From Istanbul, he headed to Tel Aviv, Israel, arriving on Halloween day. Contrary to many of the reports we had heard about aggressive Israeli security, we breezed through customs and were soon on the train into the city, accompanied by many young Israelis heading home for the weekend from their various army postings. It is quite strange to see so many young adults wielding fierce machine guns in the midst of a city, but I suppose that is what keeps Israel safe.
We explored Tel Aviv for a bit and then contacted Evan Wertheim, an old family friend from Atlanta who moved to Tel Aviv about a year ago. We made plans to rendezvous with Evan for dinner and then accompany him to a Halloween party at the rooftop of one of his friends' apartment. We were psyched to be able to celebrate Halloween, as it is one of our favorite holidays. We had purchased some costumes while in Istanbul, so we were all ready to go. The following is a pictorial journey of our ramble through the Middle East (at least the sections that woudn't get us killed on the spot for being American):
Dracula (Evan) with Bunnie and Clyde.
The outlaws getting ready to head to the party. We were pleased to be able to keep up our Halloween tradition of couple costumes even though we were so far from home.
Lauren in full bunny regalia in the stairwell of our Tel Aviv hotel, the Gordon Inn.
We rented a car in Tel Aviv and set out to explore a couple of places in Israel by road before we headed to Egypt to meet up with Dane. Our first stop was Jerusalem, where we rendezvoused with my cousin Michael, who is spending a year studying in that magnificent city. We had a great time hanging out with him and he really showed us some cool sights.
In front of the very holy Western Wall in Jerusalem. The prayer spaces for the wall are divided by sex, with a much larger portion alloted to the men.
Dracula (Evan) with Bunnie and Clyde.
The outlaws getting ready to head to the party. We were pleased to be able to keep up our Halloween tradition of couple costumes even though we were so far from home.
Lauren in full bunny regalia in the stairwell of our Tel Aviv hotel, the Gordon Inn.
We rented a car in Tel Aviv and set out to explore a couple of places in Israel by road before we headed to Egypt to meet up with Dane. Our first stop was Jerusalem, where we rendezvoused with my cousin Michael, who is spending a year studying in that magnificent city. We had a great time hanging out with him and he really showed us some cool sights.
In front of the very holy Western Wall in Jerusalem. The prayer spaces for the wall are divided by sex, with a much larger portion alloted to the men.A brief interlude from the pictures to tell a crazy story. We left Jerusalem in our rental car, intending to head north to the Sea of Galilee. Armed with a rental agency map, we made our way in that direction. As we approached a massive checkpoint leading into Palestinian territory, we had the frightening realization that our map was not accurate. With huge machine guns trained on our car, we had no choice but to proceed forward. We pulled up to the checkpoint and rolled down our window to speak with the guard, who was wielding a large automatic rifle. He asked us just two questions: "Where are you from?" and "Are you Jewish?" Satisfied by our answers of "American" and an emphatic and hurried "NO!" he politely lowered his gun and wished us well in our trip to Jericho and the West Bank. Yikes. We had no idea that we were driving directly through the heart of the Palestinian-controlled West Bank. With our crappy map, we ended up getting lost and finally had to stop and ask for directions. The store proprietor who helped us was very nice and also wished us well. Finally, we were on our way out of the West Bank, but not before having the scare of being tailed at high speed by a nondescript white car with Palestinian plates and occupied by four young Palestinian men. The faster we drove, the faster they drove, even over very rough roads, so we were pretty sure that we were done for. In the end, we made it across to the Israeli side, where the Palestinian car had to turn back. Phew!!!! It's always an adventure with us.
Now, back to the pictures:
One day, we headed up to the very holy and surprisingly artsy town of Tsfat, situated up on a mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee. This picture was taken at the citadel in Tsfat, the highest place in the city and the site of many battles over the centuries.
The Sea of Galilee and its environs are really beautiful. We stayed for a couple of nights in Tiberias, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Here is Lauren at dusk, with the Sea behind her.
