Dual Narrative Tour in Jerusalem

“Who decided that Palestine deserved less than the rest?” 

The air was thick with tension as this question hung in the air. The eight of us gawked at the two men standing before us, their eyes fiery with passion and their backs taut with pride. We were standing along a back alley in the Muslim quarter of Old Town Jerusalem, the exact setting where one would expect fights to erupt and bullies to reign. All the elements of a good drama were in place - feuding families, age-old tensions, questions on authority and ownership. But this was no drama and these men were not actors following a script. It was, in a way, engineered tension without a dress rehearsal, the product of a dual narrative tour that we had chosen to embark on in a bid to better understand the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It was in fact the first time our protagonist and antagonist were paired together, with no clarity on who would take on the role of "good" or "bad" guy. Enter Shai, an experienced Israeli tour guide, and Malkon, an Armenian-Palestinian human rights scholar. Their task over the five hours we had together? To use the setting of the Old City as a backdrop to tease out some of the main threads of tension between these 2 communities.

I was in two minds about this. As someone who dabbles in quite a bit of facilitation at work, this was highly exciting. But as someone who knew next to nothing about the conflict, it was highly intense. 

Exploring the tensions

At first glance, the Old City would remind you of a typical European old city, with its quaint cobble-stoned streets, the usual smattering of significant religious sites, and overpriced tourist fare. But as we journeyed through the labyrinth of streets, with our guides pointing out the different quarters – Armenian, Palestinian, Christian, and Jewish – it was clear that the fragmentation between the different communities is real and highly evident.

Over the course of the tour, Shai and Malkon explored questions that were difficult to answer. Who owns this land? Who has the right to be here? Our guides presented perspectives that reflected the deep divisions on this issues. The Jewish believe that the land of Israel was promised to them and that this was their best shot at safety after years of persecution; the Palestinians claim that the Jewish occupation sanctioned by the UN proposal in 1947 led to their eviction from their homeland. They also believe that the British had no right to promise the Jews land and assign it to them when there were already Palestinians living there.

Our tour also brought us to the Temple Mount (also known as Harem esh-Sharif) and the Western Wall. These are generally considered to be highlights of any visit to Jerusalem, but what most guides fail to mention is how both of these sites continue to be contentious spaces for the various religions that inhabit the Old City. Apart from Mecca, the Al-aqsa Mosque at Harem esh-Sharif is considered the third holiest site for the Muslims. To the Jews, however, it is the holiest site because it is considered to be the foundation of Judaism and home to the convenants in the Bible. In spite of its religious significance, Jews are not allowed to pray at the Dome of the Rock because a prior treaty signed with Jordan dictates that only the Muslims are allowed to pray there. I saw for myself firsthand the presence of guards patrolling the area to stop any prayer-like activity for all non-Muslims. The guards take the enforcement of this arrangement seriously, as visitors who claim to be Muslims will have to cite verses from the Quran in order to enter the Dome of the Rock.

“What does it mean to be sovereign if we don’t even have the right to pray here?” - Shai

It is because of this that the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, holds special significance for the Jews because it is the closest wall to Temple Mount. Many consider the wall as epicenter for the Judaism faith, where Jews go to convey their deepest desires to God through prayers, song and more often than not, tears. The Israelis wanted to create a prayer plaza to allow the Jews to gather and pray, especially on Shabbat. Malkon shared with us that this very site used to house the Moroccan quarter, and its inhabitants were massacred to make space for the prayer plaza. Today, there is no trace that this was once their home.

“Let’s empty ourselves of our ethnic identities and understand the issue by pursuing justice.”

At one point in the tour, we stood on the rooftop of a building, surveying the panoramic views of the Dome of the Rock, the Mount of Olives, with the labyrinth of the Old City situated in between these immense religious monuments. That one vantage point encapsulated how rich and complex the identity of this land is. Our guides urged us to think about what makes a nation: are we an imagined community because of a shared cultural and historical identity? Who can claim to be indigenous – the recipients of a promised land, or the people who have actually physically lived there for centuries? Can national identity exist when the people in a country are fundamentally polarised? We learnt that the Palestinian identity grew as a response to the Zionist movement, and noted the contrast between Israel’s acceptance by the international community and how the Palestinians are denied of their right to self-determination. The Palestinians remained as an identifiable community that is deprived of sovereignty, airport, currency, passport and the freedom of movement. Yet the Israelis are not having it easy either, with the neighbouring Arab states deemed as mortal threats as it attempts to navigate its survival in an inhospitable region. How far can Israel’s economic successes, military superiority and friendship with major powers ensure its survival in today’s volatile and unpredictable world? What role does Israel hold in this region – guests, neighbours, enemies or friends?

