Trip report by Gerry (spoiler alert; there is NO men behaving badly reporting, except for one bad behaving monk.)
“There can be Jerusalem without Israel, but there cannot be Israel without Jerusalem”
(David Ben-Gurion)
Last week, we got back from a whirlwind trip to Israel. It's a place of limited square mileage, but it is jam packed with things to see and history to explore. In fact, it was really too much, too fast. We have spent the last few days trying to mentally unpack the experience. As we sort out, we'll get a fuller appreciation.
We arrived in Tel Aviv, a day ahead of the tour, because it's a really, really, really long trek, and we needed a little time. Our hotel was near the beach, which provided a great relaxing start. Evening breezes, volleyball in the sand, and hordes of residents on scooters and bikes flying down the path. The second evening, we met the other six people in our group and got to know one another while waiting for the guide, who never showed. So, she did come the next morning and off we went in our mimi van with the low roof (on which I hit my head three times).
We visited Roman/Crusader/Ottoman sites, one often built atop the prior. We saw beautiful tiled mosques and stunningly ornate orthodox churches. The Bahai Gardens in Haifa were a visual meditation. We took a boat ride on the Sea (it's actually a lake) of Galilee. Not a soul was walking on water. We visited a lovely winery and got to taste just how far they've come from the Manischewitz (sp?) of my youth. We visited a couple of kibbutzim, where the original farming has been augmented by a variety of industries. They are very successful. They were communists at the beginning--from each according to his ability, to each according to his need--but they eventually abandoned communal rules and incorporated using stock shares.
Jaffa, Jericho, Haifa, Akko, Caesaria, Golan Heights, Masada, the Dead Sea. It seems we touched down almost everywhere.
Jerusalem and Bethlehem were overwhelming. It was the tail end of the season, I can only imagine what they're like during holy seasons. There was a touch of unchristian shoving by a couple of women and a monk, wanting to see the site of the creche of the baby Jesus, and not wanting to stand in line. I was reminded, "And, the last shall be first." I had always pictured that saying a bit differently.
The Old City. One passed sections sitting cheek by jowl, from Jewish, to Christian, to Muslim. All of the Sons Of Abraham, each laying claim to a piece of the city. The Wailing Wall, the Holy Church of the Sepulcher, the beautiful mosque.
The last night we were treated to a light show at the Tower of David. They do this most evenings. It's a visual history of Jerusalem, projected on the ancient stone walls. It was really quite breathtaking. Google it if you're interested.
Coming home, we had a 24 hour day. We left our hotel in Jerusalem at 8 in the morning and cowered in the back seat as our NASCAR driver raced to the airport in Tel Aviv. Arriving nice and early as we did, there was plenty of time for me to try to figure out the McDonald's kiosks in the waiting area. We finally got an order of fries to share. Oh, the flight home....12 hours from Tel Aviv to Newark. I don't know where to lay the blame, but there weren't enough kosher meals on board for everyone who needed one. This created a fair amount of stress among both passengers and crew. Layered on top of that, we had stereo, high pitched, baby screaming. One in front and another behind. When one got tired and stopped, the other one picked up and got going again. Once we got to Newark we had several more hours to "relax" before our flight to Phoenix. That one was uneventful. We walked in the door at just about midnight, it was 10 a.m. in Tel Aviv.
August 1, we leave for two weeks in Australia……. "Take it to the limit one more time"
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