This last page is for extra events and places we visited on our tour.
| HOLY LAND V June 9-19, 2011 |
Camel riding at the gas station
It was a short stop on this fun day to
ride a camel. Wanda and I rode
camels in Egypt, at the pyramids.
Ahem. So the experience wasn't
repeated. About half of our group
rode the two camels for a 3-minute
ride around the gas station, enough
for photos and the smell. It was just
as much fun to watch.
It was a short stop on this fun day to
ride a camel. Wanda and I rode
camels in Egypt, at the pyramids.
Ahem. So the experience wasn't
repeated. About half of our group
rode the two camels for a 3-minute
ride around the gas station, enough
for photos and the smell. It was just
as much fun to watch.
More gas station fun: the ELVIS CAFE
Our last meal in the Holy Land was here, at the ELVIS CAFE, on the way to the Tel Aviv
airport. There is more Elvis memorabilia here than anywhere else in the world save
Graceland. Amazing. The hamburgers were GOOD. It was a very, very odd
experience, especially since the place was FULL of Israeli Arabs. I guess the
hamburgers weren't kosher.
Our last meal in the Holy Land was here, at the ELVIS CAFE, on the way to the Tel Aviv
airport. There is more Elvis memorabilia here than anywhere else in the world save
Graceland. Amazing. The hamburgers were GOOD. It was a very, very odd
experience, especially since the place was FULL of Israeli Arabs. I guess the
hamburgers weren't kosher.
Church of the Pater Noster, Jerusalem
The 4th-century Byzantine church has
been partially reconstructed and
provides a good sense of what the
original was like. The half-restored
church has the same dimensions as
the original; the garden outside the
three doors outlines the atrium area.
The 19th-century cloister is in a
European style and upholds the
tradition of multilingual plaques
bearing the Lord's Prayer - 62 tiled
panels display the prayer in 62
different languages, from Aramaic to
Japanese to Scots Gaelic.
Two views of the church: postcard
and real-life
The 4th-century Byzantine church has
been partially reconstructed and
provides a good sense of what the
original was like. The half-restored
church has the same dimensions as
the original; the garden outside the
three doors outlines the atrium area.
The 19th-century cloister is in a
European style and upholds the
tradition of multilingual plaques
bearing the Lord's Prayer - 62 tiled
panels display the prayer in 62
different languages, from Aramaic to
Japanese to Scots Gaelic.
Two views of the church: postcard
and real-life
Our Father in
ancient Aramaic
ancient Aramaic
St. Joseph's Church, Nazareth
Below the Church is where the Holy Family lived. We were able to view the grotto of the cave where they lived. It was very
plain and simple.
Below the Church is where the Holy Family lived. We were able to view the grotto of the cave where they lived. It was very
plain and simple.
Hebron, Tomb of the Patriarchs
This site was closed to us
Christians and is a
much-contested site between
Jews and Muslims. Ishmael's
tomb is on the left, Abraham's in
the middle and Isaac's on the
right. There were armed Israeli
soldiers guarding. From a
postcard, at right, a Crusader
ceiling inside the Tomb.
This site was closed to us
Christians and is a
much-contested site between
Jews and Muslims. Ishmael's
tomb is on the left, Abraham's in
the middle and Isaac's on the
right. There were armed Israeli
soldiers guarding. From a
postcard, at right, a Crusader
ceiling inside the Tomb.
Judean wilderness and the Dead Sea Scrolls
The Essenes lived here in caves and wrote
prodigious accounts of their life. The Scrolls
contain some 1st century Biblical books,
older than any existing Biblical books. John
the Baptist may have lived with them. There
had to have been contact between the
Essenes, John and Jesus, since John
baptized Jesus where the Jordan enters the
Dead Sea, very close to the caves of the
Essenes and Jesus lived out there for 40 days
and nights.
The Essenes lived here in caves and wrote
prodigious accounts of their life. The Scrolls
contain some 1st century Biblical books,
older than any existing Biblical books. John
the Baptist may have lived with them. There
had to have been contact between the
Essenes, John and Jesus, since John
baptized Jesus where the Jordan enters the
Dead Sea, very close to the caves of the
Essenes and Jesus lived out there for 40 days
and nights.
Center below: the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and far right
shows the proximity of the settlement of the Essenes and the Dead Sea.
shows the proximity of the settlement of the Essenes and the Dead Sea.
Dead Sea fun On our last day here, besides the Dead Sea Scroll-Essenes stop, we went to the Dead Sea. We also wanted to go
to the place where John baptized Jesus, but that area is restricted, as it's the site of the King Hassan/Allenby Bridge, the
Jordan-Israel border. So we had to be content with ONLY the Dead Sea. Yvonne got her feet wet...or so goes the rumor.
The Dead Sea shores have shrunk by 1/4 mile in the last 20 years. One day it will be the Dead Sea Lake, Pond, Puddle and
Memory. It was Controlled Chaos with all the tourists, swimmers and shoppers. Lots of soldiers.
to the place where John baptized Jesus, but that area is restricted, as it's the site of the King Hassan/Allenby Bridge, the
Jordan-Israel border. So we had to be content with ONLY the Dead Sea. Yvonne got her feet wet...or so goes the rumor.
The Dead Sea shores have shrunk by 1/4 mile in the last 20 years. One day it will be the Dead Sea Lake, Pond, Puddle and
Memory. It was Controlled Chaos with all the tourists, swimmers and shoppers. Lots of soldiers.
Jerico, close to the Dead Sea
We had lunch here. Anything can be grown here with the weather and underground springs. Close by in the hills is an ancient
Greek Orthodox monastery carved into the hills (second row, left), overlooking modern-day Jericho. Four monks still live there,
living extraordinarily simple lives. Modern day Jericho is center below. It's an Arab-Palestinian-Muslim city.
We had lunch here. Anything can be grown here with the weather and underground springs. Close by in the hills is an ancient
Greek Orthodox monastery carved into the hills (second row, left), overlooking modern-day Jericho. Four monks still live there,
living extraordinarily simple lives. Modern day Jericho is center below. It's an Arab-Palestinian-Muslim city.
Middle East catch 22: All
through this area Dead
Sea "beauty products"
are sold. The catch?
They are all confiscated
at the airport, whether
they are carried on or in
luggage.
Another catch: the same
products are sold in the
airport. Ah, good to know
that some things don't
change.
through this area Dead
Sea "beauty products"
are sold. The catch?
They are all confiscated
at the airport, whether
they are carried on or in
luggage.
Another catch: the same
products are sold in the
airport. Ah, good to know
that some things don't
change.
Tel Aviv, the Mediterranean
We had a short city tour around Tel Aviv. It didn't seem to be a very attractive city and the traffic was horrendous.
But, these beach shots of the sea and sky were too beautiful NOT to photograph.
We had a short city tour around Tel Aviv. It didn't seem to be a very attractive city and the traffic was horrendous.
But, these beach shots of the sea and sky were too beautiful NOT to photograph.
FINIS.
