I'm so jazzed about my upcoming trip. I wanted to share just a bit of my travel plans, and give a shout out to the user groups as well as call out the sessions I'll be speaking at. Hope you enjoy some points of interest on my upcoming trip. Hope to see you there. I'll be hanging out with Todd Klindt, Eray Chou, and Jerome Thiebaud and look forward to meeting the other speakers, MVPs, and customers.
Let me know if you're going to be there, and don't be afraid to stop me and say hi, shalom, Es salaam aleikom, Salaam, Ahlan or other local greetings!
Jordan SharePoint User Group
Muhanad convinced me with his 7 reasons Joel should visit Jordan.
Current plans are casual Q&A SharePoint Night out with Joel with Arabian food. More details on dates and times. I'm looking forward to the lamb and coos coos and steamed carrots and those soft pillows.
Israel Office System User Group
It was Avi (MOSS is my middle name) who convinced me to come visit the holy land and spend some time with MS and HP customers and meet up with the Office System User Group there in Israel. If TechEd Israel wasn't on Sunday and conflicting with the Dubai SharePoint conference I'd totally be there. Next year... put me in your list. Love to speak. Contrary to Bill Gates, I do need invitations to know I'm invited to speak. (Inside joke with Avi.) Would be nice to assume I can speak at any conference I'd like to. I hope to be getting to that level, but no guarantees :)
SharePoint Conference Dubai April 7-8
My sessions:
April 7
10:15 - 11:15 SharePoint Server 2007 Administration Fundamentals
11:30 - 12:30 Chaos No More: SharePoint Governance and Adoption
April 8
9:00 - 10:00 SharePoint 2007 Advanced
SharePoint Conference Istanbul April 10-11
My sessions:
April 10
10:15 - 11:15 SharePoint Server 2007 Administration Fundamentals
11:30 - 12:30 Chaos No More: SharePoint Governance and Adoption
April 11
9:00 - 10:00 SharePoint 2007 Advanced
Things to do in Petra, Jordan.
Treasury
The name "Treasury" came about because of a local myth that pirates hoarded their treasure inside the urn on top of the facade. In fact you can still see the bullet marks where the local bedoins tried to crack open the urn with their rifles. Inside the Treasury you won't find the Holy Grail, as was depicted in Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark
The Siq
The 1.5 Kilometer passage to Petra of what use to be a water channel dammed up by the Nabateans. Go early in the morning for the best viewing and for silence.
The Monastary
The biggest most impressive carved building in Petra. Expect a bit of a climb and a lot of steps. You might consider a donkey on this one (don't pay 35 JD, local guides can get them for 2). Donkeys and camels get cheaper as the day goes on.
High Place of Sacrifice and Tombs
View of the tombs from the high place of sacrifice. If you think you've seen it all with the Treasury and monastery there's more.
Dubai
You'll find the ski area in the Emirates Mall. Don't forget your gloves and hat, you rent everything else. 2 hours for 28 euros. Also Burj Al Arab hotel, you have to check it out. Of course, there's also sand bashing one of the more common things to do. If you want to see the city from a different view consider the helicopter tour.
Istanbul
Hagia Sophia
One of the greatest churches in history.
Blue Mosque
Largest in Turkey with 6 minarets. No cost.
Topkapi Palace
Palace of Ottoman sultans for 350 years... now a museum. Don't miss the harem, throne room, and treasury.
Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar
Why not go shopping in the oldest mall?
Where else can you see Europe and Asia in one city?
Jerusalem
Wailing Wall. Western wall to the temple.
Israel Museum
Has the dead sea scrolls and archeological finds, considered top 10 in the world.
Bethlehem Church of the Nativity - I might pass on this one.
Way of Sorrows, Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Mount of Olives
Garden of Gethsemane
Golgotha
