The Holy Land

Unlike my visit to Egypt I spent a lot of time researching my trip to Israel by buying the ever useful Lonely Planet on Israel and the Palestinian Territories (which I eventually found in Hodges Figgies on Dawson Street, Dublin 2), and, the excellent Culture Shock! : A guide to Customs and Etiquette in Israel by Dick Winter. I read, underlined and studied both books heavily before I left for the Holy Land and as a result felt much more comfortable in the knowledge that I had a basic understanding of the geography and politics of this contentious region. I would recommend you do something similar if you go. Also worth a little bit of time is surfing YouTube under the keyword ‘Israel’. While laden with propaganda videos from both the Israelites and Palestine’s there are a few videos that provide a quick primer on some of the must see sites in this tiny land.

The reason for this trip was to visit our Microsoft work colleagues in Haifa in the north beside the Lebanon border and Herzoliah just outside of Tel Aviv. On both site visits we were there on a listening tour to understand how we could assist them rise to the challenge of recruiting 150 engineers for our new telecom and security offerings in very tight timeframes which is a tall order considering they have to concentrate on sourcing Jews predominately from their own country.

Similarly to Cairo we thankfully built in a day to see some of the rich sites of the country and ordered ourselves an ex-tank commander tourist guide to explain to us what we were seeing. Israel if unusual in that it is very small at approx 250 miles north to east and 50 miles west east but it packs a heavy weight punch in terms of history, geography and politics. You really need to understand some of the basics to try assimilate what is going on their so you can make some conclusions of your own. It has a population of 6.4 million (the Gaza Strip and West Banking adding another 3.4 million), it has a GDP per capital of $24,600, its economy is strong and getting stronger with major exports being: military hardware, machinery, computer software, cut diamonds and phosphates. Religious it is a hot pot of secularism with 76% of the population being Jews, 16% Muslim, 2% Christian, 1.6% Druze and 3.9% unspecified, visa via, 95% Muslim and 5% Christian in the Palestine Territories. It is one of the most beautiful countries in the world with many varied geographies dispersed over very little distances. In the Golan Heights there is excellent snow capped mountains with ski runs. All along the west of the cost the Mediterranean throws up many beautiful beaches with fine grained sand and hot waters. The Negev desert offers cactus farms, adventure sport paradises and the world’s three largest craters at Mitzpe Ramon. You have the beautiful Sea of Galilee to the north with the mighty Jordan running to it and from it into the Dead Sea and then on towards the Red Sea and the amazing diving sites of Eilat. Then there are some of the oldest cities in the world most of which evoke very clearly defined teaching and stories indoctrinated in the Christian faith: Jericho, Nazareth, Hebron, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv and the unforgettable Holy City of Jerusalem. It is the home of many different occupiers including: Muslims, Arabs, Crusaders, Turks, British and Zionists and it very controversially became an independent state in 1948 after the British government grew tired of the violence of Palestine and turned the problem over to the UN.

When arriving into Tel Aviv from Amman in Jordan by plane the night was filled up with fireworks that marked the 24th of April and Israel’s Independence Day. Like any nation the Israelites were celebrating their nation’s birthday which happened to be its 59th. As we were going from our taxi to our hotel there were Israeli blue and white flags with the prominent star of David flying everywhere. What struck me most though was how many there was. It seemed like every second car, house, and person had some type of blue and white on them. It was a bit like being in the middle of a frenzied crowd of Deise hurling supports in Walsh Park, Waterford, except spread out over many miles.

To trace Israel’s history takes some reading and understanding to explain how it has got to where it is today. I would suggest you go to the following Wiki for a brief but thorough understanding of the history where you can learn more about the 1967 Six Day War, the fatal 1972 attack on Israeli athelestes in the Olympic village in Munich the 1st and 2nd Intifadas.

For my visit the day’s site seeing consisted of a visit to Mountain of Olives, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to see the fortress ruins of Masada which we had hoped for but all an all it was a packed day. The day started at Mountain of Olives which provided us a clear site of the Garden of Gethsemane were Jesus was betrayed by a kiss, and the Dome of the Rock with its impressive golden top were Abraham almost sacrificed his son and Mohammed ascended to heaven on a white horse, the massive outer wall of King Herod surrounding the city with its eight gates and the plateau terraced Jewish graves which the Jews believe will be the place where the first dead will rise when Jesus decides to return to the Earth in the sacred temple to judge mankind on the Day of Judgement. Inside the city walls there was literally too much to see. We started with visiting the site of the last supper and then we quickly moved onto the tomb of David and the resting place of the 10 commandments. Next was the most revered site of the Jews, the Wailing Wall and then the unforgettable church of the Holy Sepulchre which was built on Calvary where Jesus was crucified. It also holds the stone of unction were Jesus’s body was anointment before he was placed in his tomb which he rose from only a few feet away.