Still next to the Sea of Galilee as the sun sets.
From Israel, we flew to Cairo, where we spent two days before picking Dane up at the airport. Egypt was incredible in sum, but the experience of seeing the Pyramids at Giza was a transcendent one. We had such a cool day there.
We elected to get a tour guide for the Pyramids, since we wanted to make sure to optimize our experience after a not-so-illuminating trip to the Egyptian Museum. Our guide recommended a camel ride to the Pyramids, which we decided was a cool idea. Here we are aboard George Bush (T.J.), Mickey Mouse (Lauren), and Michael Jackson (Dane). Yes, it was slightly cheesy and touristy, but it was also awesome.
As you can see, Dane agreed with our assessment about the awesomeness of the camel ride.
Lauren catching huge air on account of her excitement.
Lauren in front of the Sphinx, her favorite Egyptian landmark.
Another view of the Sphinx, with the Middle Pyramid in the background.
A view of the main pyramid at Saqqarah, the first pyramid ever built.
From Cairo, we took a long bus ride across the Sinai Peninsula to Dahab, Egypt, on the Red Sea. Here are T.J. and Dane relaxing one night after dinner on the seafront.
T.J. turned 28 on the second day we were in Dahab. He woke up to a table laden with birthday surprises, including candy, presents, and some cards from home. It was a great birthday, even if most days on this trip feel like my birthday.
Sunset over Dahab on November 14, T.J.'s birthday.
We had an excellent birthday meal at a very tasty Thai restaurant in Dahab called Blue House, which was a fitting locale for someone who is obsessed with the color blue.
After the Thai food, we relaxed at the Bedouin Lodge with a sheesha (tobacco water pipe).
Dane taking a turn at the sheesha.
Lauren exhaling a large cloud of apple-flavored tobacco smoke.
We did six dives on the reefs in and around Dahab. Unfortunately, we don't have great pictures of those dives. However, on one of our rest days, we went on a 1.5 hour hike to the Bedouin village of Ras Abu Galoum. We hung out with the locals, went snorkeling, and generally enjoyed the peace and quiet of the remote location. Here is Lauren with Ras Abu Galoum in the background.
On the hike back from Ras Abu Galoum, we reached a promontory with a view of Saudi Arabia across the Red Sea. Here Dane and T.J. are "saluting" our Saudi Arabian "friends."
After an eight day sojourn in Dahab, the three of us took a trouble-filled journey north along the Red Sea, crossed into Israel at the Taba border, and then reunited with the Voboril parents in the Israeli seaside resort town of Eilat. The next day, we were back on the road, with the five of us journeying into Jordan for a visit to the ancient city of Petra. Here we are in front of a site used for animal sacrifices.
T.J. and his Pops close to Petra's Treasury, which is barely visible in the crack in the background.
Family shot close to the Treasury.
You might recognize the Treasury from the final scenes of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
We again decided to ride some camels, as we had so much fun the first time.
T.J.'s Mom on her first-ever camel ride, in Petra, Jordan.
The now-extended Voboril clan. Lauren wants to make it clear that her camel was a baby and she is not that much shorter than everybody else. She also says that her camel was the softest, sweetest, and least-smelly. That is probably true.
Another spectacular building carved into the rocks of Petra.
T.J. in an ancient archway.
Mom and the daughter she never had on the cobbled pathway between the cliffs of Petra.
After crossing back into Israel from Jordan and enduring the bureaucratic tedium entailed in border crossings, we went to bed excited for a day of diving off of Eilat. As it happened, even though the dive shop was in Israel, our dive site was actually in Egypt. So, we headed to the Taba border again for our third border crossing in three days. Even though it was a hassle, we were glad that we made the trip, as we had a fabulous day aboard a dive boat on the Red Sea. Here's the crew gearing up for our first dive.
