Since returning the U.S. and the interruptions of the office, I have gotten even farther behind in my posting. This morning I sat down with the idea that I was going to finish the blog and completely forgot that I hadn't yet told you about our visit to Bethlehem.
On Friday we had a very full day of sightseeing but we wanted to make sure we got to visit Bethlehem. Since Bethlehem is now governed by the Palestinian Authority visits to Bethlehem are much like visiting a foreign country. While only 3 miles, or so, from Jerusalem it is necessary to go through a security check-point and transfer to a different bus and driver. Because of this, many groups no longer choose to visit Bethlehem but we wanted to include it.
Nir, our driver, dropped us off at the Palestinian border and we transferred to a different bus. All visits to Bethlehem require you to visit a restaurant for lunch, and then a souvenir shop. Seventy percent of Bethlehem's income comes from tourism and they want to do everything possible to encourage you to spend a bit. After a typical lunch buffet in a restaurant that was much like a reception hall, we met our guide for the tour to the Church of the Nativity, the oldest Christian church in the world.
The Church of the Nativity was built on the purported site of Jesus birth. I know that when we think of a stable we think of a barn, but in this area there are many caves. At night the shepards would gather their flocks into the caves that dot the hillside; inside the caves they would stay warm and safe for the night.
In the third century a.d., King Constantine sent his mother to survey Christian sites in the area. After being shown this site by local Christians she built a basilica in 327 a.d. Although the basilica was destroyed in the 6th century, parts of the original mosaic floors still remain and depict the 3 wise man coming to visit the baby Jesus.
The church is currently jointly administered by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches. Each one claims part of the church and getting agreement to do maintenance is a problem. The last time the roof was repaired was in the 1500's! Today they finally have an agreement to start on a restoration plan so much of the interior of the church was occupied with scaffolding and covered with tarps.
The line to go down into the Greek Orthodox part of the church was several hours long. Our group decided to visit the Catholic portion of the church where we could go down into the same cave, but without the line. The Catholic portion of the cave has been walled off so that the Catholics could worship without the interuption of the other denominations. Since no one really knows if Jesus was born on the Greek Orthodox side or the Catholic side, we were all content just to see the Church of the Nativity and be in the general proximity, without having to wait for hours in line.
Before entering the church we had a group photo taken. In less than an hour we exited the church to find that our photos had been printed and we had a nice momento of our visit to the church. From here we returned to our obligatory stop at the souvenir shop.
Our guide for the church visit made mention several times about how tough life was in Bethlehem and how much they depended on tourists. While I am a bit cynical and think he was building us up for a generous tip, it was obvious that life in Bethlehem was much different that in Jerusalem, even though they were only a few miles apart. In Bethlehem the streets were dirty and littered, windows on buildings were caked with dirt, or non-existent in some cases. Much of Bethlehem is now surrounded by a big security wall, or ringed with barb-wire fences. You get the feeling that you are inside a maximum security prision. Just visiting Bethlehem helped open our eyes a bit to the plight of the Palestinians.
After leaving the souvenir shop we had to go back to the border and proceed through the security check point. We had been advised that the people selling souvenirs on the street could be a bit pushy and as we exited the bus, there they were. All anxious to make a sale, they did anything to get your attention. If you show any bit of interest, they are on you like flies and it is almost impossible to get away.
One member of our group was approached by a young boy, maybe 10-12 years old selling flutes for two dollars. As he became more desparate to make a sale, the price dropped to 3 for $5. Our group member counter offered 4 for $5 and the young man took 4 flutes and shoved them into the buyer's plastic bag. When the buyer took out a $10 bill, the young man claimed he didn't have change and started shoving more flutes into the bag so he would have to give change.
I finally stepped in and demanded that he return the $10 and we would return the flutes. Afterall, how many cheap wooden flutes does a person need. The vendor became very indignant and didn't want to lose the sale, so he finally "found" that he had $5 in change. He then followed us for a couple of blocks until we got through the security check point, all the time trying to sell us some more flutes.
While this is just a quick anecdote, it provided us a bit of insight into the desparation of the Palestinians. In talking afterwards with the group member, this encounter was a memorable experience that he will never forget.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Free Day - Saturday, Oct. 30
Since our flight back to the U.S. didn't leave until late in the evening we didn't schedule anything for the group on Saturday. We were all free to do whatever we wished for the day.
