And after...

I'm still glowing from the trip, even when reality hits and I'm 8th in line for the car wash and tending to the meals, laundry, and now even snow removal.  To think that on Thursday--just days ago--I was climbing through Sidonian caves like Indiana Jones and emerging into 70 degree weather there.  Flowers, green, sun, blue sky... Now the city's snowplows are roaring past the house. As the snow piles up here this morning (5 inches already?) I have to say I'm a bit puzzled when people ask me about my most favorite part of the trip. Being a student of life, I naturally loved the simple learning of new things.  And given my care taking duties here, just being taken care of myself was an absolute joy.  All I had to do was show up on time--at meals and at the bus.  Not worrying about those at home (thank you, Ronda and Carol!) and being able to connect electronically nearly every moment of the day via our bus's wifi, were a comfort.

I see that my ipad's untrustworthy app deleted even the pictures I'd eventually posted of our Day 2 activities--the magnificent Caesarea Maritima, Nazareth, and the Jesus boat. My hope is to eventually write up our activities from memory and post photos of that day. So check back in the next few days and see if I've gotten that far.

But back to my reflections of the trip itself... I have to say it is truly miraculous that, to my knowledge, no one lost anything, tumbled on rocks or stone steps, or felt distress of any sort.  The group varied in age, in physical ability, but not in determination.  We all wanted to experience Israel, for its history and very existence are woven into our lives here. Not one of us is an island unto himself or herself.

And though the food, customs, terrain, religious traditions vary considerably in many ways from ours, I came away with an appreciation, tolerance, and acceptance of things that might've seemed alien to me.  I hope I'm not perceived as having a religious ego or sense of religious entitlement.  I fully appreciate that others may hold beliefs other than my own.I hope to continue to respect (not just tolerate) others' varied beliefs and customs.

Day 8--Jerusalem to Jaffa and beyond

It's difficult to leave a place when the sun is shining through a bold, blue sky.  Our wake-up call wasn't until 7:30, but by now my body clock was set to 5:30 am, so that's when I awoke.  Packing and setting the luggage outside the door by 8:00 were something I could do casually.  What a joy not to rush!  The Dead Sea mud packets I'd bought added weight to my luggage and it weighed in at 23 kilos on the hotel scale--a bit over 50 pounds, yet I eventually had no issues with weight.

We spent two hours in the old city--the bazaars a rainbow of color and eventually a frenzy of  activity.  Entering through Jaffa gate, we were early enough to see the vendors opening their steel doors, carrying out their wares and others hosing off the street/walkway in front of their stores.

Darcy gave us a course in Haggling 101: be respectful, but don't accept the first price of anything; walk away if you need to, but if the vendor is really interested in a sale, he will follow you into the street and bargain until you both can agree.  Some purchased scarves from $3-5 and I found a fun wrap-around skirt for $10.  Would love to go back and hone my bargaining technique again someday, but the time was running short and our next stop was the Shrine of the Book.

This museum had two things that interested us--a large scale of the old city (as accurately laid out as possible according to the ancient texts) and the treasure of the Dead Sea scrolls themselves. These are the scrolls we'd heard about earlier in the week when we visited Qumran.

Leaving the city behind us, we lunched at a kibbutz and then drove south to the Bet Guvrin caves before moving on to Jaffa.  The caves, 2300 years old, are amazingly situated so that one can view the horizon 360 degrees and the dust of approaching threats can be easily identified.

The deep caves housed the Sidonian people and one cave featured an olive oil press.  These caves were ingeniously lit from a small opening from above.  One cave was the coop for doves (the dovecot) and another featured frescos painted in honor of the leader of the group.

As we neared Jaffa, the terrain evened out and industry, six-lane highways, and towns appeared. Jaffa, just south of Tel Aviv, was alive with color and art.

Fun to see the Mediterranean again.

Fantastic farewell dinner.

Eleven appetizers, four main dishes, four side dishes, two desserts, as much wine as I could drink, and coffee/tea.  Laughs, tender moments recalling the trip's little adventures. Delightful.

We walked out into a clear starlit sky to the bus. During the entire trip, we never felt unsafe, never doubted we were well looked after. Ze've won our hearts. He's a walking encyclopedia. A glorious trip!