If that wasn’t enough we got back into our car and made our way into the West Bank on a protected Israeli highway on our way to the Dead Sea. As we travelled we saw the sad diving walls of the two peoples, Bedouin tents, the site of the Good Samaritan and the so called oldest city in the world Jericho. Hailed by the local PR companies as the biggest ‘natural spa’ in the world the Dead Sea is certainly a completely different experience then your run of the mill spas. The water contains 20 times as much bromine, 15 times as much magnesium and 10 times as much iodine – it is in effect 33% substance. This amazing array of minerals caused the unusual buoyancy levels that make you float as if you are gliding on the top of the water. You almost feel like a balloon that when pushed under the water immediately wants to come shooting back up. The part I loved the most was covering myself head to toe in mud and kicking back on the top of the water and lying their motionless for minutes staring at the sun, looking at Moses burial site on the far away mountain tops of Jericho and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life when I retired.

I enjoyed Israel a lot and despite the fact that while there the Palestines were launching rockets from the Gaza strip into nearby Israeli towns I felt safe. The security is amazing. Having said that I was happy to leave Israel safe in the knowledge that I did not have to live in such a complex world as there’s living on high alert 24x7. It’s good to be home in my apartment sipping orange juice and staring at the river Liffey. I hope one day the Holy Land acts as calm and peaceful as the famous Dublin river and provides bridges of peace were once only rivers of hate flowed.

King Khufu, Jasmin essential oil and ancient golden masks

The world’s fascination with Egypt has echoed through many centuries like the sonic boom of an overhead jet. Like the cracking thunder first heard its grandeur once seen is permanently impressed on the mind’s eye forever. On this occasion my rambling brought me to Cairo for work not play. Microsoft’s Cairo Microsoft Innovation Centre (CMIC) is expanding and we are searching for research software engineers to help us prototype some new products in the Search and Health verticals. My job was to visit them with two of my American colleagues to hear what they are doing and discuss how we can help them recruit. So for any of you out there who have a doctorate in applied research and have strong object orientated development skills, and, can speak Egyptian, let me know and I might have you a job!

Thankfully while there we all built in a day into our trip to see the sites. We decided the best way to do it was to get the amazing Four Season’s concierge service to order us transport and a guide. While expensive at 700 US dollars our approach paid off handsomely when we were introduced to Mohammed our 7 series black BMW driver who knew every back street in the city and Leila our local Cairo guide who possessed a Masters in Egyptology from Cairo University and was a fountain of knowledge.

First stop were the magnanimous towering enigmatic pyramids of Giza. The only remaining standing Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. When I was boy of eleven years of age my mother asked me what I would like for my birthday. I answered ‘a Celtic jersey, please’. She hunted high and low but wasn’t able to get it for me in time. It was only months later that the jersey was in stock and I was able to get its beautiful cotton on my body. It thought be patience and the joys of finally getting something you desire. I can still remember how excited I was when I received it, quickly put it on and peered at the mirror in my bedroom as if I was a professional soccer player. The episode reminds me of Cairo. For a long time I have also wanted to come to Giza but it seemed to always elude me for one reason or another. But I’ve always remained patient knowing that someday I would visit. A bit like the eleven year old flicking his legs at a mirror and an imaginary ball in his bedroom my first site of the pyramids doused and soaked my thoughts in a well of wonder. As I turned a side street in our car and saw the sky almost filled to the top with a brown imperious triangle with a massive hanging shadow I can remember thinking, “the great pyramids of Egypt, hello old friend. Finally I get the chance to introduce myself”.

Nearly 5,000 years ago Giza became the royal burial ground (the necropolis) for Memphis, the then capital of Egypt. Within 100 years the Egyptians built three towering pyramids complexes to serve as the resting places for their dead kings. Surrounding these tombs were smaller satellite pyramids and a sprinkle of modest structures called masrtaba, for the king’s family and royal court. The tallest and most famous of the three pyramids belongs to King Khufu. It is estimated to contain over 2 million blocks of stone weighting an average of 2.5 tonnes with some stones reaching up to 15 tonnes. In the centre of the pyramid deep inside its walls is the king’s chamber holding his sarcophagus. This is where I went a bee line for when I visited. For a small fee I was told to leave my camera behind and to enter a small slit near the base of the rocks and to start my ascent. For those who are claustrophobic I would not advise taking this on. The walls are very thin and there is a lot of back bending crawling up a small shaft that is at a 51 degree angle. It took about 7 minutes to get to the epicenter and see the empty lidless tomb that had been stolen of its treasures 600 years after its creation. The tomb itself is roughly 20 paced feet long by 12 feet wide. It’s height approximately 20 feet. I shall never forget the peace inside once I entered and the cool air that drafted in from the ingenious built in vents at the top of the chamber. Time stood still. Knowing that 100,000 people spent 50+ years not as slaves but as willing citizens of Cairo to honour their king and bring him to this small chamber and to finally see it was a bit like getting smacked on your frontal lobes with a big wet fish. 30 minutes later while on my camel and posing for some photos with Khufu’s amazing pyramid in the background I kept thinking to myself “I‘m one lucky bast*rd to have just been inside there.”