There were 10 people in the group that chose to extend their trip for 7 days in order to visit Egypt. They were scheduled to depart the hotel at 8 a.m. so I was up early to reconfirm their departure arrangements. When I got to the hotel lobby at 7:30 their driver was already there and we reviewed his instructions to take the group to the Israel/Egypt border where they would meet another driver and bus to take them to Cairo. The group assembled in the lobby and after loading their luggage we sent them off on their own for 7 days in Egypt.
The rest of our Israel group had Saturday free to do whatever they wished. Several of the group arranged to visit the Israeli History Museum and spend more time visiting some of the many exhibits we didn't see on Friday. Nir, our driver, took them to the museum and arranged to wait for them until they wanted to return.
A number of others arranged to be dropped off at the Old City and wander around a bit on their own. Terri and I wanted to do some shopping and were interested in looking at some antique stores that we had noticed in the Old City. Nir dropped us at the Damascus Gate and we entered the city, maps in hand.
It is one thing to be guided through a city and quite another to find your own way. The complexity is multiplied when you get into the public markets of a middle-eastern city, where hundreds of shops line small, narrow pedestrian streets. After a few blocks all the shops start to look the same and you have no bearing on the direction you're heading because you can't see the sky or sun as you wander these narrow streets.
We stopped at the local tourist information booth and picked up some city maps so that other members in the group could find their way. It is easy to get separated since the streets are quite crowded with shoppers and tourists and we didn't want to lose anyone. We made sure everyone knew our hotel name and had an idea of where to exit the Old City, but then Terri and I ventured off on our own.
We wandered a bit aimlessly through the market, taking in the sights and smells that are so foreign to us. There were spice shops with exotic spices piled high, shops selling dried apricots and other dried fruits, butcher shops with meat hanging on hooks, and small vendors selling falafel or other middle eastern "fast foods." We did run into a few antique shops that had some interesting items, but nothing worth carrying home. The fun in shopping is the looking, not necessarily the buying.
After several hours working our way deep into the city, we started to wind our way back. Since Jerusalem is built on a hill, we didn't look at the map as much as we just worked our way back up-hill. Wouldn't you know it, we eventually found our way back to where we had started. Knowing that we weren't lost was very reassuring and we sat down in a restaurant and ordered a sandwich for lunch. As we were sitting there, who should we see but Pastors Greg and Sherry and the rest of the group. It was good to know that we hadn't lost any of them either.
We finished our lunch, poked around a bit more, and then ventured outside the city walls and worked our way back to the hotel. The hotel was about a mile from the Old City and along a major road so it wasn't too difficult to find our way back.
When we arrived at the hotel we found most of the group waiting in the lobby for our scheduled departure at 6 PM. It was nice to have a group that was prompt and respectful of our schedule. Never once during the entire trip did we have to wait for someone or make adjustments because someone was late. That made the trip much more relaxing for everyone, but especially for me. I didn't want to have to return to the U.S. and have to report that we lost someone, which probably would have cost me my job!
With Nir, our driver, and the rest of the group assembled in the hotel lobby, we waited for Pilar to meet us. Since Pilar lives in Jerusalem she had spent the last several evenings at home with her children and had cooked the Shabbat (Sabbath) dinner for her family on Friday night. She returned the hotel at the appointed hour, gathered her "family" (which she called our group) for the return to the Tel Aviv Airport.
There were 10 people in the group that chose to extend their trip for 7 days in order to visit Egypt. They were scheduled to depart the hotel at 8 a.m. so I was up early to reconfirm their departure arrangements. When I got to the hotel lobby at 7:30 their driver was already there and we reviewed his instructions to take the group to the Israel/Egypt border where they would meet another driver and bus to take them to Cairo. The group assembled in the lobby and after loading their luggage we sent them off on their own for 7 days in Egypt.
The rest of our Israel group had Saturday free to do whatever they wished. Several of the group arranged to visit the Israeli History Museum and spend more time visiting some of the many exhibits we didn't see on Friday. Nir, our driver, took them to the museum and arranged to wait for them until they wanted to return.