Day 7--City of David

Morning again came early and we were in the City of David--the ancient Jerusalem--by 8 am.

This is actually a small finger of land adjacent the southern wall. Entering the area, we discovered ruins. David captured this city--actually the ridge of the city--from the Jebusites around 1000 BC. As we knew by now, water was vital in Israel, even in the ancient times. One reason David wanted this bit of land was because of the water source within it, Gihon spring.

When Hezekiah became king, he wanted to protect that area from the invading Assyrians in 702 BC and knew he had to protect his water source. So he began by constructing a tunnel that would divert the water of the spring that was outside the city. Two teams of diggers began the tunnel, one at each end, and somehow those guys met in the middle--1/3 of a mile through solid rock. One set of adventuresome members of our group waded through that tunnel today, but I have to admit I am a bit disappointed in myself for not doing so. I figured, with the 50 degree temps, the water might be too cold for my oh-so-delicate frame. Instead I walked the Canaanite tunnel, which although narrow, was lit and dry.

We all met at the pool of Siloam where some were healed by Jesus. I found it interesting the King Solomon put in a sewer system--saw the street drains!

Also interesting was the bullae collection. Bullae are clay seals put on documents (think: wax with a king's seal). When the city was destroyed, burned, these clay seals became hard like pottery and the inscriptions found on these seals bear the names of people who lived in the First Temple period, some of whom are mentioned in the Bible.

From the springs we went to an area that is supposed to be the Upper Room and eventually witnessed Jewish men and women praying at King David's tomb.

From there we bussed to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, which was built to commemorate Peter's denial of Jesus--"Gallicantu" is Latin for "cock's crow," and a small golden rooster perches atop this church.

Tradition says this church is the site where Caiaphas brought Jesus after his arrest and that he may have been housed in an underground crypt while he awaited trial. He may even have been lowered into his cell from above and left hanging.

Interestingly enough, I met a former student and her parents from Easton who were traveling with another group at this site--a fun reunion.

Adjacent the church, excavating was being done on a newly discovered site. Interesting to see one of these sites in action.

We lunched at a kibbutz and I had my first chicken soup with stuffed matzo balls. Delicious!

The highlight of the day was a visit in a predominantely Muslim area outside the old city where the Protestants feel Jesus was crucified and buried, the Garden Tomb. (Catholics are more prone to accept the Church of the Holy Sepulcher site).

After visiting the tomb and the nearby wine press (as mentioned in the Bible), we held a brief but meaningful communion service in the garden before heading back to the hotel. The day turned cool and we were glad to be back. But since I knew wine presses were important to Jesus' life and resurrection, I headed to the bar/lounge before dinner.

Our last dinner buffet at this huge hotel. The tight waistband on my skirt is telling me that's a good thing! We have a full day tomorrow before being dropped at the airport in Tel Aviv for the flight home. Have to begin packing--hope it all fits in and weighs less than 50 pounds!

Other photos of the day:

Day 6--Jerusalem--the old city

Again the 6 am wakeup call, and on the bus by 7:30. Truly, this trip is not for the faint of heart and today we now focused on the old city. By the time we dragged ourselves back to the hotel around 5, I'd done about 15,000 steps on my Fitbit. Never mind that about a quarter of those were climbing stone steps. Whew! Have to say we visited so many holy sites and churches today that my mind's spinning and I'm not sure I'm getting all my facts and photos straight, but I'll try...

We began at the Mt. of Olives and a look across the Kidron Valley into the old city. The olive trees abounded in this restful area, and at the bottom of this mount lay the Garden of Gethsemane (translation: oil press). A massive Jewish cemetery lay before us--the limestone caskets decked with small stones, signs of loved ones' visits to the grave.

There within the Church of All Nations (or the Church of the Agony) we found a large fragment of the rock on which Jesus was supposed to have prayed the night before his crucifixion. Because it was pretty darn early (8:30 or 9) and because it's winter and the tourists were few, we had the church to ourselves and were able to touch the rock fragment, as is custom.

From there we crossed to the Dung Gate of the Old City and went through security--it wasn't lost on me that this area could become volatile at any time, yet our experience of visiting three of the four quarters showed a city remarkably calm. Not that any group connected with another--I found it interesting that each quarter had its distinct and clearly visible cultural identity.

