We are joined today by Rick & Janie, Steve & Karen,
Marianne and Tom & Ken and Hal & Gail.
Here we had a choice to
make between visiting Bethlehem or the Dead Sea with Jerusalem.
Our
guide Mihal said that since we can’t pronounce her name correctly with the
proper amount of “hocking” we should call her Mickey. She was a great guide
with a wonderful sense of humor and a very proud Jew. Our driver was David who
moved to Israel from Finland and was now married to a Jewish woman.
The
drive from Ashdod Port to Jerusalem was beautiful! Lots of fields with crops
and trees and green and mountains. After the stark dessert in Egypt, it was a
great contrast. Not until we got close to the Dead Sea did it look like a
dessert again.
We
stopped for a beautiful panoramic view of the city from the Mount of Olives.
(old and new) Mickey said a prayer to welcome us and passed around fresh dates
and almonds. We saw the Dome of the Rock.
Mickey
We saw
the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Christ and
there were olive trees that are many centuries old, and the Church of All
Nations where Jesus prayed prior to his arrest.
We visited the Christian and Jewish Quarters of the walled city
and the Arab Souk, where we all wanted to shop, but Mickey said we would shop
somewhere else later. ARGH!
We made our way through the crowds to winding and climbing Via
Dolorosa that Jesus followed carrying his cross to Golgotha where he was
crucified. The via ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. By long-standing
Christian tradition this church marks the historic location of the crucifixion,
burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The church contains many chapels and
shrines, representing the many Christian sects; Greeks, Latins, Copts,
Armenians, Syrians and Ethiopians.
The most notable places in the Church of the Sepulcher are the
elevated Chapel of the Cross and the Stone of the Anointing, where Jesus’ body
was prepared for burial. Many people were there rubbing the oil of the stone
with their fingers or a cross. There is a large area that is the location of
the Tomb of Christ, covered by a small chapel. It was a holiday so the Tomb was
not open to the public. (the original tomb was destroyed in the 11th
century) We ended at the Jaffa Gate.
Then we were off to the Dead Sea, which is about a 35 minute
drive. At 1,276 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on
Earth. We stopped for lunch in a busy
cafeteria located in the Qumran caves complex where the Dead Sea Scrolls were
found in 1947. Time did not permit us to visit the caves. We had a nice lunch
of Falafels and fries.
Then we had some time to shop before driving to the Kalya beach to
experience the Dead Sea. The water is so heavy with salt that you float easily.
I waded in and tried to sit down. My feet were instantly lifted and I’m lying
back floating with my feet in the air like a sea otter. Greg is taking pictures
while I floated and rubbed mud all over me. Then I tried to wade out sinking
into the mud in some areas. Then it was his turn to go in and he floated
easily. Ken was out already and I asked if he would take photos of us both in
the water and I waded back in. He got some shots of us and the rest of the
group. We played in the salty water rolling like sea otters and marveling in
how weird it felt to float with no effort at all. Then we all decided we just
HAD to go tout o the far rope and touch it. I can tell you that you better keep
your mouth shut as the water is super salty and tastes pretty bad. I also got a
splash in my eye and it burned like crazy for a long time. We all got out and
showered and redressed for our ride back to Jerusalem. AMAZING experience!
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