A number of others arranged to be dropped off at the Old City and wander around a bit on their own. Terri and I wanted to do some shopping and were interested in looking at some antique stores that we had noticed in the Old City. Nir dropped us at the Damascus Gate and we entered the city, maps in hand.
It is one thing to be guided through a city and quite another to find your own way. The complexity is multiplied when you get into the public markets of a middle-eastern city, where hundreds of shops line small, narrow pedestrian streets. After a few blocks all the shops start to look the same and you have no bearing on the direction you're heading because you can't see the sky or sun as you wander these narrow streets.
We stopped at the local tourist information booth and picked up some city maps so that other members in the group could find their way. It is easy to get separated since the streets are quite crowded with shoppers and tourists and we didn't want to lose anyone. We made sure everyone knew our hotel name and had an idea of where to exit the Old City, but then Terri and I ventured off on our own.
We wandered a bit aimlessly through the market, taking in the sights and smells that are so foreign to us. There were spice shops with exotic spices piled high, shops selling dried apricots and other dried fruits, butcher shops with meat hanging on hooks, and small vendors selling falafel or other middle eastern "fast foods." We did run into a few antique shops that had some interesting items, but nothing worth carrying home. The fun in shopping is the looking, not necessarily the buying.
After several hours working our way deep into the city, we started to wind our way back. Since Jerusalem is built on a hill, we didn't look at the map as much as we just worked our way back up-hill. Wouldn't you know it, we eventually found our way back to where we had started. Knowing that we weren't lost was very reassuring and we sat down in a restaurant and ordered a sandwich for lunch. As we were sitting there, who should we see but Pastors Greg and Sherry and the rest of the group. It was good to know that we hadn't lost any of them either.
We finished our lunch, poked around a bit more, and then ventured outside the city walls and worked our way back to the hotel. The hotel was about a mile from the Old City and along a major road so it wasn't too difficult to find our way back.
When we arrived at the hotel we found most of the group waiting in the lobby for our scheduled departure at 6 PM. It was nice to have a group that was prompt and respectful of our schedule. Never once during the entire trip did we have to wait for someone or make adjustments because someone was late. That made the trip much more relaxing for everyone, but especially for me. I didn't want to have to return to the U.S. and have to report that we lost someone, which probably would have cost me my job!
With Nir, our driver, and the rest of the group assembled in the hotel lobby, we waited for Pilar to meet us. Since Pilar lives in Jerusalem she had spent the last several evenings at home with her children and had cooked the Shabbat (Sabbath) dinner for her family on Friday night. She returned the hotel at the appointed hour, gathered her "family" (which she called our group) for the return to the Tel Aviv Airport.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Garden Tomb - Friday Oct 29
After spending over a week in Israel walking where Jesus walked and seeing the place of his ministry, it was only fitting that we conclude our tour at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem.
Outside the city walls of Jerusalem is a rock formation that looks like a skull. (In the Bible it is called Golgotha - the Place of the Skull) In the late 1800's an Englishman discovered a tomb in a olive grove near this area. While many Christians believe that the site of the crucifixion is located within what is now the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we visited the area now called the Garden Tomb, located just outside the city walls.
This site is run by a group of volunteers from England. We walked through the garden to first see the rock formation that looks like a skull, with two hollow holes where you would have eye sockets in a skull. After learning a bit about the history of the location, we walked back through the garden to view an ancient Jewish tomb.
There were a number of characteristics of this tomb that match the biblical description. The rolling stone which blocked the opening was larger than normal, requiring several person to move it. The tomb had a window in it that would have allowed light into the dark recesses, allowing Peter to see the folded grave clothes without entering the tomb.
Whether this is the actual tomb of Jesus no one will ever no. However, sitting in this quiet garden and contemplating our experiences of the past week was truly a moving experience. There are several areas for groups to gather in the site and have a short service. Our group read scripture, sang a few songs and celebrated Holy Communion in the Garden. It is a truly moving experience for everyone in the group.
