Posts: 102

1. Spa Slut Sees The Future: Anti-Aging Therapies

   17.Jan.08, 18:26 GMT
   
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   I embrace the fact that I am a spa slut.  Spas smell good and I never feel guilty after indulging because these decadent treats are actually good for you.  Mostly.  My swish hotel on the Rivera Maya, Paraiso de la Bonita, has the only certified Thalasso Center in North America, so I went there planning to take full advantage.  Thalasso, still very popular in France (of course), is an ancient Greek and Roman concept.  Romans had a saying: "Sanus per Aquam", or "health through water": this is the origin of the modern acronym "SPA".

   
   

   The basic idea of Thalasso is that immersing in sea water heated to the same temperature as your body causes some kind of penetrating but passive exchange of fluids.  It was explained to me in less threatening terms: sea water extracts toxins from your body while your body absorbs its rich, regenerative minerals.  This can happen in a super luxe large, heated outdoor salt water pool with powerful jets that pummel your sore muscles under open sky, like they have at Paraiso, or inside the spa through a session of Baleneotherapy.  I did a little Thalasso almost daily, plus opted to be smeared in seaweed and mudd,  and have a algae-rich facial.

   
   

   In addition, I decided to do a little extra perspiring (like Mexico isn't already hot enough) via a Temezcal (AKA Temescal) on New Year's Eve, which is similar to a Native American sweat lodge.  You go into a dark abobe hut with a central pit.  Glowing, heated volcanic rocks are placed into the pit and water is poured over them until the hut fills with steam.  A shaman leads you in song and guided meditation, a musician beats a drum and plays various other wind instruments, and you sit there for a full hour, rubbing herbs into your skin or getting beaten by reeds.  Sometimes, it gets scary because you get so hot, you hallucinate. Like the time I found my animal totem, a wolf with one blue-eye and one green. 

   
   

   Unlike Thalasso, the Temezcal originated in this area of Mexico. The Aztecs, the Maya, and many other Mesoamerican cultures used this combination of heat, steam, and chanting often along with fasting and the use of natural hallucinogenic drugs to bring about a trance state. Apparently, the temezcal was also used by the king and his priests before engaging in ritual sacrifices in which they would communicate with the gods and the ancestors, seeking blessings for their people. The remains of these ancient Temezcal can be seen at the ruins at Tikal, Palenque and Xochicalco, and the modern form is offered to tourists at most resorts in the region.  I just loved starting 2008 with a shaman telling me, "There is nothing bad left in your body."

   
   

   
   

   All of this would have been enough beautification, but the resort had a new Anti-Aging Center, and they invited me in to have a look.  Many of my colleagues have written about medical tourism, or people who travel to South America or South Africa to get inexpensive plastic surgery.  But as of yet, I've never gone under the knife.  And if I did, it seems to me this would be one time not to go cheap, but to get the best damn doctor and treatment out there, right?

   
   

   But I went in, lured by the promise of a infra-red photo analysis of the sun damage on my face.  I knew the drill.  You go in and take these pictures, then they oooh and aaah over the results and recommend a bunch of treatments and creams I can't afford.  But the photo shows you if you have any pesky spots that might turn into basel cells or carcinoma, and it was free, so I said yes.

   
   

   The inside of the Anti-Age center itself was like a brand new dentist office (it only opened in April 2007), with reclining chairs draped in crisp white towels embroidered with "AGE" in large golden letters.  Ominous.  The doctor didn't quite look old enough to be one, but then I rationalized, maybe he was just doing the treatments there, which range from the much joked about Botox to Mesotherapy to laser rejuvenation to skin peels, all of which are also available at greater cost in the US.  But the real interesting stuff were the treatments NOT available in the US, but widely used in Europe, like Biocell Therapy (stem cells from animal embryos), Transdermal Hormone Replacement Therapy, and human growth hormone treatments (yes, the stuff getting our top athletes in trouble in the news these days that I always thought could make your heart enlarge and explode?).

   
   

   I thought about all the beautiful people here at the resort and suddenly, I wondered: "Were they in here getting injected or implanted with this stuff, while I was merely getting a massage?" 

   
   

   I decided I wouldn't want anything more to interfere with my other two favorite daily activities in Mexico, swimming and sun-tanning.  But it got me thinking, and as 2008 began I renewed my resolve to continue eating whole, organic food and do more yoga, in the hope that I could put-off looking into this Pandora's Box of sci-fi options for another decade or two.

2. Voyage to the Mayan Rivera or Putting on Airs Outside Cancun

   16.Jan.08, 18:19 GMT
   
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   When you say you are going to the Riviera Maya or Mayan Riviera, most people have no idea where that is, and it sounds ridiculously pretentious.  The Mexican government and resort developers in the area basically made up the term to create distance from the expansive tackiness and commercialism of nearby Cancun (which I've always described as Las Vegas on the beach).  But the concept is catching on, and I'm all for it.

