My Trip to Israel: Five Questions With Mandy
bryan March 5th, 2010
Yes, between all the “exposing corruption” and “exploring solutions” POGO staffers do occasionally sneak away for a vacation now and again. The Watercooler recently caught up with POGO national security investigator Mandy Smithberger for a quick rundown of her adventure in Israel, which had the incredible timing to coincide with Washington’s biggest snowstorm in ages. Here, she offers a snapshot of the trip by filling in the blanks:
Best meal: There was no real “stand out” meal, just lots of good, fresh food. I came away with a new appreciation for falafel and eggplant, though I can still take or leave hummus (editors note: Papa Smithberger reportedly raved about the desserts).
Moment you realized you definitely were not in the United States of America: There wasn’t snow everywhere! I left town right before snowpocalypse. But on a more serious note, probably the security everywhere — the Israeli guards around the Old City, and the Tourist police in Jordan.
New word learned in a language other than English: Yalla — Arabic for hurry up.
Favorite building or piece of architecture: Definitely Masada. It was amazing to see King Herod the Great’s baths, how he built into the rocks, and the cistern system. And of course there’s the story of the mass suicide of the Jews there to avoid being enslaved or killed by the Romans.
Overall most memorable activity / tour: There were so many things. I was particularly interested in the places where the stories in the Bible could be verified with archeological truth, especially seeing the Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. Riding into Petra on horseback — as touristy and hokey as that is — was a great way to see one of the most beautiful sites in the world. It’s also hard to beat going to where Jesus was bapitzed in the River Jordan. Finally, I think it can be easy to forget about the role of women in faith, so seeing the Church of Visitation — which is largely devoted to Mary and Elizabeth, but also honors other women of religious significance — was a unique and memorable site.
BONUS:
Experience that reminded you most of POGO: My mom asking our guide a question that hit a little too close to home.
Stay tuned for more dispatches from around the world!
My wife and I just recently returned from an exciting month’s travel to and through Bhutan and India. Bhutan is a small but progressive state on India’s northern border. It lies just south of Tibet and the Himalayas. The people are beautiful and welcoming, the mountains are spectacular, the government is caring (choosing to focus upon Gross National Happiness rather than GNP), and life there is serene, guided by the harmonious teachings of Buddhism.
India was a whirlwind of diversity and contradictions, with its emerging economic modernization in constant conflict with the traditions of ancient religions and the political corruption rampant in many third-world societies. While in the north central plains of India, we visited scores of temples, mosques, forts, palaces and monuments…each more wondrous than the last. We visited rural villages and met with the people; we were fortunate to spot of tigress in the wild; we rode a camel and an elephant; and we tasted a broad menu of Indian delights that constantly challenged our western palates. It goes without saying that the Taj Mahal is worthy of being 
considered one the Seven Wonders of the World. Life and death on the River Ganges in the holy city of Varanasi is unique unto itself, while life in cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Jaipur (the “pink” city) offers an organized chaos amidst levels of filth and poverty rarely seen in developed nations. In contrast, we were placed in five star hotels that reflected the immense wealth that has existed in India throughout history.
organized patterns of mobility, and a communist run government that is less tainted by corruption and more committed to serving the interests of its citizens. We visited a small and dwindling community of Jews in Cochin that dates back to the trade with Judea during the time of King Solomon. Throughout our journey we were fortunate to have some of the most personable and informative guides we have ever traveled with.
Hey POGO and friends. Here are a couple of the pictures I took on my trip to Australia in October. I’ve gotta say, it’s the best trip I’ve ever taken! Everything was so different from anything I’d ever experienced before (other than that this was the first country I’d been to where English was the native language, and even then, they speak their own wonderful version of the language)–the culture, the land, the people, and the critters.
Almost without exception, the Australians were friendly, tolerant, and humble almost to a fault. One night around a campfire, the head stockman of the station we were staying at played the didgeridoo for us. It was amazing to listen to, and we were all enthralled. At the end, though, James apologized to us for not playing it better!
The distances are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, as well. Australia is comparable in size to the U.S., but is for the most part flat and sparsely populated. So when we drove somewhere, we drove for 200-400 kilometers to get there, and saw few if any other cars, houses, or people. And because the country was so wide open, you could look out the window or stand at the top of a hill and see forever.
The scenery across the country was spectacular, and each place I went to was so different from the place I’d been the day before. Arid or semi-arid desert in one place, rainforest in another, and ocean in yet another. One of my favorite places was Kings Canyon in Northern Territory. I was awed by the place, which was formed over millions of years by an inland sea, and then took its shape as over more millions of years the earth eroded.
And, of course, I got to see in the wild kangaroos, wallabies, a platapus, crocodiles, sea lions, penguins, wild camels, emu, brumbies, koalas, snakes, birds of so many colors and sizes, and so much more. All uniquely Australian (to one degree or another), and all so very fascinating.