Eventually, we left on our overland tour the following day and crossed over into Namibia; from the second we crossed into Namibia, the entire landscape changed dramatically. We spent the night at Felix Unite, camping along the Orange River. The make the most of our day, Michelle and I decided to go canoeing down Orange River with some other people in our group.
To get to our start point, we were driven 10km through the deserted valley while standing on the bed of a truck – that in and of itself was a lot of fun. We were surrounded by gorgeous views during our leisurely canoe experience, and the water splashing us was very much welcomed on a sweltering hot day. 2.5 hours later, we completed our canoeing journey – sunburned, exhausted, and dehydrated.
We spent the evening watching the sunset at Fish River Canyon, which is the second largest canyon in the world (160 km long, 127 km wide, and .5km deep). To see the sunset behind such a vast canyon is really something but, unfortunately, it was a bit hazy. With cheese, crackers, and beers in hand, it was a good sundowners indeed.
The following day, we drove through the Zaris Mountains and continued along the Naukluft Mountains after lunch. We made it to our campsite and before even setting up our tent, Michelle and I ran in the pool – it was 40 degrees (104 Fahrenheit)! Later in the day, we headed to the Sesriem Canyon; Sesriem means “six ropes.” We went down into the canyon (1.6 km long, 30 m deep, and only 2 m wide in some places) and wandered around for a while before heading up for another sunset.
We were supposed to leave on our overland camping tour with Intrepid Travel at noon following our Lion’s Head sunrise hike. We boarded the truck, lunches in hand, and realized after a few moments that our truck wasn’t moving. Turns out, we weren’t purposely idle – the truck wouldn’t start and no one knew why. Our guide, Chris, asked us to get off the bus while they tried to figure out what was wrong.
Fast-forward five hours, and the truck still wouldn’t start (even with a new part). Chris came over to tell us that we would no longer be departing that day, as the bus wasn’t fixed. This is Africa.
Once settled in our new hotel for the night, we decided that we might as well make the most of our final night in Cape Town. What did that consist of? Watching sunset at Camps Bay, of course! We perched up on a rock and had a beautiful view of the sunset in front of us, the 12 Apostles (the back of Table Mountain) next to us, and Lion’s Head behind us. It was a perfect sunset with great people – a very positive end to my time in Cape Town indeed.
Initially I was bummed that I wasn’t going to have time to climb Lion’s Head for sunrise or watch the infamous Cape Town sunsets, but thanks to the truck breaking down, I was able to accomplish both. Everything happens for a reason.
We woke up early to head to Jerash, located in Northern Jordan near the Syrian border. After spending almost four hours in the car going in and out of sleep, we arrived at the site of the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa (modern day Jerash), which was founded in 2000 BC.
Once considered part of the Decropolis, Jerash is the only one of those cities whose streets you can wander; it is the perfect example of what a Roman city used to look like, considered by many to be one of the best preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world (outside of Italy). In fact, only 40% of Jerash has been uncovered, while the other 60% remains beneath the soil. This town felt like a Roman village. From the earthquake-proof Corinthian columns, to Hadrian’s Arch and the Hippodrome, to the Temples of Zeus and Artemis, to the Cardo Maximus, Oval Forum, and beyond, you can truly picture what Jerash looked like many lifetimes ago.
At lunch that afternoon, our guide taught us about Ramadan – Mercy Month, or the Month of Fasting, considered to be regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. To begin the following morning at 4am, Jordan (and a large majority of Muslim countries) were to fast during all hours of daylight every day for one month, from dawn to sunset. It’s compulsory for Muslims to begin fasting upon reaching puberty, with some exceptions (the sick, the pregnant, the nursing, the babies, etc.). In Jordan, those unable to fast have to give to a poor person the most expensive meal they have in their house, or the equivalent of that in cash. According to our Jordanian guide, the idea behind Ramadan is to feel what a poor person feels on a daily basis, in turn becoming a better person and feeling mercy for others.