   
   

   My Mayan Rivera adventure began with a direct flight from JFK to Cancun on USA3000, a real airline most people have never heard of.  My flight was obscenely cheap: $338 roundtrip, especially given I'd booked it less than a month prior and was flying out on December 30th (practically New Year's Eve!).   It was almost too good to be true, and I wasn't encouraged when I got to JFK two hours in advance to check-in only to find there were 10 passengers total on the flight.  I was sure they would cancel it.  I mean, why wouldn't they?  It costs about a $100,000 per hour of the flight time to fly a plane of that size: the 10 passengers represented about $5,000.

   
   

   But USA3000 flew as promised and each of us had ten rows to ourselves and our own private flight attendant.  It was a bit surreal, though I slept most of four hour flight (good to know: its almost equidistant between New York and Los Angeles).  Once I popped up for some water, and saw that the in-flight movie was the antiquated Mrs. Doubtfire, possibly Robin Williams' last good role.  I finally asked a stewardess about why they would bother to fly an empty plane, and she explained that the flight was fully booked on the return trip to JFK.

   
   

   The Cancun Airport is like a giant shopping mall (duty free on the way home is pretty dazzling), though you have to exit through these rows of hardsell agents at tables hawking various tours.  Do not make eye contact with anyone!  But you can land in this airport and drive to your destination along the Mayan Riviera without ever passing through the westernized Cancun strip.  Its nice that way, makes you feel like you are actually in Mexico as opposed to a Mexican-themed extension of Florida.

   
   

   We were staying about a 20-minute drive away at the Paraiso de la Bonita, a five-star hotel that is its own destination in what was formerly a little fishing village called Puerto Morales.  And there's another really swank resort area called Mayakoba and another five-star resort called The Maroma another 15 minutes south along Highway 307.  But what redeems the Riviera Maya is that it's not all luxury.  You could also find reasonable accomodation another 20 minutes south in Playa del Carmen, or another 30 minutes south in Tulum.  Alternately, there are private villa rentals on the island of Cozumel, or in up and coming area north in Isla Mujeres.

   
   

   As this is part of the Gulf Coast, it has been hard hit by hurricanes over the past three years.  However, the backhanded benefit of bad weather karma is the beaches are better than ever.  I stayed at Paraiso de la Bonita five years ago and the so-called beach here was pathetic.  Now its a big, wide sandy swatch that makes this Philippe Starck-meets-Bali design resort all the more perfect.

   
   

   Tune in over the next two days and I'll detail more of my adventures in the Mayan Riviera, contemplating cheap plastic surgery, driving out to the Mayan ruins in Tulum and my hair-brained idea to take a day trip to Havana (Cuba is so close here - an hour flight!).

3. Hello, Stranger: The people you meet on the road are the highlight of any trip

   15.Jan.08, 18:16 GMT
   
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   We were driving in the sandstone desert near the Dead Sea in a weathered four-wheel-drive jeep, along a rough road fashioned by frequent use.  The guy at the wheel and our guide, a long-haired Israeli hippie named Gil, was blasting Bob Marley's greatest hits, and navigating in fading light.  As the sun set, turning the sky and sand lavender, tangerine, and fuchsia, I realized I was having a pure, happy moment.  One of those unexpected moments on the road where you end up someplace and with someone you never imagined.

   
   

   We stopped the jeep and parked on a crest.  In every direction, I saw desert flats.  I had no idea where we were or how to get back to civilization, but Gil had brewed us a sweet herbal tea and, in that moment, I needed nothing else.

   
   

   It wasn't until later, when Gil removed his Ray Ban-style sunglasses to tell us about his years living in Tokyo and selling ceramic Michael Jackson figurines from a street stall, that I noticed he only had one good eye.  Didn't matter though; he knew this desert, now his home, like the back of his hand.

   
   

   Whenever I reflect on the places I've been, I see the beautiful landscapes in my mind's eye, like photographs.  But the color of a place, the stuff in 3-D, comes from the people I meet along the way. Sounds like a bad Hallmark sentiment, I know, but people are any country's finest asset.

   
   

   And Israel is full of unforgettable characters, like:

   
   

   Shamai Mittleman III, a 60-something accountant and self-proclaimed "Royal Prince of Ra'anana" (the name of his suburb outside of Tel Aviv).  He invited us into his home for lunch and lectured us on how to partake in "the good life."  He explained that if you were planning to go out to dinner and spend $30 on a meal at a so-so restaurant, you might as well go out and spend $50 on a better meal at a great restaurant.  His rationale was that if you were planning to spend $30 anyway, the difference is just $20 to partake in "the good life" and feel like a king.  And everyone can come up with an extra $20 in their budget, right?

   
   

   The surly shopgirl in the Havkin new age botanicals boutique in Rosh Pinna, in Galilee.  When I asked her to explain the $120 a pop "kabala" good luck jewelry (I mean, has anyone ever been able to tell you what the hell kabbalah is anyway? I know it involves hard math, which rules me out), she looked at me like she wanted to punch me for calling her bluff.

