It didn't hit me that today was my Last Day in Israel. I have grown so much in the past several weeks. We are still in the Hotel in Tel Aviv and it is much cooler here than many other places because it is on the Mediterranean Sea. I woke up this morning and our room was a chilly 69 degrees. I was cold under the covers! I have become so used to the climate. In the morning we walked along the beach to Jaffa (commonly known as Jaffa) an ancient Port city about 2 miles out of Tel Aviv. In recent years they have combine the two cities because Jaffa is so small and has decreased in significance. After walking there and back in the hot sun, I was toasty and red. My legs had clearly defined burn marks from where my shorts dropped to and the blisters on my feet were throbbing and growing with every step. As adventurous as the walk was, I am glad it's over and I can rest. We stopped at a beachside restaurant and ate Schwarmas. I was offered many things to add and I felt very adventurous with my mystery chicken meat being stuffed into a Pita. It was good and inexpensive! Steven and I wandered around the city for the rest of the day, others went swimming again although I didn't want to get my swim suit wet. We went souvenir shopping and yes, walked a lot!
Night fell and after eating dinner we all wanted to get a little bit of rest. We needed to leave in the morning at 1:30am. I was not at rest! I was scared and intimidated by the massive amount of security that we would have to go through and the strict policies. Everyone was in the lobby at 1:15 where we were to meet our bus to drive us to the Airport. He was a half an hour late getting to the Hotel. With a late start, the group was not sure if we were going to make the plane. On the Freeway to the airport, we came to a standstill. Construction workers had condensed 4 lanes down to 1. We sat in traffic for about an hour before passing the construction and arriving at the airport. With only 2 hours to get 13 people through an incredibly difficult security process, JR and the group were nervous about the flight. We walk up to the first security checkpoint. This is where they question every passenger, check passports for stamps, run your checked luggage through an X-Ray machine and peer through all of your stuff on a table.
Our drivers bag had been taken off the bus on accident. We couldn't leave it sitting somewhere or people would think it was a bomb, so we gave it to the security officers. They were unhappy that we had an unknown bag. They asked several times, "Who's bag is this?...Why do you have this bag?...Where did the bag come from?...Why did you take the bag?...Who unloaded the bag?...Why did YOU unload the bag?" After waiting in line for several minutes they took the bag away and proceeded with the security measures. They only questioned one person from our group to speed up the process although I overheard the questions they were asking other people. "What Languages to you speak? Where did you visit? Do you know anyone in Israel? What is your relationship with them? Did you receive any gifts from anyone? Who gave you the gifts? Can I see the gifts? Where are you traveling? What kinds of thing did you see when you were here?" There were many questions that I didn't understand why? I was asked to present them with a gift from St. Georges College, a ceramic tile. I couldn't find it and rummage through my bad. The scanned my checked luggage and while I was fine, others were asked to move to an additional line to have their bags hand checked. My bag was destroyed when I looked for the tile and now that I was through security, I was not able to re arrange my baggage. Still in a rush we checked our luggage at the Lufthansa counter. This is when we found our plane was delayed by an hour. Good, but also not so good...we only had an hour and a half to catch our connecting flight in Frankfurt.
After being processed through outgoing immigration, we proceeded to the plane. This is where we were boarded an additional 25 minutes late. When we got on the plane, we lost our place in line for take off. We sat waiting to get clearance to leave the gate for about an hour. We finally made it to Frankfurt and only had 30 minutes to make it to our plane. People on the plane would not sit down when the aircraft was moving. I have never in my life seen flight attendants get so aggravated at passengers before. The threatened to stop moving which was not a good thing for us being in such a rush. Our gate was also being occupied by another airline at the time, so we were forced to be de boarded on the Tarmac an bussed to the international terminal. We had missed our connecting flight to Seattle. JR, the group leader, was amazing at working with Lufthansa airline to get food voucher and a Hotel for the night. We opted to take the flight the next morning instead of connecting our way through Newark.
Our hotel was about 15 minutes from the airport although I was extremely excited to be able to ride on the Autobaun! We didn't see any sites this time because we were all so tired and spent most of the afternoon relaxing and the night sleeping before the flight in the morning. At our gate, the group from Minnesota that was taking the youth coarse was there as well. We said our final goodbyes and took off to Seattle, a relieving moment once the plane took off. This Pilgrimage was an incredible experience! I have learned so much about my faith, myself and the area where it all happened. I have connected with so many people and want to learn so much more. Thanks for keeping up with my travel journal, if you have questions, please write a comment and I will answer it to the best of my abilities.
My favorite part of the trip:
Climbing Up and Down Masada along with the incredible view of the Dead Sea and the former river line. I also felt a real connection with God while I was at the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberius). It was such a calming location and the refreshing nature of the water was needed at that point in the trip.
http://mr.germanis.org
Monday, July 26, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Leave For Tel Aviv
Today was a bittersweet day; we had to say our goodbyes to all of the new friends we made at St. Georges College. While we were waiting, a small blind kitten ran into the driveway. Cats run around like squirrels. We played with the Kitten and tried to give it food although it didn’t want anything. It made many of us, especially Nate, sad to leave the kitten behind. Our bus finally arrived, after all of the other groups had left, to take us to Tel Aviv. The city is one of the only major cities in the country so it is like the Las Vegas, New York, Miami and LA of Israel all mixed into one. More on this later.
Our rooms were not all ready, so we left our luggage in one of the available rooms and toured around the city. Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel owned a house, which has been transformed into a Museum. The history in this house showed the serious attempt that the country had at unifying its people and creating a peaceful country.
After walking around for about 2 hours, our rooms were ready. We all changed into our swimming gear and took a dive into the Mediterranean. In comparison, the Dead Sea contains 14% salt; the Mediterranean has only 7% salt content. It still left a bad taste in my mouth, but was enjoyable to swim in such warm, yet refreshing water. The waves came in as perfect waves, which many people in the water were either surfing of body surfing. I tried to body surf although the salt water would get into my nose and burned for a long while.
We returned to the Hotel to dry off before leaving for dinner. A group of kids, about our age walked in from a tour bus that was parked outside. There were so many of them, and they all spoke French. I was told they were “ Birth Right Jews.” I didn’t know what that meant. From what I am told, Jewish Youth have the option of traveling to the Israel (which is commonly known as the Jewish Homeland) and is paid for by many American Jewish Communities. Because the Israeli Government sponsors it, I don’t believe that those visitors have an accurate representation of what is happening in the country. We’ve seen so much more than the local government wants us to see! We’ve talked to Arabs and Palestinians and seen the discrimination from locals. Water is the biggest issue.
Tonight was Bishop Greg’s Last night with us before he has to go back to the US. He treated us all to dinner out in Tel Aviv and Gelato from the local shop. Nightlife in Tel Aviv is one large party! The larges night is on the Sabbath when the beach is covered with music vans and parties. We did not partake. Tomorrow is our last day in Israel and we leave the Hotel at 1:30am. I will blog about tomorrow and our travel day home when I return to the States. Can’t wait to be home!
Our rooms were not all ready, so we left our luggage in one of the available rooms and toured around the city. Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel owned a house, which has been transformed into a Museum. The history in this house showed the serious attempt that the country had at unifying its people and creating a peaceful country.
After walking around for about 2 hours, our rooms were ready. We all changed into our swimming gear and took a dive into the Mediterranean. In comparison, the Dead Sea contains 14% salt; the Mediterranean has only 7% salt content. It still left a bad taste in my mouth, but was enjoyable to swim in such warm, yet refreshing water. The waves came in as perfect waves, which many people in the water were either surfing of body surfing. I tried to body surf although the salt water would get into my nose and burned for a long while.
