A warm Embrace...

After leaving the congested city of Cairo and leaving Egypt behind on this trip, I made my return to Israel for a few days. I stayed in an elcetic part of Tel Aviv with my friend Tal, who I met through Couchsurfing.org a great website for those of you who are travelers...
The streets of Israel were so queit and peaceful after being in Egypt for so long. I determined that the sexual frustration of the men, mainly who are driving in Egypt is part of the sole reason for the ridiculous amount of honking and absurd state of driving. I remember in my travels through Indonesia, also a Muslim country, the drivers there were absolutely absurd as well...
So after being pleasanly greeted back in Israel (I loved returning from Egypt, going from being yelled at by crazy Muslim men, to being questioned by beautiful Israeli women). I will take the later of the two anyday!

So now after a flight up to St. Petersburg, I am walking through the streets of this old city, loving every minute. The Russians are in a good mood, as the weather is pretty good, the sun is shining for almost 24 hours, and the vodka continues to be excellent.
Upon getting into St. Petersburg, getting lost a few times, I met a young Finish woman on the bus, who helped me get to my new couchsurfing home, a little bit outside of the city, where she happened to know the people I am now staying with. I love the way the PERFECT souls end up in my life, in your life, exactly at the right moment. It would have taken quite a bit longer to find my new home and I would not have been so happily greeted, if there was just one simple change in any of my actions through the day.
It's amazing to me the way in which spirit, God, fate, destiny, divine presence, however you would like to put it... works in our lives. Even while traveling, I am meeting exactly the souls who are coming into my life, for the perfect reason. Each individual, whether I "speak' with them for two minutes on the train, or simply pass by with a big smile across my face, each one is there precisely at the correct moment.
One of the aspects of Russian life I am enjoying is seeing how many people I can get to smile throughout my day. Tyically, Russians are not very smilely or from an outside appearance happy individuals. I am very sure many of them are very inspired and happy within, but their outside presence is often cold and uninviting. So I like to smile at them to see if a smile will be returned. Its a fun game while going way down in the deep deep metro station...
Anyways, so I am learning some basic Russian, some of which is returning to me from my travels in Ukraine, and I am realizing the essential nature to learning the basics, as when you don't know any, most Russians just start speaking more loudly at you, thinking that a louder tone will strike some sort of part of your brain to understand what they are saying..
So its a continual journey and I am having fun along the way. It's "White Nights" festival time up here in St. Petersburg, so there is always something doing on...
Thats it for now, I am going to go have some yummie Borshe and cabbage salad, my new Russian Babuscka made for me, in the home I am staying.
blessing and love to all of you.

A dollar and a half difference

So one of the most fascinating aspects to observe while travelingI in a culture is the treatment of foreigners. Now certainly, it makes perfectly good sense for foreigners to be charged more when they are staying in seperate resorts, living in hotels and just in general it's a bit custmary for outsiders to be charged more especially when negotiating.
However, what I feel makes a strong difference between a more third world economy and a modern day, often westernized world is same/same prices across the board... And now the example is this....
Currently, I am writing this from a bus heading from hurghada to suez canal. When in Luxor, I got a bus ticket only to hurghada, but with a change in plans, I decided it was time to just keep moving through the night towards Sinai again.
Upon arriving in Luxor, the very unfriendly, loud and incessant bus money man informed me it was time to get off. I let him know "suez," so he was aware in my change...
He gave me the annoyed look, as though I had somehow made this change just to make him mad...

"How much" and he replied with 50 pounds! I knew immediately that this was higher than it was supposed to be, so I said 35 pounds, which would have been accurate based on the original 75 pound price I was quoted in Luxor for both legs of the trip.
So, he began to get upset and throw around his crazy eqyptian temper, talking to everyone around him either complaining or speaking loudly just for fun :)
One of these individuals was my friend timpy, who spoke English rather well. He informed me that for locals it was 40 and for foreigners it was 50.
Now, this was not a museum...
This was not a hotel....
This was not even a falafal sandwich....
This was one man right next to me, on the same bus, breathing the same air, listening to the same bad Arabic music,
one of us paying 10 pounds more simply because of our nationality...
So I walked outside with the irrate money man, we negotiated some more, he decided to include the entire bus station community in our conversation...
I did some yelling... He did some yelling, and even the corrupt police decided to poke their head into the situation...
I explained my situation to him and he just concluded what the bus man was indicating, that I was supposed to pay more...
At the end of the day I knew I would be paying the ten pounds more, breaking my wallet and loosing a whooping $1.75...!!!
For me the amount of money obviously did not mean anything, but this example proved to me the vast difference in economy and structure that is deeply engrained into a vast majority of the Egyptians I have experienced..
...try to weasle every foreigner for each pound I can get....
Now, I did not say everyone, as I have met some very sincere Egyptians, but this is simply a generalized observation into their states of being in the world...
Now I recognize equally the many times I have weasled people with money, or probably not negotiated properly, and I equally own that aspect of my own inner self, so this observation is not in judgement, but nearly in concious observation..
However, this observation is simply that, a local experiental outlook at some of the trade and commerce down here in Egypt.
I recognize it's part of the culture, so I have great enjoyment in the negotiation, even when it's for only a 1.75...
For no matter what the value of money in any deal, the true values of our human spirit and culture will always shine on through...

