not moving much. Without realizing, my neighbor had shared a fruit candy that helped. Once we made it further down, the ride got a bit smoother. And people were getting off here and there. Somehow I got stuck trying to keep the luggage from falling all over the place and all over me. I was unsuccessful. Later in the ride, I moved over and even though we weren't on the mountain anymore, the buses are still not the best as they brake a lot and wind around on the roads. So of course, I managed to get stuck in a corner with all of this luggage blocking my exit. If you are traveling with a rolly suitcase, maybe you should take a tuk tuk around.

Stuck.

A few hours later, I made it to the town where I needed to catch another bus to Tissa (shorten name that everyone uses). Of course as a group of people got off at the stop, we were bombarded with tuk tuk drivers. I wish I had a dollar for every driver that offered a ride. There was a couple from China that were also headed in the same direction, and they kind of stuck by me as I investigated the bus situation. I had planned on waiting, but one driver offered 100 rupees for the 3 of us. I know the bus still should have been cheaper. But they probably would have overcharged us anyway. So into the tuk tuk we went. The couple were from China and we actually ended up hanging out for a few days. The girl said I looked like Carrie Bradshaw, so I liked her right away. Not sure how I managed to do that all sweaty and gross. It must have been the fedora.

We made our way to the hotel, but not after the tuk tuk driver tried to have us stay at his place and do a safari with his group. I had my hotel confirmed and somewhat committed to their safari already. The couple had not, but I think they wanted to see where I was staying. And that's where they ended up. First thing that I did, was hang up all my wet clothes. I was hoping they would dry before morning when I had to pack it all up again. Second, food. Every time you get food you need to get some sort of juice to offset the heat. The food comes out piping hot and since the temperatures are high, I'm constantly sweating. It's obvious I don't live here. Although I'm not convinced I could ever get used to it.

Later on we decided to go for a walk to check out Tissa Lake at sunset. We took our time and checked out the temple nearby. We eventually found a good spot to watch the sun go down. But of course the locals had to try to sell us something. This time a boat ride. I understand why they do it but it's exhausting to be asked nonstop for something. We politely declined and proceeded to take in the sunset. The guy lowered his price dramatically and it sounded like it was now free. We decided to do it since they had kept asking. We proceeded to ride around for about 10 minutes on the lake to watch the reflections of the surrounding area. We did give them money in the end. They made some money and we got a nice ending to the day. Well not quite ending as it was only 6pm. Since it feels like summer, when the sun goes down I keep thinking it's later like 8pm. Which is good since I still have a few hours before bed. Especially with our early morning ahead of us.

Tissa Lake sunset.

At 5am, after some tea, our jeep picked us up for our safari. We passed many jeeps on our way to Yala National Park in order to get our tickets first. It worked out as we were in the park shortly after it opened. We really optimized our time with viewing all the different animals. And we saw a lot. Birds, deer, buffalo, lizards, crocodiles, and many others. Including elephants. We finally saw elephants towards the end. Elephants and leopards are the key highlights, but unfortunately didn't see the latter. But seeing 5 elephants made up for it. Although one of them was angry. A girl had dropped her phone from her selfie stick and the driver had to open the door to retrieve it. You are not allowed to get out of the jeeps and this is probably why. The elephant stared the jeeps down, and I was convinced focused on ours specifically. After a few more minutes of observation we safely drove away.

Elephants.

Another key highlight of the safari was the stop at the Indian Ocean. We were able to get out here and I immediately stuck my feet into the ocean. I would have gone swimming if I could have. But that would wait one more day. I had noticed some sort of structure that was destroyed and a memorial close by. The driver explained it was from the 2004 tsunami. I remember when that had happened and supporting some fundraising on campus that spring semester. But I didn't fully comprehend that I was now at one of the sites of destruction. People had died in the park but apparently the animals felt something and most had escaped to higher ground. After reading a bit more, Sri Lanka was the 2nd country (past Indonesia) that was impacted. This is something I thought about a lot during my stay and saw remnants of in the days following.

2004 tsunami memorial.

My next stop was the beach town of Unawatuna.

Ella

The rain just doesn't want to stop. It really inhibits my exploring.  Or forces me to relax and do other things that I need to (like get visas and book flights). But still, who wants to walk around in the rain? Especially when nothing gets dry? I did laundry and it took over 2 days to dry. Carrying around damp items is the worst. Someone did tell me it's rainy season, even though I looked it up again and it's really not supposed to be raining this much. Maybe all those websites are wrong. Oh well. There does seem to be a pattern though. Nice in the morning and rain in the afternoon. Which means I have to do whatever I want in the morning. Like with Kandy, I may not have done everything I wanted, but still enjoyed the non-raining portion of my visit to Ella. I actually decided to stay another night, partly due to the rain and not seeing everything, partly due to it being a cute little town.