The Isael Museum was our next stop. This is a very large museum with multiple buildings but our main focus was to see the actual Dead Sea Scrolls which are housed in a building called "The Shrine of the Book." Here was saw some of the many fragments of the scrolls found in Qumran between 1946 and 1952. The Israel Museum also has a scale model of the City of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 ce. When you are walking narrow, winding streets, it is hard to figure out where you are. It was interesting to picture all of the places we had visited in the last few days and see how they related to the city as a whole.
Next we spent an hour at the Israel Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. This museum opened in 2005 so I had not seen it on my previous trip to Israel. It is the largest Holocaust Musem in the world and you could spend a whole day there. The images, films and documents are expertly displayed in a stunning building located amidst a green area of trees and gardens. Very impressive. One interesting section is the library where they have recorded and cataloged the names of all victims for posterity. They are still documenting and updating their list from every possible source, in remembrance to the millions who died. My next trip back I will spend a day here.
Our next stop is in Bethlehem but I will devote a separate post to that visit.
Outside the city walls of Jerusalem is a rock formation that looks like a skull. (In the Bible it is called Golgotha - the Place of the Skull) In the late 1800's an Englishman discovered a tomb in a olive grove near this area. While many Christians believe that the site of the crucifixion is located within what is now the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we visited the area now called the Garden Tomb, located just outside the city walls.
This site is run by a group of volunteers from England. We walked through the garden to first see the rock formation that looks like a skull, with two hollow holes where you would have eye sockets in a skull. After learning a bit about the history of the location, we walked back through the garden to view an ancient Jewish tomb.
There were a number of characteristics of this tomb that match the biblical description. The rolling stone which blocked the opening was larger than normal, requiring several person to move it. The tomb had a window in it that would have allowed light into the dark recesses, allowing Peter to see the folded grave clothes without entering the tomb.
Whether this is the actual tomb of Jesus no one will ever no. However, sitting in this quiet garden and contemplating our experiences of the past week was truly a moving experience. There are several areas for groups to gather in the site and have a short service. Our group read scripture, sang a few songs and celebrated Holy Communion in the Garden. It is a truly moving experience for everyone in the group.
The Isael Museum was our next stop. This is a very large museum with multiple buildings but our main focus was to see the actual Dead Sea Scrolls which are housed in a building called "The Shrine of the Book." Here was saw some of the many fragments of the scrolls found in Qumran between 1946 and 1952. The Israel Museum also has a scale model of the City of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 ce. When you are walking narrow, winding streets, it is hard to figure out where you are. It was interesting to picture all of the places we had visited in the last few days and see how they related to the city as a whole.
Next we spent an hour at the Israel Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. This museum opened in 2005 so I had not seen it on my previous trip to Israel. It is the largest Holocaust Musem in the world and you could spend a whole day there. The images, films and documents are expertly displayed in a stunning building located amidst a green area of trees and gardens. Very impressive. One interesting section is the library where they have recorded and cataloged the names of all victims for posterity. They are still documenting and updating their list from every possible source, in remembrance to the millions who died. My next trip back I will spend a day here.
Our next stop is in Bethlehem but I will devote a separate post to that visit.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Old Jerusalem - Thursday, Oct 29
Another beautiful day on our trip. The weather has been warmer than usual, with most days ranging from 80-85 degrees. We did have one day that was near 100 (if I converted the celsius correctly) but the air is very dry. Most days there has been a light breeze which makes the temperature very comfortable, especially when standing in the shade.
Today we visited temple mount. This is the area of Jerusalem where the original Jewish temple was built on Mt. Moriah. This is the site where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Issac (4000 years ago) and is the holiest site in the Jewish faith. The original temple was designed by King David and built by Solomon 3000 years ago. The original temple was destroyed in 586 b.c.e. by the Babylonians and rebuilt in 518 b.c.e.
At the time of Jesus, the 250,000 Jews from throughout Israel would come to visit the temple 3 times per year. The Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 a.d. during the Jewish rebellion. Later when Moslems occupied the city they build a mosque named Dome on the Rock on this site and Mohammed is purported to have ascended to heaven from this site. This part of Jerusalem was under the control of Jordan until the six day war in 1967 when Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli rule. The Dome of the Rock is still controlled by Jordan, even though it is miles from their border and Jordanian soldiers patrol the area.