Holding the space for dialogue

“If Israel puts its weapons down, Israel is gone. There’s a lot of emotion here which makes it not as kumbaya as you think. Just look at what happened in Gaza.” – comment from one of the participants on the tour.

What made the tour all the more riveting was the fact that the guides had to juggle their contrasting views with the diverse perspectives that came from the tour participants as well. Our group had several Jewish participants who were clearly a lot more informed and had specific views on the conflict, which resulted in many probing questions, especially to Malkon. This inevitably led to several moments of high tension that were impressively well-managed by our guides as they held the space for these questions and opinions to surface without being defensive.

Dual narratives, and more

I consider it extremely brave that MEJDI is running tours like that, because it takes so much courage and strength to talk about these issues in a country where the consequences of fractured politics are still very much part of the people’s lived reality. This dual narrative tour is a breath of fresh air for anyone who wishes to better understand Israel better, because it allows for a shared platform where multiple points of view – even if completely contradictory – can exist in the same safe space. In this day and age of divisive identity politics, how rare is that?

While the road to peace in Israel might still be a long one, conversations like this give me hope. At the end of the tour, Malkon and Shai exchanged a hug, thanked each other for exhibiting candor and courage in conversing about the conflict, and acknowledged that the common end goal is peace and honour. And I couldn’t help but think that if conversations like that were multiplied across the country – hell, across the world – it would look and feel beautifully different.

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What do you look for when you travel?

The must-visit, to-do listicles usually include UNESCO sites, significant points of attraction and to-die-for dishes, and I know this because I’ve written so many of these articles. But increasingly, I’m beginning to realise that the most meaningful moments of travel happen in the ordinary. They exist in moments of human connection, in empathy, in the recognition that we are all not that different.  We were fortunate to experience that on the Home Cooked St Petersburg and Market Tour with St Petersburg Urban Adventures.

Sampling local food at Sennaya Market

Our experience began with a visit to Sennaya market. While I was initially concerned that the experience would be somewhat similar to the market experience we had on our Total Moscow tour, it turns out that I had nothing to worry about. Sennaya market had none of the hipster vibes that Danilosky Market possessed. Instead it was local to the core, and reminiscent to the wet markets in Singapore. Oksana, our guide, assured us that prices there were the lowest in the city. While she brought us to grocers that peddled similar fare as the ones in Moscow – cheese, honey, pickles – the magic lay in the entirely new flavours that were introduced. Smoked cheese that tasted like dried cuttlefish (where has this been all my life?!), cedar honey, and bear meat (this I don’t really need to eat again) were just some of the examples.

Dinner with the Prokopenko family

With our appetites sufficiently whet, we boarded the metro to the Petrogradsky neighbourhood where the Prokopenko family live. This allowed us the rare opportunity to see the interior of a communalka. During the communist era, the government had confiscated buildings belong to the aristocracy and apportioned them into communal apartments, where families from different flats would share a common kitchen and bathing facilities. Today, these flats, which are now privately-owned, still retain the structure and style of the homes of yesteryear.

As we neared the apartment, we could hear the excited voices of the Prokopenko children reverberating through the stairwell. We were warmly greeted by Olya, their mother, quickly ushered us into a room where a table had been lovingly set for us, filled with bread, vinegret (a traditional Russian beetroot salad), herring and kvass. The first dish served was borscht with a generous serving of sour cream, the best I’d tasted in two weeks of travelling around Russia and Estonia. This was followed by mashed potatoes and pork, served with sides of laughter, plum cognac, and conversations with the family on life and work in St Petersburg.

The highlight of the meal, however, was dessert – pancakes! The Russians call them blini,  and they hold special significance as they remind the Russians of the sun, which they don’t get much of given the long winters. ET was giddy with happiness when he realized he could drizzle condensed milk on the blini, together with apricot jam and honey. Ignat, the Prokopenko’s fourth child, was utterly convinced that pancakes make him strong, and sought to convince us by proclaiming this every single time he took a bite. You got to be there to fully appreciate how adorable his grin was when he tried to flex his arms!

By the time dinner was over, the kids had warmed up to us considerably. I was playing around with my Instagram filters and they were instantly hooked. Peals of laughter filled the air and a lot of tongue-sticking and mouth-gaping videos ensued as they were super tickled by those filters. While Oksana’s excellent translation made it possible for us to converse with Vitaliy and Olya about life in Russia, there were also moments that transcended language barriers. Laughter became our common language, one which was freely shared as it connected families from entirely different cultural backgrounds.