We returned to the Hotel to dry off before leaving for dinner. A group of kids, about our age walked in from a tour bus that was parked outside. There were so many of them, and they all spoke French. I was told they were “ Birth Right Jews.” I didn’t know what that meant. From what I am told, Jewish Youth have the option of traveling to the Israel (which is commonly known as the Jewish Homeland) and is paid for by many American Jewish Communities. Because the Israeli Government sponsors it, I don’t believe that those visitors have an accurate representation of what is happening in the country. We’ve seen so much more than the local government wants us to see! We’ve talked to Arabs and Palestinians and seen the discrimination from locals. Water is the biggest issue.
Tonight was Bishop Greg’s Last night with us before he has to go back to the US. He treated us all to dinner out in Tel Aviv and Gelato from the local shop. Nightlife in Tel Aviv is one large party! The larges night is on the Sabbath when the beach is covered with music vans and parties. We did not partake. Tomorrow is our last day in Israel and we leave the Hotel at 1:30am. I will blog about tomorrow and our travel day home when I return to the States. Can’t wait to be home!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Way of the Cross and The Old City
This morning we woke up extremely early for a summer day and left for the old city which is about 10 minutes from the college. Our goal was to beat the morning the rush to walk the stations of the cross as Jesus walked them before his Crucifixion. This meant much more than just doing the stations in a church because we took the path. At the end of the stations, we found our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre also known as the Church of the Resurrection. This church was built on top of the tomb where Jesus was buried and also the hill which he was crucified. Also in the church was tombs of others.
After the Via Delarosa, we ate breakfast in the old city until many of the shops would open. Because the first time our group was at the Western Wall, Steven and I forgot to bring along the prayers, we visited the Wall once again, although this morning, it was much busier than before, almost ten times. There were so many people praying at the wall, I was worried that we would not be able to get the prayers in the wall. We succeeded!
The group from the Diocese of Olympia traveled through the old city and finished our shopping. It was very helpful to have young Israeli girls to help me bargain a price for high quality goods. Along the Jaffa Gate, King David built a castle which has been renovated into a museum. It's call the Tower of David or the Citadel. This took the few of us who paid through the history of the city of Jerusalem, the eras and what the different types of ruling communities had on impacting what the city is today.
We left for lunch and walked back to the college. Most of the day was free time and relaxed back at the college with the other groups from the coarse. Today was the last day of our time in Jerusalem so we had a reception and farewell BBQ in the courtyard. Tomorrow we leave to spend a few days in Tel Aviv and then home for the summer. I will miss the culture although I can't wait to be back home.
After the Via Delarosa, we ate breakfast in the old city until many of the shops would open. Because the first time our group was at the Western Wall, Steven and I forgot to bring along the prayers, we visited the Wall once again, although this morning, it was much busier than before, almost ten times. There were so many people praying at the wall, I was worried that we would not be able to get the prayers in the wall. We succeeded!
The group from the Diocese of Olympia traveled through the old city and finished our shopping. It was very helpful to have young Israeli girls to help me bargain a price for high quality goods. Along the Jaffa Gate, King David built a castle which has been renovated into a museum. It's call the Tower of David or the Citadel. This took the few of us who paid through the history of the city of Jerusalem, the eras and what the different types of ruling communities had on impacting what the city is today.
We left for lunch and walked back to the college. Most of the day was free time and relaxed back at the college with the other groups from the coarse. Today was the last day of our time in Jerusalem so we had a reception and farewell BBQ in the courtyard. Tomorrow we leave to spend a few days in Tel Aviv and then home for the summer. I will miss the culture although I can't wait to be back home.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Mount Tabor
Unfortunately, today was uneventful although we saw some very historical sites. In the morning, we left Pilgarhaus for Mount Tabor which is almost a perfect dome surrounded by flat valley areas. The parks department told us that we were not allowed to climb up the mountain (or what they call one) because the leaves that fall on the hiking path this time of year are very slippery and hikers should not climb up or down, so...we took taxi's. The mountain is VERY steep and the road is extremely curvy and the taxi's drive very fast around those turns. When we got to the top, we held a Eucharist. Later we discover the church at the top of the mountain which is where is was claimed the transfiguration took place.
Most of the rest of the was a day of moving around and heading back to Jerusalem. Our bus was having major problems however and the path of our road, was very desert like and the air conditioning was broken and the bus was slowly shutting itself down. We made it safely back to Jerusalem although not without a stop at Bet Shian. These are just another of an infinate set of Roman/Egyptian ruins. Our scavenger hunt didn't sound too appealing in the 100+ degree heat. So I stayed and viewed the ruins from a distance while others took a more hands on approach (climbing to the top of Tell, a mixture of several civilizations). I wich I took the more hands on approach although one of the girls from the Canadian group became dehydrated and came down with heat sickness.
After a long day of traveling and a short day of sightseeing, we return to Saint George's College. Some of our final shopping bits were taken care of at the small Bazzar across the street as souvineers and gifts for family and friends back home. As tomorrow will be the last day of the course, featuring the Stations of the Cross and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurection), our groups discussed the proceedure at the Tel Aviv Airport. These are much more strict at this airport in particular although I will blog about that when I experience it. Until tomorrow!
Most of the rest of the was a day of moving around and heading back to Jerusalem. Our bus was having major problems however and the path of our road, was very desert like and the air conditioning was broken and the bus was slowly shutting itself down. We made it safely back to Jerusalem although not without a stop at Bet Shian. These are just another of an infinate set of Roman/Egyptian ruins. Our scavenger hunt didn't sound too appealing in the 100+ degree heat. So I stayed and viewed the ruins from a distance while others took a more hands on approach (climbing to the top of Tell, a mixture of several civilizations). I wich I took the more hands on approach although one of the girls from the Canadian group became dehydrated and came down with heat sickness.
After a long day of traveling and a short day of sightseeing, we return to Saint George's College. Some of our final shopping bits were taken care of at the small Bazzar across the street as souvineers and gifts for family and friends back home. As tomorrow will be the last day of the course, featuring the Stations of the Cross and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurection), our groups discussed the proceedure at the Tel Aviv Airport. These are much more strict at this airport in particular although I will blog about that when I experience it. Until tomorrow!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Birthday
My day started much earlier than expected at Midnight. I was sleeping in my room at a Hostile along the Sea of Galilee when I heard the door to my room open and I woke up to see what it was. A large group of people from the youth course were standing in the doorway. I said, “What are you doing in my room?” and then they serenaded me in bed hitting me with pillows singing Happy Birthday. What a way to start my 18th birthday…with a group of friends in Israel!
When we woke up and ate a great breakfast (they have Coco Puffs here!!!) we traveled a short way to Capernaum. This is where Jesus moved to after his youth in Nazareth which was becoming much too dangerous for the sun of got to be living. Capernaum was a much larger city than Nazareth although has become ruins later in time while Nazareth has flourished into a major city. The morning was spent in the ruins where I received my first birthday present from my parents (a kiss from JR and Irean, my parents away from home).
Our next stop was to the Temple of Pan, another common god during the time of Jesus. This fortress was built by the sons for Herod following his death. The architecture of this fallen village was amazing. A Highlight at this site was the sand scriptures. A large rod attached to a cone sitting in a sand pit has reversed lettering on it so when it was rotated in the sand, the result would be a scripture. I’ll put a picture up which will make much more sense. After seeing this area and Banyas Waterfall (which had a French Fry Vending machine) we returned to the Hostile on the Sea of Galilee.