From temple mount we walked over to the eastern side of Old Jerusalem to the "Beautiful Gate." This was the gate through which Jesus entered the city from Bethany and the Mount of Olives. Our driver took us to the top of the Mount of Olives for a view overlooking the old city and then we walked down through the oldest Jewish cemetary in the world until we reached the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden there are several old olive trees, some maybe 1000 years old. (It is doubtful there are any from the time of Christ)
After lunch we toured new excavations along the Western Wall. As I wrote earlier, the Western Wall is what remains of the second temple and is a very sacred place for Jews. In the last few years excavations have found the original level of this wall which runs about 1800 feet along the edge of Mt. Moriah. The original Western Wall was 16 stories high is built with immense blocks of limestone; in the lowest course each rock is about 11 x 11 x 43 feet long and weighs over 600 tons. In my estimation, the engineering to built this is about as spectacular as the building of the pyramids in Egypt.
Next on our itinerary was the church of St. Anne. This is church that was built by the crusaders in 1136 on the site of a former Byzantine chapel, purportedly built in the place where Mary's mother was born. While many churches were destroyed after the crusades, this church was preserved as an Islamic seminary. The church has fantastic accoustics so our group tried out a few songs. The church of St. Anne is built near the pools of Bethesda. These were ritual purification baths designed for the Jewish pilgrims coming to the temple 3 times per year. The ruins of these pools are many feet below the current level of the city.
Our final stop of the day was a visit to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, another church built by the crusaders around 1100 a.d. Here we visited Pastor Fred Strickert, who had recently moved to Jerusalem from Waverly, Iowa where he had worked at Wartburg College. He and his wife had lived in Jerusalem a number of years ago and now accepted a call at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. He gave us some background information on things that the Lutheran Church was doing in the Middle East, including a hospital to serve the Palestinian community.
While most of our evenings have been free to rest and relax, this evening we were visited by Pastor Samuel Fanous, a Palestinian Christian who is an Episcopal priest. We were introduced to him by Dave and Alice Anderson, members of our church who lived in Israel for a year about 10 years ago. He gave us the perspective of what is like to be a Palestinian living in Israel and some of the hardships they face. He also gave us hope for the future since he is involved with a group that is educating Jews, Moslems and Christian children, teaching them how to live together.
As you can see, a very full but educational day. No wonder I am tired at night.
Today we visited temple mount. This is the area of Jerusalem where the original Jewish temple was built on Mt. Moriah. This is the site where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Issac (4000 years ago) and is the holiest site in the Jewish faith. The original temple was designed by King David and built by Solomon 3000 years ago. The original temple was destroyed in 586 b.c.e. by the Babylonians and rebuilt in 518 b.c.e.
At the time of Jesus, the 250,000 Jews from throughout Israel would come to visit the temple 3 times per year. The Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 a.d. during the Jewish rebellion. Later when Moslems occupied the city they build a mosque named Dome on the Rock on this site and Mohammed is purported to have ascended to heaven from this site. This part of Jerusalem was under the control of Jordan until the six day war in 1967 when Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli rule. The Dome of the Rock is still controlled by Jordan, even though it is miles from their border and Jordanian soldiers patrol the area.
From temple mount we walked over to the eastern side of Old Jerusalem to the "Beautiful Gate." This was the gate through which Jesus entered the city from Bethany and the Mount of Olives. Our driver took us to the top of the Mount of Olives for a view overlooking the old city and then we walked down through the oldest Jewish cemetary in the world until we reached the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden there are several old olive trees, some maybe 1000 years old. (It is doubtful there are any from the time of Christ)
After lunch we toured new excavations along the Western Wall. As I wrote earlier, the Western Wall is what remains of the second temple and is a very sacred place for Jews. In the last few years excavations have found the original level of this wall which runs about 1800 feet along the edge of Mt. Moriah. The original Western Wall was 16 stories high is built with immense blocks of limestone; in the lowest course each rock is about 11 x 11 x 43 feet long and weighs over 600 tons. In my estimation, the engineering to built this is about as spectacular as the building of the pyramids in Egypt.
Next on our itinerary was the church of St. Anne. This is church that was built by the crusaders in 1136 on the site of a former Byzantine chapel, purportedly built in the place where Mary's mother was born. While many churches were destroyed after the crusades, this church was preserved as an Islamic seminary. The church has fantastic accoustics so our group tried out a few songs. The church of St. Anne is built near the pools of Bethesda. These were ritual purification baths designed for the Jewish pilgrims coming to the temple 3 times per year. The ruins of these pools are many feet below the current level of the city.
Our final stop of the day was a visit to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, another church built by the crusaders around 1100 a.d. Here we visited Pastor Fred Strickert, who had recently moved to Jerusalem from Waverly, Iowa where he had worked at Wartburg College. He and his wife had lived in Jerusalem a number of years ago and now accepted a call at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. He gave us some background information on things that the Lutheran Church was doing in the Middle East, including a hospital to serve the Palestinian community.
While most of our evenings have been free to rest and relax, this evening we were visited by Pastor Samuel Fanous, a Palestinian Christian who is an Episcopal priest. We were introduced to him by Dave and Alice Anderson, members of our church who lived in Israel for a year about 10 years ago. He gave us the perspective of what is like to be a Palestinian living in Israel and some of the hardships they face. He also gave us hope for the future since he is involved with a group that is educating Jews, Moslems and Christian children, teaching them how to live together.
As you can see, a very full but educational day. No wonder I am tired at night.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Nir - Our Excellent Driver
Since our arrival in Tel Aviv last week we have been blessed to have an excellant driver. His name is Nir (pronounced Near) and he is an Israeli whose parents emigrated from Uruguay in 1962. In fact, he tells me that is parents met on the boat of immigrants enroute from Uruguay.
Nir lives near the Negev desert with his wife and two children, 11 and 5, with another one due in June. I kidded him because I don't know how he can have a family because he is never home, always on the road traveling with tourists to Israel.
While not very tall, Nir is very well built with big biceps, forearms and no neck. He looks like he could be in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) or as a linebacker for the NFL. You would feel safe with him in any dark alley, I'm sure. His main claim to fame is that he is the World Champion Arm Wrestling Champion in 1992. He won his championship in Geneva, Switzerland and two years later won as European champion at the tournament held in Israel.
I am always amazed at how the drivers maneuver the big, 50 passenger coaches. Nir said that he was a driver first of a small mini-bus and then graduated to a larger coach. Now for the last 2 years he have been driving the biggest coaches allowed. His bus is always clean and he washes the floor every day. One evening after visiting Genesis Land where we had walked behind the camels, he made sure he had a wet rag so everyone could wipe off there shoes as they entered the bus. Smart driver!
Over the years I have enjoyed having many good motorcoach drivers, but Nir is different. He speaks excellent English and is very pleasant and accomodating to all in the group. Today, for example, we had a free day as we wait to go to the airport this evening. Nir volunteered to adjust his scheduled day off and take a group back to the Israeli National Museum and drop another group at the old city. As he dropped us off he said "you have my cell phone number. Call me if you need a ride or anything else." It is that kind of caring attitude that has endeared him to all the members of the group.
These small things help make touring an enjoyable experience for everyone.
Nir lives near the Negev desert with his wife and two children, 11 and 5, with another one due in June. I kidded him because I don't know how he can have a family because he is never home, always on the road traveling with tourists to Israel.
While not very tall, Nir is very well built with big biceps, forearms and no neck. He looks like he could be in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) or as a linebacker for the NFL. You would feel safe with him in any dark alley, I'm sure. His main claim to fame is that he is the World Champion Arm Wrestling Champion in 1992. He won his championship in Geneva, Switzerland and two years later won as European champion at the tournament held in Israel.
I am always amazed at how the drivers maneuver the big, 50 passenger coaches. Nir said that he was a driver first of a small mini-bus and then graduated to a larger coach. Now for the last 2 years he have been driving the biggest coaches allowed. His bus is always clean and he washes the floor every day. One evening after visiting Genesis Land where we had walked behind the camels, he made sure he had a wet rag so everyone could wipe off there shoes as they entered the bus. Smart driver!
Over the years I have enjoyed having many good motorcoach drivers, but Nir is different. He speaks excellent English and is very pleasant and accomodating to all in the group. Today, for example, we had a free day as we wait to go to the airport this evening. Nir volunteered to adjust his scheduled day off and take a group back to the Israeli National Museum and drop another group at the old city. As he dropped us off he said "you have my cell phone number. Call me if you need a ride or anything else." It is that kind of caring attitude that has endeared him to all the members of the group.
These small things help make touring an enjoyable experience for everyone.
Hallelujah - Back on Line Blogging. Jerusalem - Wed, Oct 27
We checked into our hotel, the Grand Court Hotel in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening. It has been a struggle ever since as it seems their internet is a bit tempermental. Finally today, Saturday morning, I am able to get on-line and haven't encountered any major issues with the internet. Because these postings are a couple of days late, and my memory isn't as good as it used to be, I am going to offer this disclaimer: the dates and places are only accurate to the best of my recollection.
Where do you start with a city that has thousands of years of history? Our guide thought it best to take us to an overlook where we could see much of the walled city and the valleys on 3 sides. In retrospect, this was a great decision because it gave us a much better idea of where we would be walking in the coming days.
And walk we did. Up hill, down hill, across roof tops, through cobblestone and rock streets. This is a quite tiring trip but I am amazed at how well everyone is doing. Virtually everyone in the group has been able to handle all of the walking and we haven't had to wait along the way for people to catch up. That is with the exception of people that have gotten lost in the souvenir shops along the way.
The overlook chosen by our guide was at the house of Caiaphus, outside the old walled city of Jerusalem. Caiaphus was a Jewish high priest and took part in the trial of Jesus. Under the house of Caiaphus is was is thought to be a jail of sorts and Jesus spent 3 days there. Today there is a church and monastery built on top and you walk down many flights of stairs into the ancient ruins.
Also located up on this same hill, outside the walls of the old city is the tomb of Soloman. Because this is a holy Jewish site, the men and women of the tour group had to visit it from two separate sides, with men covering their head with a kipa, the small circular cover worn by Jewish men when not wearing hats. Because this is a tourist destinaton, the kipa I was given was much like a cardboard french fry container and it blew off or slipped off every time I moved my head. I hope I didn't desecrate the tomb of Solomon.
Since this area of Jerusalem was where the wealthy of the day lived, it is also the purported site of the Upper Room and the last supper. There is very little archealogical evidence of this and many of the buildings have been rebuilt so it is unlikely that the room we visited was actually the Upper Room of Jesus day.
We now ventured into the old walled city of Jerusalem and climbed up on some roof tops for a view of the 4 different quadrants of the city - the Jewish quarter, the Armenian quarter, the moslem quarter and the Christian area. Obviously these areas developed in the generations after the time of Christ. From the roof top we got a good view of the Western Wall, which is always shown on the nightly news programs of today. (More on the significance of the Western Wall in tomorrows blog)
After going through a security checkpoint we were allowed to go up to the Western Wall. Again women only on one side and men only on the other. At the Western Wall the jewish people place prayer requests on a slip of paper and jam them into the cracks between the blocks of stone. From time to time these prayers are cleaned out of the cracks but not destroyed or burned; they are collected and buried with other holy books.
We left the old city for lunch but returned to walk the Via Delarosa, (the way of the cross) and tour the church of the Holy Sepluchre. This church is purportedly built over 3 holy sites - Mt. Calvary, the site of the cruxifiction, the annointing rock, where Christ's body was wrapped after being removed from the cross, and the tomb of Jesus. The church was jammed with pilgrims from throughout the world, with the longest lines in the portion of the church with the purported tomb of Jesus.
Continuing down the Via Delarosa we passed crowds and shops until we arrived at a small, French convent. During recent renovations of the convent they discovered the street from the time of Christ. This level is much lower than the current Via Delarosa and was identified by some carvings made by the Roman legion that was stationed in Jerusalem at the time of Christ. The carvings supposedly describe the "King's Game", which they think might have been used as the soldiers cast lots for Christ's cloths.
I should comment a bit about the meals on our trip. Breakfast and dinner have been included each day. Lunches have been a mix of local buffets, including salads and hot meat - chicken, beef or lamb, or local "fast food" like schwarma (grilled lamb or turkey with vegatables, tucked into pita bread) or fallafel ("meat balls" made from chick peas, fried and then tucked in a pita pocket with vegtables.) The local food has been great and I doubt that anyone has lost any weight in spite of all our walking.
Where do you start with a city that has thousands of years of history? Our guide thought it best to take us to an overlook where we could see much of the walled city and the valleys on 3 sides. In retrospect, this was a great decision because it gave us a much better idea of where we would be walking in the coming days.
And walk we did. Up hill, down hill, across roof tops, through cobblestone and rock streets. This is a quite tiring trip but I am amazed at how well everyone is doing. Virtually everyone in the group has been able to handle all of the walking and we haven't had to wait along the way for people to catch up. That is with the exception of people that have gotten lost in the souvenir shops along the way.
The overlook chosen by our guide was at the house of Caiaphus, outside the old walled city of Jerusalem. Caiaphus was a Jewish high priest and took part in the trial of Jesus. Under the house of Caiaphus is was is thought to be a jail of sorts and Jesus spent 3 days there. Today there is a church and monastery built on top and you walk down many flights of stairs into the ancient ruins.
Also located up on this same hill, outside the walls of the old city is the tomb of Soloman. Because this is a holy Jewish site, the men and women of the tour group had to visit it from two separate sides, with men covering their head with a kipa, the small circular cover worn by Jewish men when not wearing hats. Because this is a tourist destinaton, the kipa I was given was much like a cardboard french fry container and it blew off or slipped off every time I moved my head. I hope I didn't desecrate the tomb of Solomon.
Since this area of Jerusalem was where the wealthy of the day lived, it is also the purported site of the Upper Room and the last supper. There is very little archealogical evidence of this and many of the buildings have been rebuilt so it is unlikely that the room we visited was actually the Upper Room of Jesus day.
We now ventured into the old walled city of Jerusalem and climbed up on some roof tops for a view of the 4 different quadrants of the city - the Jewish quarter, the Armenian quarter, the moslem quarter and the Christian area. Obviously these areas developed in the generations after the time of Christ. From the roof top we got a good view of the Western Wall, which is always shown on the nightly news programs of today. (More on the significance of the Western Wall in tomorrows blog)
After going through a security checkpoint we were allowed to go up to the Western Wall. Again women only on one side and men only on the other. At the Western Wall the jewish people place prayer requests on a slip of paper and jam them into the cracks between the blocks of stone. From time to time these prayers are cleaned out of the cracks but not destroyed or burned; they are collected and buried with other holy books.
We left the old city for lunch but returned to walk the Via Delarosa, (the way of the cross) and tour the church of the Holy Sepluchre. This church is purportedly built over 3 holy sites - Mt. Calvary, the site of the cruxifiction, the annointing rock, where Christ's body was wrapped after being removed from the cross, and the tomb of Jesus. The church was jammed with pilgrims from throughout the world, with the longest lines in the portion of the church with the purported tomb of Jesus.
Continuing down the Via Delarosa we passed crowds and shops until we arrived at a small, French convent. During recent renovations of the convent they discovered the street from the time of Christ. This level is much lower than the current Via Delarosa and was identified by some carvings made by the Roman legion that was stationed in Jerusalem at the time of Christ. The carvings supposedly describe the "King's Game", which they think might have been used as the soldiers cast lots for Christ's cloths.
I should comment a bit about the meals on our trip. Breakfast and dinner have been included each day. Lunches have been a mix of local buffets, including salads and hot meat - chicken, beef or lamb, or local "fast food" like schwarma (grilled lamb or turkey with vegatables, tucked into pita bread) or fallafel ("meat balls" made from chick peas, fried and then tucked in a pita pocket with vegtables.) The local food has been great and I doubt that anyone has lost any weight in spite of all our walking.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Not much improvement in internet service
The internet in our Jerusalem hotel has been incredibly slow. I have tried it a number of times with only limited success.
This post is just to let you know that I am several days behind on my posting but I will be adding more in the coming days, even if I have to complete it after returning home.
Until then,
Shalom
This post is just to let you know that I am several days behind on my posting but I will be adding more in the coming days, even if I have to complete it after returning home.
Until then,
Shalom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)