Suited up and ready to dive. Note that our fins were made circa 1975. We felt that our equipment was sort of suspect and our suspicions were confirmed when T.J.'s regulator stopped working on the second dive. Although his primary regulator was not supplying air (which scared the crap out of him), he managed to get his emergency regulator in his mouth and continue with the dive, which was markedly shortened because he went through air at a prodigious rate due to his rapidly beating heart.
Dane exiting the water after one of his dives. He was getting practice for his impending voyage to Roatan, Honduras for several months to get certified as a Divemaster and work in a dive shop.
While aboard the dive boat, we scoped out this castle/fort, which was occupied by Richard the Lionheart during the Crusades.
Mom and Pops Voboril in front of the rented wheels, on our trip to Tel Aviv from Eilat.
On our way to Tel Aviv, we stopped off for a dip in the Dead Sea. The floatiness of the water has to be experienced to be believed.
Pops relaxing after a hard day at the wheel.
The Voboril men. "Look Ma, no hands!"
Preparing for our time in India...
Coated in mineral-rich Dead Sea mud, which actually makes your skin incredibly smooth.
Back in Tel Aviv, we met back up with Evan Wertheim, who joined the five of us for dinner at a great seafood restaurant in Tel Aviv's port district.
We took a day trip to Jerusalem, where we saw a ton of sights including the Dome of the Rock in the Temple Mount area.
For the first time in our lives, we did not have turkey for Thanksgiving. Instead, the five of us, along with our cousin Michael, had Thanksgiving dinner at an Argentinian steakhouse in Tel Aviv. Here is Lauren giving thanks to the Thanksgiving cow for a wonderful and special meal shared with family.
Mom and Pops among the ruins of the ancient port city of Yafo/Jaffa, just south of Tel Aviv.
We walked around the chill atmosphere of Yafo, checking out the many art galleries, including this eponymous one.
Lauren on our last day in Israel, giving it a high kick of approval.
Now, back to the pictures:
One day, we headed up to the very holy and surprisingly artsy town of Tsfat, situated up on a mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee. This picture was taken at the citadel in Tsfat, the highest place in the city and the site of many battles over the centuries.
The Sea of Galilee and its environs are really beautiful. We stayed for a couple of nights in Tiberias, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Here is Lauren at dusk, with the Sea behind her.
Still next to the Sea of Galilee as the sun sets.
From Israel, we flew to Cairo, where we spent two days before picking Dane up at the airport. Egypt was incredible in sum, but the experience of seeing the Pyramids at Giza was a transcendent one. We had such a cool day there.
We elected to get a tour guide for the Pyramids, since we wanted to make sure to optimize our experience after a not-so-illuminating trip to the Egyptian Museum. Our guide recommended a camel ride to the Pyramids, which we decided was a cool idea. Here we are aboard George Bush (T.J.), Mickey Mouse (Lauren), and Michael Jackson (Dane). Yes, it was slightly cheesy and touristy, but it was also awesome.
As you can see, Dane agreed with our assessment about the awesomeness of the camel ride.
Lauren catching huge air on account of her excitement.
Lauren in front of the Sphinx, her favorite Egyptian landmark.
Another view of the Sphinx, with the Middle Pyramid in the background.
A view of the main pyramid at Saqqarah, the first pyramid ever built.
From Cairo, we took a long bus ride across the Sinai Peninsula to Dahab, Egypt, on the Red Sea. Here are T.J. and Dane relaxing one night after dinner on the seafront.
T.J. turned 28 on the second day we were in Dahab. He woke up to a table laden with birthday surprises, including candy, presents, and some cards from home. It was a great birthday, even if most days on this trip feel like my birthday.
Sunset over Dahab on November 14, T.J.'s birthday.
We had an excellent birthday meal at a very tasty Thai restaurant in Dahab called Blue House, which was a fitting locale for someone who is obsessed with the color blue.
After the Thai food, we relaxed at the Bedouin Lodge with a sheesha (tobacco water pipe).
Dane taking a turn at the sheesha.
Lauren exhaling a large cloud of apple-flavored tobacco smoke.
