The Last Day

Today our flight to London did not leave until the evening, so we had the morning free to do as we liked. We wanted to go see the Shrine of the Book (where the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept) but we also regretted that we hadn't walked the wall around the Old City of Jerusalem yet. So we decided to do both. First we went off with Sebastian to walk the rampart when it opened at 9:00. Some young boys wanted to keep us company but the gatekeeper yelled at them until they ran away. We walked for a little more than half an hour, from the Damascas Gate to the Lion's Gate. It was quite narrow and had lots of stairs going up and down. We had a view of an area of the city we had not seen before.

We climbed down and found a taxi right away to take us to the Israel Museum. Our main objective was to see the Dead Sea Scrolls, which we did, and we also had time to walk through the garden and also see an exhibit showing some ancient masks, including the world's oldest mask (9000 years old).

We found a rather slow taxi back to the hotel, Anton said the car had over 460,000 km on it and was overheating. I think the driver was as old as the car. Our bus left at noon and made a 2 1/2 hour stop at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum just outside Jerusalem. The children's memorial was quite effective. It was a circular building, darkened, with 6 lit candles that looked like thousands of candles with the effect of mirrors. A recording called out names and ages of children killed in the Holocaust.

The main building told the story of the holocaust in chronological order with a lot of videos, personal stories, and items on display. I had heard of the badges the Jewish people had to wear, but never seen one. There was a beautiful emerald and diamond necklace on display. A family knew they would be sent to a camp soon, so the husband sold all their belongings and had the necklace made because he wanted to have some equity after everything was all over. He hid the necklace under the floor of his kitchen. However, his wife died in the camp, and even though he was penniless, he kept the necklace as a memorial to his wife. The museum was full of such stories and displays and we had so little time. But I could not have handled very much more. We all felt so heavy and sad afterwards. How could this have happened? Six million Jews before it was stopped? It's unbelievable. And each one of those people had a name, a family, a story. I was glad when I could leave, but it helps us to understand someone like Shmuel who has this heaviness on him all the time.

The airport experience was like none other I have ever had before. First they had to stop the bus before it was even allowed into the airport. A soldier walked on (with his machine gun as always) and scanned all the faces to make sure we were all westerners. When the bus let us out, the sign on the door had symbols for no smoking, no dogs, and no guns. We immediately were questioned and made to put each piece of luggage through an x ray machine. Some were tagged right away, but almost everyone had at least one suitcase that had to go through a special inspection line, to be opened and searched. We waited almost half an hour because a girl in front of us had every item in her bag removed and dusted for explosives. When they finally got to us, they didn't even open the suitcase, just tagged it right away. All in all we counted 7 security and passport checks before we got to the gate. The airport is like the one in Heathrow, where everyone sits in a central area with millions of shops all around, and you only go to your gate half an hour before boarding. This gave us lots of time to get in a last visit with our tour group members.

We got seats on the plane with Sebastian, and he was the hardest to say goodbye to. He has been such a good friend. When I got to the hotel I cried because I missed everyone, and I miss Israel. This is the first trip I can remember that I didn't want to go home! But here we are, sitting at Heathrow waiting for our flight home to Canada. And this is the end of my travel blog. But hopefully not the end of the wonderful friendships and memories we have made.

Pics from Last Day in Israel

- On the wall around old Jerusalem.

- Walking on the wall.

- The Shrine of the Book.

Jerusalem III

Jerusalem is stone. Sidewalks. Walls. Houses. Beautiful limestone.

Yesterday Anton was handed a free book by a Muslim, "explaining" about Islam. Upon going through it, Anton found that it mostly pointed out the contradictions from the Bible. Mike used to work in insurance, and he said he used to worry when there were no differences in stories. So some differences by Biblical writers is to be expected. It's different viewpoints on the same event type of thing.

We started our day at the Garden of Gethsame. Rather than fight all the huge crowds, our tour guide had arranged for our group to go into a private area, all to ourselves, where we could do our own quiet contemplation.

Then a very nice walk down the Mt of Olives, through the Kidron Valley, past the Beautiful Gate (which is where Jesus is supposed to return, I wonder where that comes from?), and up Mt Zion. We went to the house of Caiaphas, where Jesus was questioned during his trial, and where Peter denied Jesus three times. There was an ancient stone path that Jesus likely walked upon. It's the same path that has been there for thousands of years.

