Spring in the City (And Escaping the City)

Well, it's been a while since I posted. I admit I've fallen off the wagon. I'm trying to do a big push learning hebrew (don't ask me how it's going...), and anytime I have free time I try to focus on that. But here are a bunch of photos with some commentary for your viewing pleasure.

First dinner in Nairobi, with a "Tusker" Beer. I'm working on a few big projects in Kenya so I've been traveling there quite a bit. 

Coke in Kenya. In general, I absolutely loved Nairobi. The city felt very safe, and the people were kind. Even outside the city, I was surprised at how little trash there was along the road, compared to Nigeria. People seem to take pride in their country. 

I had a free Saturday so I hired a driver to take me to Hell's Gate National Park. This is the Rift Valley at sunrise

Hell's Gate park is not only the landscape that inspired the movie The Lion King, but it also is one of the few Big Game parks in the world that allows mountain biking! (No lions or tigers in this park...)

Lion King Scenery 

It was early morning so all the animals were out and about! Here is a pack of zebras

Some friendly chimps coming to ask for food. When I was sitting at a picnic table later on, a chimp swooped out of nowhere as soon as I looked away and snatched all my bananas! 

The gorge of Hell's gate was flooded because it was the beginning of the rainy season. There were some areas where I  needed to swim! 

The end of the gorge, "The Devil's Bedroom"

Climbing out of the Gorge

Overlook of the gorge

I also took a boat on Lake Naivasha, and saw a lot of hippos and flamingos! 

Farms scattered across the Rift Valley in the early evening on the way back to Nairobi. 

Our biggest project is in Elgeyo Marakwet county, which is an incredibly beautiful area that, although very narrow, spans from highlands down rocky escarpment to valley.  I toured the area and got to see a bunch of kids doing gravity-defying dives into the river. 

We visited a mango farmer in Elgeyo Marakwet. His cows LOVE mangos! 

Bon Appetit! 

View of Elgeyo Marakwet from the highlands of the county. The county is also the home of many Kenyan running champions. There are a number of theories why so many world-class runners come from this small area, from genetics, to culture, to the elevation. One thing is for sure - everyone here runs. All day, the roads are filled with runners. The kids here don't grow up playing basketball or soccer - they just run, with the dreams of becoming a world champion too. 

It's always fun running into adorable old ladies who look like my grandma, protesting against Israel's policies. The sign translation is: "Enough of the occupation." 

Typical Africa. 

On another trip to Kenya I gave a presentation at a conference in Baringo County. It was very far from the beaten path, so my room had a mosquito net around the bed! There weren't many mosquitos, but I still used it just for the novelty! 

A photo of me making the presentation. The Speaker of Parliament (#3 behind the President and Vice President) and many governors were in the audience! 

Just some ostriches chillaxing outside of the hotel. This area is absolutely gorgeous. 

The evening entertainment at the conference was a local tribal performance, and a few of us joined the dancing. 

At the equator. A storeowner nearby demonstrated the different magnetic pulls by pouring water into a bowl with a hole at the bottom. On each side, the water spiraled in a different direction. 

Adi and I rented a car recently and drove up to Jerusalem for the day. Here is a photo of us at the western wall.  

Hiking in the hills around Jerusalem. This is an ancient spring called Sataf - really beautiful.  

Views from Sataf

My other work trip was to Uganda. This photo is in Kampala, with Lake Victoria in the background! 

Another view of Kampala - a beautiful city. 

The source of the Nile River from Lake Victoria. 

My friend Stephen recently visited me over Passover to hike the "Sea to Sea" trail, a 4 day trek from the Mediterranean to the Sea of Galilee. But we also managed to have some fun in Tel Aviv too. This was in Yafo, at a funky bar with a live band. 

I've been getting some killer shots of the sunset on my bikeride home from work. On this day, it had been pouring rain all day, and it finally stopped just in time for my ride home -- and for this beautiful sunset. 

On the third day of the trail, Stephen and I at one point lost the trail markers and found ourselves at the edge of this giant gorge. We couldn't imagine  the trail would be this hardcore, especially since there were hundreds of 12-year-old Israeli students doing the trail alongside us. Sure enough the trail actually went another way. But by the time we realized our mistake, we were already in a tough spot and it would have been even more dangerous to climb back down, especially with the heavy backpacks. So we climbed up the face and got back to the trail safely. But it was pretty damn extreme nonetheless. Even now as I look at this photo, my palms are sweating and my heart is beating.

Another shot of my death-defying climb. From this angle it looks worse than it was...

Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut are really moving holidays, one after the other. On Yom Hazikaron, Memorial Day, there are big ceremonies in every town and village. We went to the one in Rabin Square, where they alternated between video interviews with parents of fallen soldiers and music by Israel's best musicians. Nearly everyone here has lost someone close, and everyone knows someone who has lost a child. But then on Yom Ha'atzmaut, the mood completely shifts from somber to cheerful as the country celebrates its Independence Day. This was a street party in the evening - it was insane! 

Adi and I went to the protests on policy brutality and discrimination against the Ethiopian community. We left before the police began firing tear gas and stun grenades, but it was still powerful to be there. These Ethiopian Jews were brought by the government to Israel, and then have since been largely neglected. As they protest, they wave Israeli flags. Israeli government and Israeli society has a responsibility to treat them with equality. 

Another sweet sunset on the ride home from work. 

At the top of Mount Meron, the second-highest peak in Israel. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Jordan in the East, and Lebanon in the north. 

This is on Day 2 of the trek. We met some really cool people along the way. But there was one really negative incident that really stuck with me. On the first day, we stopped at one of the many springs along the trail and struck up a conversation with some girls who had recently finished the army and were now studying in university. It was a big spring, and a bunch of families and young people were lounging around - mostly Jewish but also a few Arabs. Then, a young Arab boy, maybe 3 years old, slipped and fell into the water and starting screaming and flailing against the current. His older sister, who was probably 5, cried for help, and within just a few seconds a few Israeli dads ran over and one hoisted the child out of the water. But in that short time frame, one of the Israeli girls sitting with us, began pointing and laughing loudly. After the boy was safely out of the water, his sister scolded the girl in Arabic, and the girl began laughing at her too. It was sickening. Laughing at a small child as he drowns. That, ladies and gentlemen, is racism. And seeing it displayed by my own people, which happens all too often here, makes it even more heart-wrenching. 

The final day of the trek. We can see the Sea of Galilee in the distance! The trek was stunning, and we met some wonderful people along the way.