On the ride back, we saw signs along the road which read, “Caution, Mines" I wondered why and was told we were in Israeli occupied Syria. Through this trip I have visited multiple countries, the US of course, Germany, Israel, Occupied Palestine and Syria. The territories throughout the country are very different than when we look at them on a political map. Everything isn’t as clear as a line which divides state from state. It is argued land and since the United States supports Israel, we see the country as the Israeli Government wants us to see it and what seems right in the eyes of the powerful Jewish rulers.
Returning to Pilgarhaus, we changed into swimming gear to go to the water for a baptism service. It was a traditional baptism device where Emily was dunked into the water on the Sea of Galilee. Following this service students from the coarse swam for a while in the refreshing water. It was not cold, although it seemed like a public pool that was slightly warmed. For us Seattleites, it was VERY warm water.
It’s my birthday and many people wished me a Very Happy Birthday. I feel like I have so many more privileges and responsibilities although I don’t feel any wiser with the responsibilities. At dinner, people bought me my soda and following the group reflection time, they threw me a birthday party with cherry chocolate cake. When the amazing cake came out, it didn’t have candles, but rather fireworks spewing sparks out from the top. What a way to end the day sitting next to a lake in Israel with a group of friends eating my birthday cake with fireworks on top!
When we woke up and ate a great breakfast (they have Coco Puffs here!!!) we traveled a short way to Capernaum. This is where Jesus moved to after his youth in Nazareth which was becoming much too dangerous for the sun of got to be living. Capernaum was a much larger city than Nazareth although has become ruins later in time while Nazareth has flourished into a major city. The morning was spent in the ruins where I received my first birthday present from my parents (a kiss from JR and Irean, my parents away from home).
Our next stop was to the Temple of Pan, another common god during the time of Jesus. This fortress was built by the sons for Herod following his death. The architecture of this fallen village was amazing. A Highlight at this site was the sand scriptures. A large rod attached to a cone sitting in a sand pit has reversed lettering on it so when it was rotated in the sand, the result would be a scripture. I’ll put a picture up which will make much more sense. After seeing this area and Banyas Waterfall (which had a French Fry Vending machine) we returned to the Hostile on the Sea of Galilee.
On the ride back, we saw signs along the road which read, “Caution, Mines" I wondered why and was told we were in Israeli occupied Syria. Through this trip I have visited multiple countries, the US of course, Germany, Israel, Occupied Palestine and Syria. The territories throughout the country are very different than when we look at them on a political map. Everything isn’t as clear as a line which divides state from state. It is argued land and since the United States supports Israel, we see the country as the Israeli Government wants us to see it and what seems right in the eyes of the powerful Jewish rulers.
Returning to Pilgarhaus, we changed into swimming gear to go to the water for a baptism service. It was a traditional baptism device where Emily was dunked into the water on the Sea of Galilee. Following this service students from the coarse swam for a while in the refreshing water. It was not cold, although it seemed like a public pool that was slightly warmed. For us Seattleites, it was VERY warm water.
It’s my birthday and many people wished me a Very Happy Birthday. I feel like I have so many more privileges and responsibilities although I don’t feel any wiser with the responsibilities. At dinner, people bought me my soda and following the group reflection time, they threw me a birthday party with cherry chocolate cake. When the amazing cake came out, it didn’t have candles, but rather fireworks spewing sparks out from the top. What a way to end the day sitting next to a lake in Israel with a group of friends eating my birthday cake with fireworks on top!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Off to Galilee
Thanks to a productive conversation with the course director, the day started out by sleeping in a bit more than before. We talk less in the sun and the group bond much more. On the way to Galilee, the freeway drive made me realize the separation between all of the country. For miles, a link fence runs across the freeway to stop Non-Israeli, Arab, Palestinians from entering the walls of Israel. We finally left the sight of the fence only by passing through another checkpoint. A guard came onto the bus with his riffle and looked through although I don't know what for. I assume that if he saw something he didn't like, he would request to see a passport. Taking pictures at these rest stops is strictly prohibited and can only cause more problems.
The first detour was to another Heroin Palace called Ceasaria, a city dedicated to Rome. The informational video explained the change from Herod's rule where he improved the city into a flourishing port town with entertainment and lavish accommodations to the hands of the crusaders onto the Christians and then Muslims. This exchange of power over the years is interesting in explaining the countries current state of affairs. Some people claim this land because they have occupied it for so long and others claim it has significant religious importance.
We finally got to Nazareth again after making a stop at Megiddo for lunch. We revisited the Basilica of Annunciation and went inside the church on the second level. Looking at the paintings and interpretations of Mary and the annunciation made me think...all of these people believe in this event and all see the same event in a different way. Each painting is so different yet portrays the same thing. We left the basilica for Holy Family Church again in Raineh.
As a large group this time we met with the youth at the church. Father Samuel explained the discrimination that Arabs living in Palestine face, whether they are Christian or Muslim. Signing your name on the national test (similar to the SAT) as a Jew will earn a person 300 points while signing your name as an Arab will only award students 200 points. This discrimination doesn't seem wrong to most of the Jewish community. Samuel showed us a video called Targeted Citizen. It is attached here. This has changed my view on the nation. Although it is in Arabic and Hebrew it proves a solid point. Watch until the very end. The wealthy Jewish communities have all of the luxuries. Samuel explains that in the small city of Raineh, there are 7 fresh water springs with high quality water. Of those seven right under their feet, the Arab community uses none of them. This water is transported to the wealthy Jewish communities in Nazareth and Raineh has it's water transported from about 15-20 miles away in the Sea of Galilee. After some refreshments (and bottled water), we left the parish for our two night retreat in Pilgerhaus on the Lake Tiberius (aka Sea of Galilee).
Our schedule was rearranged so we could enjoy some swimming in the Lake. This was very refreshing and was much cooler than the Dead Sea. Our group came together and had fun and for me was the highlight of the day. We speed off to dinner and were treated by the group from New York to an evening on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. On this boat, I felt so a peace. I had friends around, my life is going in the right direction and I am happy. It was nice to be able to feel that. I looked at the stars realizing where I am on this planet and that even though I am on the other side of the world, the sky looks the same at night.
Tomorrow is my 18th birthday and I can't wait for what tomorrow's adventures will bring.
The first detour was to another Heroin Palace called Ceasaria, a city dedicated to Rome. The informational video explained the change from Herod's rule where he improved the city into a flourishing port town with entertainment and lavish accommodations to the hands of the crusaders onto the Christians and then Muslims. This exchange of power over the years is interesting in explaining the countries current state of affairs. Some people claim this land because they have occupied it for so long and others claim it has significant religious importance.
We finally got to Nazareth again after making a stop at Megiddo for lunch. We revisited the Basilica of Annunciation and went inside the church on the second level. Looking at the paintings and interpretations of Mary and the annunciation made me think...all of these people believe in this event and all see the same event in a different way. Each painting is so different yet portrays the same thing. We left the basilica for Holy Family Church again in Raineh.
As a large group this time we met with the youth at the church. Father Samuel explained the discrimination that Arabs living in Palestine face, whether they are Christian or Muslim. Signing your name on the national test (similar to the SAT) as a Jew will earn a person 300 points while signing your name as an Arab will only award students 200 points. This discrimination doesn't seem wrong to most of the Jewish community. Samuel showed us a video called Targeted Citizen. It is attached here. This has changed my view on the nation. Although it is in Arabic and Hebrew it proves a solid point. Watch until the very end. The wealthy Jewish communities have all of the luxuries. Samuel explains that in the small city of Raineh, there are 7 fresh water springs with high quality water. Of those seven right under their feet, the Arab community uses none of them. This water is transported to the wealthy Jewish communities in Nazareth and Raineh has it's water transported from about 15-20 miles away in the Sea of Galilee. After some refreshments (and bottled water), we left the parish for our two night retreat in Pilgerhaus on the Lake Tiberius (aka Sea of Galilee).