Ella Main Street.

One of the first things I did in Ella was run 18 miles. And it was actually very pleasant. Way better than last week's long run in Amman. I got the full distance in, even though it was pretty hilly and humid. I started in Ella town, and did 3 out and backs on the roads leading out of town. The area is so beautiful, just like the train ride to Ella. I feel like my photos won't do it justice. As I ran around all the tea plantations, all the locals were very supportive of my run. They all said 'hello', 'good morning', and I got a few cheers along the way. Way better than honks and catcalls. One local girl asked me why I was running. As I ran off, I yelled out, 'because I like it'. And then she told me good luck as I went on my way. During my run, all the support I was getting, I was sending off to NYC to my sisters and all my friends who were running the marathon later that day. Even though I was halfway around the world, technology is so great that I was able to follow along like I was there.  I planted myself at a local roti shop for dinner and streamed the marathon. I was also texting my friend in Texas during the entire thing as we watched the elite, and tracked my sisters and friends. I end up falling asleep before one of my friends finished her very first marathon, but I woke up to news on a great finish. It was weird not being on 1st Avenue cheering, but this was a good alternative. 

Streaming the NYC Marathon during dinner.

After my long run, I decided to do a little hiking and check out the area. Now I didn't think I was going to go very far, so began my trek down the railroad tracks to Ella Rock. At first I was a little hesitant whether it was the right way. And who walks on on a railroad track? Besides the locals of course. But I saw many others coming back, so along I went. Now, did I make it to Ella rock? I don't think so. I made it to a rock, which had a great view of the Ravana waterfalls. Then I decided to turn around. I figured I ran 18 miles, and I was hungry. Turns out that I most likely didn't make it. I think it was a further hike and much higher up. But nothing was clearly marked, so I probably would have wandered around aimlessly anyway. 

Railroad hike.

On my way back, I stopped at one of the random restaurants on the side of the railroad. I was the only customer, and ordered some fried rice and tea. That's what you do in Sri Lanka. Rice and tea. And it was delicious. The portions are so big, but I'm always hungry, so I eat it all up.

Fried rice for lunch.

Since I was in Ella, right in the middle of the tea plantations, I had to check out a tea factory the following morning. I decided on the Newburgh Green Tea Factory since I'm a green tea drinker, although really not recently since everyone serves black tea. It was an interesting tour where you learn that all tea is from the same plant, but the process is different for each type. For green tea, you go through a series of heating and drying processes. However, this took all of 10 minutes to go through. I was a little disappointed that the tour was so quick, especially as the price had also gone up a lot from what I had researched. The TV in the waiting room area went through the process so I could have just sat there. I got a cup of green tea as part of the tour, but it was at the beginning instead of the end and had to rush through it since the woman was then waiting on me. This was really a shame and I do wish maybe I went to a different one. But it could have all been the same. I didn't even get to walk around the plantation, which was what I was hoping to do. When I was looking for Ella Rock, I happened to walk through a few fields, so I guess that was ok, but was still hoping to learn a bit more.

Newburgh Green Tea Factory.

After that, I decided to do a bit more hiking and this time went in search of the Nine Arches Bridge. And fortunately I found it. After getting direction from some locals, I made my way down what seemed to be the backyards of various homes to the bridge and walked along it for a bit. After the train went by of course. It looked like there was room to stand of on the side, and I did notice some people stayed put on the bridge. But since I have minimal experience of dodging trains, I plan to stay a little further back from the tracks when a train is approaching. 

Nine Arches Bridge.

On my hike down, a man flagged me down to see if I was interested in a snack or tea. I told him I was, so when I hiked back up, he prepared lunch for me. A guest book was brought out by one of his sons to show how popular of a spot it was. Now, I don't think this was a legitimate restaurant or cafe as they claimed. And I'm finding this is pretty norm for the country. You don't need to be a store to sell water, or a restaurant to sell food, or a licenced taxi driver to sell tuk tuk rides. This was something I figured out later. Since he was preparing the food from scratch, it took a while. But since it had started raining, I was in no hurry. After getting my fill of a huge lunch which consisted of various items like roti, curry, and a few other items that I couldn't quite catch the name of. I then topped it off with some more tea. After hanging out for a couple of hours and learning about his family and other visitors, I was ready to pay. I didn't quite understand at first, but finally figured out that it was based on donation. Which is when I realized maybe this wasn't a real cafe. Based on how full I was, I left behind what I thought was a suitable amount that I would have paid elsewhere. I hope it was enough. If anything, I had an nice experience with a nice man and 3 of his 4 sons. I also helped them out by giving them a geography lesson of the USA as they get pictures sent to them from their visitors. And if you find yourself in Ella, Sri Lanka and hiked to Nine Arches Bridge, tell them I sent you. 