No, no, no, but that wasn’t enough. After Giza we headed into the city centre to buy some of the world famous Egyptian essential oils. A real nose sniffing treat and highly recommended for those tired of the usual aftershave brands that cost an arm and a leg in high sobriety. This stuff was the real deal with 20,000 petals being crushed and distilled to produce a single 500ml bottle of pure essential oil that if you choose could be mixed with distilled water and pure alcohol to provide an amazing smell. I ended up coming away 250 Euros out of my pocket with 5 bottle of a mixture of Jasmin, Eucalyptus, Violet, Lavender, Gardinia, Lemon and Carnation oils. I also both some pipette like oil holders with built in dobber that you can dip an swab across your neck. Great presents that should last decades. A bit like Jamie Oliver’s teaching in Cook with Jamie explaining what proportions of oils and vinegar to use when making a salad dressing I now have a better understanding of what proportions of water, alcohol and essential oil to use to make a well balanced perfume.

Smelling literally like a perfume shop we next went to the Egyptian museum. The highlight for me being the mighty Ramesses II and also the boy king Tutankhamen’s life sized golden mask. An excellent dreamy evocative tour especially after visiting the pyramids.

Visiting Cairo and Giza makes you feel like downloading Raiders of the Lost Arch, jumping on a chariot and trail blazing the dusty roads of Cairo on your way to the Luxor templates and the Valley of the Kings. I’m definitely coming back here and would recommend anyone interested in history to get here to soak up the atmosphere. Next time unlike this time I’ll be better read on the sites so I understand just a little more the countless wonders this enchanting land has to offer. I have a lot of rambling that needs to be done in the red soiled sun drenched land of the pharaoh kings. On the list are: The Theban Hills, the tomb of Tuthmosis 111, the tomb of Ramses VI, the Hatshepsut temple, the Ramesseum, Sharm el-Sheikh, Alexandria and the Aswan damn. And next time I'll be bringing my Celtic jersey for good measure.

Istanbul and the Blue Mosque

Call it what you will but Constantinople, Byzantium or Istanbul is like no other city I have visited in my life. It is a city immersed in a deep sleepy history that frequently comes alive with a visit to one of its many wonderful mosques, churches, synagogues, palaces, bazaars, museums, baths and harems. What impresses me most about Istanbul is the manner in which it provides the west with a clear example of how ‘warts and all’ secularism can work. Respect is everywhere and so is a picture of Mustafa Kemal, or "Ataturk" who was the soldier turned politician that halted the invasion of the Greeks in 1922 and brought democracy, and western values to a new created Turkish republic. In Turkey he is a demi-god. It is he who cleverly took religion out of politics and who galvanized the Muslims, Christians, Arabs, Turks, and Kurds to name but a few to stop their bickering over internal feuds and push as a nation cohesively towards a brighter future. To do this he changed the alphabetic to a Latin based system and made religiously sensitive sites like the Hagia Sophia and Topkai Palace into museums rather than dividing them between Muslims or Christians who have their history deeply intertwined in both after many changes of power over the generations.

While Istanbul still has its problems with the PKK or Kurdish freedom fighter movement, the occupation of Cyprus, and the Armenian genocide issue halting its application into the European Europe the respect I saw for multiple cultures, the slow deep patience towards progression and the optimism of the people for a better future is clealry evident in the mist and fog that hovers like a white blanket over the mighty Bospherous in the early morning. Turkey will more than likely join the rest of Europe and they are prepared to wait whatever the time is necessary to sort out their own problems in the eyes of Europe before that happens. It will be very interesting to see how this unfolds for in the coming years. I for one will be paying special attention to the subject as the months roll by.

I stayed 4 days in Istanbul which was a really nice amount of time to allow me soak in the beautiful sites and charms of this amazing city. There were many but here are some of the highlights.