   
   

   Chef Moshe Basson of Eucalyptus restaurant in Jerusalem introduced me to some truly divine flavors by preparing a meal entirely of Biblical foods.  It was so delicious it made me wonder if food had ever been used as an incentive to convert people?  Chef Moshe was such a suave guy, sporting the Israeli middle-aged-man, shaved-sides-of-the-head-with-thin-long-braid look (quite common, you see it everywhere) with his crisp white chef smock.  He's now writing a Biblical foods cookbook.

   
   

   The next character was not an actual person, but an actor in a film about the last bath-house attendant in the ancient city of Acre's Turkish Baths. The bad acting, writing, and direction, the borderline racist stereotypes, the sexist jokes, the homoerotic undertones made him unforgettable -- even though I don't think I learned a thing from the film about Acre (aka Akko), now a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it's the best-preserved crusader city in the world.

   
   

   And perhaps the most memorable person of the trip, though the one I know the least about, was the lone trannie of Acre.  Yes, a male-to-female transsexual in female street clothes, sitting in the Arab quarter in broad daylight.  Only tourists seemed to be shocked by her, which indicated she was a local. Given the strict religious laws that govern the Arab world, I was encouraged to see her and yet worried about her -- and still am.  If I prayed, I'd say a little prayer for her.

   
   

   I don't suppose there is a better way to thank the people you meet on the road, than to remember them.

   
   

   For more information about visiting Israel, see the official website: www.goisrael.com.

4. The Dead Sea: But what's that burning in the under carriage!

   11.Jan.08, 17:52 GMT
   
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   Israel doesn't just attract religious pilgrims: there are those who come here for "the cure" AKA the miraculous healing properties of the Dead Sea.  As far as I can tell, this is part myth and legend with some hard science to back it up.  

   
   

   The Dead Sea is so-named because its water is so salty (about 10X the concentration of average sea water), no marine life can live in it.  Its located about 540 feet below sea level, the lowest spot on earth, and receives just 2 inches of annual rainfall.  This gives the Dead Sea a very high concentration of minerals, which are mined on both the Jordan and Israel sides of what is actually just a lake.  But its these minerals that can help "cure" skin aliments such as psoriasis.  Also, the low elevation combined with these elements is thought to help with respiratory problems, and of course, those with joint pain or mobility issues find a sense of freedom floating in the Dead Sea.  The hypersaline concentration makes the water extremely bouyant: regardless of your size or lack of grace, you can sit as though in an invisible chair and just be suspended in the water!

   
   

   When we arrived on Ein Bokek on the shoreline, I had an image of myself dipping into the Dead Sea, and emerging with a hard shell like a salt-crusted baked fish.  The so-called "spa"  actually felt more like a public swimming pool, very pedestrian with locker rooms and bad florescent lighting (the Ein Gedi Spa is suppose to be much nicer than this place).  We boarded a trolley like you'd take in the parking lot of Disneyland for the mile-long trip down to the shore, passing through barren, Bliblical-looking landscape.

   
   

   The Dead Sea itself was flat as a pond and shallow (though it gets deeper than 1,000 feet in the center) and a pretty light blue color, though the shoreline and bottom are crusted with hardsalt ridges that are like walking on a bed of nails, so wear flip flops.  They warn you a hundred times not to get the water into your eyes, mouth or nose, but its nearly impossible to avoid as you are so bouyant in the water, its very easy to lose your balance and slip.  Warning, it takes like you imagine gasoline would.

   
   

   Strangely, water this salty feels very oily, and Instead of drying you out, its really moisturizing, even for your hair.  Apparently, it also makes your heart race like a Red Bull, so its not recommended to submerge for more than 15 minutes, and those with heart problems shouldn't go in at all.  And perhaps strangest of all, even though it was a bright sunny day, we were told we didn't have to wear sunscreen here because of the low elevation, you can NEVER get sunburned at the Dead Sea.  The sun's rays just aren't strong enough to penetrate the low elevation.  Wild!

   
   

   I was thoroughly enjoying myself, when suddenly I felt a different kind of burning.  Heat rising up in the under-carriage!  Started as an itch and quickly escalated into the whole house on fire!  The tourist brochures don't tell you this, but the pink bits can't really take even 15 minutes of Dead Sea before you need to run out and rinse-off, quite shamelessly, under the fresh water showers.

   
   

   Later at the Daniel Dead Sea Resort, I tried again, submerging into a spa  pool of Dead Sea water.  Not quite the same, but soon it seems this will be the only option.  Scientists predict that the Dead Sea is shrinking  due to climate change, and they estimate that in 90 years, the Dead Sea will totally evaporate.  So plans are in the works now to build a canal to divert water to it from the Mediterranean Sea.  They will do this not to preserve the Dead Sea as a tourist attraction or healing place, but rather to protect the business interests of the people who mine the rich mineral deposits.  But it won't be the same, even if they do figure this out, so I'd say get there sooner rather than later.

   
   

   For those who might just opt for the cure in a bottle, AHAVA makes products from Dead Sea salt and the Dead Sea mud, which I bought up in sealed packets from the factory for gifts to take back home. 

   
   

   As I lay in bed that night, I kept stroking my skin. I felt soft as a baby's bum all-over, though desperately thirsty as though my mouth was full of rock salt crystals.  The whole Dead Sea experience was weirdly exhausting, like I'd run a half-marathon, so I sure slept like dead that night, too.

