by Cynthia Thompson; Lebanon, NH
If you enjoy cruising on a relatively small ship, with the chance to go ashore almost every day to tour interesting sites that, frequently though not always, are archaeological in nature, then a trip on the Aegean Odyssey is the vacation for you.
17 days/16 nights, Sept. 19-Oct. 5, 2012. Highlights: Ankara / underground churches in Cappadocia / Taurus, birthplace of St. Paul / Roman city of Perge / mineral springs in Pamukkale / Greek and Roman ruins and St. Mary’s house in Ephesus / Pergamon / Troy / Istanbul. Land, $3,800. Single supp., $850. TEO World Culture Tours (New York, NY; 888/444-1110).
The topic of the essay contest announced in the December ’11 issue (page 52) was “It’s Real in Israel.” Each contest seems to bring a surprise, and this month we have a tie. The winners are NILI OLAY and DEE POUJADE. Each will receive a 50-dollar gift certificate for Magellan’s Travel Supplies (800/962-4943). Their essays — with different focuses — appear below.
REPORT ON MEXICO…
In Israel, a complex of buildings from the tenth to sixth centuries BC that were exposed during a multiyear archaeological dig are now open to the public inside the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park (phone 800 25 24 23). Archaeologists have named the complex the Ophel City Wall (see Nehemiah 3:26) and have built passageways around the various buildings, which include a gatehouse, royal edifice and fifth-century-AD wall.
At the end of January 2011, my daughter, LeAnn, 22, and I finalized our plans to visit Egypt. Our trip was not meant to be a traditional vacation but one arranged as we went along our way, using local guides and taking public transportation. We wanted to see the same Cairo that 18 million residents live and work in every day.
Nine-day/eight-night cruise-tour aboard 110-passenger SeaDream II, June 30-July 8, 2012. Highlights: In Pergamum, TURKEY, Temple of Trajan/Ephesus, where Paul preached/Myra, where St. Nicholas lived/Rhodes, GREECE, home to Paul/Hydra. Cruise, $9,900 (Deck 2) to $24,750 (Owner’s Cabin); limited availability “Book Today and Save” rate, $5,899-$13,639. Single supp., 75% of cruise price. SeaDream Yacht Club (Miami, FL; 800/707-4911, www.seadream.com).
My wife, Gail, and I were walking in a small village in the backwaters of Kerala, India, back in January ’07 when a pleasant barber beckoned me into his little shop and, using gestures, offered to trim my beard.
“One hundred rupees,” he said in English.
REPORT ON JORDAN… For our November-December 2011 trip to Jordan, we hired a private driver, Jehad Abu Saeed, whom we highly recommend.
Visitors to Israel can hike on the Jesus Trail, which follows the path Jesus is believed to have walked from Nazareth to Capernaum at the Sea of Galilee.