The other common language was music. The Prokopenkos love music, and it didn’t take too long for Vitaliy to whip out his guitar and serenade us with his rendition of Wind of Change. My dad had memories of listening to Russian folk songs when he was a teenager, and it was to everyone’s surprise when the entire family sang a rendition of Katyusha and he hummed along together with them. That scene is not one I’m likely to forget anytime soon.

Time is fleeting when you are having fun, and we bade the Prokopenkos farewell after spending two hours with them. We would have loved to spend more time with the kids, and continue our conversations with Vitaliy and Olya. Interestingly, the limited time that we had in this experience actually did make it even more authentic, as we understood how our hosts, just like any other family, would need time to wind down in the evening and put their kids to bed. We left realizing that this was so much more than a food experience – it was a privileged insight and encounter with a beautiful family that left an indelible impression on all of us.

The best experience

Aptly enough, the essence of that evening could be best summarized with the lyrics of Wind of Change:

I had never noticed that the song was set in Russia, and reading up on it now, I realise that it was written by the Scorpions to celebrate glasnost, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and to signify their hope for the coming era. Goosebumps, guys. I’m just beginning to realise the cultural significance of that song, that moment, and I cannot help but notice how relevant the song still is today.

So despite writing this a week after our encounter, while travelling through the rolling hills of Turkey, I find myself transported back to the magic of the moment. And once again, my heart is so full.

ETSY Explores were guests of St Petersburg Urban Adventures. However, all opinions remain ours and are completely unbiased.

This article first appeared in ETSY Explores.

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When we planned our itinerary for Russia, the general feedback we got was that it was three days too many in Moscow. Our friends told us that Saint Petersburg was the one that we should focus more on, and that Russia’s political capital would appear lackadaisical and boring when compared to its cousin to the West. Yet despite the waves of well-meaning advice from our friends, we decided to make Moscow the first stop of our round-the-world trip. As lifelong history nerds, the opportunity to delve into the heart of the old Soviet Union was something that we found impossible to pass up.

Given our inability to distinguish Cyrillic alphabets from hieroglyphs, it made perfect sense to link ourselves up with a guide that could provide a proper introduction to this city. We chanced upon the 'Total Moscow Tour’, a 7.5 hour walking tour by Moscow Urban Adventures that was an amalgamation of their 3 bestselling tours. It focused on the stories behind prominent local icons, the world-famous Moscow metro and Russian food. This was unlike other walking tours we signed up for in other major cities, which either focused on providing us with a general overview of the city, or only highlighted a singular aspect of the city’s history. To top it off, we recalled how our previous experience with Havana Urban Adventures in 2016 had led us to fall in love with the city, and we were excited to see what its Moscow counterpart had in store for us this time round.

Total Moscow Tour: Icons, Underground and Food

Icons

“Moscow is not just a city, it is a political statement. 

 Every time we get a new leader, we move and rebuild things.”

Ask anyone on the streets of Moscow who or what they regard as an icon, and you may hear mentions of Lenin, Bolshoi Theatre, and Kremlin. Malvina, our guide who has expertise in architecture and also happens to also be a highly competent photographer, introduced us instead to the first Macdonald’s that was opened in the Soviet Union (just off Pushkinkaya), an icon that symbolised the opening of the Soviet Union to foreign enterprises. It was hard not to be enthralled by the narrative of Macdonald’s rising popularity as an upper-class indulgence since its inception in the early 1990s, interspersed with Malvina’s childhood memories of Pushkinkaya as she introduced us Russian fast food in the form of a cherry-filled chebureki, a simple puff pastry that would rival our very own curry puffs in Singapore. We also did not expect the streets of Moscow to be iconic themselves, with many a living testimony of the communist party’s architectural ingenuity to increase the width of the city roads to accommodate its military parades. While tours on Moscow's iconic monuments are aplenty, this one also brought us to seemingly nondescript buildings that we had passed by so many times on our walks around the city, and illuminated them with stories that showed how Moscow's history was intertwined with that of the common man. 

Food

“We even pickled our leader!”

