Praca de Republica - Sao Paulo

After a long cab ride from the hotel, my friends and I reached Praca de Republica. A Sunday market in Sao Paulo for local traders to share their wares and is quite busy. Concierge at the hotel advised us on pickpockets, bustling local populace and all that.

I have found some parts of Sao Paulo very alike to Mumbai, India particularly the residential areas of Moema, Villa Madelena and others. These areas are pedestrian friendly and are generally very safe. I digress.. back to Praca..

Streets near Praca de Republica ("Republic Square") did not appear very safe .. just a perception. You will find everything here, fast food (mostly from Rio area), brazilian music, merchants selling art that could easily fetch $500+ in NYC or Chicago for a hundredth of the price !

We were ably guided by a friend who is local to the area and she was brilliant in explaining us history, helping us negotiate price (ok, haggle!) and help us choose local spicy delicacies.

If you have the patience to walk the streets in busy areas and check out local artifacts in a bazaar, this may be the place on a Sunday morning.

Delicious seafood in Sao Paulo

My Brazilian friends introduced me to a variety of seafood. Two of my favorites are :

1. Cassaon or Casaun - a local fish that is absolutely delicious

2. Casquinha de Siri - a Rio preparation of soft shell crab meat in a spicy mix

Loved both of them, will try it again

Beleza!!

Old City Jerusalem and Yad Vashem

Hotel concierge offered 3 different day tours of old city Jerusalem and museums, returning by 4:30pm local time to the hotel. Ideal for me as I catch a late evening flight back to the United States. I picked one of the guided day tours for about $100. Personalized and comfortable air conditioned van, only 4 other tourists and a loquacious tour guide. Perfect !

We drove for about 45 minutes from the hotel and through modern city of Jerusalem stopping at Mount of Olives before we reached the parking area of Old City. On way the tour guide explained that we were driving about 10 miles away from Israeli border with Jordan.




The panoramic views of old city from Mount of Olives is picturesque. The thought of visiting Jerusalem has been on my mind for a long time now and I was visibly excited. The fortified ramparts of the city could be seen as we approached the Jaffa gate.

As we walk through the Jewish and Armenian quarters, one notices changing cultural and architectural features.

Past the Zion gate, we walked to Mount of Zion. Here is the location of the house where Christ held his last supper. The large room about 15ft X 30ft has a combination of architectures indicating changes to the structure through the centuries.



We then walked to Mount Moriah and Western Wailing Wall (most sacred Jewish site). Men and women need to cover their head, knees and and shoulders to visit inside as sign of respect. Tour guide explained the wishing wall and suggested we make a wish and insert wish notes in cracks of the wall. Done ! Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock was next.



In the Christian quarters, I saw several groups of pilgrims walking the Via Dolorosa carrying a large cross. I must say the weaving thoughts from Passion of the Christ movie and traversing Via Dolorosa was a once in a lifetime experience due to the proximity of the original events here and reflection.



Chapel of flagellation and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were next.




The atmosphere at Holy Sepulchre (tomb of Jesus) was surreal with pin drop silence as waves of crowd walked in and out with reverence. We exited through Lions gate.





Stopped for a quick bite of Shawarma at a restaurant in the alleys with a bazaar nearby presenting an opportunity to pick a souvenir or two.

I strongly recommend you walk the ramparts (close to Jaffa gate) for amazing views of both old city and new city, the alleys, the mysticism surrounding this historical place and a perspective of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Armenian confluence in this area.

Put on your walking shoes before you embark on this tour. You may walk for little over 5 hours.

We then began driving into the New City and stopped at Yad Vashem the Holocaust Museum on our return segment. I will write next on my tour and experience at this amazing place.

Our tour guide Gilli was outstanding! She was very well compensated in tips for a super effort.

Tel Aviv - David Intercontinental hotel by the sea

Nice view of the mediterranean sea from my room. Should be a nice stay; have to prepare tomorrow for an important Client meeting. Looking forward to enjoying the cultural richness of the city !

Tel Aviv - Ben Gurion international airport

Reached our hotel David Intercontinental after my flight from the US into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion international airport. As advised, I had signed up for the VIP service to be escorted from the arrival gate to the waiting limo outside the airport via a quick stop at customs. Typically this takes about 4 hours if you do not avail the special service; was worth the $.

Impressive airport !

Surprised to hear from the customs officials that US citizens have an option to get their passports stamped (or not) from Israeli authorities when you enter the country.

I carried mixed opinions about the city while traveling from airport to the hotel. Quite a juxtaposition of modern architectures co-located with delapidated houses and stores. As it was a weekend, there was minimal traffic. Limo driver was courteous and quite engaging in explaining the city, history, areas to visit etc.

Did you know all Israeli citizens have to undergo 2 years of mandatory armed forces training once they are 18. Isn't that an interesting concept?

Tel Aviv, Israel

I have always wanted to visit Tel Aviv, the mediterranean metropolis, for its rich history and being called the bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa. Neighboring old city of Jerusalem has always intrigued me. Now I have an opportunity to visit Tel Aviv on business and I hope to make the best of it by exploring some cultural richness as well.

Traveling this weekend. Shalom and L'hitraot!