5. Surf's Up Israel

   10.Jan.08, 17:49 GMT
   
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   I was a little bit perturbed to see on the BBC News yesterday that President Bush is in Israel, staying at the swank King David Hotel in Jerusalem, a mere block from the second nicest hotel in town, the David Citadel, where Madonna and I stayed (no, not together: She was there with her Kabbalah rabbi). 

   
   

   I suppose I should be glad Bush wasn't there at the exact same time I was.  Though Israel has top-notch security starting from the moment you check in for your El-Al Airlines flight (the interview process at security is akin to police interrogation, so you do need to arrive three hours in advance), W is the most hated man in the Middle East.  And it would make me VERY nervous if I were sleeping within bombing range of him.

   
   

   It's interesting, however, that former UK prime minister Tony Blair was in Israel three weeks ago, at the same time I was (staying at the third nicest hotel in town, the Intercontinental Jerusalem).  Now it seems that President Bush will also focus on Middle East peace talks at the end of his political career.  How did Israel become the place where former world leaders go to transition into retirement?

   
   

   Seems like everyone's going to Israel. As you may know, if you've been reading my blog, my trip to the Holy Land had a profound effect on me, so maybe I'm just more aware of media coverage? 

   
   

   Still, seeing the February OUTSIDE magazine cover story on eight-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater's trip to Israel was a bit of a shocker.  Apparently, Slater was down there with a surf posse at the invitation of Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, founder of Surfing for Peace, an organization dedicated to bringing together Israelis and Palestinians under the international, knows-no-boundaries "bro-mance" of surfing. As Paskowitz likes to say (according to Jimmie Briggs, the Outside reporter): "If you can surf together, you can live together." 

   
   

   And not only that, it turns out that Slater, the wünderkind from Cocoa Beach, Florida, who most people assumed was a surf-tanned Irishman, actually has Syrian roots.  So the effort became more poetic with Paskowitz, a Jew, and Slater, now revealed as an Arab, on board.

   
   

   I may not have pointed out in my last blog about Tel Aviv that it's a city on the Mediterranean Sea, so it looks and feels like other Mediterranean beach destinations in Greece, Italy, Spain, and France.  The waves most of the year at Herzliya and Hilton beaches are small, but surfable.

   
   

   You should definitely read Briggs's full story: It really captures the struggle of simple good intentions mixed up with surf company corporate interests and media frenzy. And on the gossip front, there is some background info about Slater's arrest for pushing a paparazzi photog who tried to snap him with Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli (also, Leonardo DiCaprio's ex), though you can read even more about it on the hilarious blog Celebitchy.

   
   

   Surfing for Peace is a noble, perhaps a tad idealistic approach to the conflict in Israel, but I gotta love 'em for trying it as only surfers would.

6. Tel Aviv: Crazy, SEXY, Cool

   08.Jan.08, 17:11 GMT
   
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   "I hate it here", says our Israeli taxi driver, swerving, swearing and speeding through the streets of Tel Aviv at 3am.  

   
   

   We were on our way back to our hotel after an interesting hipster bar crawl:  The Breakfast Club, Betty Ford and Evita (Israelis love camp), minus one member of our group who hadn't yet had enough.  He was on his way to the Russian discos that are pumping all night.  About half a million Russian emigres had settled in Israel as part of an unconditional tenant that allows anyone of Jewish heritage in.  Totally non-religious, the Russians have done a lot for Tel-Aviv nightlife, bringing a little bit of that nihilistic, oportunistic decadence with them.  If want it and you're willing to pay for it, its yours.

   
   

   "Why do you hate it here sir?" I asked.  You should never be afraid to ask questions in Israel, even about politics.  Israelis love to talk, no subject is off limits.  "I use to live in New York City fifteen years, and I miss it."  he continued.  "This is the New York City of Israel, but these people, they are animals!"  

   
   

   I had no idea what he was talking about, but wrote it off to a fit of road rage.  Tel Aviv was fabulous.  Like Rio de Janeiro in the early 90's.  A city on the beach, beautiful people, nightlife, fashion, artists, surfers.  Except for the occasional kosher bar and everything closing early on Friday afternoon for shabbat, you could forget you were actually somewhere dominated and defined by religion and conflict.  Except for the security guards of course.  Big, thick men with dark-sunglasses and guns who searched your bags before you entered any trendy restaurant or bar, day or night.

   
   

   Earlier that day, we'd strolled along Sheinkin Street, according to Time Out Israel, once the bohemian mecca, now commercialized like St. Marks Place.  We lunched at Oma & Ella, whose sweet potato latkes and ceviche were out of this world. I shopped at NoName, Israel's answer to American Apparel (cotton casuals manufactured in the homeland).

   
   

   We also wandered around Neve Tzedek, the Tribeca of Tel Aviv just outside the old city of Jaffa, with its cafes, wine bars and art galleries.  We felt so comfortable, we marveled at how gentrification looks and feels the same in so many places.