 

The tour’s focus on food was primarily anchored by our visit to the Danilovsky market - an indoor tapestry of authentic local produce despite its seemingly hipster, Instagram-worthy facade. We learnt how food in Russia was affected by its climate and religion. As a country that deals with long winters and lacked early access to modern amenities (i.e. refrigerators), and with a population that adhered to Orthodox Christianity (i.e. yearly fasting period during the Easter festivities, where Russians took in a strict alternate diet of raw and baked food), preserved foods such as pickled vegetables and dried mushrooms became a mainstay of Russian cuisine. With the context properly set, Malvina led us on a gastronomic journey of Russian delicacies. We started with an assortment of vegetables pickled with vinegar and salt, shuddered through differing varieties of pork lard, relished the kvass (a local drink made from fermented bread) and sweetened our palate with the zapekanka, their local version of the cheesecake made of baked cottage cheese and berries. What we remembered the most from this segment, however, was the story of how caviar and mandarin oranges were expensive food commodities associated with holidays, where ordinary working class folks would be willing to part with a considerable sum of money to bring some festive cheer to their families during the immediate post-USSR days. The dawning of yet another year was often celebrated with a spoonful of caviar spread evenly on a small piece of bread, or the ceremonious parting of a mandarin orange between a family of four. While this situation is no longer commonplace in a today’s Russia, it allowed for an emphatic peek into the lives of Russians just three decades ago.

Underground

"The Moscow metro: A palace for the simple people."

For me, the highlight of the tour was uncovering the stories about the Moscow metro. With the growing pains of communist Russia characterised by rapid increases in population, less than optimal working and living conditions and terrible traffic jams, the government decided that metro stations were the only way the common people could come into contact with art. We were led to the Revolution Square station, filled with sculptures depicting ‘twenty years of Soviet people’ – the old and young, farmers and soldiers, with faces depicting actual Soviet citizens with good features, with specific parts of the sculptures touched by the commuters for good fortunes. We were also introduced to how the Kiev and Belorusskaya stations commemorated Russia’s friendship with Ukraine and Belarus, and had the opportunity to gaze at the ceiling portraits of Mayakovskaya, which depicted “twenty four hours in the land of the Soviets.” Malvina’s personal interest in the metro stations allowed us access to a treasure trove of stories, where she playfully singled out portraits that were altered as a result of historical whitewashing, and highlighted how the artwork represented also the utopian dreams of communist Russia.

While this was one behemoth of a tour, Malvina was able to masterfully engage us throughout the entire journey, which is no easy feat. Her infectious energy, stories and visual aids helpfully contextualised for us the sights, sounds and tastes of this city, and provided a valuable insight into the lives of Muscovites past and present. And for two travellers from Singapore who were encountering Moscow for the first time, she left us convinced that we had catered too little time for this fascinating city.

ETSY Explores were guests of Moscow Urban Adventures. However, all opinions remain ours and are completely unbiased.

This article first appeared in ETSY Explores.

 

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Morocco is magical.

Souks. Spices. Sahara. Sunsets, and sunrises. Shy smiles reflected in the warmth of a freshly brewed cup of mint tea. Morocco is one of those places that leave an indelible mark on your memory. Led by our wonderful guides from Siroco Tours, we spent 10 magical days travelling from Chefchaouen to Marrakech, and experienced so much warmth and hospitality throughout our trip. If you're planning a trip to Morocco, these tips might just make your trip a little more magical!

1. Take the time to get lost in Chefchaouen

If you search for things to do in Chefchaouen, you might be fooled into thinking that there really isn't much. But therein lies the beauty of this town. It's meant to be surprising. Chefchaouen deserves a full day of exploration. Unfortunately, due to our tight schedule, we only had about 2.5 hours. The one advantage that we had - thanks to jetlag - was starting our day at 7 in the morning, where we had the luxury of watching the morning light peek through eaves and canopied corridors, and see the blue walls of the city awash in the glow of the morning sun. An added bonus: uninterrupted photographs! If we had more time, it would have been so nice to enjoy a cuppa by the river and explore the many adorable shops and alleys in the city.

Tip: To avoid backtracking, you can do like we did and fly into Tangier, which is a 2 hour drive away from Chefchaouen. From there, we travelled to Fes, the Sahara desert, and subsequently Marrakech.

2. Experience incredible hospitality in a Moroccan riad or homestay

Morocco's greatest charm is literally hidden behind closed doors. Its riads, replete with gorgeous inner courtyards, stunning water features, and intricate tiles, serve as a sanctum from the hustle and bustle of the cities. That the riads are generally small and cozy also means there are more opportunities to interact with the hosts. There are many wonderful recommendations online for riads in Marrakech and also in Fes, but our personal recommendation would be for Riad Azahar in Marrakech. It had ginormous rooms, super comfortable beds, and a host who fed us with the best homecooked Italian meal I've ever had outside of Italy.