We walked through the Armenian quarter which only has about 1500 people. We visited an Armenian church where a fascinating lady gave us a talk and sang the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic. She was extremely insistent on NO pictures, to the point of yelling. She yelled at someone in our group which caused several members of our group to walk out. Under her church is a room where the Last Supper is said to have happened. Even though in the Bible it took place in an "upper room", we had to go down quite a few steps to get to it. That's how much lower the original city was.

Then we visited a place called The Burnt House, which is ruins that were found of an ancient Jewish home. They found the surname Kathros there, which was actually the name of a priestly family. They also found a Roman dagger and the skeleton of a child's arm. They really made the destruction of Jerusalem come alive by showing us a video of what might have happened, while we sat overtop of the ruins. It was quite effective. I wonder how long the Jewish people might have lived peacefully under the Romans if they had not rebelled? Or even outlasted the Romans. Then the temple might still be there today.

Next was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This was even busier than the Church of the Nativity. By this time we've all outsmarted the modesty police by coming well prepared. Upstairs in the church was supposed to be the spot where the cross was set into the ground. There were priests from all the denominations going in circles spreading incense from large torches. After a few minutes I couldn't even breathe anymore. Down below were some caves that might have belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. He was the one who gave a brand new tomb from his own garden to bury Jesus. This church seems to have given itself the rights to Jesus' death. It is equally manned by 6 different denominations. There is a ladder on the outside of the building that has been there for some 30 to 40 years because every denomination thinks it is the responsibility of every other denomination to move it. Actually, the ladder was rotting, so they have replaced it with a new version, in the same spot.

Then to another completely different possible location of Jesus' death and burial, a place called the Garden Tomb. It was much more peaceful than the Church of the Sepulchre. There is a rock face there that with great loads of imagination could maybe resemble a skull. Maybe. And they found a tomb there which we were able to enter. Not just a cave like the Church of the Sepulchre, but a tomb with a bed for a body. Again, it doesn't matter where it happened, it just matters that it happened. This place was much more peaceful, far less crowded, and we had a private guide. We also did a group worship and communion service. It was quite interesting to have the Muslim call to prayer happen in the middle of our communion service. Then a group photo.

The official part of the day was done, so we headed back to the Suk. Anton had a belt personally cut and fitted for him. We went back to Sharif for the third day in a row, where he gave me a great deal on some skirts. He considers us friends now, so he told us all about his Ramadan that he is doing right now. It lasts for a month. They are given the call to prayer before daylight begins (3:30 am) so they can eat a hearty breakfast, then no food or drink (including water) until dark, about 7:30. His experince does not seem to be as much about a spiritual aspect as a social one. For him the significance lies in the fact that whether you are rich or poor, you all fast the same, and you all eat at the same time. He likes Ramadan much better when it falls in the winter rather than the summer, because the days are shorter. Every year Ramadan comes 10 days sooner, so it will be quite a few years yet before it comes in the winter.

Tired. So tired. Packing. We'll miss this group a lot.

More Pics of Jerusalem

- Very old olive tree in Garden of Gethsemane.

- Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

- Cargo in the Market.

Jerusalem II

We had a very early start today, back into the Old City. I lost track of how many security checks we went through today. X ray machines and bag checks. Since we were so early and since there were no bar mitzvahs today, it was much easier to get up to the Western Wall, say our prayer, and take the mandatory picture.

Then we walked through the recent excavations they are doing under the city, esp under the Muslim quarter. What they have discovered is that the first century city is all 20 to 30 feet below the present city. When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, it was eventually all covered in with dirt and built on top of. This is amazing to me. So when people say "This is where Jesus walked", technically where Jesus walked was directly beneath them much lower down. So we were standing directly beneath the Western Wall, and the wall actually continues underground for several stories. One stone block alone was the size of a city bus. Anton and I were actually able to touch the Western Wall side by side down there. He looked so cute in the paper beanie they made him wear. It kept wanting to blow away because of the fans. The girls didn't have to wear them. Payback for the guys getting the better Western Wall section above ground.

Next was the Dome of the Rock, under authority of the muslims even though built on the site of the Temple Mount. Again a security check done by Israelis, but a modesty check done by the Muslims. They were much tougher than the other ones we've been through. I was wearing my knee length skirt, so I wrapped my sarong around my legs, but they didn't like the sleeves on my t-shirt, so I had to borrow a scarf from Winnie to put around my shoulders. I felt like a mummy, and all the extra layers were hot! The funny thing was that other people wearing the same length t-shirt were not called out. The Dome was beautiful, built in the 600's, but tourists aren't allowed in anymore. Mike had to collect all the Bibles anybody had (about a dozen) and stay behind with them, because they were not allowed at the Dome. When security checked Winnie's bag, they found a cross and she got into a lot of trouble. Shmuel had to put it in his pocket and promise not to take it out. They don't want their site defiled in any way.

After the Dome was the site of the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the man who had been lame for 38 years. Get up, take up your mat and walk.

Next was the Lithostratus, where they used to think Jesus' trial took place, but now they have changed their minds. The reason we went there was to see the large ancient flagstones that were from the Roman period. One of the stones had a crown of thorns carved into it, so it is believed that the soldiers who did the crucifying were mocking the prisoners.

We had to walk the Via Dolorosa through the Suk to get to lunch. Behind us was a group of pilgrims who were carrying a cross from station to station, singing. I had never pictured the Via Dolorosa this way. It just winds through the market streets, which are quite narrow, and the 14 stations are mostly marked by small signs on the wall. According to Mike, some of the stations have chapels built into the shops.

After lunch they took us outside of the city to En Kerem, which is where Mary's cousin Elizabeth lived, and where Mary gave her "Magnificat" (a song of praise). Mary and Elizabeth spent time at the springs there. There is a church (of course) marking the Magnificat. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months and returned home.

Nearby is a place called Biblical Gardens, which has recreations of what life was like in Biblical times. The guide was an excellent story teller, and told us all about various plants and trees, what a tomb was like, how people were crucified, and how sheep were cared for. The garden area was so fragrant with herbs, the rosemary in particular was wonderful. There were big bushes of it, whereas I have given up trying to grow it at home. The hyssop was also nice.

Back to Jerusalem and the time that everyone had been begging for: time to shop in the Suk!!! Julias, our bus driver, dropped us right off at the Jaffa Gate and we were off! We headed directly to a vendor we had met yesterday. He (Sharif) actually remembered us, and since we came back, he gave me a bit of a deal on a silver Jerusalem cross and chain. Sebastian bought me my much coveted coca cola shirt. We shopped a bit more, t-shirts for the family and an ancient coin necklace for me, at a fantastic price because we literally only had 30 shekels left and couldn't offer him any more! Which reminds me, we really need an ATM tomorrow!

After dinner Mike showed a video presentation of his published "The Bible in 50 Minutes." It was a nice review of our trip.

Pics from Jewish and Muslim Icons

- Tunnels under the Western Wall.

- At the Dome of the Rock.

- A local hanging out.

Jerusalem

This morning we left our hotel in Bethlehem, I will not miss having wet feet all the time from the puddles on the bathroom floor. When we got to the checkpoint today, we didn't have to get off the bus, but 2 guards with machine guns boarded the bus and looked at all our passports. Oh, how I wished for a picture! But I didn't wish for trouble!

In Jerusalem, we started at the top of the Mount of Olives, which I didn't know was covered with thousands and thousands of graves, some Jewish and other sections muslim. We walked the path into the city that Jesus probably walked on Palm Sunday, but no one was waving palm branches for us. Just begging for money. The path was cut stone worn smooth, and very slippery since it was mostly downhill and then up again. We went to the Western Wall, where we had to go through a security check complete with x-ray, men through one side and women through the other. Then you had to pass the modesty police. Legs covered up to the knee, and shoulders covered. Always bring a sarong. Even some of our men had to wear them :) Bruce looked very dapper.

At the Western Wall, men were designated to one side and women to the other, with a row of dividers with umbrellas down the middle. Monday is bar mitvah day, so lots of Jewish families were there having their sons declared men. The women were all standing on chairs hanging over into the men's side, so they could be part of the ceremony too. The women's part of the Western Wall is much smaller than the men's so I could only get within 5 feet of it, it was packed. But Anton and Sebastian managed to make their way and touch the wall. We are told that we will have another chance tomorrow. For those who don't know, the Western Wall is the only remaining part of the temple from Jesus' time.

We are back with Shmuel today, and he took us to an out of the way quiet and very good place for lunch. Afterwards we went to the remains of King David's city, which was built below the temple, strategically located beside the water source.

From there we walked through King Hezekiah's tunnel. He built cisterns below the city to hide the water from his enemies. It is 538 m long. It was dug from both ends and was only 4 cm off. It took 45 minutes to walk through it, very narrow one way traffic, sometimes very low, but always walking through water. It came out at the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the blind man.