   
   

   And then we wrapped up the afternoon with a stroll on the white sand oceanfront promenade.  The waves were blown out, but the winds were whipping: a good day for the kiteboarders, another sport invented in Hawaii.  A small drumming circle took place at sunset on the pier: hippie hold-outs, who must be cursing the growing commercial interests, transforming "beach" into "resort".

   
   

   We'd had just a day and two nights to soak up the sensations of Tel-Aviv.  Too little by a week.  The World Heritage site of the "White City", the largest collection of Bauhaus and Art Deco buildings, was just a drive-by blur to me, and I never got to check-out the other scenes that intrigued me: the trendy bar "Jewish Princess"; the prison-themed dance club "Oz", and "C.U.N.T.", a roving lesbian party.

   
   

   But even in a city that doesn't sleep, I had to.  I crawled into my plush bed at the towering David Intercontinental and opened the drapes wide, so I might continue exploring  the city 17-floors-below, in my dreams.

   
   

   For more information about visiting Israel, see the official website: www.goisrael.com.

7. The Holyland: Part II

   02.Jan.08, 17:14 GMT
   
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   Israel draws travelers of multiple religious stripes. I previously blogged about some Holy Land destinations for Christian pilgrims, especially at Christmas. Now for an overview of the must-see sites for other religious pilgrims.

   
   

   The Jews

   
   

   Israel has been sacred to Jewish people since the time of the biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. According to the Torah, the Land of Israel was promised to the Jews as their homeland, and the sites holiest to Judaism are located here.  So while the argument could be made that all of Israel is sacred to Jews, there are several critical stops for religious and cultural pilgrims. 

   
   

   It was explained to me that while Jews are the majority in Israel, the bulk of the population actually is considered "nonreligious," the term for all Jews who are not Orthodox.  Of course, many non-Orthodox Jews balk at this idea, since they observe all the holy days and eat Kosher, etc.  Needless to say, Jewish pride is very strong and dominates the whole country, though I would argue that being Israeli is an even stronger identity. 

   
   

   The Western Wall in Jerusalem is considered the holiest of all Jewish sites.  This is actually the last surviving exterior wall of the Temple Mount from the Second Temple period (516 BCE-70 CE). It is sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall, because of Jews who come to the site to mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple that once sat above it. 

   
   

   You can get very close to the wall, though men and women are separated and asked to cover their heads. The cracks of the wall between the stones are stuffed with slips of paper containing private prayers or wishes between the writer and God.  The devout sway or stand with foreheads against the stone bricks, praying and sometimes sobbing. 

   
   

   Another must-see site in Jerusalem, though more cultural than religious, is the Jewish Quarter in the old city.  Though the historic sites were damaged during the Six-Day War and occupation by Jordan, the restoration work is impressive. 

   
   

   Also, Yad Vashem, the official Holocaust Memorial right outside Jerusalem, is beautifully rendered and all the more devastating because of it.  As educated people, we are aware of the atrocities of the Holocaust; however, as a non-Jew, I feel a visit to Yad Vashem is critical for anyone who wants to understand the contemporary Jewish psyche.  Even if you don't agree with all of the Israeli government's actions (and I was surprised to meet many Israelis, especially in Tel Aviv, who don't), you get a sense here of what fuels the homeland furor. 

   
   

   The most magnificent of all the Jewish historical sites is the desert palace of Masada, located near the Dead Sea.  Here, 960 Jewish zealots committed suicide rather than become slaves to the Romans. Though Jewish law strictly forbids suicide, they are now celebrated as  martyrs and heroes.

   
   

   The Muslims

   
   

   Even though Jews and Arabs are in theory locked in a bitter, ages-old war, Muslims make up 16 percent of the population of Israel and live side by side with Jews. The old city of Jerusalem is divided into four quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, the Christian Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter.  Israeli Arabs and Muslims have the right to vote and to hold public office, like every other Israeli citizen. Nearly one-tenth of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, is Arab (though some are Christian Arabs), and there is a mosque in the Knesset building for those who are Muslim. One of the justices of Israel's Supreme Court is an Arab Muslim. So is a minister in the Israeli cabinet. Arabs are active in Israeli commerce, media, education, and law. 

   
   

   Of course, this doesn't mean that things aren't tense, but that doesn't stop Muslim pilgrims from coming to Jerusalem, Islam's third holiest city after Mecca and Medina (in Saudi Arabia). The Haram al Sharif (Temple Mount) of Jerusalem is believed by Muslims to be the location from which Muhammad ascended to Jannah. Pilgrims also come to see the Dome of the Rock, known in Arabic as Qubbat As-Sakhrah.  This is not a mosque for public worship but rather a mashhad, a shrine specifically for pilgrims. 

   
   

   The Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers, the Dome of the Chain, the El-Kas Fountain, the Islamic Art Museum, and the Madrasas (Muslim university) are also all located here at Temple Mount. 

   
   

   Just walking around the Muslim Quarter in the Old City with the famed Souk Market is essential (be sure to grab some hummus, the best in the country), as is a trek to the Mosque of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives (with great views of Temple Mount). 