We spent some moments at the wailing wall, men on one side, women on the other. Men were given yarmulkes to wear before they entered the western wall area. The bobbing shoulders and heads of the devout mingled with the tourists like us. We slipped special prayers or petitions we'd written on small pieces of paper into the cracks in the wall. These are not discarded, but gathered up and buried reverently in a Jewish cemetery each year. After one prays at the wall, the custom is not to turn your back, but rather to slowly back away from the wall for some distance.

At our assigned time to enter into the inner city, our first stop was underground--discovering the original 6th century walls, water system, etc. The size and heft of the stones used in building was mind boggling, and just how they were so precisely cut, transported and placed is remarkable to imagine.

Eventually we followed the Via Dolorosa (Way of Grief) and followed many of the 14 stations--some in the Jewish and some in the Muslim quarter.

A quick lunch in the midst of it all offered us pizza or schwarma or falafel, and a great lemonade drink with crushed mint mixed in. Again, delicious.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is to have been built on the site where Christ was crucified and perhaps even buried. Again we were able to touch the actual rock fragment said to have been at the base of the cross.

The Pools of Bethesda (where the lame man was healed by Christ) is just outside the Church of St. Anne (mother of Mary). Acoustics inside were fabulous, and the a cappella singing we did rang not only through the church, but through our hearts as well.

As we walked the Jewish quarter, we noticed the ancient mingling again with the modern. New dwellings built within the old.

We made our way to the southern steps--original steps Christ must've actually used when going to Temple. The stone here alternates deeper steps with regular depth steps to create a seeming hestitation step--one of reverence--when approaching the temple.

Other pictures from the day:

Day 5 To Masada and Beyond

Day 5--To Masada and beyond OK, so I'm learning to write on Google Docs (saves automatically and can be accessed anywhere) and THEN transfer to my blog platform (Blogsy). Perhaps that way if I lose my prose, it'll be readily available in my Docs. See? An old dog learning new tricks.

Again up early and on our way by 7:30. A cloudy morning--our first since arriving on the 21st. Through the desolate area around Jerusalem to Masada, our bus passed a Bedouin homestead on the hillside. They are not allowed enter Jerusalem, and are traditionally thought of as an Arab ethnic group.

Thin visible parallel lines snake up the hillsides--reminders that the sheep and goats have grazed here over hundreds of years creating these mini-trails. Turning south in the Jericho Valley we approached the Dead Sea to the east--we're in the Judean Desert. The area was a mixture of brown to the left and a bit of green to the right where water's available.

We drove along with the sea to our left--realizing how drastically it's retreated--evaporating at the rate of about 3 feet/year. As the water began retreating, now fresh water was discovered to be nourishing some scrub brush and appearing in some sinkholes. Sinkholes are an issue along the sea and some have appeared recently, even in roadways--a startling situation.

To reach Masada, King Herod's winter palace, we took a cable car ride to the top and were amazed at the engineering it took to build this place, complete with its own aqueduct system and cisterns for gathering water, massive warehouses for storing food and grain, and various other structures so necessary for a great king: temple, baths, palace. The engineering feat is coupled with the second great story of this area, the Jews choosing to sacrifice themselves rather than become slaves of the Romans who were set on storming Masada.

Our walk to the waterfalls of the oasis of Ein Gedi was hampered a bit by more than 300 school kids who were frolicking in the pools of water made by cascading falls. They seemed like teens everywhere--totally oblivious to anything but having a great time on a day out of the classroom. But we had to maneuver around them on rocks made slippery by their antics. Thankfully we made it without incident.

The Dead Sea scrolls, discovered in 1947, were the work of the Essenes, a break-away Jewish sect that had chosen the desert as a place to focus on God.  We became acquainted with their elaborate rituals, their water system, their cave life, and eventually the scrolls they'd penned.  The scrolls, numbering 933, were discovered recently (if you call 1947 recent) by a Bedouin shepherd who found one of the Essenes caves and decided to toss a stone inside.  He heard pottery break, went to investigate, and brought to light these world ancient treasures.

