Bethlehem, Palestine: Three Christmases and a Broken Tree - January 2017

Despite the ever-present tension and sporadic violence recently, we were so close to Palestine territory already being in Jerusalem that we felt we needed to see what life was like on the other side of the heavily-armed wall.

Knowing that it may be too complicated and dangerous to do on our own, we contacted an Israeli for help. Our friend Charles said that he could pick us up from our hotel and drive us to a checkpoint into the Palestinian Authority, but that is as far as he was allowed to go; he would arrange for others to meet up with us and show us around the town of Bethlehem.

With passports in hand, we jumped into his Israeli white-plated jeep and hoped for the best. The checkpoint hand-off could easily be compared, or mistaken for a sketchy drug deal. At the unmarked crossing we pulled in next to an old sedan with a green license plate and the letter P in the corner; unlike Charles' license plate, the green plate permitted vehicles to travel both in Israeli and Palestinian jurisdiction.

We were shuffled from one car to another in an empty, barbed-wire enclosed parking lot. Our new driver didn't speak much English but sped through the town past the run-down block houses and litter-filled streets. Due to the license plate and most likely the way we looked through the car's backseat windows, there was no formal security check and no need to present our documents.

After a few minutes the driver abruptly pulled over and a man in an oversized black coat slid into the passenger's seat. The man glanced over his shoulder and said, "so you want to see the church? My husband and I both nodded and exchanged hesitant glances. "So it's under construction right now," he explained. "So you won't see much but I'll take you there anyway."

"The church" was Bethlehem's most notable attraction and more accurately referred to as the Church of the Nativity. In 327 Constantine the Great commissioned the church to be built on the site traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Today a large basilica is housed on the site along with a smaller church and several chapels. Beneath the basilica is an underground cave referred to as the Grotto of the Nativity where Jesus' birthplace is marked by a 14-pointed silver star underneath an alter. Not far from the grotto is the underground Chapel of the Innocents, commemorating the children murdered by King Herod, which is believed to be on the site of the two to three-bedroom inn in which Mary and Joseph paid a visit.

The basilica is currently under construction and much of it is hidden by scaffolding. Our Christian Palestinian guide explained that under Muslim law whoever fixes the roof of a structure owns it. Therefore for a long time the Church of the Nativity lay in disrepair while the leaders of the area's Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian communities debated how to best handle the situation.

Fortunately, in 2010 with the help of U.S. aid dollars, a plan to restore the basilica was agreed upon by all parties. Now all three Christian religious communities share the Church of the Nativity and stagger services to accommodate all parishioners. Upon our visit we learned that Christmas would be celebrated on three separate occasions at the church: December 25th for the Catholics, January 7th for the Greek Orthodox and January 17th for the Armenians.

After touring several buildings on the church grounds, we got back into the car and headed towards the de facto border. Watching the depressed town pass by, I asked our guide what it was like to be a Christian living in Bethlehem today. "It's hard," he replied with a long face. "Just last week before our Christmas celebration the main Christmas tree in the public square was broken in half. It made us all very sad. Please don't tell anyone in Jerusalem though; I don't want to start any trouble."

He went on to explain that only twenty to thirty percent of the Christian Palestinian community remain in Bethlehem. Most have fled to more-welcoming communities in Chicago, Chile or El Salvador because they felt that they were losing their identity in the Muslim-led Palestinian territory. As he spoke I stared out the window at the cement-paneled wall which divided the contested land. Covering the graffiti that has collected over the years, mounted placards quote residents still hopeful for change and hopeful that peace will someday blanket the land.

Petra, Jordan: Exploring a Lost City - January 2017

From the glowing red sands and towering rocks, to its bustling cities and trendy beach resorts, Jordan is a hidden gem nestled in the turbulent Middle East. During our two-day excursion to the Arabic country, we explored the lost city of Petra and ran with the Bedouins along the dunes of Wadi Rum.

Often referred to as the "Red Rose City Half as Old as Time," Petra, Jordan is an ancient city carved entirely from rock. The city was built between 800 B.C. and 100 A.D. by Nabatean Arabs as a virtually-inaccessible fortress. Centuries later after the Romans rose to power, Petra became a famed stop on the Silk Road and amassed great wealth. After the sea trade slowly displaced caravan routes, the city's importance began to diminish and eventually it became lost to the world until a Swiss explorer re-discovered it in 1812.

Today Petra is Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with being listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World next to the Great Wall of China and Taj Mahal.

The city covers an area of about 100 square kilometers and contains more than 800 monuments. Its most iconic structure is the Khazneh, or Treasury building, but there are a number of other well-preserved structures to explore. Dodging the donkeys and carriages as they speed through the city's narrow passages, it's easy to see why Petra has been featured in several blockbuster films including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Not far from Petra in southern Jordan is the valley of Wadi Rum. Also known as the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum is a vast desert formed of sandstone and granite rock. The area's almost supernatural landscape has invited a host of films to use it as a backdrop including: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Martian, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Lawrence of a Arabia to name a few. Bedouin families call this area of the world home and welcome visitors to share in the secrets of the desert.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. And with its historical and architectural treasures, and unique arid landscape, it's well worth a visit during your trip to the Middle East.