   
   

   A trip to the LA Mayer Memorial Museum of Islamic Art in West Jerusalem is also a lovely cultural excursion. The pottery, textiles, jewelry, and ceremonial objects cover a thousand years of Islamic art, from Spain to India.  Various objects -- chess pieces, dominoes, and antique playing cards; daggers, swords, helmets; textiles and carpets; decorated jewelry; items made of glass, pottery, and metal for everyday use — help visitors visualize life in the Islamic countries.

   
   

   The Bahai

   
   

   The northern town of Haifa in Israel is the international headquarters for the Bahai faith. Bahais believe in the unity of all religions and that messengers of God like Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad have been sent at different times in history with doctrines varying to fit changing social needs, but bringing substantially the same message.  Very cool. 

   
   

   I've always associated the Bahai faith with hippies (weren't there some '60s rock stars who were followers?), but according to the official website, the Bahai come from virtually every nation, ethnic group, culture, profession, and social or economic class. More than 2,100 different ethnic and tribal groups are represented.  The Bahai claim to be the youngest of the world's religions, with about five million followers all over the globe.

   
   

   Israel offered refuge to the Bahai, and their founder, Bahaullah or Bab, is buried in the ancient city of Akko (the holiest site for Bahais).  The Bab's remains were hidden for years after he died a martyr's death in front of a firing squad in Persia. Eventually, his followers secretly carried his remains to the Holy Land.  Bahai pilgrims also come to visit or work in the lushly landscaped and beautifully attended Bahai Gardens in Haifa.

   
   

   The Druze

   
   

   So little is known about the Druze that this is sometimes called the secret religion.  The Druze consider their faith to be a new interpretation of the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

   
   

   The Druze community in Israel is officially recognized as a separate religious entity with its own courts (with jurisdiction in matters of personal status such as marriage, divorce, and adoption) and spiritual leadership. Their culture is Arab and their language Arabic, but they opted against mainstream Arab nationalism in 1948 and have since served (first as volunteers, later within the draft system) in the Israel Defense Forces and the Border Police.

   
   

   Worldwide there are probably about one million Druze, living mainly in Syria and Lebanon. Roughly 100,000 live in Israel, including about 18,000 in the Golan Heights (which came under Israeli rule in 1967) and several thousands who emigrated to Europe and the Americas.

   
   

   The most important sites in Israel for the Druze are the tombs of the various prophets including Jethro's Tomb, Sabalan's Tomb, Tomb of Abu Abdallah, Tomb of Al-Ya'afuri, and Tomb of Abu Ibrahim.  Most of these sites are located in or near Druze villages in upper and western Galilee, which are also of interest.

   
   

   Overall, even for a nonreligious person (I was exposed to Christianity as a child by my Buddhist mother, but it never took hold), being in Israel is profoundly moving, perhaps primarily because of the respect earned by the devotion in the people around you -- Arabs, Jews, and Christians alike.

   
   

   For more information about visiting Israel, see the official website: www.goisrael.com.

8. READ THIS NOW! Surfrider Hawaii Tells Us How To Be Greener Tourists

   24.Dec.07, 17:16 GMT
   
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   Surfers who spend hours and days on end in the ocean see some scary stuff out there that the rest of us need to know about.  And I'm not talking about sharks (we like sharks!), but really frightening stuff: used condoms, deflated mylar balloons that escaped someone's party, used tampons, soda bottles, plastic bags from your local grocery store, and sometimes even dead rodents and raw sewage. Believe me, it's a horror show more paranoia-inducing than Jaws.

   
   

   Development in coastal areas (you know that artificially landscaped bright green lawn or golf course doesn't get that way without chemicals, right?) also affects the water, wave, and beach quality, and surfers definitely have something to say about that! In this spirit, the Surfrider Foundation, dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, was founded a quarter century ago in California.

   
   

   Surfrider is primarily a volunteer-run operation (though there is a small office staff) with about 50 chapters all over the US and affiliate groups in Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, and Japan. The board of directors and and advisory board include some heavy-hitters, both on and off the waves, such as Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia), Kelly Slater, Lisa Andersen, and even Maui's own eccentric hemp-lover, Woody Harrelson.

   
   

   I've been volunteering with the New York City chapter of Surfrider since 2001.  It started as a way to connect with other surfers (a minority on the East Coast) and to give something back, but I was soon impressed by the range of what Surfrider does.  In New York alone, we host the annual Art for Oceans auction that attracts donations from artists like Julian Schnabel and Damien Hirst. On the other end of the spectrum but just as important, we organize beach cleanups at Far Rockaway that attract school kids and blue-collar ocean devotees from the boroughs.  

   
   

   Since I am the travel person here at MOLI and originally from Hawaii, I thought it would be a worthy cause for the holidays to speak to the Surfrider Oahu chapter chair, Scott Werny.  Seven million people head to Hawaii year-round, but especially during the holidays for sun and fun -- and that's great.  But it's time also to think about the impact we have as travelers on this tropical paradise, and familiarize ourselves with some of the issues that the Hawaii Visitors Bureau may not be so keen on sharing.