I wasn't sure if I was gutsy enough to swim in the Dead Sea and smear myself with nourishing mud, but when it came down to it, how could I not? Though the temps were cool, we donned suits and walked backwards into the sea, eventually sitting or lying back. Yes, floating was just as easy as you've all heard, and the squishy mud? I'm confident our skin appeared ten years younger when we emerged.

Then because I could, I hopped on a camel for a bit of frolicking in a roadside lot. Turned out to be quite a ride when the critter decided he had a mind of his own. Adventures!

Day Four--Tiberius to Jerusalem

Spent about 5 hrs. on today's post and it's vanished, despite having been continually saved. Ugh! Trying to be very "adult" about this, so instead of my masterfully constructed prose, I'll just give you our itinerary and photos. Dang! From the hotel to a fortress from the Crusades called Belvoir Castle.

Then on to Bet She'an, a Roman city where the bodies of King Saul and his sons were hung from the city walls.

Then we moved into Palestine and the West Bank. We visited the more authentic site of Jesus' baptism by John on the River Jordan--looks more natural than yesterday's site, doesn't it?

We lunched at a roadside stop and ate Falafel or Sabih, a pita filled with thinly sliced fried eggplant, vegies and hard-cooked eggs, all covered in a yogurt-based dressing. Delicious!

To the "wilderness" Jesus experienced--desolate and arid.

Through Jerusalem to Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity. Here three religions share the site, said to be where Jesus was born: Aramaic, Roman Catholic, and Greek Orthodox. The first church was built in the 4th century and the Catholic addition in the 1880s.

Finally to Jerusalem and our hotel for the next few nights. The architectue of this area is here more angular.

OK, so we've been eating interesting stuff and much of it. In addition to the blog crashing, there's a scale in the bathroom. Horrors!

Day Three--northern Galilee

Sun, light. Coffee, freshly squeezed juice. Birds, flowers. Warmth, calm. What could make a morning better? Only a drive along the Sea of Galilee to an area where Christ delivered his Sermon on the Mount--the Mount of Beatitudes. We were the first tour group to arrive and the quiet, stillness, and spring air soothed my spirit and massaged my soul. Wow--could've set up camp there indefinitely. Such peace. Such quiet. Such grace.

Then a drive north--the jet skis on the sea reminding me that this is a modern sea, a modern country with a history so rich, so filled with passion and so filled with issues--political and otherwise. Water, for instance. The water crisis throughout the area has been addressed for decades. No watering lawns during heat of the day, no washing vehicles with a running hose. Finally desaltinization and the hope that in three years the crisis mode will be over. Providing drinking water to Jordan, guarding water sources from the Syria-issues over water--for without it, there is no chance of life. Their daily struggle here reminds me of how at home I run the water while brushing my teeth, linger in the shower while soothing muscles, water the lawn during dry spells, hoping to green up the lawn.

This area is filled with the history of recent as well as past wars. Religion and history are obvioiusly not mutually exclusive. This valley (the Jordan), with Lebanon and Syria just across the hills, was under seige for 19 years, and those growing up here from 1948-1967 lived and were educated in bomb shelters in the area. The memory of 1967 and the 80s is still vivid. Escape paths for Jews into Israel from Lebanon ran past the River Dan and we saw Israeli tanks and bunkers left as relics in the countryside.

 

Springs feed into four rivers, the Bareighit, the Hasbany, the Laddan, and the Banias, which form the headwaters of the Jordan River. These waters are the essence of life to Israel. Our guide showed us a burbling brook, part of the River Dan, and said, "To you this may just be a stream, but to us it is the world."

Next stop wasn't far--Caesarea Philipi is the sight where the Apostle Peter proclaimed or confessed that he knew Jesus was the true son of God. What makes this declaration so unique is that Peter gave this declaration in the midst of an area that contained one of the six gates of hell (a cave), altars to gods, and a temple built to honor the god Pan. The altars were carved into the rock with ledges that held the icons of each god. His disregarding the false gods in this settting is considered remarkable.

