The experience of PETRA

The greatness of Petra --Jordania-- can not be put into words. Let me start by saying that I did not imagine it at all, I wasn't really conscious of where I was doing or what was I going to experience; because going to Petra is not what you see but how you see it, how do you experience it.

I took a tour and meet great people on it. It was fun.

We traveled from TLV to Eilat, and then to the border where we crossed walking. It was interesting and easy, but the coming back at nigh and walking through no-body's land --the part in between both countries-- was a little terrifying, specially if you watched to many movies! ;)You are walking through empty space, and you know there are armed people on both sides, from different sides, and you have the lights on you.

The view is breathtaking, how the light travels through the mountains, the long walk, the beautiful people, everything is amazing, superb, out of this world.

Of course there are stories and I took pictures, but some places you just have to see in person.

Let me just tell you about the awesomeness of sitting in the middle of it and some some arguile with the natives. Seeing them run and jump around like nothing because this is their backyard, when all of us "tourists" get tired or it takes us an hour an a half to climb through mountains when it takes them 25 minutes. And the long walk back through the mountains. The camels.

It is incredible! but next time I want to camp with the Bedouins and stay to see the beautiful sky.

(I am short on words today, but it was truly one of the best trips ever)

Traveling to the far east

Every step is a journey. No journey is complete without learning. Learning about us and the world around us.


I will be traveling for the next weeks around the globe. My first stop (after this layover< which has a story to be told after a paragraph or two!) is going to be Israel.

Last time I was there was in 2001. I haven't been there in 10 years. I was 15 and it was a school trip, I earned it not for being smart --which of course I am ;)-- but for having good grades. We went on a 2 weeks trip around the country. It was fun, exciting and full of emotions. I fell in lo ve! with the people, the landscape and everything else. I have always wanted to come back and finally I am on my way to the Holy Land.

I will be staying with friends; who I haven't seen for a really long time. I will post photographs and stories as soon as I can manage


Now to the layover or better yet the flight here...

Maybe it has to do with me being a Visual Journalist, a Story Teller, or just a Person Willing to Listen and Share. But I was sitting next to a french man, we started the flight without much said, a 'Hola' and a 'Salut' was our exchange, until food got to us, which was almost immediate to take-off. We started talking, he asked about my origins, he was surprised I was from Mexico, he thought I was from somewhere else because I was reading a book in English (this is the moment I tell you about the book, but let's leave it for other paragraph). And I was surprised he was from France, because he was talking with a couple of Argentinians and reading a book in Spanish, so I assumed something else. But having exchanged that we continued talking.

And talking...

And talking...

About what? you might be questioning, considering we were talking for the whole flight except an hour. Well we talked about our lives, about our professions, about different believes, I showed him my photography, we talked about that, about future and past. It was very very interesting, getting to know people always is. And it is part of life. What did I learned from him? I am not exactly sure yet but it will come to me, because people come to our lives for a learning exchange, you take something with you from every interaction and you give something back (we also talked about this). It was an amazing talk, full of perspective, opinions and hand reading. I am sure this is not the last interaction, maybe there won't be more face to face, but words and visions will be exchanged.


The book? Nothing to fancy. A novel 'The man who loved Jane Austen' by Sally Smith O'rourke. A romantic book for dreamers and Jane Austen fans. After having read a lot of Holocaust books for my documentary, this is taking a breath and enjoying my vacations after 2 years of non-stop learning and work.


The layover? Je suis dans l'Aéroport de Paris --Charles de Gaulle--. I will be here for a couple of more hours and then off we go למְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל.



So stay tuned for more stories on this awesome adventure...

Over the last years while living abroad in California, I had the pleasure and privilege to work on several times with the Jewish Federation of Santa Barbara.

I´ve got to photograph events and to make documentaries.

I am so grateful for this amazing opportunity.


Here are some photographs:

Thank you for letting me be part of the community!

City Girl goes Camping

Remember that nature class?
Well there is so much more to say about it, it is amazing and I really enjoy it.
But on more important notes, my teacher Ralph Clevenger took us camping, it is part of the class and it is amazing.
We went to Big Sur. It was the first time I have gone camping, the first time I help build a tent and so on. It was magnificent and I am looking forward the next camping trip, next week!
Here are a few shots I got: