Desert Adventures

"After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told,

'David is in the Desert of Ein Gedi.'" - 1 Samuel 24:1

Our last stop in Israel was the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve at the Dead Sea. We took a bus from Jerusalem and stayed at a field school that conducts environmental projects in the area but also has rooms to accommodate travelers.

Ein Gedi is mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible as the place where David hid from Saul. It is an oasis in the middle of the Judean Desert fed by two rivers and two springs. It was first inhabited in the Stone Age.

It was dark when we arrived close to midnight so we couldn't tell what was around us until the next morning. We were surprised to walk out of our room just after 7 am to blaring sunshine, a beautiful blue strip of water, and tall sandy peaks.

We grabbed our hiking map and set off for Mount Yishai, located right behind the field school. The trail was steep and rocky but it only took about 1 hour to reach the top. From there, we could look out across the desert plateau to the east and the Dead Sea and Moabite Mountains in Jordan to the west. We hiked around a canyon and down into the oasis where there is a river, waterfalls, and pools.

Summit of Mount Yishai

Is that Mr. and Mrs. Yasser Arafat?

We donned Bedouin-style headdresses to protect ourselves from the harsh desert sun. The fashion style of the Middle East sure makes a lot of sense once you're there.

Finally, we find the oasis!

After hiking for six hours we enjoyed a swim, or rather a float, in the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is bordered by the West Bank to the north, Israel to the south, and Jordan to the East. The surface is 1385 feet below sea level and contains high levels of bromine, magnesium, and iodine.

Floating in the Dead Sea

You don't have to worry about anything biting you because virtually nothing can survive in this salty environment. Because of the high density of the water, people float! It's actually hard to swim because of the way your body bobs to the top.

If it was good enough for Cleopatra, it's good enough for us.

Black mud from the Dead Sea, which smells like sulfur, is supposed to be rich in minerals and therefore good for your skin. You can buy in online for a lot of money, or just come to the Dead Sea and stick your hand in a hole and grab a handful.

City Views

Mount of Olives

We started the day waking up at 5 am to go to the top of the Mount of Olives and catch the early morning light on the city of Jerusalem. We took a bus up to the mount and before we saw the view, we practically ran into a camel, who was just hanging out in the middle of the road alone eating trash.

Randy and the camel

Jerusalem

The overlook at the top of the mount is one of the best views of Jerusalem. There is a huge Jewish cemetery on the side of the hill with approximately 150,000 Jews buried there. It is the oldest continually used cemetery in the world. There are several churches on the mount and the Garden of Gethsemane is located at the bottom.

Jewish Cemetery on the Mount of Olives

The last thing we did before leaving Jerusalem was one of the best. We bought tickets to go up onto the top of the wall that surrounds the city. You can walk around the whole city and see everything from above.

On top of the city wall.

Bethlehem

Manger Square in Bethlehem

Today we took a day trip to Bethlehem. This was our first visit to a Palestinian-controlled city and we weren't sure what to expect. Getting there was easy enough - our bus drove us straight through the checkpoints and into the city. Returning to Jerusalem, we had to take a cab to the checkpoint just outside of town, walk through a security checkpoint to have our bags scanned and show our passports, and catch a bus on the other side.

The controversial wall Israel is building between Israel and the Palestinian Territory.

The city is famous for being the birthplace of Jesus, making it a popular place for tourists and pilgrims. The biggest attraction is the Church of the Nativity, built on the sight where Jesus was thought to have been born. Commissioned in AD 326, it is the oldest continually operating church.

The star on the floor marks the birthplace of Jesus.

Like everything else in this part of the world, the church has seen its share of drama. The management of the church is currently shared by three groups - Greek Orthodox, Armenians, and Catholics - who don't get along.

The city is majority Muslim, although it is also home to a large group of Arab Christians. We happened to go on a Friday, which is the Muslim prayer day, so most of the shops and businesses were closed.

Muslim men gathered in Manger Square to hear the Friday midday prayer broadcast over loudspeakers from the nearby mosque.

We returned to Jerusalem in time for another visit to the Western Wall for Shabbat. Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest and begins at sundown on Friday and ends on Saturday night. No work is permitted on Shabbat including writing, taking pictures, turning lights on or off, or using a cell phone. The beginning of Shabbat is a very popular time to go to the Western Wall and pray. Everyone dresses up in nice clothes. The whole area around the wall was packed with people.

This photo of the Western Wall was taken before Shabbat began since we were not permitted to take pictures after it started.

Lessons in Judaism

Jewish men praying at the Western Wall

This morning we woke up early. The city was almost dead at 7 am. The busiest thing going on was all the children rushing to school. Our first stop was the Western Wall (or Wailing Wall), located just outside the Temple Mount.

This wall is the most holy place for Jews and they go there to pray and stick notes with prayers on them in between the stones in the wall. They believe praying here is more beneficial than praying anywhere else. The Jews face the wall and pray while rocking back and forth. When leaving the wall, they walk backwards away from it rather than turning around and walking away.

Temple Mount

After seeing the Western Wall, we went to the Temple Mount, which is located on the other side of the Western Wall. It is a holy site for both the Jews and the Muslims and has a long and dramatic history. It is claimed by both Judaism and Islam but is currently controlled by an Islamic council. The Dome of the Rock sits in the middle but only Muslims can go inside.

Later we checked out the Mahane Yehuda Market and enjoyed looking at the spices, fruits, breads, and pastries. Jewish families were there buying food.

Randy pondering the spices at Mahane Yehuda Market

Nearby the market there is an Ultraorthodox Jewish neighborhood called Me'a She'arim. Life here revolves around prayer and study over work or anything else. The people adhere very strictly to Jewish laws. The group, originally from Eastern Europe, wear long black jackets and hats despite the harsh Middle Eastern sun. Women wear long skirts and cover their heads after marriage.

We happened upon some kind of rally in the Jewish neighborhood Me'a She'arim. We heard talking over loudspeakers and everyone started walking toward this town square.

On to Jerusalem

West Bank

This morning we faced the challenge of how to get across the country without public transportation because of the holiday. We had already done everything we wanted to do in Tiberias but the buses weren't going to start running again until 4.

We got together with a German hostel-mate who was also looking for a way to Jerusalem and decided to split a taxi ride. It definitely cost more than we wanted to pay but it was worth it to get to Jerusalem by lunchtime.

The taxi driver took us across the West Bank, a Palestinian Territory, to Jerusalem. The highway ran parallel to the Jordan River. Because there are so few trees, we could see for many miles, including the mountains of Jordan beyond the River.

There are three categories of control in the West Bank - total Israeli control, total Palestinian control, or a combination of the two. The majority of of the West Bank is under total Israeli control so for the most part, Israelis can move about freely while Palestinians are more severely restricted. A few areas, including Bethlehem, are under Palestinian civil and military control and no one with an Israeli passport can enter.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal by the UN and the United States. Our taxi driver didn't speak much English but would point to towns as we passed and say "Jewish" or "Arab".

Jerusalem Street

Jerusalem is a very interesting city. It is surrounded by walls and the only way to get in or out is to pass through one of the gates around the perimeter. It has a Christian Quarter, a Jewish Quarter, and a Muslim Quarter. The narrow stone streets are crowded with Muslim women, Orthodox Jewish men, and everything in between.

Temple Mount

The city is crammed with history and is very significant to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. We went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which stands at the place where Jesus was though to be crucified. Everything seems to be symbolic - the site of King David's tomb, the site where the Virgin Mary was thought to have been born, and the list goes on.

We're always at our best when eating a falafel sandwich.

Jerusalem offers wonderful culinary opportunities including falafel, shawarma, baklava. Since we love Middle Eastern food, we're in food heaven.

The Israeli Adventure Begins

After a long flight from Atlanta, we arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday evening around 5 p.m. Originally we had planned to spend our first night in Tel Aviv, but since we agreed that our first stop would be Tiberias, we immediately boarded a bus to get the 3 hour journey out of the way.

"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and disease among the people." - Matthew 4:23

We awoke this morning very refreshed and well rested. Tiberias is a city on the coast of the Sea of Galilee in northeastern Israel. The Sea (lake is more appropriate) of Galilee is where Jesus walked on water, fed the 5000, and other noteworthy biblical events. We rented bikes and rode to the northwestern coast of the Sea of Galilee to see some of the land and historical sights.

Our first stop was at a museum to see a 2000 year old boat that was discovered in 1986. We suppose an old boat in another place might not be so significant, but this one has been carefully preserved and is on display for a hefty admission fee because, who knows, it just might have come in contact with Jesus himself.

Mount of Beatitudes

Next we went to the Mount of Beatitudes, which has been commemorated as the location of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (although the actual location is not certain). The road was long, steep, and windy to the top of the mountain, and not at all conducive to ametuer bikers with poorly shifting gears. We spotted a side trail which was completely overgroan with tall grass, but seemed to cut off a lot of the paved route. We had to walk our bikes uphill through the tall grass, sweating and grunting the whole time. When we finally got to the top, it was closed for lunch! We talked to the guard and told him we had biked all this way, and he was nice enough to let us in. The top of the mountain had well-landscaped grounds with nice views and a chapel.

We biked to Tabgha, a Byzantine Monastery built at the site where Jesus multiplied a small meal to feed 5000 people, and then on to Capernaum. In Capernaum, we saw the ruins of the old Roman town mentioned in the Bible, including the remains of a synagogue where Jesus taught and the remains of Peter's house.

After Capernaum we were so exhausted and decided to start the long bike ride back to Tiberias. We were far to tired to continue on to Bethsaida and the Jordan River. While walking the bikes up one particularly steep hill, a taxi van stopped and offered a ride. We were so worn out, that we accepted it.

When we got back, pretty much everything was closed because Moses received the 10 commandments today several thousands years ago...making it a big Jewish Holiday. No work from 4 pm today until 4 pm tomorrow. That includes the bus driver to Jerusalem...our next stop. The sunset over the Sea (Lake) of Galilee was beautiful though.

Joy in the City

Standing on the Brooklyn Bridge with the NYC skyline in the background.

Randy's mom, Joy, came to visit us in April. Andrea was working for most of her visit, but Joy and Randy had a great time visiting Central Park, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, and going to the World Trade Center Site. They lucked out with beautiful sunny weather for almost the whole time.

The three of us had a wonderful evening eating lamb kebabs at an Afghan restaurant and watching Phantom of the Opera, where Joy reminisced about her singing days.

Our other food adventures including picnicing in Bryant Park and eating pizza at Lombardi's.

Joy also brought us much needed bedroom curtains! They're blue to match our bedspread and homemade, just like the delicious pound cake she also brought.