The Adventures of Matty

The Adventures of Matty: A Voyage Through Time and Space

matthewmee81 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:42:00 GMT

Hi Everybody!

It's been a few days since I wrote last, so I hope you are all doing well. Let me know all the things great and small you have been up to!

The last few days have been so amazing. Picking up where we left off, I continued my explorations of Tel Aviv, seeing what the city was like when things were actually open, as well as walking around some of the landmarks I did not get to see on the first couple of days here.

Then of course, I spent the afternoon at the beach, hoping the sun would win the tanning argument it always seems to have with my very stubborn skin. I think the sun won as I'm a shade darker now!

I decided to then do the tourist thing and take some tours of Israel. The first one was Masada and the Dead Sea.

The bus trip there itself was an experience; crossing through Jerusalem and the Occupied Palestinian Territory of the West Bank. We got glimpses of Israel's capital, passed through checkpoints maintained by the Israeli Army at the edge of the occupied territory and saw Palestinians getting stopped (which happens to them twice a day if they have to cross the border!) and being checked for bombs and arms, then swung by Jericho and waved at Qumran, home of the Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls! Then for half an hour we witnessed panoramic views of the Dead Sea, Jordan River and Jordan Mountains.

All this before the tour had even begun! Our first stop was Masada, ruins where Jewish Zealots had their Last Stand against the Roman Empire during the Jewish Rebellion. It is a symbol of national pride, a symbol of resistance against oppression. This was a constant theme of the tours - throughout history the Jews have struggled valiantly against anti-semitic oppression from whatever Western Power happened to control the lands they occupied.

Masada was originally built by King Herrod as a refuge, so the place was amazing architecturally. It was an incredible feat of engineering, a fortress built at the top of a impenetrable hill, containing storerooms, 3 palaces and living quarters for palace staff and roman soldiers. Herrod also dammed the rivers in the nearby mountains, directing the water to massive reservoirs under the palace. It's incredible what you can do when you have millions of slaves at your disposal!

Rather than go for a full restoration, the Israeli archaeologists were performing a partial reconstruction. None-the-less the place was amazing to this day, and a fitting tribute to the story of the Jewish Zealots who fought off the Roman Army 2000 years ago. You could see the ramp the Romans built to get soldiers into the fortress as well as the place where they broke through the wall. The synagogue used by the Zealots is still in use today and is the world's oldest synagogue.

We also got to see the church used by some Christian hermits who occupied it centuries later, as well as the marks of the Roman encampments and containing wall and topped and tailed the tour with a cable car ride up the mountain to some of the most incredible views of the Judean desert available.

Next stop was the kibut next to the Dead Sea. This was a more touristy side of the day but a hell of a lot of fun! We all got into our bathers and sampled the sulphur-stinking hot springs (I still smell of sulphur!), coated ourselves in the Dead Sea mud which has amazing restorative properties for the skin, and of course, floated in the Dead Sea.

I don't think any of us were quite prepared for exactly how buoyant the Dead Sea actually is. It is so buoyant that wading in it is a challenge - your leg just keeps on wanting to bounce back up! Once you do float it is almost impossible to stand again!

I have to admit, it was rather a curious sensation bobbing about in the water like a piece of driftwood. Upon relaxing my body, it began to ripple as each wave passed under me! I challenged the sea not to support me by attempting a number of positions - sitting up, sitting cross-legged, somersaulting, clutching the back of my thighs, lying on my side...I kept on floating! It was just incredible. But I had to stop because I kept getting salt water in my mouth and even just a drop of the stuff is REVOLTING!

The next day I toured Jerusalem rather than just passing through. What an incredible place, a total juxtaposition of new/old, arab/israeli, islam/jewish and then there's christian and armenian thrown in for fun!