Finally to the new hotel, the Olive Tree Hotel. This is definitely a luxury hotel, with a gorgeous lobby and beautiful stone work in the washrooms. We are on the top floor, and the hotel is booked solid.

Before dinner we went for a walk with Sebastian in through the Damascus Gate which took us into the Suk Market again. This was all in the muslim quarter. The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into 4 quarters, the Muslim, the Jewish, the Christian, and the Armenian. The Armenians were officially the first Christian nation due to the work of Thaddeus and Bartholomew. They have had a presence in Jerusalem since the 1st century.

Pics from Jerusalem

- Dome of the rock from the Mount of Olives.

- Western Wall

- Anton & Sebastian at the Western Wall.

- Hezekiah's Tunnel

- Market in the Muslim Quarter.

Worship and Herodian

This morning our bus needed to cross the checkpoint to get to Jerusalem. BTW, you cannot tell where one city ends and another begins here. When we got to the checkpoint, the guard wanted all of us to get out and walk through with our passports. Apparently it all depends on the mood of the guard that day. We had to wave our passports through 2 different security systems in this long complex of tunnels. Neither guard seemed to care too much until a Palestinian tried to sneak into our line. Anton got caught behind him and I had to wait for quite a while.

The bus dropped us off at Jaffa Gate, which is derived from the word Joppa. There are 12 gates to get into the old city of Jerusalem, and an old wall all the way around. We went to an Anglican service. For communion they were all drinking out of the same chalice and the minister had his hands all over the bread, so we decided to pass on this one. I do tend to be rather germophobic at times.

We bought a Hebrew CD at the gift shop, we have no idea what we ended up with, but it's always part of the adventure for us to pick up some local music wherever we go. After lunch at the church complex we braved our way into the Suk, a labyrinth of market shops. We were told by Mike that if you veer left or right down one of the alley ways, you will never emerge, so we stayed on the straight and narrow path and eventually turned around and went back to the gate.

The group then headed over to Herodian, an ancient site. King Herod took the top off a mountain and built himself a little palace inside, complete with synagogue and cisterns and mikvahs (ritual baths). From a ways away it just looks like a mountain. The postcard with the aerial view shows it best. It was rather like Masada at the top, very hot and dusty.

We got back to the hotel at 4:00 and dinner wasn't until 7:00, so we went for a walk with Sebastian in search of camera batteries and David's Well. We passed by a shop and asked how to get to David's Well, and the rather nice young shopkeeper decided to go for a walk and take us there. His name was Elias, and he is a Baptist Christian. He took us through some back alleys and streets we would never have found. There are 3 wells that are about 5000 years old, isn't that unbelievable? One of them is still used by the city of Bethlehem today. The story from the Old Testament goes that Kind David was on the run from Saul and wished for some water. Some of his soldiers got him some water from the Philistine wells. When David found out that they had risked their lives to do this, he refused to drink it, but offered it as a sacrifice before God. Elias then walked us back towards our hotel, and a policeman stopped traffic both ways so the 3 of us could cross the street. Palestine is so fun!

After dinner some from our group found a local restaurant to go out for "drinks" (we had tea). The wall got put up directly across from them and they lost so much business that they closed down for 5 years. Then they decided to fight and open up again, and they painted their menu on the wall.

When I first came I was so dismayed to find the wall all around our hotel. What a dismal view. Now it seems to have been one of the most eye opening experiences I've ever had. My heart goes out to these people. Many of them want peace, but a few extremists have ruined it for everyone. Our guide Hanna has no use for Hamas at all. When asked how Hamas won the election in the Gaza Strip, he said they went from house to house bribing people and making promises they have not kept. Most Palestinians support the Palestinian Authority because they are willing to work towards peace. Even the Palestinians here in the West Bank are afraid to go to Gaza. I have not felt afraid or unsafe once here in the West Bank, although when you tell other tourists where you are staying they look at you like you are crazy.

It is so dry here. Elias told us that it has not rained here since last year. They get their water from the Jordan River.

Pics from Jerusalem/West Bank

- Suk Market in Old Jerusalem.

- Military presence in Old Jerusalem.

- At the Jaffa Gate.

- Frankie at the Jaffa Gate.

- Looking into Herodium.

- In Herodium.

- Peace in Israel.

Bethlehem

I was awoken this morning by the dawn call to prayer. I seem to be the only one in my tour group who heard it. Although how they missed it I don't know. It's LOUD.

This morning the group went to the Shepherd's Fields. Well, one of three possible sites for the shepherd's fields. There were caves that you could tell had centuries of fires in them. And fields. Small fields. Then shopping at a Christian Palestinian cooperative, where everything is hand made by 35 Christian families.

Our next stop was a private grade school. I really liked their facility. Too bad school was out, they start up in one week. This school was interesting because they are a Christian school but they deliberately have a half Christian half Muslim student population so they can promote peace and understanding between them. All the students must learn both faiths.

Then the very busy Church of the Nativity in Manger Square, where you get to see the "exact" spot where Jesus was born (a star with 14 points in the floor) and the manger directly across from it. Perhaps more interesting to me was the tiny room where St Jerome spent 30 years of his life translating the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin. That was called the Vulgate and was the source of the English King James Version of the Bible.

After lunch we ran down to the Milk Grotto with Peter and Gill. Here's an interesting story: Supposedly one day Mary was going by breast feeding Jesus, and a drop of her milk fell onto a stone and turned it bright white. But really the church itself was small and beautiful. The ceiling and walls were a natural cave.

In the afternoon we passed by Bethlehem Bible College where you can still see the bullet holes in the sign. Then visited a place called House of Hope. They take in about 35 blind and disabled students a year and they make brushes to sell at the market.

After we got back to the hotel we went with our new and very good friend Sebastian (from South Korea) on a walk to see the wall between the West Bank and the rest of Israel. Our hotel is in the West Bank. We read all the graffiti on it, generally expressing how oppressed the Palestinians felt. It's quite an imposing structure. The Israelites hastily put it up 10 years ago because they were being attacked by terrorists quite often. It's very haphazard in its path. It's guarded by Israelite soldiers at various checkpoints. Tourists like us can get through quite easily, but if you are Palestinian trying to get into Jerusalem, they could be held up for more than half a day. It's an intimidation tactic meant to discourage Palestinians from crossing, and it works. We went into the nearby Palestinian Centre here and we were chatting with the owner, who is a Christian. He says when he wants to go over to the other side, he is grilled like a criminal and finger printed. The wall has really affected the economy here. The wall just happened to fall directly across the street from our hotel, and they landed on the wrong side of it, so now all the tourists go to hotels on the other side. I had a Palestinian chasing me down the street trying to sell me a necklace, but I didn't have time to stop because my group was ahead of me going to the bus. He asked why I wouldn't buy anything, was it because he was Palestinian, and he wanted to feed his family. So I bought it.

It's so interesting to get the Palestinian West Bank point of view for a few days. Our tour guide Shmuel did not come into the West Bank with us. Our new temporary tour guide is Hanna (a variation of John). He is 38 and stays at home to support his 12 brothers and sisters. For this reason he has never gotten married. He is a Palestinian Christian and loves to tell stories.

Each side believes that God gave the land to them, and they are very passionate about it. It's hard to break when it goes back 5000 years, but it's as if each person here has heard from God directly. For the Israelites it started with God promising the land to Abraham and his descendants. And the word Palestine comes from Philistine, the people Abraham took the land over from. Mike was very smart to bring us here. We will survive not having a posh hotel, because we are learning and experiencing much more this way. Part of the problem, of course, is that the hotel is not able to make upgrades since the wall went up and they lost their customers. I have no complaints (except for the constant puddle on the bathroom floor). The room is clean and the meals are good. It's interesting to be the only people staying here. But sad.

Every evening the call to prayer goes off at around 8:30 and seems to last forever. I am told that is the sermon part, although it all sounds the same to me.

Pics from Bethlehem

- Church of the Nativity.

- Spot where Jesus was born.

- Palestinian guarding the tourist area.

- A pair of locals.

- The wall around the West Bank.

- A lot of anti-Israeli sentiment expressed on the wall.

Desert

Today it was a very early start as we drove all the way from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, following the Jordan River along the way. There is a barbed fence travelling for miles and miles separating Israel from Jordan. We see many more soldiers here than any other place we've ever been.

Our first stop was Masada, where the Roman army set up camps to beseige the Jewish inhabitants in 72AD. It took the Romans many months to build the ramp that finally allowed them to make it up to the top. However, on the morning the Romans finally made it up, they discovered that 960 people had committed suicide to avoid being taken by the Romans. They did find 2 women and some children alive huddled into a corner. This was by far our hottest site so far, with temperatures exceeding 42C.

