Top 5 Travel Tips

This past summer has been one of the most rewarding (and weary-ing) of my life.  Between a European vacation to celebrate our 5 year anniversary and two separate service trips to Asia, I spent a total of 38 days out of the country.  Let me first say that, contrary to what is shown on cable tv, international travel often is not luxurious.  It does have its challenges.  At the same time, let me also say that knowing how to navigate the rigors of travel abroad absolutely has its rewards.  This little list is an introduction to help you start to think strategically about how to best navigate the travel experience.  I will dive into more detail in the coming posts.

Travel Tip #1 Keep Organized Plans

Much of this happens before you go.  Making travel and stay preparations are a huge part of any trip.  Even if your desire is to keep spontaneity as a core part of your experience, a little bit of planning will be necessary.  It is advisable, therefore, to keep copies of all reservations and travel documents, emergency phone numbers, as well as your atm or credit cards.  These should be in a secure location (preferably carried with you).  Let's face it, sometimes reservations don't make it into the computer. It sure is nice to be able to show proof of your arrangement.  Also, know your plans and review them before you go.  Planning on the front side of the trip means you don't have to think about it much once you are there.

Travel Tip #2 Pack Smart

Basic premise: If you pack it, you better be able to carry it.  Don't fall into the temptation of thinking that you need a separate outfit for every day of your trip.  You can have a much more enjoyable trip if you will pack the right kind of clothes/gear, especially things that are light, synthetic, and can be sink-washed and hung dry overnight.  Even if you are going to be traveling in "nicer" attire, you can still find ways to limit how much you bring.  Packing smart not only means less you carry, but it also means you pack expecting to have hiccups along the way.  Five days in Cambodia without luggage makes you rethink your carry-on strategy.  Simply put, if you can get away without checking any luggage, do that.  If you must check baggage, for size or restriction reasons, then make sure your carry on has everything you need to survive for a few days.

Travel Tip #3 Adjust to the Culture

Things are done differently around the world.  Get over it.  It may not be as efficient; it may not be as you are accustomed.  Gaining a better understanding of the cultures of the world is a part of the travel experience.  Rather than try to make things fit into your framework, why don't you try to understand the people you are visiting?  Remember, you are a guest visiting in someone else's neighborhood. At the end of the day you will probably still prefer your cultural attitude to many situations, but you will at least have been exposed to different practices and ways of thinking, which will make you more thoughtful as you view your world.

Travel Tip #4 Taste the Culture

While this is similar to the tip above, I think it merits specific mention.  Get out and eat some of the local cuisine.  Don't travel across an ocean and spend all your time at McDonalds and KFC (yes, they are in Southeast Asia).  Go eat at some reputable local places.  As you sample what the locals enjoy, you'll gain a better sense of connection with them and their community.  Many times you'll also be eating only the foods that are produced nearby, an experience that is unknown by most Americans who are used to finding whatever they want at their Supermarket.  One word of caution on this: be sure to take some Acidophilous pills to protect your digestive system from the new and unusual elements found in food in different parts of the world.

Travel Tip #5 Get Out of the City

I have been to London, Edinburgh, Rome, Phnom Penh, and Bangalore in the last three months.  You know what's remarkable?  That despite their obvious differences, they are amazingly similar.  Cities are cities.  I am not advising you to miss the remarkable aspects and attractions that are offered in cities such as these.  Things like the British Museum and the Roman Colosseum shouldn't be missed!  But, I would urge everyone to experience life outside these cities, in the towns and villages that are often overlooked by travellers.  These are the places where you really get a taste of the uniqueness of a culture, and where you see life through a different pair of lenses.  Only off the beaten path will you really find "the best fish and chips in the UK," or will you get to see farmers planting rice fields or harvesting sugar cane.  Only out there will you come across the best iced coffee you've ever had, or get to see border collies "work the sheep."

Delphi

Our final stop on this trip was to Delphi, Greece, home to one of the most significant artifacts in New Testament studies.  But we'll get to that in a moment.  First, in the above picuture we are standing in front of the famous Temple of Apollo for which the city was known in antiquity.  Delphi was also home to the Pythian Games, one of the four panhellenic games held in ancient Greece.  Below is a picture of the stadium, which sat high above the rest of the city on the mountain.  It is estimated that this stadium could hold over 6,000 spectators to view the games.

What made Delphi truly a special stop to me, and what makes it a significant location in New Testament studies is its claim as home to the Gallio Inscription.  This particular artifact establishes the date when Paul was in Corinth on his second missionary journey, and gives us a likely framework for dating all of Paul's ministry! I'll explain this in detail below, but first let's have a moment to stare in awe at the famed Gallio Inscription.