Post lunch, we drove to Madaba, which is best known by its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, specifically for the large Byzantine-era mosaic map of the Holy Land. The Madaba Mosaic Map was discovered in 1896 and preserved in the floor of the Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George. It is an indexed map of the region, depicting hills, valleys, villages, and towns in Palestine and the Nile Delta. It illustrates 6th century landmarks, with the Cardo Maximus and the Holy Sepulchre quite visible. Mosaics aside, Madaba was once a Moabite border city, mentioned in the Bible in Numbers 21:30 and Joshua 13:9.
From Madaba we drove to Mt. Nebo. According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses climbed Mt. Nebo right before he died, and it was there that he looked out upon the Promised Land (that he would never enter) for the first time. After his descent from Mt. Nebo, he died in the city of Moab; no one is exactly sure where he is buried. Atop Mt. Nebo, approximately 2,680 feet above Sea Level, there is a panoramic view of the Holy Land, the valley of the River Jordan, Jericho, and Jerusalem on a clear day.
Pointed in the direction of the Holy Land is the Brazen Serpent Monument, symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the Wilderness (Numbers 21: 4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified – “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up” (John 3:14).
We drove to our accommodation for the night: Mujib Chalets, aka a hut overlooking the Dead Sea. We got there right before sunset and I decided that I wanted to go for another swim in the Dead Sea. Me. The water. The mountains. Not a soul in sight. Solitude. We watched a beautiful sunset from our patio, relaxed a bit, and passed out early.
We began the day at Rosh Hanikra, the ocean swept caves of the Mediterranean. The view was absolutely breathtaking. The Bridge and Railway tunnels at Rosh Hanikra are part of the rail tracks Haifa – Beirut – Tripoli that were established by the British Mandate Government during the Second World War. This was done to connect the Israeli and Lebanese rail networks and to establish a continuous rail network from Egypt via Sinai, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey to Europe. Today, the tunnels leading have been sealed for fear of intruders.
The big difference between our birthright experience and other groups was that we had the opportunity to complete the Sea to Sea (Yam l’Yam) trek after finishing up the traditional 10-day experience; we hiked from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee. Upon arriving at Achziv Beach, we were told to choose a rock that we were to carry with us throughout the trek. This rock was meant to remind us why we were setting out on the path – a spiritual journey, a physical journey, a pilgrimage – whatever it may be, this rock was to be our tangible reminder.
The beginning of our hike was beautiful, from Nahal Kziv to Goren Park to Montfort Castle. The hiking was easy enough, but the heat was a killer. Upon arriving at Goren Park we found ourselves trekking up a cliffside then perching ourselves on cliffs overlooking gorgeous forestry.
We went to our campsite and all took part in making dinner. We had a vast array of food – salads, hotdogs, hamburgers, veggies, potatoes, hummus, tahini. After a spectacular sunset, we set up our “beds,” aka a yoga mat and a thin sleeping bag without a pillow, and passed out under the stars. I woke up at 3am to a pack of howling jackals but was so exhausted that I was able to fall right back to sleep.
I awoke with a spider in my hair. Yes, a spider. I was beginning to embrace this new outdoorsy me, although I could do without the spiders. After a nutella-packed breakfast, we visited Hurfesh, a Druze village. We spoke with a member of the community, and he explained that the Druze “believe in all the prophets – Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad.” That days hike was less exciting than the previous day, but fulfilling nonetheless.
The highlight was definitely our visit to the Circassian Village in Rehaniya. While the majority of us unintentionally zoned out (due to fatigue) through the history of the Circassians, we had a delicious homemade meal. We sat down, drank some sweet ginger lemonade, and then an array of food was put in front of us – spicy beets, potato salad, eggplants, carrots, corn salad, warm bread, and noodle soup. We devoured the food, and then learned that that was only our first course. Then they brought out our (entirely dairy-filled) meal – bread stuffed with ricotta (similar to empanadas), something similar to pierogis dipped in a yogurt sauce, and a cheese plate. We could barely move we were so full. But then they brought out some juicy watermelon and we just couldn’t resist.