We did six dives on the reefs in and around Dahab. Unfortunately, we don't have great pictures of those dives. However, on one of our rest days, we went on a 1.5 hour hike to the Bedouin village of Ras Abu Galoum. We hung out with the locals, went snorkeling, and generally enjoyed the peace and quiet of the remote location. Here is Lauren with Ras Abu Galoum in the background.
On the hike back from Ras Abu Galoum, we reached a promontory with a view of Saudi Arabia across the Red Sea. Here Dane and T.J. are "saluting" our Saudi Arabian "friends."
After an eight day sojourn in Dahab, the three of us took a trouble-filled journey north along the Red Sea, crossed into Israel at the Taba border, and then reunited with the Voboril parents in the Israeli seaside resort town of Eilat. The next day, we were back on the road, with the five of us journeying into Jordan for a visit to the ancient city of Petra. Here we are in front of a site used for animal sacrifices.
T.J. and his Pops close to Petra's Treasury, which is barely visible in the crack in the background.
Family shot close to the Treasury.
You might recognize the Treasury from the final scenes of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
We again decided to ride some camels, as we had so much fun the first time.
T.J.'s Mom on her first-ever camel ride, in Petra, Jordan.
The now-extended Voboril clan. Lauren wants to make it clear that her camel was a baby and she is not that much shorter than everybody else. She also says that her camel was the softest, sweetest, and least-smelly. That is probably true.
Another spectacular building carved into the rocks of Petra.
T.J. in an ancient archway.
Mom and the daughter she never had on the cobbled pathway between the cliffs of Petra.
After crossing back into Israel from Jordan and enduring the bureaucratic tedium entailed in border crossings, we went to bed excited for a day of diving off of Eilat. As it happened, even though the dive shop was in Israel, our dive site was actually in Egypt. So, we headed to the Taba border again for our third border crossing in three days. Even though it was a hassle, we were glad that we made the trip, as we had a fabulous day aboard a dive boat on the Red Sea. Here's the crew gearing up for our first dive.
Suited up and ready to dive. Note that our fins were made circa 1975. We felt that our equipment was sort of suspect and our suspicions were confirmed when T.J.'s regulator stopped working on the second dive. Although his primary regulator was not supplying air (which scared the crap out of him), he managed to get his emergency regulator in his mouth and continue with the dive, which was markedly shortened because he went through air at a prodigious rate due to his rapidly beating heart.
Dane exiting the water after one of his dives. He was getting practice for his impending voyage to Roatan, Honduras for several months to get certified as a Divemaster and work in a dive shop.
While aboard the dive boat, we scoped out this castle/fort, which was occupied by Richard the Lionheart during the Crusades.
Mom and Pops Voboril in front of the rented wheels, on our trip to Tel Aviv from Eilat.
On our way to Tel Aviv, we stopped off for a dip in the Dead Sea. The floatiness of the water has to be experienced to be believed.
Pops relaxing after a hard day at the wheel.
The Voboril men. "Look Ma, no hands!"
Preparing for our time in India...
Coated in mineral-rich Dead Sea mud, which actually makes your skin incredibly smooth.
Back in Tel Aviv, we met back up with Evan Wertheim, who joined the five of us for dinner at a great seafood restaurant in Tel Aviv's port district.
We took a day trip to Jerusalem, where we saw a ton of sights including the Dome of the Rock in the Temple Mount area.
For the first time in our lives, we did not have turkey for Thanksgiving. Instead, the five of us, along with our cousin Michael, had Thanksgiving dinner at an Argentinian steakhouse in Tel Aviv. Here is Lauren giving thanks to the Thanksgiving cow for a wonderful and special meal shared with family.
Mom and Pops among the ruins of the ancient port city of Yafo/Jaffa, just south of Tel Aviv.
We walked around the chill atmosphere of Yafo, checking out the many art galleries, including this eponymous one.
Lauren on our last day in Israel, giving it a high kick of approval.
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