Our schedule was rearranged so we could enjoy some swimming in the Lake. This was very refreshing and was much cooler than the Dead Sea. Our group came together and had fun and for me was the highlight of the day. We speed off to dinner and were treated by the group from New York to an evening on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. On this boat, I felt so a peace. I had friends around, my life is going in the right direction and I am happy. It was nice to be able to feel that. I looked at the stars realizing where I am on this planet and that even though I am on the other side of the world, the sky looks the same at night.
Tomorrow is my 18th birthday and I can't wait for what tomorrow's adventures will bring.
A City of Sorrows 6/16/10
Today was a realization about what kind of city Israel is and the sorrows of the people in the city. In the morning, we visited Yad Vashem, a museum about the Holocaust and it's association with Palestine. Walking through this museum was an eye opening experience. Some of the museum held a bias to resolve the reasons why the Jewish people should have significant rule in the Holy Land because of their previous discrimination's. My grandfather had escaped to Israel from Germany when he was fourteen. There was an area of the museum about those Jew's who escaped to Israel before WWII. Above this, we saw shoes that were taken from the Jews and piled under the floor. The point that gave me the most guilt was a large cylindrical room with books and books of names of those who died in the Holocaust. My last stop was to the children's memorial which listed the names and ages of the children known to have died in the work camps.
After an emotional morning, we returned to the college to digest the information. While waiting for lunch, some of us went out to find bottled water because the tap isn't great. It is extremely difficult to find water because many of the stores are closed on Friday. Friday is the Muslim day of worship, Saturday is the Sabbath (for Jews) and Sunday is the day of rest for Christians.
Before proceeding with the day I talked with the Bishop about my concerns with the course and the attitude of our instructor. He agreed with many of the points I made and said many of the other groups on the trip felt the same. In a conversation later in the night, many of the disputes were worked out which lead to improvements in our schedule. It is a bump that we had to face.
We left the college after lunch and saw the dividing wall on the east side of Jerusalem which separates Israel from Palestine. The wall is horrible and a tragedy for people who live on the other side. Several people don't belong to a country because Palestine isn't a country and the state of Israel will not accept these people as citizens. The tall separation only allows certain people through and is part of the reason we stop at the check points along the road. This is unfortunate for these people although the worst part of the situation is that United States lobbyists are paying for the production of the dividing wall and the progression of the discrimination of Israel and Palestinian Territories.
Past this wall, we stopped at the Mount of Olives visited the Dominus Flevit Chapel which provides an incredible view of the old city and Dome of the Rock and proceeded down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane and the connecting church. In the evening we were treated to ice cream or milkshakes at a local restaurant where there happened to be a wedding reception which provided great fun. Our evening was great and gave us hope about tomorrow and the improvements to the day as we head to Galilee.
After an emotional morning, we returned to the college to digest the information. While waiting for lunch, some of us went out to find bottled water because the tap isn't great. It is extremely difficult to find water because many of the stores are closed on Friday. Friday is the Muslim day of worship, Saturday is the Sabbath (for Jews) and Sunday is the day of rest for Christians.
Before proceeding with the day I talked with the Bishop about my concerns with the course and the attitude of our instructor. He agreed with many of the points I made and said many of the other groups on the trip felt the same. In a conversation later in the night, many of the disputes were worked out which lead to improvements in our schedule. It is a bump that we had to face.
We left the college after lunch and saw the dividing wall on the east side of Jerusalem which separates Israel from Palestine. The wall is horrible and a tragedy for people who live on the other side. Several people don't belong to a country because Palestine isn't a country and the state of Israel will not accept these people as citizens. The tall separation only allows certain people through and is part of the reason we stop at the check points along the road. This is unfortunate for these people although the worst part of the situation is that United States lobbyists are paying for the production of the dividing wall and the progression of the discrimination of Israel and Palestinian Territories.
Past this wall, we stopped at the Mount of Olives visited the Dominus Flevit Chapel which provides an incredible view of the old city and Dome of the Rock and proceeded down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane and the connecting church. In the evening we were treated to ice cream or milkshakes at a local restaurant where there happened to be a wedding reception which provided great fun. Our evening was great and gave us hope about tomorrow and the improvements to the day as we head to Galilee.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Day in the Holy Land
As morning starts, breakfast was less than American. Pita, cucumber, an oddly chunky hummus and Nutella. I elected to eat less and hope for a filling lunch. Our bus ride took us to the Old City where we were dropped off across the Mount of Olives by the Dome of the Rock. This is an incredible area dedicated to Muslims. The area is much more flat than all of the surrounding areas. Long ago, when this Mosque was built, the people would build it up for a closer place of worship. Security getting in was almost like an airports security. All of our bags were checked through the x-ray machine and metal detectors would sound in the event we had metal. Upon entry in the Holy Area, some of the girls were not modest enough. Katie's skirt was white rather than black and was asked to change into more modest attire. As a male, the dress code is much less strict than it is for women. We investigated the area although were not able to walk into the Dome as it is reserved strictly for Islamic people.
It was very interesting walking from the religious places into the streets of the old city where the area is populated with tourists and or people selling to tourists. Our next stop was to the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall, a large prayer place for many Jewish people. We were given a long lecture about the wall and were reminded to be respectful of those who are praying. The wall is divided between a men's side and a women's side and for the men's side is significantly larger than the women's side. Men are required to wear some form of head garment be it a yamica or a hat. People enter the wall area and many Jewish people rock back and forth to pay attention to their prayers to god. Many young men have their Bar Mitzvah in the area and because the women cannot enter the men's side, they peer over the dividing all between gender sides.
After the Western Wall, our tour headed to the Southern Wall of the temple in the Jerusalem Archaeological Museum. This is where it is said that Jesus frequently walked. After watching a very hokey video, we walked through the old Roman city where many merchants and religious people are said to have walked. After about 45 minutes of being talked to standing in the heat of the sun, we sat and ate a less than satisfactory lunch. Bologna in pita after being in my hot backpack for hours was nasty, not more cucumber and no more fake meat! I drank the nectar of apple juice, ate an apple and half a cliff bar. We were then going to Hezekiah's Tunnel.
In the City of David, long ago a well was dug to draw water out of the ground without having to leave the city walls. The fresh water spring ran through a long cave in which we waked through. There were no lights so we had to result to flashlight, which were sold for 4 shekels (about one dollar) a piece, more about that later. The cave had water that reached to the Middle of my thigh and the cave was as small as four feet high, The only way to get through is to bend very low. Most of the time, the water was only ankle deep. After 45 minutes in a pitch black cave we were out and left back for the college.
My day was not a good as I expected. Our tour guide (Father Andrew) has been extremely rude to many members of our group and in the morning did not prepare us for the day ahead. He did not tell us to leave extra room for our lunch which we needed to pack and recommended not to wear swimming trunks for the Tunnel. We were expected to purchase flashlights for the tunnel as well and were not told to bring money. The smallest bill I had was a 50 shekel note which would not be a good thing to buy a four shekel light. The part that made me the most angry for most of the day was the fact that he rudely talked to Irene (one of our youth leaders) about how she should not instruct him ho to run the course, that she had no place. Her simple suggestion was that he talk less about each site while standing in the direct sunlight. She was extremely offended and did not attend the course for the rest of the day. I remember most today standing in the sun or being outraged.
Tomorrow will be a better day although I don't know if it will be less depressing. We are going to visit to Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum). Until then.