We climbed into the Golan Heights, which is the area that runs along the east side of the Sea of Galilee (I was trying to disregard all thoughts of the new security alert I'd received from the US Embassy in Tel Aviv before we left about travel in this area) and bunkers from the '67 war were tossed in among the stones in the fields and the trees on the ridges. They seemed to naturally blend in, but honestly, can war and its relics ever blend into the landscape? Aren't they really a scab that might fester?

Back to the Sea of Galilee and Capernaum. Here one finds archeological and scientific evidence that aligns with scripture. The remains of the house of Peter's mother (where Jesus lived for two years) and a synagogue also from his time are visible, the black volcanic rock of that era unearthed from the structures built upon them. Our guide shared that originally synagogues were not houses of prayer as they are today. In Jesus' time they were gathering areas for study, discussion, etc. But after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem 70-90 AD, the Book of Prayer was written, no more sacrifices were offered, and synagogues became houses of prayer and worship.

The sun and warm breeze greeted us on our boatride on the Sea of Galilee, really a large lake about 14 miles long and 7 miles wide. The captain showed us how nets were cast and we spent a special hour experiencing the water, the sky, the mystery of this magical body of water.

I'd always heard of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, and today I got to touch both. A favorite baptismal site (rumored to be near where Jesus was baptised) offers believers a chance to be baptized in the Jordan River. They rent white tunics and submerge. I rented nothing and "baptized" my feet, enjoying the coolness of the water as it found its way under my feet and between my toes. We smiled at the brown smudges we could see in the turquoise-green water--these were catfish, which are not eaten by Jews, since doing so would break the law of eating only fish who have scales. We heard from the captain of the boat that the catfish are taking over and from what we saw, he may be right.

On to Jerusalem tomorrow. This has been my favorite day so far--perhaps because the sun shone so brightly even my feet got a bit of color. Check out my ankles! Glorious.

Day 2--Natanya, Caesarea Maritima, Nazareth to Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee

What follows is from memory, given the fact the Blogsy site on my ipad crashed the day I wrote this... 1/23/15  We awoke to bright sunshine in Netanya, just north of Tel Aviv.  After an impressive breakfast, we bussed north with the Mediterranean sparkling on our left to the East.

First stop was Caesarea Maritima, a harbor built by Herod in 21 BC. This colossal marina featured inner and outer barriers which provided a safe haven for travelers and their boats. Materials used to build this place ingeniously hardened under water.

But Herod didn't stop with the marina.  He also constructed an amphitheater that seated 3500 and a hippodrome which held 20,000 for chariot races, and more.

Races consisted of chariots winding around the track seven times at breakneck speed. We could imagine the cacophony of noise and the royals overlooking the events there.  I was tempted to sprint around the track a few times myself, but since time was short, elected not to. Didn't want to hold up the gang, you know.

As kayakers floated in the blue-green Mediterranean before us, I was fascinated by Herod's feat of building a fresh water pool within the salt-water sea. The fresh water was brought in--not a natural fresh water pool.

Because fresh water was scarce, one huge feat Herod accomplished was building an aqueduct that brought in water from the area of Mt. Carmel, about 10 miles away.

Once this place was completed (took 12 years), it became to focal point of Roman rule in Palestine. Pontius Pilot ruled here and Paul used this port during his travels.

On our way to Megiddo, we noticed within the green valley through which we traveled, box-like netting covering fruits and vegetables.  This netting, which protected the plants from frost, became a common site.

Tel Megiddo was my first experience observing a "tel," a structure or civilization built upon another. Megiddo held a strategic position overlooking the Via Maris, one of the main routes used for travel between Egypt, Syria and Mesopotamia. The city is referred to in the New Testament as Armageddon.  This place dates from 8000 years ago, we observed an animal sacrifice altar and an ingenious water tunnel to provide this high spot with fresh water.

Driving through the countryside, we passed ancient stone caves used as tombs, complete with a round stones to seal the entrances.

We lunched at a Druze village (the Druze are a sect of Shia Islam) where I ate my first Falafel--came to realize this is a common food here.

Next stop was Nazareth, and it wasn't the sleepy little village I'd had in my head from my childhood days.  This city, Jesus' childhood home, was relatively isolated and inaccessible, so it needed no protective walls.  Probably just a few families lived here during Jesus' time.  We toured a reconstructed Nazareth village, seeing for the first time an olive press among olive trees of the area.