   
   

   Aloha e Scott.  Greetings from freezing cold New York City. Sure wish I was there right now [sigh].  To start, tell us a bit about the Oahu Chapter of Surfrider and what you do.

   
   

   The Surfrider Foundation Oahu chapter is 11 years old and has been growing rapidly, especially since 2006.  That was a particularly rainy year and in late March that rain caused 16 simultaneous sewage spills, including a sewage main break in Waikiki.  It lasted for six days, making this Hawaii's largest spill ever.  The city decided to pump this sewage into the adjacent Ala Wai Canal: That was millions of gallons of untreated sewage sent directly into a canal that empties out at one end into world-famous Waikiki Beach. 

   
   

   Just to give you a better visual, that was an estimated 48 million gallons of sewage, four times the amount of oil that spilled out of the Exxon Valdez, or enough sewage to fill 90 Olympic-size swimming pools.  Needless to say, people got sick, developed infections, and one man who had the misfortune of falling directly into the Ala Wai died from vibrio vulnificus, the flesh-eating disease.  Many locals would not go into the water for MONTHS after the spill, and understandably, it also got a lot of people alarmed, frustrated, and motivated to get involved.

   
   

   Sewage spills are a problem that is not unique to Hawaii, but I understand they have become increasingly commonplace in the islands?

   
   

   Yes, anyone who surfs or swims on a regular basis here will verify that.  Sewage-tainted water is a health issue that's compounded by our inadequate EPA-mandated water-quality monitoring.  Also, the Hawaii State Department tests roughly one third of Hawaii's beaches, but does not have the authority to close a beach based on these tests, only to post warning signs when test results are positive.  In Hawaii, the number of warnings and advisories was 158 days in 2004, 246 days in 2005, and 694 days in 2006.

   
   

   That is REALLY scary. What are some other perhaps not so obvious environmental issues in paradise?

   
   

   One of the statewide projects we are developing is a Keep It Blue campaign to reduce polluted runoff to save our reefs.  Not only do coral reefs here help to shape some of the world's best surfing waves, but they are also incubators for our fish and home to many marine species, many of which exist nowhere else on the planet.  These reefs further serve to protect our islands from the battering affect of waves, so their health and stability will be especially important in the coming decades as sea levels continue to rise.  As an island, we are very concerned about global warming.  For example, rising sea levels would likely require seawalls to be built around Waikiki to save the hotels.  This in turn would wash sand away, destroying the beaches and the waves.  And changes in water temperature and pH may not allow coral growth to keep up with sea levels, removing our natural barrier and causing further erosion of our beaches and waves.

   
   

   What are some of the obvious sources of polluted runoff in Hawaii?

   
   

   Besides sewage from leaking or broken pipes and overflows, [there are] farming practices that allow soil pesticides and fertilizers to wash into streams and canals that run into the ocean; illegal construction methods that allow open dirt to run down storm drains; poorly planned construction that diverts precious rain water rather than collecting it; people cleaning their cars; oil washing off road surfaces; and overflowing cesspools.

   
   

   I was always taught as a child to pick up trash whenever I saw it and to never assume someone else was coming to pick up after me.  Does Surfrider Oahu do beach cleanups and are they still necessary?

   
   

   Yes! We have been doing regular monthly beach cleanups around the islands for 11 years.  We've hauled a hell of a lot of trash from our shores, including a ton of ugly floating plastic marine debris.

   
   

   People who visit the islands always fall in love with them.  What can visitors to Hawaii do to help keep Hawaii beautiful for generations to come?

   
   

       * Rent a hybrid or gas-sipping car.  Or, even better, rent bikes.

   
   

       * Use public restrooms: Your waste is pollution too.

   
   

       * Ask local vendors what they do to support ocean conservation.  Create a dialogue.

   
   

       * Bring a bag to the remote beaches for your own trash, and take five minutes to clean up any other trash you see.

   
   

       * Throw trash, especially cigarette butts, in trash cans and make sure nothing that's not 100 percent biodegradable blows away.

   
   

       * Recycle your plastic, glass, paper, and batteries to keep them out of our overflowing landfills.  Go and see a Hawaiian landfill; it will hammer these points home.

   
   

       * Visit our Surfrider Oahu website and join us for our next beach cleanup.

   
   

       * Join the Surfrider Foundation and volunteer back home with your local chapter.

   
   

   Happy Holidays, merry, GREEN, & bright!

9. Holyland Pilgrims Part I: Where to go, which rocks to kiss.....

   21.Dec.07, 19:02 GMT
   
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   Given that it's almost Christmas, a religious holiday in origin (though many of us use it merely as an excuse to take time off from work and see family), I thought I might catalog the many sites in Israel that religious pilgrims make the arduous trek from around the globe to see.  

   
   

   The most fanatical are said to be inflicted with the mysterious "Jerusalem Syndrome," described as religiously themed obsessions, delusions or other psychosis-like experiences, that are triggered by, or lead to, a visit to the city.  It is not endemic to any religion or denomination, but has affected people of many different backgrounds.  Apparently, it can take hold even of someone previously well-balanced, though typically, there is full recovery after a few weeks of leaving or being removed from the city.