It was very interesting walking from the religious places into the streets of the old city where the area is populated with tourists and or people selling to tourists. Our next stop was to the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall, a large prayer place for many Jewish people. We were given a long lecture about the wall and were reminded to be respectful of those who are praying. The wall is divided between a men's side and a women's side and for the men's side is significantly larger than the women's side. Men are required to wear some form of head garment be it a yamica or a hat. People enter the wall area and many Jewish people rock back and forth to pay attention to their prayers to god. Many young men have their Bar Mitzvah in the area and because the women cannot enter the men's side, they peer over the dividing all between gender sides.
After the Western Wall, our tour headed to the Southern Wall of the temple in the Jerusalem Archaeological Museum. This is where it is said that Jesus frequently walked. After watching a very hokey video, we walked through the old Roman city where many merchants and religious people are said to have walked. After about 45 minutes of being talked to standing in the heat of the sun, we sat and ate a less than satisfactory lunch. Bologna in pita after being in my hot backpack for hours was nasty, not more cucumber and no more fake meat! I drank the nectar of apple juice, ate an apple and half a cliff bar. We were then going to Hezekiah's Tunnel.
In the City of David, long ago a well was dug to draw water out of the ground without having to leave the city walls. The fresh water spring ran through a long cave in which we waked through. There were no lights so we had to result to flashlight, which were sold for 4 shekels (about one dollar) a piece, more about that later. The cave had water that reached to the Middle of my thigh and the cave was as small as four feet high, The only way to get through is to bend very low. Most of the time, the water was only ankle deep. After 45 minutes in a pitch black cave we were out and left back for the college.
My day was not a good as I expected. Our tour guide (Father Andrew) has been extremely rude to many members of our group and in the morning did not prepare us for the day ahead. He did not tell us to leave extra room for our lunch which we needed to pack and recommended not to wear swimming trunks for the Tunnel. We were expected to purchase flashlights for the tunnel as well and were not told to bring money. The smallest bill I had was a 50 shekel note which would not be a good thing to buy a four shekel light. The part that made me the most angry for most of the day was the fact that he rudely talked to Irene (one of our youth leaders) about how she should not instruct him ho to run the course, that she had no place. Her simple suggestion was that he talk less about each site while standing in the direct sunlight. She was extremely offended and did not attend the course for the rest of the day. I remember most today standing in the sun or being outraged.
Tomorrow will be a better day although I don't know if it will be less depressing. We are going to visit to Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum). Until then.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Masada and the Dead Sea
After waking up from the Middle of the Negev Desert at 5;00am, we quickly departed for Masada, a large mountain. The hike up started on the western side, just as the sun was rising, and we begin our ascent up the side of the hill. Herod, a King during the first century, built one of his many palaces there. The reason for the numerous palaces was to keep invasions away from him. He would constantly move from one location to another. At the top of his fortress, he had many houses and lookout points. One of his main offices where visitors would stay and meet overlooked the great dead sea. Because of the motion of the tectonic plates, the water flow had stopped. With the immense amount of heat and dessert conditions, the sea started to dry up. The tops of these plateaus looked like the bottom of a river.
After eating breakfast, we desended down the mountian, not an easy task. We went down the east side which was accuratly nammed the snake trail. Many time the railing would be gone and the drop to the bottom of Masada was in front of me. By the time we were at the bottom of Masada, the temperature must have been 100 degrees only at 9:30am. It is a dry desert land where there is no way to stop the heat.
Masada was only the first of many stops along the way. We drove up a ways, after looking at it from a distance, to the Dead Sea. The resession line is very clear as to where the water used to be and where the water is today. A large gap shows the loss of water of many years. One of the countries few industries is collecting the water from the dead sea and manufacturing cleaning and body rejuvination products. This only adds to the water loss the sea is experiencing. The bus drove us to a public watering hole where we swam in the dead sea. Swimming in a sea of sodium and other minerals is a challenging task, your feet fall out from under you. You cannot swim in the dead sea, rather you float! the water burned all of my skin which was open (like a cut), burnt or scratched recently. It also rejuvinates skin and speeds the healing time of sores and pimples. At the bottom of the area, there is black mud. This mud has many more minerals which when rubbed and smeared over skin will help make it smooth and soft. Just placing my body in the water, my skin felt smooth and silk like. It was amazing.
After the swimming adventure, we left to Qumran the home of the Dead Sea Scrolls for many years. We learned about the people who lived there and toured their ruines from over 2000 years ago. We then left for home. Along the way, a brush fire brok out just outside the city of Jerusalem on our long trek home. It was interesting to see, although scary that there was a fire so close to where we are staying. We are still safe.
After eating breakfast, we desended down the mountian, not an easy task. We went down the east side which was accuratly nammed the snake trail. Many time the railing would be gone and the drop to the bottom of Masada was in front of me. By the time we were at the bottom of Masada, the temperature must have been 100 degrees only at 9:30am. It is a dry desert land where there is no way to stop the heat.
Masada was only the first of many stops along the way. We drove up a ways, after looking at it from a distance, to the Dead Sea. The resession line is very clear as to where the water used to be and where the water is today. A large gap shows the loss of water of many years. One of the countries few industries is collecting the water from the dead sea and manufacturing cleaning and body rejuvination products. This only adds to the water loss the sea is experiencing. The bus drove us to a public watering hole where we swam in the dead sea. Swimming in a sea of sodium and other minerals is a challenging task, your feet fall out from under you. You cannot swim in the dead sea, rather you float! the water burned all of my skin which was open (like a cut), burnt or scratched recently. It also rejuvinates skin and speeds the healing time of sores and pimples. At the bottom of the area, there is black mud. This mud has many more minerals which when rubbed and smeared over skin will help make it smooth and soft. Just placing my body in the water, my skin felt smooth and silk like. It was amazing.
After the swimming adventure, we left to Qumran the home of the Dead Sea Scrolls for many years. We learned about the people who lived there and toured their ruines from over 2000 years ago. We then left for home. Along the way, a brush fire brok out just outside the city of Jerusalem on our long trek home. It was interesting to see, although scary that there was a fire so close to where we are staying. We are still safe.
Off to Bethlehem
Jerusalem is much higher in elevation than most other parts of the country, so it gets much hotter during the day. It doesn't help when the morning starts at 75 degrees. In the morning I quickly packed an overnight bag because the group was heading out to Bethlehem and other sites much farther south.
Our first stop was to the Herodian, a massive man made hill with a crater in the middle. We climbed to the top and explored Herod a Roman king in the first century. His palace is amazingly large and has many pieces of architecture. Although currently in ruins this area is still is very good shape. At the top we had an amazing view of the area around including some farmland and open areas. The most important thing we saw were the settlements that people were starting and the way Israel was trying to stop these illegal settlements. Part of the old Herodian palace was his intricate stairwell in the middle. It's amazing the amount of insider areas were able to be uncovered. We were about half way down this man made mountain (inside) when some of us wondered if we had enough time to return to the group of people and head back down. Some headed up a massive amount of stairs and another small group pressed forward. We found an exit just near our bus and relaxed while others headed up and then back down.
Pressing forward, we left for Bethlehem. This has obviously been turned into a tourist destination. Many of the houses had Christmas lights on their houses. We entered the Church of the Nativity. This is where Jesus was born. They destroyed the image of a baby in a manger in an open field. Rather, Mary had the baby in a cave. We were able to touch a sixteen point star that represented Jesus' birthplace. The monks in this church were very strict. Many times they came through the line checking to make sure our shoulders and knees were covered. One girl in our group accidentally dropped a glass bottle which shattered on the floor. The monks and security were very loud and angry with our group. They embarrassed the girl in front of the whole church. Then because the people were too loud in line (somewhat laughing) because the line was very long, they shut the door on their faces to prove a point that this should be a serious event. They were very strict.