We started with the Old City after a drive around East Jerusalem. East Jerusalem used to be part of Jordan before the Six Day War in '67 when Israel seized it. It is still populated by a large arabic contingent, but is also where the more religious Jews lived. In particular the orthodox quarter, a small part of the city, was like someone had scooped up pre-World War 2 Russia or Poland and deposited it there. The houses are the same, street layout the same and the way people dress and look is all exactly the same!

West Jerusalem is very Tel Aviv-esque, with modern buildings, attire and attitudes. One thing the two sides have in common is that by law, the buildings of Jerusalem must be built with the local stone, meaning they are all white or sandy yellow coloured.

But it was the Old City that was where the awe came from. The city wall built by the Turks is still there, and crossing under it, we started a journey that for many is a pilgrimage. We wandered around the streets, savouring the geography and architecture, before beginning the holy sites. First stop was the tomb of King David, a current site of prayer for the devout. We then moved onto the building that stands where Jesus and the Apostles had the last supper as well as looking at the entrance to Jerusalem Jesus used on Palm Sunday. We stopped at the Wailing Wall or Western Wall, all that remains of the second temple. I didn't kiss it or do anything the religious Jews would do as I felt it would be disrespectful to them, so I looked on as they went about their religious business.

Moving into the Muslim Quarter we walked the first 7 stations of the cross before going to the Church that has been built on the site of Jesus' crucifixion. In the church was a stone that is the site of Jesus' entombment; here devout Christians placed objects and touched the cover stone to receive blessings.

I honestly felt like a religious pilgrim after the experience, and I'm not devout! It was clearly emotional and life-changing - even life-fulfilling - for the practising christians who did visit.

After lunch we went to the Jewish Holocaust Museum, a fantastic tribute and memorial to the tragedy of the Holocaust. I enjoyed this in particular as it gave a wholistic picture of the Holocaust - included were the stories of not just the Jews, but also the Communists, Homosexuals, Mentally and Physically Imparied children and adults, Gypsies - all of whom were victims of the Nazi's disgusting Fascist goals. There was a section on the rise of the Nazi Party and Germany's circumstances after World War 1. Another section displayed the disgraceful treatment of Jewish refugees by the Western Countries during World War 2- including actions taken by Australia that make our refugee policy today seem totally humane.

The memorial also examined the condition of the Jews after World War 2 and their supposed liberation, where their attempts to migrate were continually frustrated by the Western powers and many were placed in concentration camps by the British!

The rise of Zionism as the dominant political philosphy is chronichled and celebrated - obviously as Zionism is the dominant political belief today, leading to the actions that created the state of Israel and continuing to influence its actions today.

What is interesting to note is how proud the Jews are of their history of struggle - and it certainly is an inspiring, ceaseless struggle against continual oppression by whatever Wester Power was dominant at the time. However with the rise of Zionism the Jews have gone and thrown in their lot with the dominant Western Powers of today. You are forced to ask if this is really a solution for the Jewish people, as well as how to end the anti-semitism they have experienced through countless centuries, leading to their current position today. Constantly there are reminders that the position is not totally tenable - military service is compulsory, soldiers are present almost everywhere, on trains, buses, in the museum, on the streets. It was an interesting experience sitting next to an M16 Gun (I think that's what it was!) on the train from the airport to Tel Aviv!

There are many parallels between the Jews and the Arab people - religious sites are shared between Judaism and Islam (and Christianity), both the Jews and the Arabs see their faith as a source of strength and use it as a beacon in their struggles, Arabs have a history of struggling against dominant western powers too.

Yes this is a political email, but this is a political land, and it wouldn't be a true, fair account of my travails not to include it for you to also think about.

Despite this, Israel is alive and energetic, constantly building and growing. The $2.5 billion of foreign aid from the United States as well as the taxes they have here are being put to good use in infrastructure construction and investment in tourism. The people here are in high spirits, even though they are a sour-faced argumentative lot (!) and are passionate about a positive future.

This morning I visited Jaffa, a port that has been built, conquered, torn down and then built again as an active, important sea port on trade routes in and out of Israel. The coolest part was seeing Andromeda's Rock, where according to Greek Mythology, Andromeda was tied up by the rest of the Greek Gods.