Location:Hurghada, Egypt

the Animal attacks...

you get off the train, the smell of hot body odor is in the air,

its been a few days since you had a REAL shower, with hot water and GOOD water pressure,

As you round the corner, you seem them,

their eyes are bright

Money envelops their brain

One goal is upon their mind

Sell

Muuuney

and it begins...

Tax.."

Where u go"

Where u frm?

good deal here...

The incessant haggling that any tourist receives is enough to set your brain in spins. For those of you who travel, I need not say more, but for those who have never had this experience, its certainly not one you will ever forget...

So I will share a brief story from just yesterday here in Luxor...

For information, Luxor is EXTREMELY hot right now, around 40 Celcius

With a full day in the heat, rediscovering ancient Egyptian history, any person can get extremely hot, tired and annoyed by the end of the day.

On this particular day, this was exactly my condition.I was riding the bike I rented back to the ferry to cross back over to the East Bank from the West Bank. The west Bank has the valley of the Quenns and the Valley of the Kings, both incredible tombs from kings and rulers ofthousands of years ago...

Upon approaching to the ferry, I see what looks to be a great photo, with the Nile, in the background covering over by the temples of Luxor..

And as I approach, I see what any tourist learns to turn their head to, a few young Egyptian men approaching from a few directions, inquiring and attacking my position and determining how much in this moment that may be able to make from me.

They size me up..

Determine around my age andexperience and begin to run prices through their head..

(in general, every price I get for buying ANYTHING i cut in 1/5 to 1/3 depending on the product.)

Now with this particular approach, there was nothing extraordinary about it, but for me it was the first time I felt like prey...

now in psychoanalytical viewpoint, this now gives me an opportunity to look at times in my life when I have felt this way before, analyze the situation, apply some compassionate self-forgiveness and in turn have gratitude...

blah

blah

blah

blaf

in this situation, I just simply felt like prey, they sized me up and came in for the attack...

And as any prey typically does when they feel the aggressor coming in, is they in turn fight back...

now you may wonder...oh boy, Aaron has lost it, he took out all his frustrations upon these Egyptians and now sits in a cell writing from his computer....

Well sorry to say if that was the case, I would nothave that luxury...

but it does remind me of an Egyptian story I will share another time...

So in this particular situation, I simply lashed out, which for those of you who know me well, is not a typical reaction.

And the faces upon these young men as I simply yelled in return at them was perfectly priceless

I do feel they had never quite had a response of my nature and within just about a minute or two, smiles returned, they realized that had been overly aggressive and I equally reactive...

So, at the end of the day, I learn about my temperment, the effects of the heat upon it, and I take my 1 pound ferry ride and not the 20 pound one they were trying to sell to me...

This was a great experience for me and them as I realized it is time to get out of the heat, get back to the oceanside and up into the mountains of Russia...

Egypt has been amazing, I still have Mt. Sinai to tackle before my return to Tel Aviv, and the beginnings of my Russian Adventures...

more fun for another day...

and a pictures you may enjoy whenyou simply let the light in...

Haggling to the top...

As I awaken into the beauty of my surroundings, I find the gentle persuasive touch of these Egyptians all around me
Many are fighting for a few pounds
Many are smiling from within
The softness of their spirit
Fully alivens me to feel their sweet embrace.
For in the values of their others,
They have yearned for another way,
But the true beauty of their land
Is simply a stone throw away,
For when I stop to take a listen
And breath to feel their beat
The honking of their horns
Is just their way of taking to the streets
For I wait for those gentle moments,
When the haggling has drifted alee,
And the calmness of their embrace
Makes me want to crawl within their sheets,
But the prayers of their fathers
Lead them quickly to see
That the best occupation
Is simply there waiting to see
For they search and find their reason
Like everyone else of this world
And soon learn that the best is already here within their own two feet!

