Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Pharos rises at the end of the island. The building is square, about 8.5m [just under 28 feet] each side. The sea surrounds the Pharos except on the east and south sides. This platform measures, along its sides, from the tip,down to the foot of the Pharos walls, 6.5m [a little over 21 feet] in height. However, on the sea side, it is larger because of the construction and is steeply inclined like the side of a mountain. As the height of the platform increases towards the walls of the Pharos its width narrows until it arrives at the measurements above. On this side it is strongly built, the stones being well shaped and laid along with a rougher finish than elsewhere on the building. This part of the building that I have just described is recent because on this side the ancient work needed to be replaced.
On the seaward south side, there is an ancient inscription which I cannot read; it is not a proper inscription because the forms of the letters are carried out in hard black stone. The combination of the sea and the air has worn away the background stone and the letters stand out in relief because of their harshness. The A measures a little over 54cm [slight more than 21 inches]. The top of the M stands out like a huge hole in a copper boiler. The other letters are generally of the same size. The doorway to the Pharos is high up. A ramp about 183m [600 feet] long used to lead up to it. This ramp rests on a series of curved arches; my companion got beneath one of the arches and stretched out his arms but he was not able to reach the sides. There are 16 of these arches, each gradually getting higher until the doorway is reached, the last one being especially high.

Torres del Paine Circuit

The Torres del Paine area in Patagonia is without doubt a highlight for any traveller in the Americas - this spectacular trip undertakes the extended circuit, one of the world's classic treks. Rather than camp, we mainly overnight in well built refuges, offering food and comfort in this wild region.


BUENOS AIRES & PATAGONIA
We explore Argentina's cosmopolitan capital, Buenos Aires, for a day before flying into Patagonia and the small town of El Calafate, where we can relax before embarking on our hike. Travelling into Chile, we arrive at our first camp, where we are met by our trek crew and horsemen, home to a rich variety of birds. Our first distant views of the Torres Towers are an amazing sight.


LAKES, GLACIERS & ANCIENT FORESTS
Taking paths too narrow for horses, we journey through ancient beach forests, criss crossing streams until we reach our camp beside Laguna Los Perros, surrounded by the peaks of the Torres Massif, the summit of Paine Grande rising to 3050m. From our camp we can observe icebergs on the nearby lake - this is the wildest and least accessible part of the trek. Crossing the John Gardner pass (1241m) the enormous Patagonia Icefield is revealed to us, along with Glacier Grey, a huge mass of fractured ice which covers the valley.


THE MAJESTIC TORRES DEL PAINE
The next four days trekking leads us to the base of the granite Cuernos (horns) of these remarkable mountains. Passing through pastures where the Guanaco may be encountered, and along the shore of Lake Nordenskjold, our trail takes us into the very heart of the mountains. Rising above a tranquil green lagoon, the three giant monoliths of the Torres del Paine dwarf us, the rock walls rising sheerly to 2900m, a fitting highlight to an already remarkable trek. On our return to El Calafate we may get the chance to visit the famous Perito Moreno Glacier.

Patagonia Explorer

Discover the highlights of southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego in 11 days. From the black rock and snowcapped mountains of Ushuaia set around a placid bay, we cross the fabled Magellan straits, heading towards the wilderness at Torres del Paine, where we can hike and go in search of condors and pumas, foxes and nandus. A boat trip at Argentina’s Moreno Glacier reveals turquoise pillars and brilliant blue ice floes, then it’s on to the tiny Patagonian town of El Chalten, famed for its outdoor activities and great treks past frozen lakes and granite pillars of the southern Andes. Our trip ends at El Calafate, located deep in the great Patagonian outdoors.

Paine and Fitz Roy Trek

The Patagonian Andes form a wonderland of glacial lakes, towering granite peaks, impressive glaciers, secluded lakes, beech forests and rolling grasslands. A spectacular region ideally suited to the walker who does not want to commit to a strenuous trek. On our day walks in Los Glaciares National Park we stay in comfortable lodges and trek to the base of Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre – the granite peaks that have inspired mountaineers and trekkers throughout the world.

We transfer to Puerto Natales for a taste of Chile before cruising up the stunning fjords to the impressive Balmaceda Glacier. We continue with a series of fast Zodiacs and a catamaran through pristine waterways to our lodge in Torres del Paine National Park. Viewing the beautiful and awe inspiring scenery from the riverways is an unforgetable highlight of this trip. By contrast our fully supported classic ‘W’ trek leads into the heart of the Torres del Paine National Park. From our comfortable mountain refugios we trek beneath a panorama of impressive granite peaks rising above the tumbling glaciers and deep blue lakes and undertake exhilarating walks to clamber across the glacial moraine to the base of the peaks. Crossing the button grass we may also appreciate the guanacos and other wildlife, while we hope to spot a mighty condor soaring overhead.