After leaving Bethlehem, we visited a Refugee Camp. Our goal in this was to pass out our Rag Dolls to Love so the children could have something to hold onto in their world of transition. They would not let us pass out the dolls directly, instead, we left them at a desk. We found that there are many more children in the camp than adults. One person kept theirs and will be able to hand them out. While walking through the refugee camp, we came across a tribe of young children who greated us with great hospitality.
We left the camp on our way to our overnight destination in the desert. In rout, we were stopped at a checkpoint. The officers asked the driver to pull the bus over, most likely because someone was taking their pictures. They asked to have our passports out and ready to show them. Although they never asked for them, they came on board and checked out the bus. They searched through the loading area below for items they did not like (I don't know what those are still).
We arived at an Oasis in the Negev Desert hosted by Bedawin people (fake camping although they tried to make it as real as possible.) First they welcomed us with a bit of cultural entertainment. They served us fresh watermelon, lemonade. They then made us tea which was very good and coffee that was not. As a way of welcoming us to the camp they offered us Cammal rides. What an experience to ride an amazing creature. Later that night, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese in Washington (Bishop Greg Rickel) joined us in the desert for the remaider of the trip.
I can now say that I have slept in the middle of the open desert. At 10:30pm it was an astonihing 89 degrees outside. We neded to get our rest though because the next day we head to Masada (large mountian).
Our first stop was to the Herodian, a massive man made hill with a crater in the middle. We climbed to the top and explored Herod a Roman king in the first century. His palace is amazingly large and has many pieces of architecture. Although currently in ruins this area is still is very good shape. At the top we had an amazing view of the area around including some farmland and open areas. The most important thing we saw were the settlements that people were starting and the way Israel was trying to stop these illegal settlements. Part of the old Herodian palace was his intricate stairwell in the middle. It's amazing the amount of insider areas were able to be uncovered. We were about half way down this man made mountain (inside) when some of us wondered if we had enough time to return to the group of people and head back down. Some headed up a massive amount of stairs and another small group pressed forward. We found an exit just near our bus and relaxed while others headed up and then back down.
Pressing forward, we left for Bethlehem. This has obviously been turned into a tourist destination. Many of the houses had Christmas lights on their houses. We entered the Church of the Nativity. This is where Jesus was born. They destroyed the image of a baby in a manger in an open field. Rather, Mary had the baby in a cave. We were able to touch a sixteen point star that represented Jesus' birthplace. The monks in this church were very strict. Many times they came through the line checking to make sure our shoulders and knees were covered. One girl in our group accidentally dropped a glass bottle which shattered on the floor. The monks and security were very loud and angry with our group. They embarrassed the girl in front of the whole church. Then because the people were too loud in line (somewhat laughing) because the line was very long, they shut the door on their faces to prove a point that this should be a serious event. They were very strict.
After leaving Bethlehem, we visited a Refugee Camp. Our goal in this was to pass out our Rag Dolls to Love so the children could have something to hold onto in their world of transition. They would not let us pass out the dolls directly, instead, we left them at a desk. We found that there are many more children in the camp than adults. One person kept theirs and will be able to hand them out. While walking through the refugee camp, we came across a tribe of young children who greated us with great hospitality.
We left the camp on our way to our overnight destination in the desert. In rout, we were stopped at a checkpoint. The officers asked the driver to pull the bus over, most likely because someone was taking their pictures. They asked to have our passports out and ready to show them. Although they never asked for them, they came on board and checked out the bus. They searched through the loading area below for items they did not like (I don't know what those are still).
We arived at an Oasis in the Negev Desert hosted by Bedawin people (fake camping although they tried to make it as real as possible.) First they welcomed us with a bit of cultural entertainment. They served us fresh watermelon, lemonade. They then made us tea which was very good and coffee that was not. As a way of welcoming us to the camp they offered us Cammal rides. What an experience to ride an amazing creature. Later that night, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese in Washington (Bishop Greg Rickel) joined us in the desert for the remaider of the trip.
I can now say that I have slept in the middle of the open desert. At 10:30pm it was an astonihing 89 degrees outside. We neded to get our rest though because the next day we head to Masada (large mountian).
Monday, July 12, 2010
Off to Jerusalem
In the morning we packed our bags because we were leaving Nazareth. I ate the nasty breakfast for the last time (I Love Nutella!) only to learn that St. Georges has the exact same breakfast. They have cereal too though! We met Sari, another Palestinian male, who is going to the youth coarse with the group.
Before we left Galilee, we stopped at Zippori National Park. They were ancient roman ruins with amazing mosaics. The streets were made of large stone boulders. Add shops and vendors and it would be a Roman marketplace. Many of the ruins were former homes. The floors told stories with their art. These were very wealthy people. In addition to the tiles, there were different era's of housing which also tells a story about the people who lived there. I have more information and the history in a book that's not with me right now. There was a fortress made of many stones including a corner that was built with a sarcophagus. Many places within the ruins were still under excavation so soon enough, there will be new sites.
Being part of the Desert, not many plants or fruits grow wild. A local handed some people in our group the fruit off a cactus plant, brushed off all of the prickles and handed it to eat. Nate, also wanting to try cactus grabbed one of the fruits for himself. Not understanding how to properly eat cactus, he pricked himself with about 25 needles and then handed it to other people in the group. In all about 5 people were stuck by cactus before they opened the unripe fruit and spat it out. All of the people who had cactus in their hand found it is not easy to remove the thorns. They walked for about a half an hour before returning to the bus to remove the spikes. We found some refreshing ice cream along the way. Eating ice cream with no hands is a challenging task. They had lots of help!
The long three hour drive to Jerusalem lead us to St. Georges College in the heart of Jerusalem. The few hours we had to spend in the city were very interesting and HOT! I don't think I have sweat so much in my life. The weather is unusually humid (78% humidity) and the sun in nonstop. Many people around the city show their religion in a different way. Some wear yamicas, others have unique hair styles, some appear Amish and have thick black cloaks. We entered through the walls of the old city through the Damascus Gate. It's like a large street sale with hundreds of shops and vendors. We will go back sometime to shop and bargain for goods in the city.
I withdrew more money today although I am getting irritated with the ATM machines. They only give large bills. I don't want to carry around a 200 shekel bill (about $50 us dollars) I get scared at home with more than a $20. I feel like a tourist because no one likes our large bills.
We learned more about what we will do at the coarse for the next 10 days. Tomorrow we leave Bethlehem and will spend the night away from the college. I may not be able to blog tomorrow but there will be an extended update when I get computer access.
Oh, now that we are at the college I do not have as much access to an upload for pictures. Please be patient as they will come when I can get them up.
Before we left Galilee, we stopped at Zippori National Park. They were ancient roman ruins with amazing mosaics. The streets were made of large stone boulders. Add shops and vendors and it would be a Roman marketplace. Many of the ruins were former homes. The floors told stories with their art. These were very wealthy people. In addition to the tiles, there were different era's of housing which also tells a story about the people who lived there. I have more information and the history in a book that's not with me right now. There was a fortress made of many stones including a corner that was built with a sarcophagus. Many places within the ruins were still under excavation so soon enough, there will be new sites.
Being part of the Desert, not many plants or fruits grow wild. A local handed some people in our group the fruit off a cactus plant, brushed off all of the prickles and handed it to eat. Nate, also wanting to try cactus grabbed one of the fruits for himself. Not understanding how to properly eat cactus, he pricked himself with about 25 needles and then handed it to other people in the group. In all about 5 people were stuck by cactus before they opened the unripe fruit and spat it out. All of the people who had cactus in their hand found it is not easy to remove the thorns. They walked for about a half an hour before returning to the bus to remove the spikes. We found some refreshing ice cream along the way. Eating ice cream with no hands is a challenging task. They had lots of help!
The long three hour drive to Jerusalem lead us to St. Georges College in the heart of Jerusalem. The few hours we had to spend in the city were very interesting and HOT! I don't think I have sweat so much in my life. The weather is unusually humid (78% humidity) and the sun in nonstop. Many people around the city show their religion in a different way. Some wear yamicas, others have unique hair styles, some appear Amish and have thick black cloaks. We entered through the walls of the old city through the Damascus Gate. It's like a large street sale with hundreds of shops and vendors. We will go back sometime to shop and bargain for goods in the city.
I withdrew more money today although I am getting irritated with the ATM machines. They only give large bills. I don't want to carry around a 200 shekel bill (about $50 us dollars) I get scared at home with more than a $20. I feel like a tourist because no one likes our large bills.
We learned more about what we will do at the coarse for the next 10 days. Tomorrow we leave Bethlehem and will spend the night away from the college. I may not be able to blog tomorrow but there will be an extended update when I get computer access.
Oh, now that we are at the college I do not have as much access to an upload for pictures. Please be patient as they will come when I can get them up.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Acre and the Mediterranean
Again for breakfast we ate the same nasty cheese yogurt and pita bread combo, although today some girls went up to the store and bought Nutella, so breakfast is Pita Bread with Nutella and suplimented with a Clif Bar. Tomorrow will be the last breakfast at St. Margarets Hostle, so I will only have to bear it one more day.
Following breakfast we departed for Raineh, a small town about 10 minutes south of Nazareth (where we are currently staying). We went to church this morning, although the whole service was in Arabic. The sermon by J.R. Landers (one of our chaperoes) was in english and was translated by Sammual (Holy Family's Priest). Very few people attended this service because most people work on Sunday. Saturday (which is the sabeth is the day in which people typically get off. More on this later. Their hospitality at the church was amazing. They served us cinimon rolls just for us and those that tried the coffee were surprised at the strength.
I learned today by some Israeli youth that the country is mostly populated with Jews who make rules which are discriminatory against Christians and Musilems. Larah, Sally and Sima, were the youth which we spent the day with. Sima explained that she has to take special tests, similar to the SAT, where if she doesn't score high enough marks, she cannot go to the university. Although Jews don't even need to take the test, they simply can attend whichever university they choose. I felt bad for them. As a solution, Larah will be attending a university in Jordan where she can study in english how to become a Doctor. All Israeli University's are taught in Hebrew (not the more common Arabic).
The weather today was very overcast, although that did not stop the heat. It was well over 85 degrees todayt and more humid than ever. The humidity got even worse when we went to Rosh Hanikra (The Grotto) up along the Mediterranean coast. We had to ride a cable car to the bottom where there were caves and tunnels that have been formed by the smashing of the water against the rock for thousands of years. The cable car is said to be the steepest in the world...this didn't go over too well. The scenes at the bottom were unbelievable.
When we got off the cable car before entering the Grottos, young men and women dressed in millitary uniforms carying large guns. They were new recruits, not older than 20 years old and were training along the boarder of Lebonon. These Grotto's used to be a connection point between Israel and Lebonon but after years of conflict, the UN has placed a space of land between each country to reduce tention. This was the reason for the guards.
Part of the experience at the grottos were to travel to Acre (Akko) and explore some of the Crusader Ruines and Ottoman Quarters. We saw the quarters in which former Roman Pilgrims would sleep, play, explore, eat, etc. Some of the tunnels were extremely small possibly only four feet high. The final point of our tour through the ruines was through a gift shop and onto a back street in Acre. We had no idea where we were and why the end of the tour lead us out into such strange and odd area. Not dressing for the occation, many of the girls were not wearing the corect clothing and didn't have their shoulders covered. Walking through this are of town, many people looked at us wuth angry eyes and some threw rocks at us. The most surprising thing to see were all of the wild cats. All looked siamese and there were more kittens than cats. Some were in garbage cans, some were eating food off the street.
Some of the members of our group felt sick and needed medication. Pharmacies work very differently in Israel than in the US. To order a perscription, you walk up to the counter, explain your ailments and what you would like and the pharmasist perscribes it to you there and hands you the medication.
Tomorrow we will see some more sites and leave Nazareth for Jerusalem and St. Georges College where we will spend most of out pilgrimage. I found today that we will not be the only group. There is one group coming from the Buffelo area, another from Michigan or Minnisota (I can't remember which) and another group from the Nutherlands.
Following breakfast we departed for Raineh, a small town about 10 minutes south of Nazareth (where we are currently staying). We went to church this morning, although the whole service was in Arabic. The sermon by J.R. Landers (one of our chaperoes) was in english and was translated by Sammual (Holy Family's Priest). Very few people attended this service because most people work on Sunday. Saturday (which is the sabeth is the day in which people typically get off. More on this later. Their hospitality at the church was amazing. They served us cinimon rolls just for us and those that tried the coffee were surprised at the strength.
I learned today by some Israeli youth that the country is mostly populated with Jews who make rules which are discriminatory against Christians and Musilems. Larah, Sally and Sima, were the youth which we spent the day with. Sima explained that she has to take special tests, similar to the SAT, where if she doesn't score high enough marks, she cannot go to the university. Although Jews don't even need to take the test, they simply can attend whichever university they choose. I felt bad for them. As a solution, Larah will be attending a university in Jordan where she can study in english how to become a Doctor. All Israeli University's are taught in Hebrew (not the more common Arabic).
The weather today was very overcast, although that did not stop the heat. It was well over 85 degrees todayt and more humid than ever. The humidity got even worse when we went to Rosh Hanikra (The Grotto) up along the Mediterranean coast. We had to ride a cable car to the bottom where there were caves and tunnels that have been formed by the smashing of the water against the rock for thousands of years. The cable car is said to be the steepest in the world...this didn't go over too well. The scenes at the bottom were unbelievable.
When we got off the cable car before entering the Grottos, young men and women dressed in millitary uniforms carying large guns. They were new recruits, not older than 20 years old and were training along the boarder of Lebonon. These Grotto's used to be a connection point between Israel and Lebonon but after years of conflict, the UN has placed a space of land between each country to reduce tention. This was the reason for the guards.
Part of the experience at the grottos were to travel to Acre (Akko) and explore some of the Crusader Ruines and Ottoman Quarters. We saw the quarters in which former Roman Pilgrims would sleep, play, explore, eat, etc. Some of the tunnels were extremely small possibly only four feet high. The final point of our tour through the ruines was through a gift shop and onto a back street in Acre. We had no idea where we were and why the end of the tour lead us out into such strange and odd area. Not dressing for the occation, many of the girls were not wearing the corect clothing and didn't have their shoulders covered. Walking through this are of town, many people looked at us wuth angry eyes and some threw rocks at us. The most surprising thing to see were all of the wild cats. All looked siamese and there were more kittens than cats. Some were in garbage cans, some were eating food off the street.
Some of the members of our group felt sick and needed medication. Pharmacies work very differently in Israel than in the US. To order a perscription, you walk up to the counter, explain your ailments and what you would like and the pharmasist perscribes it to you there and hands you the medication.
Tomorrow we will see some more sites and leave Nazareth for Jerusalem and St. Georges College where we will spend most of out pilgrimage. I found today that we will not be the only group. There is one group coming from the Buffelo area, another from Michigan or Minnisota (I can't remember which) and another group from the Nutherlands.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Old City of Nazareth
I finally got some sleep! Although not enough I could always use more, but I am now on Israli time...sort of. When I woke up, I had a headach, possibly dehydration, even bottled water has a strange aftertaste to it. When I came down to breakfast, the aroma made me sick to my stomach. I took some medicine and felt a little better. For breakfast they serve this strange cheese/milk/yogurt. It tasts close to sour milk although they eat it every morning. It's served with pita bread, cheese, tomato, a type of meat and hard boiled egg. It's not my favorite so I take a piece of Pita and put peach jam on it.
After breakfast, Larah (pronounced Lawh-rah) came to the hostel, she is an Israeli youth who is going to be with our group throughout the trip she is taking the Youth Corse at St. Georges too along with two other girls from Holy Family Church in Raineh (a few miles away). She is very useful to have around because she knows where she is going and she speaks Hebrew, Arabic and English.
Our first trip was to Bassilica the Annunciation, the site where the catholic church claims Mary was told by Gabriel that she would have the son of God. To get there, we had to take a cab. There are very few, if any, rules to the road and lanes are more suggestions than rules. Speed is not an issue, everything is fast! Often times I am scared for my life. There were several murals around the church where artists from countries around the world would symbolize the annunciation. We didn't see much because we will be returning during the youth coarse.
Up a ways from this church was another church called Saint Josephs where we see other parts of the house of Jesus and his family. There was a site of Josephs workshop. These sites visited are just where the church believe events happened, they may or may not have actually happened there. After quickly touring sveral other religous sites (we will understand more a little bit later) we walked through the Nazareth Bazzar, a market similar to Pike Place, although less crowded and a lot more sketchy. Before we entered, we were told to place our wallets and valuables in our front pockets because of pick pocketing. At the end of this we passed the first Hospital in Nazareth built in the 1800's.
Just before lunch we visited an Othodox church in town where the Orthodox Chrstians believe Mary was told by gabriel. They called this site Mary's Well because it is at a well rather than Mary's home as the Catholic church believes.
The city is extremely interesting because of the different religions. There are three main religions within the city; Chrsitian, Musilem and Jewish. About 5 times a day, starting in the early morning hours, all of the Moquses in the city have a call to worship on a loudspeaker. I think it's interesting althoug I don't know if I could live with it.
Tomorrow we go to Haifa, Acre and the Crusader Ruines.
Ariving in Israel
We arrived in Tel Aviv early this morning at 3:00am. I couldn't believe how busy the immigration booth was. I decided NOT to have my passport stamped while traveling into the country. This is because many countries throughout Asia don't believe in Israel's Political existance so If I were to travel to one of those countries, I would have a difficult time explaining why I visited Israel as well as trouble entering the country.
When we got out of the airport, we traveled for two more hours by bus to St. Margarets Hostile and spend a few days in Nazareth. What a view of the city, I can't believe it! I've taken several pictures. We can see the whole old city and sveral artifacts includuing the Basilla of Annunciation. This is the site which the Catholic Church claims Joseph and Mary's house was located.
As a way of adjusting to the time, we spent the whole day on the porch of the hostile which has a great view. Our rooms were not ready because of a youth camp that was just ending. There were about 40 youth froum around Israel. They were about 8-12 years old and were very interested in who we were and what we were doing here. Some came to say hello, although their english was not great.
At about noon, we headed down to a shoping center at the bottom of the hill. It was relativly new with several places to buy clothing. Many of the locals however were not very welcoming. They didn't want to make the extra effort to speak english, although we are in their country and don't speak their language so it is understandable. I finally bought water and some sunscreen.
The tap water isn't very good so we use bottled water instead. We need to drink lots of water. The average temperature was about 90 degrees F and the sun never goes away. It was rare to have clouds this morning. I can't wait to sleep. By the time I go to bed tonight, I will have only had 4 hours of sleep in the past 50 hours.
Tomorrow, we go to the Old City (still in Nazareth) and venture into the old and more religious sites. I think we are going to the Bastille of Annunciation (What I talked about earlier).
Oh...if you are looking at the time stamp, I am writing this a day behind because of my lack of access to a computer.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Travel Day Plus Frankfurt Layover
On Wednesday, met at the Lufthansa at SeaTac Airport. We said our goodbyes to our family and friends and then we left for the gate. In a last minute effort to keep my travel things with me, I quickly added my shaving kit with shampoo, body wash and sunscreen into my carry on luggage. My sunscreen was too big and was confiscated before I even left the country...I felt like an idiot.
We landed in Frankfurt and quickly went through customs and immigration to our day hotel just outside of the airport. I thought that cars were driven on the left side of the road and cars had the driver seat was on the right side. Turns out it is identical to the States. We tried to shower, but we couldn't figure out how to turn on the light. Apparently, the room key needs to be placed in the slot by the door to turn on all of the appliances. Looking out onto the city, the streets are very clean. We took a train (the S-Bhaun) to the downtown area where we split up to investigate German culture for the day.
It was very warm, about 90 degrees F. We all got sticky and hot while we looked around the old german town. It looked like Leveanwoth, WA only in real life. In addition, almost everyone spoke english with minimal to no accent. It made touring easy. I even found this Hummel shop where they sold many of the same figgurines we have at home. Found a church in the city with incredible architecture called DOM also known as St. Barthalimues. This church has survived WWII and has pictures to prove it. During our long day in Frankfurt during our layover, many of us struggled to stay awake and soon became misserable. I decided to cut the edge off my sleepieness by finding a Starbucks...it tastes the same, even in Frankfurt.
At the end of the very long day, still no sleep, we head off at 10:00pm to the Tel Aviv gate at the airport. This process was extremely intimidating. Everyone was patted down in front of the whole line of people with a metal detector and was searched separate from the other gates in the Airport. This is because Israel feels threatened by the world and takes extra security measures to prevent any possible problems. We spent the night on the plane.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Rag Dolls 2 Love
Today was the last day of church before our trip! During the sermon, Marda talked about Rag Dolls to Love. The lack of hair, skin tone and other bodily features helps children around the world in need or fear or sickness to cope with the hardships of life. Steven Brumbaugh (another youth from St. James) and I were asked to deliver these rag dolls to children throughout our travels. If you would like to see more information about Rag Dolls to love here is a link to their website. I am excited to hand out these dolls to children. There will be pictures! The picture included in this blog is a picture similar to what the Rag dolls will look like.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Update About Trip
I was just informed today that due to the testing schedule of the students in Raineh, we will not be staying with a host home. Rather, we will be staying at St. Margaret Guest Housing in Nazareth for those three days. I am bummed that we will not be staying with an Israeli family, but happy it is more comfortable after the long flight over. I think it would be very fun to experience life in a different culture by living with people. Although this is not a bad thing at all...because we are in such a major city such as Nazareth we will be able to explore much more. I am told as well that this new place we are staying overlooks the old city of Nazareth. I can't wait for that!
During the time we arrive, the Diocese of Jerusalem is ending a youth camp (I'm assuming this is similar to HYC weekends we have in Washington). This may give us more of an opportunity to see youth doing youth stuff.
During the time we arrive, the Diocese of Jerusalem is ending a youth camp (I'm assuming this is similar to HYC weekends we have in Washington). This may give us more of an opportunity to see youth doing youth stuff.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Preparing
We leave in 7 days, but I want to leave now! I am getting all of my paperwork in order and getting everything on order so nothing gets left behind while I am gone. Today I looked up all of the accommodations that the airline provides. Every seat has a personal video screen that is touch screen which provides several movies and TV shows. I also looked up my luggage dimensions and weight limits. I am also getting entertainment for the flight ready for myself such as recharging my iPod. My goal for my return is to create a DVD where I document all of my pictures. I can then share this DVD with family, friends and donors. Thanks for all of your support and I appreciate you keeping an eye on my blog. I hope to be able to continue this when we arrive in Frankfurt although I may not have that chance and post again when we get to Raineh.
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