James' Email
I think everyone got it but I thought I would post it anyways.
Hi Everyone!
We made it into Tel Aviv last night about 5 pm, you are 8 hours behind us here, long flight, about 11 hours total in the air. We did clear into Business Elite though, that makes the flight so much easier!
The Tel Aviv airport is really really nice, it has to be pretty new. The center has a huge fountain and the water falls from the ceiling onto the floor, very different.
We rented our car there & drove to Jerusalem last night. We are staying at a hotel in the Old City section of Jerusalem, this was originally surrounded by a wall of which part still stands. The city is very neat, with all of its winding cobblestone streets & street vendors, and of course the beggars, some of which are as young as 3 or 4 years old. Its worse in Bethleham, they are much more poverty stricken there.
We cannot take the car to Bethleham, since it is in the west bank, which is occupied by Palastinians. We found a bus to take us to the border today for 5 sheckles (about 1 dollar US to 4.4 sheckles). At the border, we had to go through a check point & show our passports etc., there is a concrete wall that separates the West Bank from the rest of Israel. Once on the other side, we then took a taxi to The Church of the Nativity, which is where Christ was supposed to have been born, although there has been much debate on the subject as far as if that was the actual site. Inside the church is a sort of grotto underground, which was supposed to be the original manger. I was not that impressed with Bethleham, it is very dirty & full of beggars, and everyone is very pushy in trying to sell you something, I was happy to get back across the border, its a little unnerving knowing you are in the West Bank. I dont think we will cross again, Jericho is deeper inside the west bank, and I think we are going to skip going there, it just is not safe.
Today in Jerusalem we walked along the Via Dolorosa, which is a winding cobblestone street through the old city. Really pretty with flowers, stone archways, etc. This is the street where Christ carried his cross to the hill. It does have a very spiritual feel about it, regardless of what your religious beliefs are. We also went to the Garden Tomb, where he was buried & ressurrected, and some other sites as well, including Golgatha. (Pardon my spelling, Im hurrying because Im using the free net at the hotel & there are people waiting on me). The Garden Tomb was really beautiful also, but I think the Via Dolorosa is my favorite spot in Jerusalem so far.
Later we walked around the Hasidic Jewish neighborhoods, and also another area of New Jerusalem where many suicide bombs have taken place in times past. They are very secure here I will say, every restaurant etc., in that area uses a metal detector before you can go inside.
Tonight we are going to go to the Wailing Wall, and up to the Garden of Gethsemane, and Im not sure if we will have time for much else, I havent been to the Dome of the Rock yet, but we might go there in the morning before leaving. Tomorrow we are driving down South & East to Masada, which is a historical site where the Jews held off the Romans for 2 or 3 years. After that we will make our way around the West Bank to avoid it, and head North to the Dead Sea, Sea of Gaillee, then over to Jaffa, Ceaseria, and back to Tel Aviv. We are going to spend a day at the beach in Tel Aviv, they are supposed to have some nice beaches there, Im looking forward to lounging on the beach for a day! We are doing so much walking right now.....and eating lots of falafels, which is a pita bread with hummice and other veggies inside, it is very good!
This city is a very beautiful & magical place that is easy to get lost in mentally & physically. There is definitely a spirituality about it, and I guess that is why the Jews and the Arabs continue to fight over this country, for reasons we may not understand, but to all the Jews, Arabs, and Christians, it certainly is a Holy place.
More later, hope all is well at home.
James
Hi Everyone!
We made it into Tel Aviv last night about 5 pm, you are 8 hours behind us here, long flight, about 11 hours total in the air. We did clear into Business Elite though, that makes the flight so much easier!
The Tel Aviv airport is really really nice, it has to be pretty new. The center has a huge fountain and the water falls from the ceiling onto the floor, very different.
We rented our car there & drove to Jerusalem last night. We are staying at a hotel in the Old City section of Jerusalem, this was originally surrounded by a wall of which part still stands. The city is very neat, with all of its winding cobblestone streets & street vendors, and of course the beggars, some of which are as young as 3 or 4 years old. Its worse in Bethleham, they are much more poverty stricken there.
We cannot take the car to Bethleham, since it is in the west bank, which is occupied by Palastinians. We found a bus to take us to the border today for 5 sheckles (about 1 dollar US to 4.4 sheckles). At the border, we had to go through a check point & show our passports etc., there is a concrete wall that separates the West Bank from the rest of Israel. Once on the other side, we then took a taxi to The Church of the Nativity, which is where Christ was supposed to have been born, although there has been much debate on the subject as far as if that was the actual site. Inside the church is a sort of grotto underground, which was supposed to be the original manger. I was not that impressed with Bethleham, it is very dirty & full of beggars, and everyone is very pushy in trying to sell you something, I was happy to get back across the border, its a little unnerving knowing you are in the West Bank. I dont think we will cross again, Jericho is deeper inside the west bank, and I think we are going to skip going there, it just is not safe.
Today in Jerusalem we walked along the Via Dolorosa, which is a winding cobblestone street through the old city. Really pretty with flowers, stone archways, etc. This is the street where Christ carried his cross to the hill. It does have a very spiritual feel about it, regardless of what your religious beliefs are. We also went to the Garden Tomb, where he was buried & ressurrected, and some other sites as well, including Golgatha. (Pardon my spelling, Im hurrying because Im using the free net at the hotel & there are people waiting on me). The Garden Tomb was really beautiful also, but I think the Via Dolorosa is my favorite spot in Jerusalem so far.
Later we walked around the Hasidic Jewish neighborhoods, and also another area of New Jerusalem where many suicide bombs have taken place in times past. They are very secure here I will say, every restaurant etc., in that area uses a metal detector before you can go inside.
Tonight we are going to go to the Wailing Wall, and up to the Garden of Gethsemane, and Im not sure if we will have time for much else, I havent been to the Dome of the Rock yet, but we might go there in the morning before leaving. Tomorrow we are driving down South & East to Masada, which is a historical site where the Jews held off the Romans for 2 or 3 years. After that we will make our way around the West Bank to avoid it, and head North to the Dead Sea, Sea of Gaillee, then over to Jaffa, Ceaseria, and back to Tel Aviv. We are going to spend a day at the beach in Tel Aviv, they are supposed to have some nice beaches there, Im looking forward to lounging on the beach for a day! We are doing so much walking right now.....and eating lots of falafels, which is a pita bread with hummice and other veggies inside, it is very good!
This city is a very beautiful & magical place that is easy to get lost in mentally & physically. There is definitely a spirituality about it, and I guess that is why the Jews and the Arabs continue to fight over this country, for reasons we may not understand, but to all the Jews, Arabs, and Christians, it certainly is a Holy place.
More later, hope all is well at home.
James
posted by Brent at
Saturday, May 20, 2006
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