From Nazareth we continued northeast toward the Sea of Galilee, stopping at Kibbutz Ginnosar to view the "Jesus boat," a newly discovered 1st century vessel--very similar to the boats on the Sea of Galilee during Jesus' time.

Our busy day ended in Tiberius on the south end of the Sea of Galilee.  Exhausted, we enjoyed another fantastic array of food choices before falling into bed.

Day One--MSP to Tel Aviv

Our 12:30 departure got us to MSP with plenty of time for a quick pre-boarding beer. Found a few fellow travelers who imbibe--so relieved! Assuaged my fears I might have to drink alone on this trip. USAir flight to Philadelphia was uneventful and the long walk to the international terminal gave us a chance to stretch the legs. It was when I got to gate A19 that I knew things would be a bit different. First we encountered a second security check. Then as I entered the secluded waiting area, I noticed a sea of black--mostly men, probably mostly Jewish men, in black pants, white shirts, black long coats and yarmulkes or hats. Several held prayer books and swayed or seemed to bob back and forth as they recited their verses in a corner of the room. I heard unfamiliar languages, noticed unique cultural clothing (like covered heads, shawls) and felt a bit of tension as the plane boarded. Extra security, extra scrutiny. We were, after all, flying to Israel.

I settled into my seat in the A330 Airbus, whose 2/4/2 seat configuration afforded me a 4 in 8 chance of snagging an aisle seat, and an aisle seat I got. Close to the bathroom, and the emergency door just across the way offerred a bit of comfort I have to admit. The ten-hour trek gave me time to read, watch two movies (Jack Ryan and Reese Witherspoon's The Good Lie), and try to catch some sleep. The unfortunate thing about being so close to the bathrooms was that the slap/snap of the bathroom door closing and locking, then unlocking and opening was distracting and kept me awake. Oh well. Play another movie. Read another chapter.

My first glimpse of Israel wasn't really a glimpse at all--rather a brilliant, piercing light, one that sneeked in from a nearly closed window shade, hitting me square in the face. It was 3 pm and we'd awakened in a bright, green land that smelled sweet. I basked in its 70 degrees.

Deplaning, customs and finding the tour host were painless. As we gathered around our tour bus with our luggage, I noticed 8-10 girls, probably of high school age, all dressed in longer skirts and cardigan sweaters holding prayer books and praying on one side of the busses--and there must've been 5-7 tour busses in that area. Our guide told us these ladies were praying for our safety, and given the current political situation, it felt darn good to know we were blessed, a humbling but oddly beautiful act of kindness.

From Tel Aviv, which really is the main commercial center of the country--drives 80% of its commmerce--we drove north to Netanya on the Mediterranean for our first night. Along the way we noticed orchards in the midst of construction zones, and crowded highways at rush hour, just as in the US. Our guide explained that Israeli roads given even numbers run north/south, and those that run east/west are given odd numbers. Also, single digit-number roads (1,2, etc.) are the larger main road (freeways) and those with 2 digits are main 2-lane highways. Three digits will find you on a more "country" road.

So my first experience with an Israeli hotel? OMG--so very nice. A big king-sized bed, very modern sleek design and unique lighting. A great buffet-style dinner, walk along the beach, and oh...did I forget the gelato bar? Way too luscious.

So we're 8 hours ahead of you in Minnesota, and my fitibt is still on MN time, so it's recording midnight to midnight central daylight time and not Israeli time. Oh well. Have to make the best of it, but my thought of recording thousands of steps/day seems thwarted. It'll essentially keep track of my steps as I sleep, but maybe I'll be trekking around Israel in my dreams anyway!

In a week...! But first....

OK, plans to travel to Israel have been the works for quite some time, and it's nearly lift off. In a week I'll be there!

So what does planning to leave my vulnerable husband and mom entail?  Organization, organization, organization.  Oh, and tons of lists, phone calls, planning, planning, planning.

Many thanks to you who've offered to look in on Mom and Pete.  And Ronda...what would we do without you?  You've all given me an opportunity to sojourn, to find my authentic self.  Merci!  My goal is to share with you via this blog.  So tune in if you're so inclined. Your vicarious journey runs January 21-30.  Let's do this!