Lefkosia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: Crossing the Green Line - January 2017

After tossing a few coins to a man slumped in a plastic chair to watch our rental car, we set out to cross the de facto border into the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It was a bit intimidating to march into a self-declared state occupied by 30,000 Turkish troops, but we elected to test our luck anyway.

The first step was to exit the Republic of Cyprus. We walked up to a small white building and handed over our passports. After being questioned about our purpose and length of stay, the officials waved us on without a stamp or any documentation.

Passing billboards displaying the faces of the young men killed in protests during 1996 and flyers cautioning us of the dangers of the Turkish occupation, we entered the United Nations buffer zone.

Also referred to as the "Green Line" dividing the island, the UN buffer zone is a narrow stretch of land which contains seven de facto border crossings. We chose to enter at the Ledra Palace crossing which is only accessible to the public by foot and not long ago was reserved for government and military officials. The crossing bears the name of the impressive multi-story building which was once one of the most luxurious hotels on the island, but is now the region's UN headquarters and a popular meeting site for peace negotiations.

Days earlier we had flown into the city of Larnaca, Cyprus. Having the desire to visit the TRNC but not knowing much more than that the island is plagued with what the world refers to as the "Cyprus Problem," we decided to do some research. We learned that although the island struggled throughout much of its storied past, the current-day issues began when Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1960. During that time, and still to this day, the island was home to two distinct cultural groups: the Greek Cypriots supported by Greece and a minority of Turkish Cypriots backed by the government of Turkey.

In 1963 the island and city of Nicosia, or Leftkosia in Turkish, was physically divided by a wall, barbed wire or fence along the Green Line. Tensions soared in 1974 after the Turkish army captured one third of the island in the north, and later in 1983 the Turkish-held area declared itself the independent state of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus."

Discussions around resolving the Cyprus Problem have been held frequently throughout the past thirty years without much progress. Most recently talks were organized in January of 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss the issue but it appears the parties remain at a stalemate due to several key issues. As of today only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as a nation; the United Nations and all other governments regard the Republic of Cyprus as having official governance over the entire island.

As we exited the UN buffer zone and walked into the TRNC side of the last divided capital in the world, we were struck by the change. The thriving, modern city "Nicosia" which we left moments earlier was a stark contrast to the dilapidated, scarcely-populated section of "Lefkosia."

On the other side of the tall cement wall, packs of men meandered aimlessly on broken sidewalks and past abandoned houses. Small stores were signed with Turkish lettering and kebab restaurants sat empty. Other than the official sign at the border, the only other acknowledgement that we were in the occupied area sat across from a closed pizza joint within a traffic rotary: a stone monument flanked with both the Turkish and TRNC flags.

After a brief stay we walked back to the crossing past the armed border guards; this time they couldn't be bothered to check our documents. Life varied considerably from one side of the wall to the other with the tension all around palpable.

Limassol, Cyprus: The Island of Aphrodite - January 2017

Located precariously in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Syria, the island of Cyprus probably isn't top of mind when considering your next holiday destination. The ongoing conflict there has resulted in the island being divided between the Greek-influenced Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Currently the Russians and Brits have a lock on the island as a warm-weather getaway, but in case you are curious, here's what we learned during our recent weekend adventure:

History. Civilization on the island has been traced back to the 10th millennium BC. Archeological remains can be found in various areas along with some of the oldest water wells in the world. Cyprus is referred to as the birthplace of the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite. While on the island it's possible to visit her birthplace on the coast (pictured above) as well as the ruins of her ancient temple (pictured below.) Additionally, the entire town of Paphos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you can view the world's best-preserved Roman mosaics.

Conflict. The divided island is home to the only capital in the world belonging to two nations; Nicosia is separated by the "Green Line," or UN buffer zone, with an armed checkpoint on either side of the border. We learned a good deal about what is referred to as the "Cyprus Problem" that has been going on since 1974 upon our visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Epiphany Day. During our visit, we witnessed the festivities around Epiphany Day, or Three Kings' Day, where Greek Orthodox Cypriots perform the Great Blessing of Waters. As part of this annual ritual, clergy and parishioners march to the nearest body of "living water" to perform the blessing. Following the ceremony, a Priest casts a golden cross into the waters. The volunteer who is first able to sieze the cross receives a special blessing for himself and family.

Cyprus is also known for its wine production and brags the oldest label in the world: "Commandaria" dating back more than 5,000 years. If you do choose to swing by the island nation for a visit, be sure to stay to the left when driving and try your best to spot the elusive local sheep, the Cyprus Muffon, which are a distinct breed found only on the island.