I spent the day yesterday poking through the remains and pure brilliance of engineering known as the pyramids. Josh and I stayed off the beaten path and headed directly for the red and bent pyramids of dashure. For those of you about to explore the pyramids, the tourist haggling spot is Giza and the others are barren and deserted.
We haggled and negotiated with a couple of "tourist police" and soon found ourselves climbing to the top of the third largest pyramid in eqypt, the Bent pyramid. The guards told us to keep queit about it, but the story is super sweet. After countless negotiation we won over their wallets for roughly 9 dollars a piece.
For me, it's not always about the expense but the pure joy of negotiating for the price, as both parties have fun and amusement!
The guards were happy and we climbed our pyramid.

After dashure, we found a ride with a Spanish banker, who had hired a private taxi and was willing to drive us to Sakkara.
Sakkara was a funeral complex filled with many old tombs and also the step pyramid.
The tombs were exquisite with 4 thousand year old hieroglyphics covering the walls.
After two pyramid complexes, we called it a day, and took our ride back into Cairo.
We walked along the Nile, taking a short break to enjoy a Egyptian Sakara beer along the way.
The gardens along the river were beautiful , but not thoroughly enjoyed by many as they were strangely cut off from easy access from both the tourists and locals... Some aspects of this country I have tremendous difficulty understanding, but more for another blog.
I travel now to Alexandria, to explore an ancient sea port town... My favorite!


- Posted with love using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Maadi, eqypt

Chaotic Cairo

Today was my first experience in Cairo and certainly a day I will
remember. The streets are filled with a natural symphony of honking
horns, pedestrians dodging flying taxis and mopeds and the sounds of
the dozens of mosques in the background. We started our day sorting
through the downtown Egyptian museum, a place with stones and
artifacts up to 4 thousand years old!
For those of you traveling into Cairo, I do not think a museum guide
is necessary as it is easy to navigate your way through and still get
a strong feeling for it's history. Even within the halls of the museum
we were getting haggled by Egyptian guides for their "good rate."
After being overwhelmed by the museum, we ventured to the streets,
where the real Cairo is truly felt.
We met a local student who took us to the back alley falafel store
where we got 14 half pita/baba-ganoush/falafel sandwiches for a
whopping 15 pound. (a little less than 3 us dollars. These are the
places I love as it's the true food of the locals at their prices and
it's so much better than any touristy restaurant!



Following our incredible lunch we took to the streets of markets and
bazaars!
The city continued to amaze me with very friendly Arabic individuals
who after a short eye stare always came forward with a smile.
A few women even tried to set us up with their daughters by saying
" u go with her!"
We politely smiled and answered "la chokrun" meaning no thank you.
The offer was friendly, half sincere, but my heart still is fond for
the non Arabic women. Even though, with their full shawls, the
Egyptian women do have quite a style with their clothes, when often I
can only see their eyes...

So tomorrow our adventures head to the pyramids of Giza, one of the
true architectural marvels of the world...
A blessed day to each of you who enjoy reading through my travels!

Through the eyes of the spirit traveler...

Many ask me through my normal life, how one chooses to pack a bag for four months and lead into a life on the road?

Or how one can constantly be on the flow of life, moving, changing, flying, observing or even dismantling ones judgments...

and for me personally, as thats the only way I truly know from how to speak....

the world of traveling and exploring simply fits into my genes.

I recall a conversation having with my sister and my childhood best friend, Anthony, before leaving on this trip:

My sister and Anthony discussed how they would find it close to impossible to not know their plans...to not have a set schedule and to simply flow with the beauty of the journey..., as for them its within their inner values to have these things sorted out.

I truly appreciated their viewpoint, as it made me appreciate their chooses even more.

This subtle difference is truly for me what makes my connection with both of them so amazing awesome and unique!

We all chuckled, as it became clear to me the true difference in my values and theirs.

And as I recall this difference, it brings striking clarity to the different worlds I get to view through my travels...

Sometimes its a world of 5 time a day prayer and dedication to God in the Muslim world, and other times watching the locals gather their food in the town's small boat water market through small villages in Vietnam. Both world's perfect for every soul who partakes, and for me a continual life of observation, seeking innner guidance and appreciation has led me to the traveling road.

This trip is the first in over 3 years, as I took two years to get my master's degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica

The program was brilliant as it gave me a chance to learn a clear set system into the ways and hows of what my mind was beginning to perceive in the world around me, leaving my spirit with a strong heart-felt foundation, moving forward into a world where judgments are easily cleared and life's beauty is TRULY seen and observed...

Through this education and developing myself as a speaker and teacher with a inspirational book series, Thank God I.... it has left me with an absolutely gorgeous view of the world.

I know can travel freely, developing my next photography book, while in pure and beautiful observation of the people and cultures of the world...

For some a life lead into travel can be challenging, but for me, I find each day a brand new adventure....

Whether I am making brand new friends who will stay in my life forever, or experiencing new cultures and truly seeing it through childlike eyes, each moment can be most fully expressed by the raw beauty that exists in human kind. For when a new city is met, I now longer see the peddling man at the corner, asking me to enter into his sheesha store as a problem, I truly understand, feel and connect with this man...even though I will not be buying anything, I simply understand that he is meeting his life, with all the skills sets he has, living to the best that he knows how and at the end of the day, if he is smiling, loving and laughing: life is perfect.

For its in the perfection of our imperfections, as a society, as a culture, that truly brings us back to the oneness to which we are.

When I can be within the walls of Jerusalem, and see four completely different thriving cultures, each one in perfect inner peace, thrusting forward in life, knowing that their presence in the holy land truly represents that best way they can live, then this my friend is perfect peace.

For their will always be people fighting for peace

and their will always be people fighting against war, but the truth in all of these situations, is there will always be this unmistakable balance that is forever present in our lives, in our family, and in our universe.

So as one man makes the decision to live a life working 8-5, in absolute peace and appreciation for this choice

and one makes the decision to live a life of traveling and exploring, living in continual inner peace,

Both of these options are simply perfect, neither one worse or better than the other, simply created by souls seeking to create a life and existence that is PERFECT for them...

The challenge I do find however when traveling or experiencing people, is asking a simply question of "Are you doing what truly inspires you soul from within?"

For me I know there are many times in my life and navigator job in Hawaii, where I am not COMPLETELY inspired from within, however, I am aware that my actions and my day to day soul evolution is leading me to more situations that will test my fears, dissolve my judgments and put me into situations that will allow my spirit to fly with the eagles of eternal creation...

And for this, I am inspired from within, which leads me to simply, listen, love and continually seek experiences that will evolve my soul and transgress my spirit to greater and greater love and gratitude for this earth.

And its through this travel, this journey, that lets me see each individual through the eyes of a loving, judgement free eye, for they are simply living and breathing their life the best they know how..

So my question for all of you today is simply and honestly, are you living with this inspiration from within, or are you making the changes in your life that lead you in this beautiful heart felt direction?

Honestly and Truthfully is simply the only way to speak with yourself from within your bright beautiful inner counselor of wisdom....

more adventures & insights to continue as tomorrow I become and advanced diver and then head for Mt. Sinai and the pyramids of Egypt... :)

Sinai's Sea!

The beauty of Dahab Egypt is truly astounding! Yesterday, I completed my Padi Open Water Diving course at the Red Sea Relax resort on the beaches of Dahab! My instructor John is a younger guy who has been diving since the age of 18. His yonky British accent makes the experiences underwater and during training fun and exciting. Tomorrow my friend Josh and I are beginning our Two day Advanced Open Water training, which certifies us to dive up to 30m! I never thought I would enjoy this diving world so much, but as soon as I conquered my fear of the water, I have a whole new appreciation for Mother's Nature's pure beauty in the ocean!

Today during our day off from the diving world, we ventured up the coast past one of Dahab's famous diving spots, Blue Hole, to the shores of Ras Abu Galum

We decided we would just take our snorkel gear to the beach, as it would be a 7 Km coastline walk to reach this prestigious reef...

and the reef was AMAZING!!!

There is a magnitude of gorgeous gorgeous red sea fish that simply take your breathe away...

all of this diving is certaintly convincing me to invest in a underwater digital camera, as these photos will be a great addition to my other above the water photos around the world!

For lunch, we met a few local Bedouins who made an incredible fish and rice stew!.

After 2 hours snorkeling around staring at these magnificant fish, I would be part of nature's cycle and have a few for lunch!

After a delicious lunch, we went back to the sea for a few more hours of snorkeling, before we made the trek back to Blue Hole and Dahab!

Josh and I have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and the next day, as we will be taking on five dives in two days for our advanced training and I am super excited!

Here is a sample of some of my writing from the day, to be included in some the photography from the area....

The evasion of my soul

When my mind seeks to explore

The spirit of my wisdom

Comes forth to the beauty in the trees

When I softly explore the beauty of the tree

My mind seeks captivity in the exploration meant to see

When the beauty of my arms,

Sings softly just waiting to be

Its the evasion of my heart that is waiting for me

when I seek softness to the beauty of the sea

The magic hands of God

lead me back to see

that the beauty of the forest

is the only world meant to be

but when the miracles of the woods

lead me blindly back to the sea

that the wisdom of the earth is coming alive for me.

Its in the magic of the cords

that the whole earth is waiting to be

in the pure magnificent ravence

simply waiting at the sea....

more tails and prose coming your way soon!
blessings