Nice people and nice view.

I could have stayed in Ella for a few more days I think. But I was also itching to get out of the rain. And closer to the beach. But before the beach, I had to stop and visit Yala National Park. Stay tuned. 

Kandy

I made it to Ella, Sri Lanka. Yesterday was pretty much a travel day as I spent about 7 hours on a train. But fortunately it went by relatively quick since the ride was so beautiful as the train slowly went through the hill country. I feel like I saw where the entire world's tea supply comes from. When I arrived at the train station, the owner of the hotel I was staying at met me and had my name on a piece of paper and all. Which was a nice surprise as I messaged her earlier to avoid any google maps issues. It was really great of her and appreciate it, especially as I'm sure I would have missed the stairs that may or may not be considered a road. It was a little bit of a hike up with my backpacks. It's a nice place to stay so far. 

Train travel.

Which takes me back to Kandy. I had opted to sleep in a capsule in the hotel I was staying in. It came up as an option and the reviews were pretty decent. And I figured 'why not'. That's my saying for this trip whenever people ask me to do things. I mean, within reason of course. I didn't have much space to put my bag, but I made do. And I was the only one up there on the roof, so I took over to some degree with hanging up all my wet things.

On Monday, I flew from Amman, Jordan to Colombo, Sri Lanka, with a layover in Muscat, Oman. I'm obviously not including countries where I only see the airport on my list, but I am keeping track of those airports for fun. It was overnight travel, but nice since I caught a couple of movies, Insurgent and Pitch Perfect 2. I'm not watching TV on this trip so much, which is what I want. But every once in a while, it's nice to catch some American cinema.

I took the bus from the Colombo airport to downtown Colombo. I only got a glimpse of the city as I made my way to the train station. I'm flying out of Colombo when I head to India, so I'll be back to check it out. The train ride to Kandy was pleasant. Also very nice views. And I chatted with a Sri Lankan girl for a bit. Her nephews were very cute and smiley. But it started raining halfway through the ride. This I was not happy about. I had hoped it would stop before we arrived in Kandy, but no such luck. And unfortunately it rained every day I was there. Well maybe not yesterday as it looked like it was going to be a great day when I left. I know it's not rainy season (I looked it up), and I hope it lets up soon. It was a bit drizzly and foggy in Ella when I arrived. Although today may be better. 

Because of the rain, my time in Kandy probably wasn't as best utilized as it could have been. However, it did force me to do a few things like get sorted out for upcoming portions of my trip. The first day was probably the most productive in the sightseeing department. I explore the Sri Dalada Maligawa, or Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. I walked around the grounds for a bit and took it all in. 

Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

After I had my fill of the temple, I went for a walk around Kandy Lake. And that was slightly eventful as there were so many animals. Kandy is the 2nd largest city Sri Lanka (which is still quite small), but it was still strange to see all these animals. There were birds, bats, lizards, fish, monkeys and who knows what else. As I was looking at the lizards, I made conversation with a French couple. They were very nice and we actually got lunch together. We shared a few dishes so we were able to try multiple traditional dishes. I ordered the Chicken Kottu, which was so good that I got it again a couple of nights later.

City animals.

On a full stomach, I hiked up to the Big Buddha, who you can see everywhere in town it seems like. I got a pretty great view of the town and lake below. I was ready to relax after that. I made a pit stop at the grocery store to grab a few items, including peanut butter. However I couldn't find any. Maybe they don't have peanut butter in Sri Lanka? I thought as much since the multiple people I asked had no idea what I was talking about. However, I went to another grocery store the following day and found it. So now I have Nutella and peanut butter to consume for my long runs.

The Big Buddha.

I was too wiped out from traveling to run on Tuesday, and then Wednesday, I just couldn't get up. The time difference from Jordan was 2.5 hours, which isn't major, but still enough for me to want to keep sleeping. On Thursday I got my butt up and ran 6+ miles around the lake and out of the city a bit. It was a very pleasant experience as I did get a lot of smiles, especially from the women. There were a few disbelieving looks a well, but overall a good vibe from most people. I also went running the morning I left Kandy and saw a guy who looked pretty legit, like he should have been in NYC running the marathon. And I saw another woman doing laps around the lake. We smiled at each other in solidarity.

I didn't really do too much else because of the rain. I went into Udawatta Kele Sanctuary for a little bit to hike around, but it started pouring not too far into it. After getting another view of the city, I had to abandon the hike and run out of the forest. I was probably a sight for those 2 guys that decided it was a good idea to hike in the rain and hang out with the leeches. I for one was out of there. Which was a shame since I paid the entrance fee, and didn't get to see everything. Maybe it was for the best.

Escaping the leeches.

I will remember Kandy for the rain, the tuks tuks fighting for traffic, and the nice people. Oh and the delicious food. But there's more of that to come.

Petra and Amman

I have reached Kandy, Sri Lanka in case you are all keeping tabs on me. Which I assume you are. I left Jordan yesterday afternoon and after almost 24 hours of traveling by taxi, plane, bus, and train I reached my next destination. I'm excited to see what Sri Lanka has to offer. I have a tentative itinerary planned. 

Before that, we need to go back to Jordan. After Wadi Rum, I spent a couple of nights in the village of Wadi Musa in order to have a base to explore Petra, which became very popular because of Indiana Jones, and because it's amazing. 

There was a group of us leaving Wadi Rum and a few were staying in the same hotel as me. Which actually worked out, since I ended up having people to hang out with over the next couple of days. One thing that I was missing out by doing Airbnb. 

After dropping my bag, I walked down the hill to the entrance of Petra. The ticket price was actually pretty pricey (50 JD), but since I decided to take 2 days to explore, the extra day was only an extra 5 JD. I was definitely going to get my money's worth.

I took my time, but of course was hassled by all the adults trying to get you to take donkey, horse, and camel rides and the kids trying to sell postcards, bracelets, and other knick-knacks. After the 20th person trying to sell me something, it was definitely getting ufrustrating. I had heard it was pretty bad. And it was. It's unfortunate though, since at some points I just wanted to get away so I rushed through a few spots. One more reason getting the 2-day pass worked out.

Other than that, which just became a running joke, I had a great time hiking around and exploring. One of the groups of people from my bus,  were some students from Peru who were studying abroad at various locations, including NYU Abu Dhabi. We started chatting since we were all on the bus from Wadi Rum. I walked through the Siq, saw the Treasury, and hiked the 800 stairs (apparently) up to the Monastery. Of course that was named the 'best view'. And it was pretty great. We then met up with 2 guys from the bus, a Frenchman and a Dutchman (there should be a joke somewhere in there). They were staying where I was, so we headed back together. I felt like I got less attention since I was with 2 guys instead of by myself. So that was a nice break.

The Treasury.

The following morning, I went for a short run around Wadi Musa. And it was hilly. Surprise, surprise. However, I'm ok with the hills. But I'm not ok with the honks and catcalls. When I felt like I should, I would say something in response, even though I was probably just wasting my energy. I understand that it's a rarity to see anyone running, let alone a woman. It's just too bad men think they can just act inappropriate. Of course they don't even know they are being inappropriate. I try to let it slide. But it's hard after a while. 

After getting a few miles in, I headed back to Petra. It was actually a bit quieter, and I think it was because of Shabbat and there just weren't as many day trippers. I hiked up to the Obelisks and ran into the Frenchman and the Dutchman. We stuck together for the rest of the day. It worked out perfectly as I had company, and they were up to doing everything I was. So we continued to hike up and down mountains to get competing views, one of the Treasury from high above. We actually chose to hang out there for a while and may have taken a nap. All those stairs made us tired. We then met a couple from Germany and The Netherlands (who met in college in the US), who we ended up hiking through this canyon with. It was a little off the beaten trail and definitely involved some rock climbing and the sort. We made it through and called it a day. We grabbed a few folks from the hotel and rewarded ourselves with a beer at the only place that sold alcohol in town. It was called Petra Beer and came in a wide range of alcohol percent, up to 13%! We stuck with the 8% beers. And since it costs 6 JD (about $8.50), we only had one.

Super View.

It was time to head to Amman. Since I had decided to stay an extra night in the desert, I only had one night in Amman before my flight to Sri Lanka. I was ok with it, but another day still could have been nice. 