Tel Aviv would still have to be my favourite part of Israel with it's cosmopolitan, multi-cultural outlook. It is very much like Melbourne (although there are more restaraunts and different cultures in Melbourne!) so perhaps this is why I like it so much. The beach is beautiful and now that I have updated you all, I'm headed there - there is a bit of a wind, so there are actually waves on the Mediterranean today!!! I saw someone surfing before which I didn't think was possible!

Anyways take care, hope you enjoyed the latest installment and will speak to you soon from Cairo, Egypt!

Matt xx

The Adventures of Matty: Shalom from the Holy Land!‏

matthewmee81 — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:35:00 GMT

Hi Everybody, hope you are well!

I've made it to Tel Aviv, Israel, and will be staying here for the next few days.

If nobody has ever said it to you before, the Meditteranean Sea is BEAUTIFUL! So blue, and clear and crisp. But more on that later...

My second day in Jordan was absolutley incredible as I embarked on a tour of Norther Jordan. The desert landscape was utterly beautiful; so clear and vivid and different to the desert landscapes of Australia.

We drove past a number of towns, all constructed in the white stone that ear marks arab construction - the stone is plentiful in Jordan and adds its colour to the landscape continually. The tour itself took us to two Ancient Roman cities and a Castle from a few hundred years ago. Each was incredible in its own right.

We started at Gadara, the quivalent of a country town in the years of the Roman Empire. Toppled by earthquakes in the 8th Century it is in the process of being restored and is increasingly making its way onto the tourist maps. The architecture was clear to see and the work that these ancient people put into their special structures was incredible - even after being eroded by wind, rain and dust storms after all these years, ornate carvings on the structure eaves could be clearly seen. Walking down the streets was like stepping back in time to what life was like in those days.

After posing for photos with Syria in the background, we headed to Ajlun Castle, built in the time of the Crusades on one of the highest spots in all of Jordan. The views were simply incredible and the castle itself has been an archaeological treasure trove, yielding art, pottery, weapons as well as the story it tells with its own layout and mostly intact structure. It was quite exciting as this was the first castle I have ever been too, and it was amazing to walk through each room and seeing the way the arab lords and ladies lived.

Final stop on the tour was Jerash, a large Roman city in the process of being restored. Again, it was like stepping back in time as you could really imagine the ancient romans with their horse and cart going down the street as well as pilgrims making the long climb up Artemis' stairs to the Temple, or watching theatre in the north or south auditoriums. Walking under the immense arch way through which you entered the city added to this feeling as passing under it really gave you the sense that you were entering the past.

The next day it was up at the crack of dawn to make my way via plane, train and automobile (yes, literally) to Tel Aviv and the Ami Hotel. My first glimpse of the Mediterranean sea made me gasp - it is beautiful, so blue and clear and it goes right off to the horizon.

Tel Aviv is warm, with a constant, gorgeous sea breeze. The place itself reminds me much of St Kilda though, with the layout, buildings, the way people look and dress. Then I see a sign in Hebrew or hear the glottoral "h" sound we all know so well and I'm reminded I am actually in another country.

I'm taking a tour of the Dead Sea and one of Jerusalem, so these should also help remind me that I am in the Holy Land.

However, the biggest things that have convinced me so far is the fact that everything but restaraunts and a few food markets are closed today - it's the Sabbath - and the fact that when you go to the beach every second person is playing ping pong! I kid you not, lying in the sun on the beach overlooking the mediterranean, I was accompanied by the constant clap, clap, clap, clap of at least 7 ping pong games happening around me.

So it's Amman with its car horns that was the defining sound, and Tel Aviv with the ping pong clap!

I did some exploring of the local landmarks today as everything is closed, which is quaint in a charming kind of way, and got a bit more of a sense of how people lived and what the local streets were like. Again, it is very much like St Kilda, Melbourne.