Stuffed and exhausted, we made our way back to the campsite. By the time we arrived it was pitch black and we had to set up our sleeping areas in the dark. Thanks to Drew, I somehow ended up with a perfectly rockless spot to sleep on. That night was exceptionally cold and, even though I had on sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a buff wrapped around my neck, I could not get warm. Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep, however, the view of the stars above me while I was drifting in and out of consciousness was remarkable.
David and I were some of the first up that morning, and the first thing I saw was someone’s very empty food bags spewed across the entire campsite. Turns out, my darling Casey forgot to tightly secure her food before passing out, so a wild boar got into her food. David then went on to tell me that he heard the wild boar growling next to him while he was trying to sleep; he just went deeper into his sleeping bag and tried not to move until the boar went away.
We left to climb Mt. Meron from our campsite at 7:30am and we were climbing straight uphill from the get-go. A very good morning to us all. It was truly a beautiful hike. When we reached the peak, we had a Hebrew naming ceremony for those that didn’t already have one. I chose “Ezraela” which means “God is my help” and David chose “Raphael” meaning “God has healed.” We, as a group, chanted our names in the direction of Tzfat (remember, it’s one of the four holiest cities).
It was a long path down, and an even longer path to our next campsite. With painful shin splints, parts of the rocky path were tough but manageable. After 9.5 hours of hiking, we finally reached our campsite for the night.
We were greeted with watermelon and more importantly…bathrooms! We had a scrumptious pasta dinner and made s’mores by the fire before passing out early.
David woke me up at 5:30am to watch the sunrise on the final day of our trek. As he nudged me awake, I sleepily sat up and felt something itching my chest. I looked down to find a huge creepy-crawly nuzzled between my boobs! Within seconds I ripped off my sweatshirt and stood there topless laughing at myself (covering myself as much as possible, of course). We got ready, ate breakfast and took off for our fourth, and final, hike.
It was straight downhill for a while, so we moved pretty quickly before coming to a pretty little lake surrounded by some cliffs and ruins. We kept on trudging, entered a valley, and continued our trek. It was uphill for a while, and then we were virtually scaling the rocks which was just incredible. I was loving every second of it. It was brutally hot, to the point where all of the trails got shut down due to the intense heat.
Lucky us, we were stuck in the middle of the trail already and, thus, had to complete it no matter the heat index. We were drenched in sweat, bodies aching, and soaked in the view. When the end was finally in site, some of the group jogged there … until we realized there was a barbed wire fence blocking us in. We couldn’t figure out how to exit the trail. We looked around and realized that the only way out was straight up. So straight up we went. Another fence. This time, the barbed wired fence had a very small hole in it. Well, there was our solution. We crouched down, one by one, and slid through the tiny gap in the barbed wire fence.
We ended at the Sea of Galilee. Remember the rock that we chose four days prior? Here, we threw it in the water. Despite the heatwave, we completed Yam l’Yam and I couldn’t have been more thrilled.
We then relaxed in the hot springs in Tiberias. We immediately went into the mineral water pool, which stung our scrapes from the hike but felt so lovely. From there we jumped in the main pool and ultimately settled in the outdoor mineral pool, which felt like a hot tub. After a relaxing evening, and another great meal, we sat outside to discuss the trek.
Before doing so, we realized it was our guide, Itay’s, 13th birthright trip, so we gave him a Birthright Bar Mitzvah; it was so heartwarming. After a beautiful goodbye sunset, we took off for the hotel and were so excited for our first post-trek shower.
All aboard the Vavilov for Christmas in Antarctica! It was slightly overwhelming as I was making the journey to the “Deep South” on my own but, as always, I managed. That night we were told to take our motion sickness meds because the Drake Passage, the roughest seas in the world, was supposed to reach 50 knots aka 92.6 kph aka 58 mph aka insanely windy. I figured it’d be rough but manageable — I mean, a girl that loves to flip around in the air shouldn’t have any problem being tossed around a ship, right? Well, it seemed logical and amazingly I was one of the few who didn’t get sick.