I hitched a ride with one of the workers at the hotel since he was picking a group of people for a tour. It worked out since I arrived earlier than I thought I would. Although it still took a while due to the rain. I had put off my long run and had to do it Monday morning. A part of me regrets waiting. That was one of the most frustrating runs ever. I had done some research so I knew what to expect. But it didn't help. It's not a runner-friendly city for sure. After dodging cars, trying to avoid the high curbs and going up hills, I made it to a nice trail in the middle of the city (which took me a while to find) to get some peace. But it was such a short trail (a little over a mile), it was going to be tough to do many miles on it. I ended up cutting my run short by 2 miles. I was so over it. I also needed to get back to get my hotel room to pack up. And since I got slammed with rain right at the end, I was happy to be done. I hope next week's long run will be better. 

After getting showered and dry, I wandered around a bit. I didn't have much time, but walked up Rainbow Road, checked out the market, and the Citadel. And got what will probably be my last falafel and hummus for a while. Time for some different food. 

Umbrellas.

Besides some of the unwanted attention, most Jordanians I encountered were really nice. Even in the bigger city of Amman. People were giving me things. They were small items that I would have happily paid for. So I got a couple of postcards, some Dead Sea soap (I hope it's legit), and a free beer. 

I think one of the few things that was cool about visiting Jordan, was the range of visitors. People came from all over including Peru, Germany, England, France, The Netherlands, Italy, Romania, Hungary, China, Taiwan, Australia, and of course the US. I know many people thought it wouldn't be safe due to it's proximity to Syria, but it was totally fine and I didn't encounter any issues. 

There's still lot to see in this small country (as my cab driver was telling me), so a future trip may be warranted. 

Now time to explore a different part of the world. 

Wadi Rum

I made it to Jordan, the 3rd country, on my list. After spending a day at the beach in Eilat at the Red Sea, it was time to move on. And since it reached 104 degrees, being right next to the sea for a day was definitely needed. 

I had some recommendations on what do do in Jordan and obviously Petra was at the top of the list. Others had also recommended Wadi Rum. So I figured why not. From Eilat, I took a bus close to the border, walked through passport control, dealt with the taxi mafia on the other side, and arrived in Aqaba. From here I took a minibus to Rum Village. I had a very entertaining ride as these 2 Jordanian girls nonstop chatted with me on the hour long ride. Too bad most of it was in Arabic so I didn't have a clue what they were saying most of the time. But we were helping each other out in the language department. I helped reinforce some of their English and I learned a bit of Arabic. We did work on counting to 10 in English and their mom taught me a few basics phrases in Arabic. There were some other women on the bus who asked if I spoke Arabic as well since I'm sure they wanted to talk. It's too bad since they also talked the entire hour ride to Rum Village. 

Once I arrived, and after making sure I was with the right camping/guide company, I got a cup of tea, played soccer with a few local boys, and finally hopped into the jeep to head out to the campsite. We did make a couple of detours (checked on the camels and saw the Chicken Rock), and the guide let me drive for a bit. I haven't driven a stick shift in several years, but I'm happy to say that I was able to drive through the desert without stalling. Go me. The desert is known for their sunrises and sunsets, and we arrived just about sunset, but it wasn't promising. Too much cloud cover. Instead my camp mates and I sat around the fire, played some sort of guitar instrument, smoked some hookah (unsuccessfully for me), and drank tea. We then headed to the living room hut and proceeded to eat a ton of food that the hosts had prepared. On full stomachs, we chit chatted a bit more under the moon.

Attempting some local music.

I mentioned I was camping. Yes, there was a tent. But they are a bit more rearmament and actually had a bed and electricity. And way more sturdy than a tent, especially as it proceeded to thunderstorm that first night. It was kind of fun, but the thunder felt like it was right above me and woke me up several times. The following morning, I woke up to hopefully see the sunrise, but the clouds were in the way, again. Fortunately, after some more thunder and lightening, the weather proceeded to get better. Good thing since I was going on camel ride. I spent about 5 hours wandering around the desert checking out the various sights of Wadi Rum with my own personal tour guide. Only the best when you travel solo.

Riding Foo Foo.

I saw some springs, went into a canyon, ran part of the way up a sand dune (and walked the rest of the way), ran all the way down the sand dune, climbed up some rocks, and just took in all the beautiful ('jamil' in Arabic) scenery. The camel ride was pretty cool. Getting up and down was an experience in itself since it has to do this dip thing in order for me to get off.

We ended at the village, where I proceeded to go to a Jordanian, Arabic, and Bedouin wedding that I had gotten invited to. Of course I'm not traveling with wedding apparel, let alone apparel that would be appropriate. However, I made do with what I had (pants, dress, and scarf). There was a range of outfits among the women, from traditional Arabic clothing, to nice dresses, and jeans and tank-tops. The wedding was a 2-day event and separated by gender. Fortunately I was in the more fun tent as we got to dance. Apparently the men just sit around, drink coffee and tea, and chat. We also chatted, but we got to dance, so that already made it better. I made friends with a French girl who is volunteering in the village for a few months. The younger girls latched onto us and proceeded to teach us some of the dancing and kept providing tea for us. It was a long afternoon and evening though. And to think there was another day for celebration. I didn't meet the bride though. I don't think she comes until the 2nd day. After dinner, I made my way back to the campsite and met all the new people staying that night. The sky was much clearer so we played music and had more tea under the moon and stars around the fire.

Lawrence's Springs.

Since I wanted a down day to relax a bit more at the campsite, I actually decided to stay another night. After the sunrise, I went into the village to get wifi and connect with the girl I was staying in Petra. Well she didn't react in the best way and I decided to cancel my reservation with her. So I made new accommodations, and hiked a bit near the village. Afterwards, I headed back and relaxed at the campsite for a bit and watched the sunset. I also did a photoshoot with a Chinese girl staying overnight with her mom. I decided to spend the night under the stars. Which was pretty cool. No animals were lurking around. I only saw one fox and some lizards in mountains so far at that point. The moon was very bright, but it was nice as it reminded me when were kids and would camp out on the deck in the summer time.

Camping under the stars. 

Before moving on to Petra, I had one last sunrise. I drove with the owner of the campsite to a different location where we climbed a rock barefoot. He may have also proposed to me, which I managed to brush off. I think he was kidding, but a part of me wasn't entirely sure. But the sunset was really nice. 

I rode a camel, went to a wedding, may or may not have been proposed to and spent the night under the stars. All in all, a pretty nice time in the desert. 

Jerusalem

I have left Jerusalem and arrived in Eilat. Jerusalem was pretty amazing. I didn't intentionally save it for this late in the trip (it just made sense geographically), but I'm glad I did. 

I do want to quickly address all the news though. I'm not sure what people have and have not heard. There have been a few attacks in the city, which is very unfortunate. I spoke to a few people leading up to my visit and the sentiment was pretty consistent. Go, but be safe. So that's what I did. I'm obviously not going to intentionally get in the way of any violence, and it is a large city. But you never know. My first night I was walking down Jaffa Road and heard a bunch of sirens. After living in NYC for over 10 years, at first it didn't register. Then I realized I wasn't in NYC and there seemed to be a lot of police cars going by. There was another incident at the Central Bus Station. Fortunately I don't think anything else happened since then. I saw a pretty high presence of armed police around the city regardless. I'm pretty sure it's more than normal, but of course I have no comparison. On the flip side, I also saw a lot of young Jewish people trying to bring some joy to the city. They have just been around trying to have a good time, play music, and be together. Which is nice to see. They were doing this so not everyone is afraid to be outside. 

Ok, so now to the fun stuff. One of the first things I did was go to the Mahane Yahuda Market (or Shuk) and buy wine, snacks, baklava and I'm sure there was something else. I also got a mini lesson on how havlah, a dessert) is prepared. The guy took me behind the display tables and assured me it was ok. So we broke apart a partial havlah, and then placed crumbs into a new container, and pounded away. And then we had a new one to put out. I only tried the samples, and I think it may be an acquired taste for sure. I still prefer ice cream. 

Havlah preparation.

I spent the following morning going through Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. It was pretty intense, but I do recommend visiting it if you find yourself in Jerusalem. I actually haven't been to any other holocaust museum, so I'm not sure what it's like compared to others, but I thought it was pretty in depth and powerful. There were also a lot of nice memorials on the grounds, so I took my time exploring outside too. 

After that I headed to the Old City. I wandered around the different quarters, and saw different religious buildings for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and of course visited the Western Wall. It's actually very fascinating that they are all in such close proximity. There's a reason they say Jerusalem is the holiest city. I even had a couple who wanted to pray for me on a rooftop observation point. They were from the US and on their honeymoon. I decided to go along with it. So there I was on a rooftop with the Western Wall and all the spires and domes in sight, and having a prayer spoken for safe travels. When in Rome. 

The Western Wall.

After a good but intense day, I had some Israeli rose at the King David Hotel, a pretty historical building. I sat on the terrace and enjoyed the nice weather and my book. I had to make it an early night though since I was meeting a group at 4am for a day trip out of the city. 

It was time to hike Masada, see Ein Gedi, and go into the Dead Sea. I thought about taking public buses, but it seemed a bit complicated and I didn't want to chance any absent buses making me miss something. I also looked into renting a car, but that was a little out of my price range, and also a bit complicated to deal with. So I decided to go with a reasonably priced private bus tour. And it actually worked out very well. It was a small group, so I actually got to meet a bunch of new people, and getting around was pretty easy. Although it was a bit longer of a tour, I wouldn't have complained. 

Our first stop was Masada, an ancient fortification on a plateau. Like I mentioned, we met at 4am and the reason why, is so we can hike up it in order to see the sunrise over Jordan and the Dead Sea. Which was pretty spectacular. After the sun came up, I explored the ruins of the palaces that used to be there. I also met a really nice family from the Toronto area. The daughters are close in age to me and who knows, I may see one of them in Peru next year. 

Masada.

Our next stop was Ein Gedi, an oasis in the middle of the desert. The falls were very pretty and I splashed around in one of them,  and then hiked around a bit with a Belgium guy who also runs marathons. I wish we had another hour there though. It went by too fast and I definitely could have hiked or go in one of the other waterfalls. 

Ein Gedi.

Our last stop was the Dead Sea, which was pretty great. We were 400 meters below Sea Level. We actually went below Sea Level shortly after we left Jerusalem. So not only that, but the Dead Sea is so filled with salt, that you are completely buoyant. It's the opposite of treading water. So strange feeling. After floating around a while, a girl from California and I gave ourselves a complete body mud mask. We eventually washed ourselves off and our skin felt great. And since we were at the beach and it was hot, we had to get a beer at one of the beach huts. Again, this was a little too short, but we still got to enjoy ourselves.

Floating in the Dead Sea.

We made it back to the city and of course it was Friday and Sabbath was starting at sundown. But businesses close down even earlier. So I made sure to get whatever food and drink I needed since I most likely wouldn't be able to find much open later in the day and on Saturday.

Typically Saturday (Sabbath) is a day of rest. So I tried to emulate the Jews and also rest. As much as I can of course. So I ran 13 miles on this amazing converted train track path. And then rehydrated with brunch, and then napped. And then continued to rehydrate with some late afternoon wine. See I rested. Fortunately there were a few establishments open to cater to visitors and non-Jews. It was actually kind of nice since the city was so quiet. And on my run, there was barely any cars out, which was very peaceful. Things started to open back up after sundown and I decided to try dinner at the Shuk. During the day (except Sabbath), the market is bustling with all the various stalls. Mixed throughout, there are a few restaurants. And in the evening, all the stalls close, but the restaurants stay open, which makes for a different atmosphere all together. It was kind of cool. And I ran into one of the guys from the day trip, another Canadian, who gave me the lowdown on how to spot regular Orthodox and ultra Orthodox Jews. I learned a lot. 

Before heading out of Jerusalem, I did one last run in Gacher Park and had some shakshuka at a cute cafe/bookstore. I'm now in Eilat. This wasn't on my list to be honest, but I figured a day at the beach would be good (this time the Red Sea) and I have next week pretty much planned out for Jordan (which I'm getting pretty excited about). 

One month in

It's been one month since I've left. Which is pretty crazy. It feels like I just left, but at the same time it feels like it was a while ago. Do I miss NYC and everyone I left behind? Of course. A part of me wishes I was experiencing fall in New York (really anywhere in the state would be great). And I wish some of you folks were with me seeing what I'm seeing. But I'm really glad I made this leap and doing what I've been thinking about for years.

I want to do a reflection on the last 4 weeks. Overall, things have been going very well. I've made it to 2 countries on my list: Turkey and Israel. Jordan is right around the corner, and my flight to Sri Lanka is booked. I feel like I've been making good progress, but not rushing.  I have spent more time in Turkey and Israel than I would have otherwise. At the beginning it felt like a vacation (and still does a little), and I wanted to make sure I see and do what I can. Now, I'm definitely not trying to exhaust myself seeing everything. I know that's not possible and why not leave things for another trip. You never know. That is one reason I've been mixing it up in cities and smaller towns. I love cities. Walking around and seeing the people and the sights. But it's a nice break to relax a bit in the smaller towns.

I'm feeling pretty good about the upcoming weeks and months. I'll figure out what to do in Sri Lanka and then head to India. I think I'm going to try to see both the Southern and Northern part of the country. I should be there to celebrate Diwali, which should be pretty cool. From there, I'm not sure yet. I have some friends meeting me in Southeast Asia, where we are probably hitting up Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. From there, I just need to be in Thailand by December 20th. I imagine, I'll be seeing a lot of Southeast Asia, which I'm pretty happy about. From there, I'll keep you posted. 

Since I've left, I have met so many great people. And yes, people are a little surprised I'm on my own. But generally speaking, people think it's great. There was a Turkish airport security guard that was a bit nervous for me. But he's been the exception. I've met people from Colombia, Argentina, Canada, Germany, England, Belgium, China, Korea, and of course the US, and so many from NYC. And such a range of people, ages, religions, and backgrounds. I enjoy doing things on my own, I mean I am on this trip by myself. But talking to people is also something I enjoy doing, so I appreciate the conversations.

I have mostly stayed in Airbnb apartments. I've been booking them a bit last minute and since it's off season everywhere, it's been fine so far. But I'm going to make a conscious effort to do a bit sooner than the day before. For example, getting a place to stay in Jerusalem was a bit more difficult and I had to pay a bit more than I wanted. And to be honest, it isn't ideal, but works for a few days. Some of the places I've stayed in have been great and I've had such good hosts, and others are just a place to stay. Nothing too exciting or alarming has happened thus far. I've been reading reviews and getting single rooms wherever I go. A guy posts a room and he has no reviews. I'll pass that one up. 

Since I started this adventure, I think I did ok in the packing department. I had done a lot of research on what I should bring, bought a 63 liter backpack, and went about making sure I could fit everything. Of course my brother freaked me out right before I left, but his backpack and mine really weren't that much different in size. In the weeks leading up to my departure, I started multiple piles of items and this is pretty much what I have been lugging around. 

• Clothes: tank tops (3), t-shirts (3), shorts (4), pants (2), pair of jeans (1), long sleeve (2), dress (1) underwear (10), bras (2), swimsuit (1)
• Running clothes: shorts (5), tank tops (4), t-shirt (1), long sleeve (1), sports bras (6), socks (7)
• Running accessories: hair ties, sparkly soul headbands, 1 spi belt, 1 Nathan's belt, ID bracelet, massage stick
• Accessories: watch, jewelry, scarf, Yankees hat, fitbit, USA bandanna
• Electronics: camera, tablet, kindle, phone, Garmin, ipod, necessary chargers and cords
• Toiletries: all the standard stuff, including 2 bottles of nail polish (I can provide a full list if requested)
• Rain jacket and light jacket, hat and gloves 
• Shoes: running sneakers, Toms, flip flops
• Electronics: tablet and keyboard, phone, DSLR camera, kindle, Garmin, ipod, all necessary chargers and adaptors
• Medicine: first aid kit, ibuprofen, neosporin, antihistamine medicine, malaria tablets, diarrhea medication, insect repellent spray and lotion, plus various other items (again, I can provide a full list if requested)
• Books: running journal, regular journal, and small notebook
• Miscellaneous: laundry bag, soap and detergent packets, bungee cord, headlamp, door stopper, sink stopper, locks, all-in-one utensil, collapsible bowl, headlamp, zip lock bags, garbage bags, 
• Bed sheet and quick drying towels
• Food: some snacks, some running food, and Nuun, oh and a little thing of vodka that my sister gave me
• Essentials: passport, yellow fever card, credit cards, ID, cash

I'm sure I'm missing things, but you get the idea. All this fit in my big backpack, smaller backpack, and over the shoulder purse. So far so good. There may be a few things I would have done a little differently now, but nothing crazy. I've also gotten pretty good about packing for each departure. I have bought a few things, but nothing major (a cheap fedora hat and a wine opener). But I am on the lookout for a new dress or skirt. One of these markets I go to is bound to have something that I'm willing to purchase.

On my way to JFK September 16th.

Lastly, I've been doing a reasonably good job of documenting my trip. If you follow me on Instagram, you see the 1-2 (sorry sometimes 4!) daily photos, or my albums on Facebook, and of course this blog. I'm also trying to keep some sort of journal, most of which is in my blog, but also has mementos of various places. The other thing I'm doing is keeping track of various statistics. If you know me I do love my numbers. So I've been keeping track of various things, like countries and cities visiting, miles run, steps taken, bed slept in, etc. Maybe I'll do a 3-month analysis. We'll see.

Well I'm off to finish my Golan Heights glass of red wine and plan for my long run for tomorrow morning around Jerusalem.