That's all for now, enjoy and take care and I will speak to you soon!

Love Matt xx

The Adventures of Matty: Greetings from Amman, Jordan‏

matthewmee81 — Wed, 8 Jul 2009 15:28:00 GMT

Hi Guys,

I've made it to the Middle East. Since I'm only in Jordan for 2 days there will be no postcards, (those from Hong Kong may not have arrived yet...) but keep your eye out for the one coming from Israel. Well, if I can find time for it that is, between the hours spent sunning myself next to the Mediterranean...

Jordan is utterly amazing. It has a rich, proud culture and history stretching back thousands of years that I never knew existed. Just walking around Amman, there are so many buildings that are over 100 years old!

I saw a Mosque over 130 years old and viewed contemporary art in a former byzantine church, saw Roman Fountains currently being restored and walked in laneways lined with apartments built over a century ago.

But by far the biggest thrill were the ancient roman ruins - there is an old citadel and a couple of other byzantine structures on top of one of the seven original hills Amman was built on - I took photos of these from afar as the hill was pretty steep and I was a bit tired because...

I spent most of the day exploring an Ancient Roman Theatre!!!!!! Yes that's right, the same kind you seen in the movies, with the circular raised auditoriom. It was just amazing to sit there and imagine performing to an audience that looked like that - and I couldn't help myself from trying out the acoustics and they were FANTASTIC!!!

Off to the side was an amphitheatre which was almost completely intact and still used - how thrilling for Ammani Theatre Companies!

After that I sipped teain a cafe overlooking the main road - there are clearly no road rules for turning into side streets here, particularly with regard to what lane you should be in. There are also no pedestrian crossing as people just wander across the road whenever they feel the need, cars or no cars! So I had a good vantage point at this cafe and was treated to over an hour of slapstick comedy as drivers, pedestrians and lane changers battled it out.

It was sad to leave Hong Kong as it was just the most amazing city and I enjoyed every minute of it! However the people of Jordan have been so welcoming, supportive and patient, that travelling here has been comfortable and safe. 2 days seems like enough as I am taking a tour of Northern Jordan tomorrow, however I also want to see Petra in the south - which is where they shot the Temple scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. So there is definitely an excuse to come back!!!

I even got a crash course in Arabic this morning while being driven from the airport to my hotel (which is totally cool, just like those hotels in all those english movies where the middle east is portrayed as exotically cosmopolitan) and I don't want that learning effort to be for nothing!

Before I know it I'll be off to Israel, where my hotel overlooks the Mediterranean. I'll speak to you all then!

Until then, let me know your news - I cann't wait to hear what you have all been up to!

Take care,
Matt x

The Adventures of Matty: First Peeps from Hong Kong

matthewmee81 — Sat, 4 Jul 2009 18:26:00 GMT

Hi Guys,

Well it's day 3 in Hong Kong and I have to admit I am loving it. I feel like I have been here longer as I have seen so many places - I've been walking so I feel like I've walked the entire nation! My feet are so sore.

But it's been totally worth it - I went around some of the touristy places today, having a look at the Exhibition Centre, Monuments celebrating Hong Kong's return to China, rode a tram, walked along the bay, have been to several malls (the only places I can find Internet Cafes mind you!) ate some great Indian, rode the world's longest elevator and wandered around the CBD.

Yesterday was much the same, involving more exploring of the CBD as well as the area my hotel is in, Mong Kok Kowloon. It's definitely the seedy side of town I'm staying in!

I saw the Hong Kong Leisure Centre yesterday, which is all decked out in paraphanalia about the South East Asia Games - which Hong Kong is hosting. Haven't done much shopping as don't want to load up with luggage before my tour of Egypt.

Anyway, have to go, got a ferry to catch and need to find an Internet Cafe that allows longer than 15 mins, half an hour login time as well as a Laundry. Hopefully I'll get the chance to laze by the pool tomorrow - can't wait to take a dip!

Speak soon, take care as always, Matt xx