1.The Blue Mosque which takes its name from its blue tile work decorating its internals is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world. Serene and magical it is best visited during one of the 5 prayers times in the day that Muslims worship Allah. It was commissioned between 1609 and 1616 by Sultan Ahmet 1st and it is very easy to imagine the throngs of people using it then as they do now. Its six minarets or towers pierce the Istanbul skyline impressive during day and especially night. I had the fortune of seeing it from the lounge bar on the 6th floor of the Richmond hotel in the famous Taxim area on the packed musical winding Istikal Caddesi (the Grafton street of Istanbul). Before you enter spend some time at the water wall on the outside of the building where the Muslims wash their feet, hands and face before they enter. Also, when inside also go to the back of the church to see the very discreet women praying section which marks the line from which men and women can pray.

2.Hagia Sophia or the “church of the holy wisdom” is among the world’s greatest architectural achievements. More than 1,400 years old it is still standing the tests of time and is a reminder of how sophisticated the world of the 6th century Byzantine capital was. The building was the most revered Christian church for over 1,000 years anywhere in the world but was converted to a mosque by the Ottomans in the 15th century. For me the tattered mosaic depicting the archangel Gabriel adorning the lower wall of the apse along with the mihrab pointing to Mecca are its most impressive features.

3.No visit to the capital is complete without a visit to the Spice Bazaar. Unlike the hugely unimpressive Grand Bazaar that mostly sells low quality classic touristic memorabilia that Spice Bazaar delivers on its promise. It is an explosion of color and smell. I really enjoyed it and went back twice in my visit just so I could soak up its atmosphere again before I left. Pictures and video footage can probably do this place much more justice than I ever could with words. I came away with a kilo of mouth wateringly fresh Turkish delight, 2 vacuum packed packets of Love Tea and Chamomile Buds Tea as well as a healthy packed of fresh curry and ginger powders which are now proudly sitting in small jars in my kitchen waiting to be used.



4.Between 1459 and 1465, shortly after his conquest of Constantinople Mehmet 11 built the Topkapi Palace. Rather than a single stand alone palace it was designed with 4 enormous courtyards with huge surrounding walls. Nowadays it is a magnificent museum which consists of the Sultans harem, the archeological museum and the treasury which holds the Topkapi dagger, the forearm of John the Baptist and a strand of hair which belonged to the prophet Mohammed. All are worth visiting. My advice would be to go to Topkapi early in the morning. Go to bed early the night before and get up first thing in the morning to be there for 9m. Your efforts will be rewarded by allowing you circumventing annoying long queues to get into each section of the palace. You will also receive a Brucie Bonus by being allowed stare longer at the amazing Topkapi dagger and impressive Sulatan’s harem quarters if you are not being rushed on by lines of people coming behind you. PS – Pay the extra entry price for a guide of the site. While expensive at 10 euros per person with a little haggling you should be able to get the price lowered. At a minimum buy one of the audio handset guides!

5.The Bosperous River is a beautiful silver veiled wedge that cuts West from East and the Golden horn from the Galata Tower and Beyoglu. What I loved about it was the countless boats of all different sizes that can be seen on its busy waters and the huge number of fishermen that link the bridge all day chatting and joking while they drop a line to see if they can catch a tasty mackerel. What is well worth doing is going to one of the restaurants under the Galata Bridge. Soak up the view, grab a tea and watch life go by for a few hours.

6.And finally, there is Istikal Caddesi which is the busy street I have ever been on. It kicks 6th avenue in New York and Grafton street, both of which I love, into touch. It is really long about the same size of the bottom of O’Connell Street to the top off Grafton Street. It is a lot like both the aforementioned with western shops and lots of pubs and restaurants. It also has its fair share of buskers and shoe shiners. What I liked about it was the sheer number of people on the street wearing so many different types of clothes and smiles. It was amazing to hear all the different languages in full flow like one giant bumble bee hovering over the city and taking a break to look at the little specs below. Noteworthy, also was the countless winding backstreets which held lots of little pubs and meeting places where older men drank tea and played backgammon and where the liberal Turks partied hard into the early hours of the morning.

Also worth experiencing are a good scrub down and massage in a Turkish bath and dabbling in one of the many varieties of kebabs or kebaps as they call them in the capital. Be prepared for a little aching after both. The baths involved being contorted, twisted and stepped on where as the kebabs on numerous occasions want to get in and get out of your body as quick as as one of the jet boats want to get up the Bosphorous. Last but not least make sure to have a shave in one of the barbers. It is heavenly and an experience you won't ever forget especially when they set your ears on fire to get rid of unwanted hairs :)



This blog would not be complete without me mentioning the huge drops of unremitting hospitality that rained down on me from everywhere I went. The people are amazingly friendly. I would put them on a par with my Brazilian experiences. The Irish still have a thing or two to learn on this front. We need to break out of the all to often "convenience" hospitality mode we sometimes find ourselves coasting in and need to truely make an effort to make our guests feel like part of our families like the Kurdish and Turkish muslims did for me.