   
   

   But they don't call Israel The Holy Land for nothing: There are more sacred places here per square mile than in any other country in the world.  And we're not just talking about holy sites for Christians, but also for Jews, Muslims, and such religious minorities as the Druze and the Bahai'i.

   
   

   But a warning so you won't be disappointed: Many of these sites aren't much more than pieces of ancient rocks (though some have newer structures built around them).  And the hustle and bustle of crowds filtering in and out, many bending low to kiss said rocks, cameras flashing, don't exactly create a reverent or peaceful atmosphere.  In fact, you see tour buses full of people taking paparazzi-style pictures of themselves at these holy sites as though they were standing next to Michael Jackson.  Its intense.

   
   

   The Christians

   
   

   Again, since its almost Christmas, let's start with tracing the footsteps of Jesus.  For the non-Christians out there, the bare-bones version is that many people believe Jesus was a real man and charismatic rebel rouser who lived from approximately 2 BC to 36 AD.  Few critical scholars believe that all ancient texts on Jesus's life are either completely accurate or completely inaccurate. Most scholars also agree that Jesus was a Galilean Jew born in Bethlehem.

   
   

   You can visit the grand Roman Catholic church, the Basilica of the Annunciation, in Nazareth, which enshrines a small stone grotto where Jesus's mother Mary is believed to have lived and as the Bible tells it, was visited by the angel Gabriel with news of Jesus's immaculate conception.  Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem at the spot where the Holy Church of the Sepulcher now stands.  You can stroll there along the Via Dolorosa, the "Way of Suffering," visiting the Stations of the Cross chronicling Jesus's route from trial to condemnation, which now winds through the Christian and Muslim quarters of the Old City.

   
   

   Some of the other pilgrim sites for believers include the Sea of Galilee (where Jesus walked on water), the Mount of Beatitudes (site of Jesus's Sermon on the Mount), and Mount Zion's Room of the Last Supper. Unfortunately, Bethlehem is currently part of the conflict zone in the West Bank and off limits to visitors to Israel. 

   
   

   You can rent a car and do a full six-day itinerary of the Holy Land (Fodor's guide to Israel has a great outline), or just walk the major sites located in the Old City of Jerusalem in a day.  Whatever your beliefs, you might bring a Bible to help you match scripture to scenery.

   
   

   For more information about visiting Israel see the official website, www.goisrael.com.

10. Voyage to Israel: Seduced by my first trip to the middle east

    20.Dec.07, 21:06 GMT
    
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    My trip to Israel was my first to any part of the Middle East.  I had next to no interest in going to the Jewish state and the Holy Land for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, having absorbed the ugly, endless barrage of CNN newsreels of explosions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (two isolated areas of Israel where the conflict between Jews and Arabs flares up).  And not being particularly religious, I had no burning desire to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, home to the Dome of the Rock (the third holiest site for Muslims after Mecca and Median), or the Western Wall (the most important existing Jewish shrine), or the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (where Jesus was crucified, buried, and if you are a believer, resurrected). 

    
    

    But several factors collided to change my mind.  First, I happened upon the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit in San Diego, which featured aerial photos of Israel's varied landscapes, from breathtaking Mediterranean-style beaches fronted by quaint historic hotels to pink deserts housing thousand-years-old historical sites like the palace of King Herod, Masada (site of the Jewish rebel mass suicide).

    
    

    Next, a travel writer colleague of mine went on a trip to Israel.  He's a real history buff and was completely blown away.  He made the point to me that even from a purely archaeological point of view, the density of historic sites makes Israel a must-see. "Ancient" takes on new meaning here: Forget talking about 400-year-old artifacts when you can see 4,000-year-old ones. 

    
    

    And he also impressed upon me that the Israel Ministry of Tourism was open to courting nonreligious visitors, people who maybe just wanted to come to see sexy Tel Aviv (honestly, the people here are so hot to trot, this could be the new Rio de Janeiro or Ibiza!).  My colleague said the press was shown all the religious sites (not just the Jewish sites), which the country is equally committed to preserving, and at no point was the press discouraged from asking questions about the troubling tensions with Israel's neighbors in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq.  And he said he felt safe 90 percent of his time there (which is about the same as any average day in NYC).

    
    

    Finally, I was invited to Israel in mid-December, a time when press trips usually stop (as this is high season for airlines and hotels to make money off paying travelers).  I had no conflicting travel plans and that made it an easy yes.  Of course, I declined to tell my family and some of my friends where I was going as I knew it would worry them.  But I'm back safe and sound now, and anxious to share with you the sights, smells, and some of the people I met in what has to be one of the most fascinating places I've ever been.

    
    

    No one had warned me about this: The Middle East is strangely seductive.  It's like an onion with layers you have to peel to find what is really a very different world view.  It made me desperately curious: Everyday I was vibrating from the assault of new stimuli.   And I am still, over-reaching and trying to put together the pieces of a very complex puzzle.

    
    

    But first, some of the nuts and bolts about travel to Israel you might be surprised to know: