Dec 2013 Thailand and Israel

Rothschild Blvd in Tel Aviv

Rabin square in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv sunset over the Medeterranean

Yemenite soups in Tel Aviv

View down the river in Bangkok

Golden Buddha

Golden Buddha’s big toe

Wat Po, shrines to Rama I to IV

Fixing an air conditioner (8th floor)…  by sitting on it, no harness

Chao Phraya riverway near sunset

The ladies prepared flower decorations by hand

Buddhist temple in Chantaburri, all to ourselves

 

 

Getting the Khan Mak procession ready

Hauling the sugar cane and banana leaf in a truck
Sunset before the wedding

Breakfast in Israel, remnants of the blizzard outside

Cafes over the water

The families and soon to be weds

The beach at the wedding, taking wedding photos

Lighting sky lanterns over the sea

Onward to Koh Chang on the river ferry

Thai Elvis sang Sarika a song

Panorama of the wedding spot

Ahmedabad>Delhi>Haridwar>Rishikesh>Shimla>Manali (2013)

^^me and kanti dada at a temple/stepwell outside of Ahmedabad

^^ these birds are everywhere around Ahmedabad

^^ my grandfather’s childhood home in a village an hour outside of Ahmedabad

^^ the farmer who takes care of my grandfather’s plot

^^ Adalaj step well, beautifully preserved from 1499, located on the road between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.  from ground level, you can walk five stories into the earth to reach the water below. hindu/jain and islamic carvings.

^^kanta ba

^^kanti dada

^^ Haridwar. start of the river ceremonies on the banks of the Ganges. people bathe to wash away their sins, light candles and place flowers in the fast flowing water as blessings

^^nighttime at Haridwar

^^riding with Victor (looking very GQ) in a decked-out auto-rickshaw in Haridwar

^^second night at Haridwar, the crowds were huge with the ceremonies being led over the loudspeakers

^^huge Shiva statue near Har ki pauri, must of been 100 feet tall

^^elderly couple bathing in the Ganges in Rishikesh. the chains are so you dont get swept away by the super fast currents

^^woman by the river

^^view of Laskshmanjula area of Rishikesh built into the cliffsides

^^ dog taking a nap 

^^me and Vic dunked ourselves into the ganges (it was frigid!!).  the temperature in Rishikesh was bearable (at ~95 degrees), but the glacial waters of the ganges must have been 40 or 50.   

^^ cows roam the streets… this one wandered into a hotel lobby

^^ the view from Lakshmanjula bridge

^^me and Vic rocked out with some Sitar lessons from some very chill music instructor brothers.  I think we learned everything they had to teach in two lessons…

^^shiva statue in front of Parmarth Niketan Ashram

^^ the old British resort town of Shimla.  now a getaway spot for indians escaping the delhi summer heat

^^ the misty mountain views from Shimla

^^Shimla is built on steep hillsides covered in lush greenery and hidden stairways

^sunset over the himalayas as seen from our hostel room in Manali.  the long winter meant we couldnt get through the rohtang pass to the valleys on the other side of this range

^^relaxing and reading at one of the many cafes of old Manali

^^very interesting building styles with (precariously) overhanging second and third stories

^^parade running through old Manali

^^stray puppies are all over indian cities.  they look very well fed and I wish I could have taken this little guy taking a nap back with me to the states

^^we took a 13km bike ride completely uphill from old Manali to Solang Valley. it was nearly defeating, but the views were great

^^we made it to Solang Valley!  Took us 5 hours to get up, and about 45 minutes to get back down^^a little slice of home in Manali… haha.  (we did not eat here)

Haifa

Still jetlagged, I was awake for sunrise over Haifa.  The university where Sarika was studying was on a peak that overlooked the city.

Below: Out with Sarika’s ulpan friends at Massada street in Haifa.  It was their last day of class

 

The Ba’hai temple in Haifa from the lookout point.  Its extensive gardens employ 100 full time gardeners.  It was a beautiful view.

Akko and Sefat

We stayed with Sarika’s parents at an amazing bed and breakfast in Sefat.

 

Sarika’s best friend pony. By the water, just outside Uri Buri, where we ate at the best restaurant in Israel (according to Lonely Planet). It was delicious. 

Golan Heights

The Jordan River. Felt nice on a hot day.  Lots and lots of people rafting down it.

The Israeli-Syrian demilitarized buffer zone, just past the farms in the foreground.  The Syrian capital would be visible down the road to the right of the photo if the air were clearer.

Artist Colony

Susan Adina and myself watching Jim (below, setting up his stage) perform music at the artist’s colony, while drinking homebrewed beers bottled in Coca-Cola and Corona bottles and eating pizza.

The West Bank

This picture is ready for its debut (with a tongue-in-cheek caption, of course) in The Economist.    Some Israeli settlements can be seen on the tops of the hills in the distance.  We got a fantastic tour from a family care physician who treats patients in Israeli West Bank settlements.

Jerusalem

 

 

Old City Jerusalem was in interesting city where every brick in the walls has thousands of years old history.

The western wall (above).  I slipped a note in.

A vivid mural of Jesus

Protests across Israel

Protesters marching through Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem.  In every city we had visited, we saw “tent cities” set up in parks and protesters in the streets like the one below.  The Israelis I spoke to said they havent seen any protests of this scale for as long as they have been alive.  They are mostly protesting inflation of food staples and lack of affordable housing and they are trying to focus the government’s attention on the plight of the Israeli middle class.  Even the Israeli doctor I spent time with could not afford to buy a home, all he could afford was to rent.

Massada

Another incredible place.  Herod’s palace built in the first century BCE ontop a peak near the Dead Sea (see it in the distance).  We hiked our way up at about 10am (we had to wake up in Jerusalem at 5:30am) and it was still 100 deg F that early in the morning.  I dont know if ive ever drank so much water in a day.  This is also where I almost dropped my SD card down the cliffside, but it landed on a wood beam an inch wide (i am very lucky to still have these pictures).