Our next stop was Ein Gedi. This is a Unesco heritage site. It is the place where King Saul was pursuing David, and David had the opportunity to kill Saul but didn't. We hiked up a very dry rocky path until we reached a waterfall and a spring. Snap snap pictures done then back down. Along the way Shmuel pointed out the type of bush that some people say had been used for Jesus' crown. Very small sharp thorns, not gigantic things as portrayed in movies.

Next was the site of Qumran, the remains of a community within sight of the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Just like we've seen in films.

Everyone was so hot and dusty by this time, and it was time for what everyone had been waiting for - a swim in the Dead Sea! It was impossible to swim, actually, and imperative that your head not go under the water. Anyone who accidentally swallows any of the water requires medical attention. The thing to do is lay back as if you are in a chair. Then of course find the mandatory mud and smear it all over you. I couldn't believe how soft my skin felt after the mud!!! But then we discovered it was because there was a layer of oil left over. After you get out of the Dead Sea, they have showers for you to get the salt and mud off. And of course, everyone has to purchase the beauty pack in the gift shop.

Then a drive through Jerusalem, where we dropped off our guide Shmuel because he is not comfortable crossing the wall into Bethlehem. For the next 2 days we will have a different guide, just for this side of the wall. The wall is tall and long, and checkpoints abound. We are let in pretty easily because we are a bus of tourists.

Our hotel (The Bethlehem Inn) was rather a surprise. Mike says it is for our spiritual formation. Most tour groups stay in Jerusalem and drive into Bethlehem for the day. Mike chose to stay in Bethlehem to support the local economy. Many Christians are struggling here. When we got to our room, we threw open the drapes to a lovely view of...... the wall!!! We can look down into the area past the wall. There's nothing down there. Our group are the only people staying in the hotel. When we took a shower, we discovered that it is impossible to keep the water inside the stall, and this is why there is a drainage hole in the middle of the bathroom floor. We very quickly learned not to wear socks into the bathroom. I guess we were rather spoiled at the last hotel, with our balcony view of the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee. Mike says after our 3 nights here, we will be in luxury once again at the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem. We don't mind at all, it's all part of the adventure.

After dinner Mike took 7 of us adventurers on an hour's walk through downtown Bethlehem. Cities are quite alive here at night. Right across from the Church of the Nativity was a mosque where they were being called to prayer. There were only men in the area we saw. It is the first day of Ramadan today. For Ramadan the Muslims will fast from daybreak to sundown, not even allowing water to touch their lips. Mike treated all of us to a drink in an Arab bar where they went all out to make us comfortable, even carrying some tables outside for us to sit at. It was a very pleasant evening, and a lot of fun. I don't know why more people didn't go!

Pics Heading South

- Up on Masada.

- The pool at En Gedi.

- Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls).

- Dead Sea.

- Dead Sea, mud.

Cana, Nazareth, Jordan

On our way to Cana (the town where Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine) we saw the Horns of Kattim, which is the "mountain" where Saladin was able to defeat the Crusaders. It's amazing the number of times Israel has changed hands. It was actually an easy battle because the crusaders marched all night to get to Kattim and were hungry, tired, and weak by the time they got there. And by "mountain" think in Canadian terms of a piece of flat ground with a bump on it. Thousands of them. It's amazing how our guide knows the difference and the name of each and every single one of them.

In Cana we visited an RC church which was built over some original ruins. Then our guide found a shop large enough for our whole group where the guy let everyone taste some "Cana wine" (very sweet). Anton found a large ram's horn (shofar) to blow into.

We found our way into Nazareth which is as distinguishable from Cana as Waterloo is from Kitchener. But quite a bit busier and some pretty interesting experiences with the modesty police, oh dear. First we went to the Church of the Well, that contains a 2000 year old well that Mary and her family would have used. Neat. I sat down on a pew with several other tour members, and along came an old Arab waving at my legs. I was wearing a knee length skirt and at first I thought that was the problem, until someone informed me that I had deeply offended him by crossing my legs. Apparently it's like swearing at someone when you show them the soles of your feet. Well, my soles were nowhere near facing him. And anyways, I had sandals on! But apparently, I wasn't the only one to get into trouble. When I looked around for Anton, he was nowhere to be found. He had gotten kicked right out of the church for the length of his shorts. Apparently the only reason Anton got past the front door in the first place was because the guy was busy keeping Bruce out, our Scottish friend wearing too short shorts. And Helen got her shawl "readjusted" by him because she was showing a patch of skin on her back.

The next church we went to was the Church of the Annunciation, where supposedly Jesus was conceived when Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary. Well, here the modesty police was running around blowing whistles at people and doing a much better job because Anton and Bruce were not even allowed past the front gate. They had to stand outside the whole time. At one point the guy brought out blankets for them, but by then it was too late, our group was done.

Next we headed off to the Nazareth Village where they have recreated life in the days of Jesus. We missed half the tour because it was at this point that my sandals literally broke apart. The soles came right off for no reason that I could figure, we weren't walking over anything very strenuous. Anton's theory was that the sandals were not made to withstand the ferocious heat, and disintegrated. It's too bad, I really like this pair, and I have such a hard time finding shoes that are comfortable for me. I was very fortunate because today was the first day that for some reason I brought along an extra pair of shoes. I hadn't done that any other day.

We saw the cliff that the people of Nazareth tried to push Jesus off of. They really didn't like Him there. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? And we saw Mt Tabor, which is the site of Jesus' transfiguration.

For lunch we stopped at a restaurant (cafe style) that actually served pork, which is almost unheard of here. But it is run by a kibbutz and they have their own herds.

Our last stop was the best. We stopped along the River Jordan at a baptismal site, and 5 members of our group were baptized and the rest of us watched while knee-deep in the river, with little fishies nibbling at our toes!

I think there is only one member of our tour group whose name nobody knows, because she hasn't worn her name tag once. Linda! We've figured everyone else out. And we like everyone!

Pics from Last Day in Tiberias

- Trying to get a sound out of a horn.

- "The Exiles".

- A carpenter at a recreation of a first century Nazareth village.

- Standing in the Jordan River.

More Sites

Holy Hotness, Batman! Happy happy today was a "No Modesty Day". Really. Yesterday there were several sites that would not allow uncovered shoulders and legs. That's where the wraparound came in very handy. I put it on just for certain places. Tomorrow is also a "Modesty Day" so the wraparound will come along.

We started off at Kursi, the place where Jesus removed the demons from the demon-possessed man and they ran into the swine. I had never associated them with running into the Sea of Galilee before. This must have been Roman territory, because no Jewish people would have had a herd of pigs! This area is 500 ft below sea level.

Then to Qasrin, a restored talmudic (Jewish) village. Well, excavated, anyways. Stone houses. Brush for roofs which would be replaced every winter. BTW, the average winter temperature here is 20C. We watched a video that showed how seriously Jewish people can disagree (ie what is clean and unclean).

It's fun at the lunch stops to find out what food you ordered. I've had salad for lunch 2 days in a row and Anton had pizza today, topped with cheese, pineapple, and corn. You wouldn't find meat on a pizza here because that would be mixing dairy and meat, which is not kosher.

We then drove threw fields and fields of active mines, I don't think we've ever seen a real mine field before. At the lookout point we could see Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. It was interesting to hear the military history from Shmuel, our local guide. Much different than what we're told back home.

In Israel military service is mandatory for every young person between high school and post secondary, 3 years for young men and 2 for young women. After your term, you are part of Israel's reserve army for 25 years, each year serving 3 weeks minimum. Israel has one of the strongest armies in the world.

Our last stop was the archeological site of Bethsaida, which was likely a fishing village because fishing hooks were found there. Several of Jesus' disciples came from Bethsaida.

When we got back to the hotel we immediately headed to the pool for a much needed cool down. Splash.

Pics from the Other Side of the Sea of Galilee

- Visiting Kursi at the far side of the Sea (region of the Gerasenes/Decapolis).

- Traveling through minefields(!) in the Golan Heights.

- Long, hot day ends in the pool.

- View of the sea from the hotel grounds.

Sea of Galilee

Today was HOT HOT HOT!!! 37C and felt like in the 40's with the humidex.

We have a very nice tour group, so far we like everyone, and our guide is very knowledgable. But today was a bit rushed. It started off very nicely with viewing a 2000 year old fishing boat that was recently discovered in the 90's, mostly because the Sea of Galilee has receded so much recently. Lack of water is a huge issue to the people here. Our guide sounded very concerned and made a comment about Canada having 25% of the world's fresh water resources. It's true, we never worry about water, but they do.

They took us out onto the Sea of Galilee in a recreation of the fishing boat. The sea where Jesus calmed the storm. But it was smooth sailing for us, and we even learned a Jewish dance while we were at it.

We landed in Capernaum which is where Jesus lived for a great deal of His life. They were friendly to Him there. There was a synagogue that is 1700 years old, built on top of the synagogue where Jesus taught. There were also a lot of excavations of homes, including one which is believed (by tradition) to be the home of Simon Peter.

The Emporer Constantine had a mother Helena who encouraged him in Christianity, thus in 313 Constantine enforced the Edict of Milan which put an end to the persecution of Christians. Helena wanted to know exactly where the holy sites were, so churches were built on the places where tradition said those things happened. Mind you, it was 300 year old tradition, but many indications are that they were good guesses. It doesn't matter where it happened. It just matters that it happened.

Then on to Tabgha, the site where Jesus fed the 5000 people, and nearby, the site where he appeared to His disciples after the resurrection. Here he asked Peter, "Do you love Me?" The highlight for us was dipping our toes into the Sea of Galilee itself.

The final stop of the day was the Mount of the Beatitudes, where Jesus preached His Sermon on the Mount. Our leader Mike took us to a natural amphitheatre shape in the mountain where it would have made sense for people to sit while He preached to them. We had a communion time and worship time there.

We got back to Tiberias with a few hours before dinner, so we and Sebastian, a tour member from Korea, walked downtown in search of some shopping and a bank. Frankie was so happy to find a shop that sells Naot shoes, the shoes she always buys back home and are made in Israel. Here she bought them for half the cost! Cross that task off the list :)

Pics of First Day in Israel

- View of the Sea of Galilee from our hotel balcony.

- On a replica of a 2,000 year old 'Jesus Boat' crossing the sea.

- Successful shopping in Tiberias.

London to Israel

Today we met our tour group at Heathrow, there are 29 of us in all, with Mike, our "spiritual guide", and Shmuel, our local Jewish guide. Once we arrived in Tel Aviv, we were transferred by a 2 hour bus ride to Tiberias. Our hotel is right on the Sea of Galilee and oh oh oh is it gorgeous! We will send photos once it is daylight.

They fed us a superb buffet. Frankie went back twice just for the salad bar and didn't even make it to the main course!

We seem to be with an interesting group of people, no problems so far. We are doing pretty well adjusting to the 7 hour time difference.

Pics of Arrival in Israel

- Trilingual signs: Hebrew, Arabic and English

- Arriving at the Golan Hotel in Tiberias

A Day in England

Today we woke up nice and early and took a one hour tube ride into London to join our tour. We were taken first of all to Leeds Castle, a small but very pretty castle that changed hands a million times but was a favourite home of King Henry VIII. We had the dubious honour of drinking a "meade" toast to the king himself. It's the 500th anniversary of his coronation.

Then we had a tour of Canterbury Cathedral, a very lovely and VERY old church (built in 1077). There were dozens of alcoves and chapels, and a bunch of dead people in the crypt and in the middle of the cathedral. Thomas Beckett was murdered there. "Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

Next stop was the White Cliffs of Dover. More of a quick photo stop, we didn't spend more than half an hour there. But we went down to the beach and Anton was tickled pink to dip his toes into the English Channel.

The next part of the tour included a giant catamaran ride from the O2 (where Michael Jackson was supposed to perform, and where the Prime Meridian is) to Embarkment Pier. We challenged ourselves to find a cute little pub we ran across 3 years ago, the Sherlock Holmes pub. This time we went for the real British fare - Anton had shepherd's pie and Frankie had bangers and mash, both of which were quite good. Best of all was the treacle sponge we had for dessert - yum yum yum! The best gluten I ever had!

After supper we hung around Trafalgar Square people watching and making some new friends. He sleeps on his side. We asked.

It was a fun day, now we are off to bed and meeting our tour group in the morning at the airport.

The funniest thing so far was when we were just about to board our plane in Toronto and received an email from our tour leader about what to pack. We sent him a few emails complaining that we didn't have any "trousers". We're Canadian! This is warm for us! In fact, and I am not joking, we were the ONLY ones on the tour today and the only ones on the tube wearing shorts. Even though it was 25 out.

We'll try to update our blog regularly for any of you who are interested in following our adventures.

Pics from Day in England

- Frankie at Leeds Castle

- Anton at Canterbury Cathedral

- Both at Dover

- Frankie's new friend