The power of the waves crashing against the ship woke me up around 4am, as I kept being unwillingly thrown into the wall next to my bed while trying to sleep. So much for a nice, long, Dramamine-filled sleep. Instead, I laid there feeling myself get uncontrollably rolled into the wall for 3.5 hours. When the wake-up call came at 7:30am I was wide awake, ready to tackle the day. That is, until I realized how difficult it was to walk on a ship violently pitching up and down over the waves, muchless get dressed. After 3 failed attempts at standing up to put my pants on and subsequently getting knocked over onto my booty, I finally succeeded and headed to breakfast. I stepped into the hallway to find barf bags within an arms reach lining the whole ship, as people were so prone to get sick while crossing the Drake.
Breakfast was…an experience to say the least. Like something out of a movie. I have absolutely no idea how the kitchen people prepared our food without falling over every five seconds. Everyone had to hold onto to whatever they could find to balance themselves (yes, ceiling included), and carrying a plate full of food proved to be quite challenging. After a simple breakfast, and many sliding glasses, I went back to my room and passed out yet again until lunch. After lunch I unintentionally passed out until the “Photographing Antarctica” lecture. Whoops. I guess non-drowsy Dramamine isn’t actually non-drowsy…
A word of advice: avoid trying to shower while crossing the Drake. It leaves you chasing the water stream around your bathroom as it’s swaying in all different directions, your thighs will be exhausted, you’ll almost fall numerous times, and the wall will become your best friend. And if you use a razor…you’ll cut yourself. I learned these things the hard way.
By the time dinner came around, many more people were standing on their own two feet rather than puking in bed, which was quite
refreshing to see. Early to bed that night – jeeeeeez so much sleep! The Drake really does wear out your body, more than one could ever imagine.
This past weekend I went to Uruguay…with no plan. First we took a ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento then busses to Montevideo, Piriapolis, and Punta del Este. Considering the fact that I took this trip on a whim, I was completely unprepared and, thus, absolutely freezing 3/4 of the trip, but oh well.
A breakdown:
Colonia del Sacramento: Deemed an UNESCO World Heritage Site, this cobblestone town was both adorable and beautiful. We took a ferry straight from Buenos Aires into Colonia del Sacramento Thursday night – it was a breeze, but finding our hostel in the pitch black was a bit tough, so I was happy to be with a guy! We walked around for a bit and I was amazed at the silence; it was so peaceful. The next morning it was raining, but we woke up early to wander the town anyway. The lack of a rainjacket was a bit…tough…but all was good. Luckily it cleared up after about an hour or so and we were graced with beautiful blue skies. The little quaint town definitely didn’t disappoint.
Montevideo: I didn’t really have much of an interest in the capital of Uruguay, but it made for a good pitstop between locations. We got there with plenty of sunlight and decided to tour the city on our own; I loved that you could look down the streets and see the water. We cooked our own dinner that night and planned on having a quiet evening, until we realized that there was a pre-game to a Brasilian bachelor party happening in the courtyard. Needless to say, it got a bit rowdy, but it was a blast. We started talking about music and a few of the guys love Damien Rice and Glen Hansard, so we instantly bonded.
Piriapolis: I hadn’t really planned on hitting up Piriapolis, but my Spanish professor said that it was his favorite city in Uruguay, so I figured I might as well check it out. So happy I did. This beach town felt very homey. We were stuck schlepping around our backpacks, but that didn’t keep us from seeing everything. It was beautiful, but extremely windy. Due to this, we didn’t feel how strong the sun was. Needless to say, I fried (and consequently have some very awkward burn lines thanks to my backpack). Oh, and I had the best hamburguesa complete – yummm.
Punta del Este: This was our final destination in Uruguay, and the city I’d heard most about. I figured it’d be a letdown, but it wasn’t. It was gorgeous; we arrived right in time for sunset on the beach. Although I was freezing, it was quite enjoyable. That night we hung out with some guys in the hostel, which was fantastic for my Spanish since very little English was spoken. The following day was the absolute perfect day to spend on the beach – not too hot but outstandingly sunny, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! Man, the sun in Uruguay is strong…
All in all, such a fabulous and relaxing weekend 🙂
The Five Foot Traveler 