Surf in Dominican Republic

This learn to surf holiday is on the lovely Dominican Republic and located in Cabarete. The accommodation is small in scale and clean and offers great value facilities in beautiful surroundings near the surf beach of Encuentro.

This is a very rustic experience but that's the point of this surfing vacation, it draws you into the surfing lifestyle in the Caribbean. This really is a classic surfer's destination; expect surfer dudes and girls complete with Volkswagen camper vans, just don't forget to pack your Beach Boys greatest hits CD. The memories you'll take away from your time in Dominican Republic are priceless. Widely regarded by travel insiders as the perfect place to experience the best of Caribbean surfing culture, the region allows you to get under the skin of this incredible country. Adventurous days filled with river, jungle and ocean exploration are rounded off with warm tropical nights of local revelry.

Hekhsher Tzedek Revisited

The innovative idea for kashrut certification called Hekhsher Tzedek is now making inroads in the Jewish world and gaining the attention of the secular press as well. In a nutshell, Hekhsher Tzedek calls for a supplemental certification of a food company beyond compliance with the laws of kashrut to include certification that it conducts its business ethically.On a purely conceptual level, integrating the ethical with the ritual is a praiseworthy endeavor rooted in Torah values. Many authoritative hashkafic sources support this notion. Take for instance the powerful imagery Mechilta provides us with respect to the two tablets that contained the Ten Commandments. Etched in the right-hand column were the five precepts relating to our duties to God while the left-hand column presented the precepts relating to our duties vis-a-vis our fellow man.

Happy Holiday

I. The Issue

It is common in Israel for many people to greet each other on Purim and Chanukah (and Israel Independence Day) with "Chag Samei'ach" (Happy Holiday). There is a reason to oppose this practice, based on a halakhah regarding Shemini Atzeres. I'll try to explain the reason for the objection and why I think it doesn't apply.

II. The Objection

The Shulchan Arukh (Orach Chaim 668:1) writes that in the prayers we refer to Shemini Atzeres as "Yom Shemini Chag Ha-Atzeres". The Rema writes that the Ashkenazic practice is different, to say "Yom Shemini Atzeres Ha-Chag". The reason he gives for this is that the other way implies that Shemini Atzeres is a "chag" in the technical sense of having a chagigah sacrifice, which is not correct. Therefore, rather than call the day a "chag", we should refer to it as the end (atzeres) of Sukkos, which is a "chag". (The Vilna Gaon [Ma'aseh Rav, no. 268] follows the vast majority of medieval authorities who support the first version and not the Rema's.)

However, the Pri Megadim (ad loc., Mishbetzos Zahav 1) disagrees with the Rema and says that both ways can be understood as implying that Shemini Atzeres is the end of Sukkos, which is a "chag". And, indeed, the Maharil explicitly adopts the Shulchan Arukh's way of saying it but explains it as the Pri Megadim does. However, the Pri Megadim adds that we should keep the phrase "Shemini Atzeres" connected and uninterrupted, like it is in the Torah. (He also says that we should say "Atzeres" and not "Ha-Atzeres", but I have never seen a prayerbook that has it that way.)

According to the Rema and Pri Megadim (and many others), we have to be careful to not refer to Shemini Atzeres as a "chag" because it lacks a chagigah sacrifice. If that is the case, then we should also make sure not to call Purim (and other days) a "chag" because it also doesn't have a chagigah sacrifice. Hence the objection to the greeting "chag samei'ach" on days that are not technically chag.

The Bekhor Shor (Sukkah 46b) and Birkei Yosef (Orach Chaim 668:1) bring many proofs that the Talmud understood Shemini Atzeres as being considered a "chag" despite its not having a chagigah sacrifice. If they are correct, then the Rema's objection falls away (although the Pri Megadim's remains). However, this does not necessarily mean that the greeting is appropriate. Just because the Torah called Shemini Atzeres a "chag" doesn't mean that any day can be called one; it is, after all, still a full-fledged holiday.

III. The Counterargument

Despite all this, I don't think that this objection is convincing. The Shulchan Arukh (Yoreh Deah 220:20) rules, based on a Yerushalmi, that someone who vows not to have wine on "chag" is not allowed to drink it even on Shemini Atzeres. The Taz (ad loc. 26) writes that this is not relevant to our discussion of whether Shemini Atzeres because vows follow colloquial language (leshon benei adam). Even if Shemini Atzeres is not technically considered a "chag", if people regularly call it one then in a vow it is considered a "chag". The language of prayer, however, is different and cannot follow colloquial usage.

In addition to the obvious, what we see from this Taz is that there is no objection to calling Shemini Atzeres a "chag" even if it is not technically one, as long as you don't do it in prayer (the Taz certainly disagrees with the Bekhor Shor quoted above). If so, there should also be no objection to calling Purim (and other days) a "chag", by saying "chag samei'ach", if that is the colloquial usage. Like with vows and Shemini Atzeres, it should not matter whether or not a chagigah sacrifice is brought on that day. It is all a matter of common usage.