Ok, this inscription was  written by Emperor Claudius and placed at the wall near the Temple of Apollo.  It is dated according to the year of the Emperor's reign, which we can figure to be between AD 52 and January 53.  Further events indicated help us narrow the time period down even more to no later than August AD 52.  This inscription also mentions Gallio, Proconsul of Achaia.  This provides us another clue, for proconsuls served a one year term, from July 1- June 30 before being replaced, often being recalled back to Rome.  Based on this information, we can deduce with a high degree of certainty that Gallio was Proconsul of Corinth from July 51- June 52.  So why does this matter?

In Acts 18:12, Paul is taken before Gallio, Proconsul of Achaia by the Jews for preaching the Gospel.  We know, therefore, that Paul, having spent 18 months in Corinth, appeared before Gallio between AD 51-52.  This is the linchpin in dating all of Paul's ministry.  And I could have touched it!

Corinth

 (Street in ancient Corinth with shops on each side.)

Near the end of our trip, we finally arrived at one of my most anticipated sites: Corinth.  Paul had more known dealings with this city than any other, having lived there 1.5 years, visited at least twice more, and writing at least 4 letters to the church at Corinth.  (Our books of 1 and 2 Corinthians are actually the 2nd and 4th letters. The first and third letters are lost to history.)  Corinth was also a booming metropolis in the first century with a massive commerce industry and a notorious reputation as the Sin City of antiquity. A temple was built for the Greek goddess Aphrodite in Corinth, and unbelievable perversity was offered as worship to her. An example of the city's wealth can be seen below in the exquisite mosaic that was originally on the floor of a wealthy Corinthian's dining room.  This can be dated to very near the time of Paul.

One of the reasons Corinth attained so much wealth was its strategic location.  It was built on an isthmus, and had harbors on both sides of the city.  Cargo from ships would be loaded onto a rail system on the east, taxed by the city, and rolled to the west where it would be loaded on another ship, saving sailors days or even weeks on the sea.  Though it was tried many times throughout history, in the late 19th century a canal was built that linked the two sides.  The canal is approximately 1.5 miles long.

We know that while he was in Corinth, Paul worked for a time as a tentmaker with Aquila and Priscilla.  It is likely that they had a shop in the local agora.  The partially reconstructed shop below gives an idea of what Paul's tent shop may have looked like.

We also know that Paul first went to the Jewish synagogue in Corinth to preach the message about Jesus.  For some time, archaeologists questioned if there actually was a Jewish synagogue in the city.  With the discovery of this stone, however, all doubts were laid to rest.  Though it is not easy to read, the upper stone reads "goge (H)ebr..."  in Greek.  While there are letters missing due to the break in the stone, there is no question what is being mentioned.  Also, notice the menorahs on the stone below.

Here is Dr. Vang teaching about when Paul was taken by the Jews before Gallio, the proconsul of Corinth. This account is recorded in Acts 18:12-17.  In a legal dispute, offended parties would take a defendant to the Proconsul, an official appointed by Rome for a one year term, from July 1- June 30.  The Proconsul would sit on the "Bema" seat of judgement.  This one event provides New Testament scholars the foundation for dating all of Paul's travels and ministry.  More on that in the next post.

One other "rock of interest" is this stone.  It was a marker outside the Corinthian theater which mentions of the patrons who financially supported the construction efforts, a man named "Erastus."  He was, undoubtedly, one of the most important and wealthy men of the city to have overseen such a significant project.  It should also be noted that as Paul closes his letter to the Romans, a letter he wrote from Corinth, he mentions in Rom. 16:23, "Erastus, the city treasurer and our brother Quartus greet you."  It is highly likely that this is the same person, one of our Christian brothers.

Athens (part 2)

(The Parthenon and Mars Hill as viewed from the ancient city of Athens)

After touring the Parthenon and Mars Hill, we got to go down to the ruins of the ancient city of Athens.  While the site itself is not as impressive as Ephesus, one does get a better picture of the Roman times by the restored stoa (strip mall) in the midst of the Athenian ruins. 

Here is an impressive view from inside the reconstructed stoa. Little shops would be set up to the right of the photo, just past the columns in single-room arrangements.  If you have been to a Middle East bizarre, you get the idea.

Here are the original remains of the other stoa.  Though Athens was not the only city that had three stoas in its agora (marketplace), it does indicate the city's wealth and size in the early Roman period.

While we know that Athens was advanced, many of us rarely realize just how advanced the Greco-Roman cities were.  Here we see the relics of the underground sewer system.

This is one of the temples for the pagan gods referenced in Acts 17.  In particular, this is the Temple of Hephaestus, the Greek god of technology, craftsmanship, and blacksmiths.

Me and my long lost brother.

I just have to share my useless trivia on this.  This sign obviously is an exit sign, but the Greek word for "exit" written above is exodus, which explains how the book of Exodus got its name.  But that's not all.  Not only does this word have biblical significance, but it also serves to give us an insight into how literal the Greek language can be.  Translated literally, the work actually means "the road (or path) out."