3. Venture beyond the cities

Morocco's must-see sights would easily fill a 2 week itinerary. A quick search on Google will show that you can "experience the Sahara desert" in 2D1N or even a *gasp* day trip from Marrakesh. But the drive is at least 8 hours long, which would mean very little time at the desert. I would suggest that there is value in slowing down, and spending a night in the villages enroute the big cities. On the way to Merzouga, we stayed a night at Maison d'hotes Sahara in the Ziz Valley, a spectacular oasis that was filled with palm trees. Our host, Said, and his family filled our hearts - and stomachs - with the warmth of their hospitality. In the morning, we took the time to walk deep into the palm grove, learning about the different herbs and plants that are native to the region. At night, our hosts laid out a blanket on their roof where we feasted our eyes on a blanket of stars.

3. Spend a night in the Sahara

Even though the Sahara desert is a significant distance away from any of the major cities, I cannot recommend this enough. Truth be told, while I was very excited about this, I was also slightly apprehensive because I had my parents, in-laws and aunt on this trip - most of whom are in their 60s. I was worried that someone would fall off a camel, that the tents wouldn't be comfortable, or that the desert would be too hot.

But my fears were unfounded. Our guides brought us close to the edge of the desert on 4x4s, after which we mounted our camels and began our 45-minute journey to Desert Camp Amanar. The entire experience was just surreal. It felt like we were the only beings in this infinite expanse, with only our elongated shadows as evidence that this moment was actually happening.  The camels were so gentle, docile, and comfortable to ride on. The tents were heated with ridiculously comfortable beds, and even an ensuite toilet! The experience more than exceeded our expectations.

But the true value of a night in the Sahara is the access it gives you to nature. The sight of the infinite sand in the day was mirrored by the stars at night. It was a spectacular experience lying on the dunes, with our backs on the cool sand and eyes to the skies. And the next morning, when we watched the sun light up the entire Sahara? That was golden.

This was the highlight of our trip.

4. Invest in a guided tour in Fez and Marakkech

These two cities are very popular on the tourist route, and for good reason. Both are distinct and have much to offer in terms of history, crafts and culture. But with 9,600 alleyways in the Fez medina and an equally labryinth-like layout in the Marrakech one, having someone who knows where they are going definitely helps. We had the privilege of delving into the underbelly of these two cities with the help of our excellent guides who were knowledgeable, clear and friendly! To us, these walking tours make the world of a difference in allowing us to look beyond the pretty facades and understand the historical and cultural influences on architecture and lifestyle. I also appreciated how the guides were very candid in sharing their personal stories.

With our guide, Hassan, in Fez!

Tip: To be absolutely honest, while Moroccans are generally very friendly, the touting in the bigger cities can be pretty intense. We found that having a guide/local with us significantly reduces the amount of touting we experience. This would be something to consider, especially if you're female.

5. Get scrubbed silly at a hammam

This could be a bit of a hit and miss, but it's still an experience I would strongly recommend. The hammams are basically public baths where you will be guaranteed a deep, thorough exfoliation, similar to that of molting. Kidding. It feels like that, but it's really just them removing all the dead skin cells that you never knew you accumulated. I would especially recommend doing this after your visit to the Sahara because there's a high chance you'll have little bits of sand in all sorts of crevices. There's nothing quite as authentic - or intimate - as having a Moroccan lady become very familiar with your body in the matter of minutes. Warning: you might also find yourself getting to see more of your travel companions than you'd normally expect.

Img Credit: Palais Faraj

Tip: If you are more of the shy sort, you might want to consider visiting a hammam in a hotel, as compared to the public ones.

6. Choose your guides carefully (We recommend Siroco Tours!)

Choosing the right tour company and guides can make or break your experience and impression of a country. Our time in Morocco was filled with light, laughter and lovely encounters with the locals, and I strongly believe that this is because Siroco Tours did an amazing job in planning the trip. I love that they customised our itinerary according to what we wanted to see, and were able to lead us on experiences off the tourist route. They were also very responsive throughout our trip and provided us with excellent quality in accommodation. The only regret is that we could have done with more time everywhere because there was just so much to see. Speaking with other travellers who had gone on tours that included 6 hour camel rides (!!) and impatient guides also made me realise how we really lucked out in choosing the right tour with the best value! It's amazing how they are #1 on Tripadvisor and yet gave us the most competitive quote. I would highly, highly recommend them.

P.S. This was not a sponsored tour or a partnership. I'd emailed 5 companies to ask for quotes and Siroco Tours came back with the most interesting itinerary at a very reasonable cost. The deal was almost unbelievable. Grateful that everything worked out wonderfully!

Do you have tips for Morocco to share? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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Gastrorgasm (n): an intensely pleasurable experience elicited by the consumption of incredibly delicious food, usually with explosive flavours. Likely to induce moans and groans. 

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