A last post from Egypt...

(Mt. Sinai in Egypt)


(St. Catherine's Monastery, Egypt)


(The Great Sphinx in Cairo)


(Giza Pyramids in Cairo)


(The Citadel of Saladin in Cairo)




(Street scenes from Cairo)




(Sailing on the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt)

This will be my last post...our computer battery is almost depleted and we don't trust the converter here, so I am sure it will run down soon.

We crossed the border into Egypt early yesterday morning. We have a new guide named Noha, and she is really a hoot. She calls herself "Mother Pharoah" and we are all her little pharoahs...sounds cheesy, but she really is great fun and knows her way around. We stopped at St. Catherine's Monastery where Moses experienced the burning bush..and it is still a working monastery. Then we traveled through a sandstorm to Cairo...didn't make it in until about 9:30 that night...boy that was a LONG day. Today we got up early and went to the pyramids...even got to go inside one to the tomb room. That was a little creepy because the passageway was only about 4 feet tall, and we had to go down a long ways and then back up and into the room. It was amazing! Then we saw the Sphinx, had a demonstration on how papyrus is made, saw the tomb of Idut, (a nine year old princess) and went to a rug factory, and I think that was it. Tomorrow we go to the Egyptian museum, the Mohammed Ali mosque and a Coptic church and I don't know what else. Egypt is such a contrast of the old and new combined. We had lunch at a wonderful outdoor restaurant today, and we could have stayed there all day. What fun.

We are on our own all day Saturday, then have to be at the airport for a 1:45 am flight home. We are pooped, but we have had a lot of fun. We look forward to being home again...and washing all the sand out of our clothes! Love to all of you!!

Here, there, and everywhere...

(Scenes from the streets of Old Jerusalem)



(The Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall, of Old Jerusalem)



(Caves at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found)


(Ruins on top of Masada)


(Temple carved in the stone walls at Petra)


(The Treasury at Petra, Jordan, used in scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark)

I would have blogged before now, but I just can't seem to read Hebrew! When we try to open the blogspot, all the instructions are in Hebrew...and I just can't seem to figure them out! So, I'll try to catch up on the last three days.

On Sunday, we returned to the old city through the Dung Gate...called so because this was the gate they used to "take out the garbage"! But on our way from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, we had a little bit of hassle at the border. They made us all get off the bus and walk across the border, checking our passports multiple times, and just generally being intimidating. Well...any young kid with a big gun in their hands is a LOT intimidating. It really just feels like they are acting tough, but I wouldn't want to be the one who provoked them! Anyway, we went to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem...men to their side and women to ours. It is so moving to see Jewish women rocking back and forth and praying at this wall. All the cracks are filled with bits of paper containing prayers. We were really disappointed to learn that we would not be allowed to go to the Temple Mount. The Israeli government closed the area because of all the unrest going on over their announcement that they would be building more settlements. We have seen some rock throwing, and lots of general unrest. We went to the pools of Bethesda, where people could be healed if they could get into the pool when the waters were stirred. Supposedly, they were stirred when a snake was thrown in...sure would make me stir! Ended the day with a visit to St. George's Cathedral, which St. Paul's in Fayetteville helps support.

Monday we left Bethlehem with minimal hassle at the border and started our drive south. We stopped at Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. This was once the place where the Essenes lived. They had more rules than you could shake a stick at...for example, if you wanted to use the bathroom, you had to be at least 2000 cubits from camp...which was quite a hike. Problem was, on the Sabbath, you were only allowed to walk 1000 cubits. And the story goes that they just held it. No thank you... not me! We then stopped at the Dead Sea and had lunch and waded around a bit. The water leaves your skin feeling very oily, and the bottom is covered with little balls of salt. Then it was on to Masada, one of Herod's fortresses, and the place where 960 Jewish Zealots committed suicide rather than become Roman slaves. It was quite a place...but the temperature was nearing 100, and a sand storm was blowing in, so it was not as pleasant as we would have liked! Our hotel in Eilat on the Red Sea was a welcome sight that night!

Today was supposed to be a free day just to rest and relax, but....we got an incredible chance to cross the border into Jordan and see Petra...and we just couldn't pass it up. After a little bit of work, we got our visas, and went through the complicated process of crossing the border. Petra was just incredible...Indiana Jones all over again! We were gone all day, but it was so worth seeing!

Now I must wrap this up because we have to be at breakfast at 6:00 and then it will be on to Egypt. Love to all!