Athens (part 1)

First, let me say that I'm glad we took this trip last year considering the current situation in Athens.  Second, I must also say that I was rather disappointed with the condition of the city.  Not only was it dirty, but an abundance of graffiti really countered the mystique of the ancient city.  That being said, the ruins and sites of ancient Athens were amazing!

One of the first places that we went to was the agora or downtown of ancient Athens.  This area once contained 3 large stoas, or shop buildings (think strip mall; a reconstructed stoa can be partially seen on the right edge of the picture with a large red roof.), a large enclosed auditorium, and monuments to the 12 recognized gods.  It was here that we read about Paul finding an altar devoted "to the unknown god," and being compelled to go and preach to the philosophers of the city.

After stirring up the crowd of Athenians in the agora, Paul was taken up to the Areopagus, also known as Mars Hill.  It was on this hill overlooking ancient Athens that the key philosophers of the day would gather and discuss thoughts on life.  It was on this very place that Paul gave this well-reasoned explanation of Gospel, evangelically engaging the leading philosophers of his day.

(Mars Hill viewed from the Parthenon)

 

The two of us on top of Mars Hill with the ancient city of Athens below.

In the footsteps of Paul...

Next time we'll include our pictures of the Parthenon and a few other shots from the ancient Athenian agora.

Santorini (expanded)

The final Greek Island we stopped at on our cruise across the Mediterranean was the gem: Santorini.  This tiny island has no biblical significance, but it was one of our favorite locales on the entire trip.  As we approached the harbor, we saw what appeared to be snow caps on top of the cliffs. 

As we grew closer, however, we recognized that we were not gazing upon snow, but on the picturesque settlement that seemed to gracefully sit atop the rocky island like frosting on a cupcake.  Many of the uniformly colored white buildings were adorned with bright blue roofs, making every little shop and structure look like works of art.

To get up to the serene settlement, we first had to climb nearly 700 feet to the top.  We followed the winding pathway pictured below, ascending 660 steps in the process.  It may look glamorous or romantic, but what you cannot experience from the picture is the smell of the donkey droppings all along the path.  Yes, it is cheaper to walk than to ride, but it's not without a cost!

Here was the reason for the smell.  On our way back down, one donkey was coming up and tried to run me over.  I stuck him in the eye with a forearm.  He moved over.
 

We finally made it to the top.  Yes, it was worth it!

This is probably the most beautiful picture of the whole trip.  This church had a blue-domed roof just about the same color as the sky.  In Athens, I happened upon some small canvas prints of this same chapel; one is in my office.  It continues to inspire me.

After our long journey to the top of the island and a bit of touring, we decided we were overdue for a snack, so we headed off to find a crepe shop.  It took a little bit of asking, but eventually we found two side by side.  We chose this one.

Fresh, warm crepes...sitting under a blue sky...on Santorini...yeah, we enjoyed ourselves!

Easter Gift

This morning we had our annual Good Friday Service for the community around our church.  It's one of our most special Easter traditions, beginning with an always-captivating worship service and culminating in "The Marketplace," a bizaare-like setting where our neighbors can shop for a wide variety of specialty food items and other goodies.  The whole event is always a lot of fun, but the most special gift I received came through an unexpected friendship.

We began the day by baptizing two gentlemen who had recently committed their lives to Christ.  One of these, Mr. Zachary, was an 80 year old African-American with only a single tooth on the bottom, but he swore he didn't feel a day over 20.  My job was to prep these men for baptism, so we began talking about their backgrounds and their conversion.  In the course of our conversation, Mr. Zachary shared how he had grown up walking or riding a wagon a couple miles to church each week.  For them, "church" was not simply an hour long service; it was an all-day event.  Services were held for several hours in the morning, followed by a potluck lunch on the grounds and a time of relaxing, and concluding with several hours of evening service.  He talked about how "everyone got along back then..."

I ended up staying with Mr. Zachary for the whole morning, worshipping with him after the baptism and helping him carry his bags as he shopped.  Every few minutes he stopped to tell me how much he appreciated our church, my help, and everything else he could think of.  When it was over, I gave him a ride back to his little house.  As he got out and I unloaded his groceries from the truck, he again thanked me profusely.  I shook his hand and assured him that it was truly my pleasure to meet him and to spend the morning with him.

As I drove off, I was overwhelmed by the paradox of our relationship.  He was an older man from a by-gone era; certainly in his lifetime he has witnessed atrocities and pain that I will never know.  He lived through the days of "Whites Only" and the struggle for Civil Rights, while I have merely read of these in history books.  Though his basic needs are provided, he has certainly not known the affluence that I have been afforded.  Yet, because of the work of Christ, he and I are brothers, sharing both the hope and the inheritance that became available when the tomb was emptied. 

"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility..."  Ephesians 2:14