The View from the Top

(Graffiti on the wall around Bethlehem)


(View of the Old City of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives)


(The Lions' Gate into the Old City of Jerusalem)


(Believed to be stone slab where Jesus' body was prepared for burial)


(Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre)


(The Church of St. Peter Gallicantu)


(Children playing in the street below us)

Yesterday we started at the top of the Mount of Olives...this was, of course, after we waited forever to go through the checkpoint entering Jerusalem. Our bus was pulled over, and two soldiers with guns bigger than them came on the bus. They walked slowly down the aisle, carefully looking at each of our faces. About halfway to the back, they started checking passports...maybe we should start sitting closer to the front! Anyway, they were rather menacing, but as they left the bus they said, "have a nice day!" What a strange world we live in!

The view from the top of the Mount of Olives is stunning. You look out over the old city of Jerusalem, and the gold dome of Mount Moriah stands out. We were supposed to go there yesterday, but apparently there was some trouble the day before and we had to wait for things to calm down. The story we heard was that the Israeli government announced that they were going to build 1600 more settlement units, and because they knew this would anger the Palestinians and they didn't want any disturbances, they closed down the West Bank and would not allow anyone over the age of 50 to go to a mosque. We heard bits and pieces on the news. There were LOTS of soldiers in the old city yesterday.

From the Mt of Olives, we went to the church at Bethphage (which means "the house of early figs" where it is believed that Jesus got on the donkey to ride the rest of the way to Jerusalem. An interesting fact we learned was that palm branches were actually a sign of rebellion...and they would have had to been brought from around Jericho because they did not grow hear. Then we walked on to the Basilica of the Agony beside the Garden of Olives. The olive trees are so old and massive. There was a grotto (or cave) here where it is believed that Jesus was when he was arrested..one of the gospels says "he came out to meet them".

We walked down the Mount of Olives and went into the old city of Jerusalem through the Lions Gate. There weren't quite as many people there because it was the Jewish Sabbath. We looked around the Lithostrotos, where there are ancient stones with markings from a game that Roman soldiers used to play, called the Game of the King. It was apparently very brutal, and prisoners were used as the game pieces.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is built over the supposed site of the crucifixion. It is VERY large and ornate, and ownership is shared by several groups (Coptic, Armenian, Orthodox, Catholic) and they all fight over who has to keep it up. There were lots of smoke and bells going on, that is for sure. We were able to reach down into a hole and touch the stone where it is believed the cross stood. Maybe not the real spot, but pretty moving, none the less! We ended up at St. Peter in Gallicantu (Peter of the Cock's Crow) which is believed to be the site of Caiaphus' house. We were looking down on the houses of some Palestinians and the children starting waving at us and dancing for us...it was cute.

It was a long day, but really interesting...and today we are headed for the Western Wall and a church service at St. George's Cathedral. Hope all are happy and well at home, and I REALLY hope your weather is as nice as it is here, because we are getting spoiled to it!

And the roosters crowed...

(Ruins of the Herodian, one of Herod the Great's many palaces)


(Recently found Tomb of Herod the Great)


(Model of the Old City of Jerusalem)



(Entrance to the Church of the Nativity, built over the birthplace of Jesus)

As I type this, the roosters are making themselves heard...as they have for the last couple of hours. If you are not woken by the call to prayer at 4:30 am, then the roosters will make sure you are awake soon after!

Today we are off for the Mount of Olives and the old city of Jerusalem. It is supposed to be close to 90 degrees today, so we are getting an early start.

Yesterday we drove to the site of the Herodian, one of Herod's largest palaces (he had many!) There were two mountains side by side, and he wanted to build his palace on the smaller one, but he didn't like the fact that there was a larger mountain beside it...so he had the top of the larger mountain taken off and moved to the top of the smaller mountain...sounds like a lot of wasted effort to me. He had an upper palace and a lower palace (which was where he had his swimming pool...he liked to swim and he liked to drown people). Lovable guy, I guess. Then we drove into Jerusalem to the Israeli Museum and the Shrine of the Book. This is where there is a model of Jerusalem during Jesus time..and I don't mean a small model. It is like a mini-city! The Shrine of the Book houses information and pictures of the Dead Sea scrolls found at Qumran. I didn't know this, but the only Old Testament books not found there were Nehemiah and Esther. From there we went to the Church of the Nativity, the supposed site of the birth of Jesus. It was interesting, but extremely crowded. Last stop was Beit Sahour (the Shepherd's Field) where the angel appeared to the shepherd's announcing Jesus' birth. Once again, this is all supposition! A little excitement...this time at the checkpoint we had two Israeli soldiers come onto our bus and walk down the aisles. Obviously, just a little flexing of the muscles, but interesting just the same. This place is a real hotbed of tension. We feel safe enough, just have to be careful what you say and do.

Ok...gotta go catch the bus. I have really tried to attach some pictures but the internet is just too slow. We'll just have to have a slide show presentation when we make it home! Love to all of you...we miss you!

We're not in Kansas anymore...

(An original street in Bethsaida)


(Ruins of the synagogue at Capernaum)


(Sailing on the Sea of Galilee from Tiberius)


(Looking down from Tel Jezreel on the possible site of Naboth's vineyard)


(The Judas Tree used in the production of "Jesus Christ, Superstar")


(The ruins at Bet She'an)

What a diverse country this is! Israel is about the size of Connecticut but has all the different landscape of our whole country....and we saw it all yesterday...along with cows, sheep, donkeys, goats, camels, peacocks, and lots of cats!

Posting has not been as easy as I thought...internet access is sparse and time is scarce. I don't think I have moved at a pace this fast since college! When I list all the places we have been, you will understand.

Wednesday morning we drove from Tiberius to the ruins of Hazor, which was one of the greatest Canaanite kingdoms. They call these ruins "tel" because they are like small mountains but are actually layers upon layers of civilizations...we have seen places where it is believed there are up to 30 layers. Then we visited what I call the "woe" cities...Corazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum (Matt 11:20). It is believed that Corazin is the site where Jesus did miracles on the Sabbath; in Bethsaida we walked along ruins of one of the ancient streets where Jesus would have walked. Capernaum was the location of the home of Peter's mother-in-law, and we saw what is believed to be the ruins of that home. From there we went to the place where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount (and heard some sweet little nuns singing) and to Tabga, where the Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes for the 5000, and then to the place where it is believed that Jesus served breakfast to the disciples on the beach after His resurrection. I have to used "believed" because none of this is known for sure, and there are differing opinions on all of it! But that was one big day, and then we went back to Tiberius for a short night's rest, and began again on Thursday!

We boarded a small wooden boat on Thursday morning to sail across the Sea of Galilee. We were quite surprised when they started raising the American flag and playing the National Anthem...but we all sang along. They also played Elvis singing hymns if that tells you anything! We saw the ruins of an ancient boat at Gennesar, and then drove on to Kursi where Jesus healed the demonic man (the herd of pigs story) and fed the 4000. We drove south through the Jezreel Valley to Tel Jezreel where King Ahab and Jezebel had a palace. It was on top of a hill that looked over the valley, and there was a spot in the valley where there is still a spring, and that is most likely where Naboth's Vineyard was located...you know, the one King Ahab wanted and pouted because he couldn't have. And his lovely wife Jezebel figured out a way, but she got her just reward when she was pushed out a window and eaten by dogs. It's not so hard to imagine that happening when you are in this land...so much history! Then it was on to Beth Shean, which was the only city in the Decapolis that was west of the Jordan River. The ruins here were spectacular...there was a huge amphitheater, a huge public bathhouse, a huge public bathroom (yes, I said public), and even rooms for the temple prostitutes! We climbed to the top of the mountain to see the "Judas tree". When "Jesus Christ, Superstar" was filmed, they used this tree in the scene where Judas hung himself. Not exactly biblical, but interesting anyway! Last stop was Jericho, which was very unimpressive except that some of the ruins dated back 10,000 years. But I told David, it just looked like dirt and rocks to me...I guess you lose your perspective after a while!

Then for the excitement of driving to Jerusalem and on to Bethlehem. It was dark when we went through Jerusalem, but still amazing. Getting into Bethlehem is a hassle...every vehicle has to stop and be checked because Israeli citizens are not allowed into Bethlehem. We probably waited close to an hour in a horrendous traffic jam. There are lots of guns and soldiers here...and roosters who like to crow quite early! HA

So that is the tale of our last couple of days, and hopefully I can update you more often so it won't be so long! Again I will try to add some pictures. I tried after the last post, but the internet was so slow I just gave up. Love to all at home and Shalom!

Lots of places, lots of stuff!

(In front of the ruins of a theatre at Caesarea Maritima)


(The Valley of Armageddon)


(The Church of the Anunciation in Nazareth)


Good morning from the Caesar Hotel, Tiberius, on the lovely shores of the Sea of Galiliee. It was dark when we arrived last night, so I haven't seen much of the sea yet, but I intend to! Yesterday was an incredibly full day...we didn't cover a lot of miles, but we sure took in a lot of sites.

After we left the hotel, we drove north along the coast (Via Maris - The Way of the Sea) to Caesarea Maritima (different from Caesarea Phillipi). We passed one of only two power plants here in Israel; they import coal from South Africa. We went to Caesarea National Park to see the ruins of the palace of King Herod. The huge amphitheater there is amazing...we learned that the exit was called the "vomiturium"...you can imagine the jokes that came from that! We also saw ruins of an 18 mile aquaduct built by Herod to bring water to the area. Speaking of water, it is in short supply here. This is the first year since 2004 that they haven't had a drought, but they are still very conscious of preservation. A lot of the tree groves have a covering of black plastic to hold in moisture. Also, toilets at our last hotel had TWO buttons on top, a little one and a big one....you can let your mind wander with that one...

Land is very expensive here. They told us that most Arabs live in houses and most Israelis live in apartments. In Arab families, it is a father's responsibility to provide a home for his son...some families even start building on a room as soon as a son is born! Israeli boys and girls are required to do military service when they turn 18 (2 yrs for girls and 3 yrs for boys) and then they are in the National Reserve until they are 50!

We traveled to Megiddo National Park which overlooks the famed "Valley of Armageddon", which is part of the Jezreel Valley. Here they say that whoever controls the Jezreel Valley basically controls the country. We saw ruins dating back over 3000 years (wow!) and even climbed 183 steps down into a water tunnel...and yes, we had to climb back out! Then we visited ruins at Zippori (or Sephoris) National Park. It is believed that Jesus spent most of his life before starting his ministry here. And the common thought is that he was a stonemason, not a carpenter. Apparently there were few trees in the area, but there is certainly LOTS of stone! They believe this was truly a Jewish historical site because there are remains of so many miqvah (sp?) in the area. These were pools used for ritual bathing. The pools could only contain "living water" (water from God...from the sky or from the ground) and this water could only be stored in stone jars (stone was made by God, not man).

Then it was on to Nazareth to see the Church of the Annunciation. There is a grotto here where they believe the Angel Gabriel visited Mary. The whole church site is believed to cover the original site of Nazareth...which only had a population of about 100 people. It is believed that Mary was only 13 or 14 when she had Jesus...and the average life span of a woman at that time was only 18!!! Most women died in pregnancy.

We ended up at our hotel here in Tiberius. As I thought, this is a fun-loving group and we wandered the streets of Tiberius for a while after supper. I think we were the source of entertainment for many....Tiberius is apparently the Hot Springs of Israel...lots of tourists...mainly elderly. We fit in well.

I will now attempt to attach some pictures but if I fail, forgive me. We miss you all at home, but we are really having fun...weather is incredible...we have "sandal tan" on our feet (not to rub it in or anything!)

pam

Shalom from Tel Aviv!

(Tel Aviv, Israel)


It has been a long day of travel, but flights were all on time, so can't complain! Decided we need to learn to speak French if we continue to fly on Air France....Wow! We got to Tel Aviv about 4 pm (8 a.m. your time) and boarded a bus to the Blue Bay Hotel which looks out over the Mediterranean Sea. We have to be at breakfast at 7 a.m. tomorrow, then we take off for Caesarea, Megiddo, and Beth Shean and Beth Alpha. The weather is incredible...70's or 80's! David's phone does not seem to have service here (and he's saying bad words!) but we'll see if we can get it figured out. Our tour guide met us in Atlanta, and he is full of information. He told us today that the current location of Israel was actually the second choice for a homeland...the first was...UGANDA! Go figure... Ok, since we haven't slept in many hours, we'd better sign off and get some rest. Will try to post some pictures tomorrow. We are safe and happy, just know that! Good night from the Holy Land....

Getting ready!

Computer illiteracy is a shameful thing, and I am hereby confessing to that sin. That said, you will understand the challenge of setting up a blogspot. So if anything on here looks funky, just chalk it up to my lack of computer savvy, and laugh all you want.

Bags are nearly packed, animals are parceled out (or will be), batteries are charged, passports are up-to-date, and we are ready to go...Sunday morning.

I hope to be able to post stories and pictures to this blogspot each day so that you can know that we are alive and well and happy, as always.

Until we go...

pam