Monthly Archives: May 2023

The fearless four Guelphites ate a hearty breakfast in the Obelisk Restaurant again then headed for the Dead Sea beach by club car (essentially an elongated golf cart). The north end of the Dead Sea is not as salty as the section further south that we had visited before coming to Jordan. The reason for that is that the Jordan River flows into it from this end, bringing fresh water. It ends up becoming salty because water stays here and doesn’t flow anywhere else. Evaporation leaves salts behind over the years. There is a sign just before you get to the Kempinski beach indicating that we are 400 metres below sea level.

The beach here has been improved by trucking in sand, making entry and exit of the Dead Sea much easier. The last time we had to carefully step through sections of large sharp salt crystals. Here it has has been cleared of any crystals.

We floated around in the water enjoying the crazy feeling of buoyancy, then came out to slather ourselves in black mud. We sat around in the sun baking for 15 minutes or so before washing off in the sea first and then using the beach showers to get the rest of the mud off. Our skin felt softer (or it could just have been suggestion that made us think it was softer) and, according to the young fellows serving cold drinks, we looked much younger.

After that we had to check out the other infinity pool and finally back to the pool by our building for another session of water therapy exercises.

Lunch was in the Blue Restaurant with the whole group. The restaurant was near the infinity pool – themed in blue and white – looking very Greek. The meal was delicious again – roasted chicken and potatoes, shrimp pasta, beef skewers. With the wine and all the sun I had had, I kept yawning so after the meal I headed back to the room to rest.

Our last evening Ted and Susan, Nancy, John, Roz, Jan, Lucy and I had drinks by the lobby and then made our way over to the Obelisk for our last supper. By the time we headed back to our rooms a sickle moon was out with a very bright Venus above. A fitting end.

It’s weird waking up to a day with no agenda other than to eat. Course, the Guelphites were not about to miss breakfast so we headed out to the beautiful patio at the Obelisk Restaurant for a delicious breakfast. Nobody else from our group showed up until just as we were finishing and then Nancy arrived. It turns out that the breakfast spot for our group was actually in the building where our rooms are. C’est la vie.

Pool time! First pool we checked out was the big one in front of our building where I led a session of water therapy exercises. It really helped me and the others seemed to like it as well so the plan is to do it again tomorrow.

Next pool was the Lazy River which turned out to not be what I had expected. The lazy river pool at the Mandalay in Vegas actually has a current. This one did not but it was long and curvy and went under a bridge that spewed water down onto us. Jan and I enjoyed our swim along with the cold damp facecloths they handed out to the loungers.

Final pool of the day was the small infinity pool. It had sloping sides where you slid down into the deep part. The water went right up to the edge of the pool on the far side overlooking the Dead Sea – giving the impression that the pool just flowed right into the sea. We hung out at the edge for a while, admiring the view. Trying to get back out of the pool wasn’t quite as easy as getting in.

We met up with the group for lunch and found that quite a number of them had gone down to the Dead Sea for a mud bath and dip and thoroughly enjoyed it. We decided to do it tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.

After an afternoon spent lazing in the room watching a ‘Hallmark’ movie we joined everyone for supper at the Obelisk Restaurant. John Potter leaves us tomorrow so we toasted him and the trip.

Before leaving Wadi Rum we had one more activity – the best of all in my opinion. We got to ride camels out into the desert. It was a blast, and after that initial crazy back and forth as the camel rises from his squat on the sand, the ride was very comfortable. I was even riding no hands.

The camel jaunt took a bit longer than planned so we were rushed through a late breakfast and then hustled onto the bus to head for the Dead Sea.

We drove for about four hours or so with a couple of rest stops. The land was mainly arid and sandy but as we approached Amman we began to see more green – olive plantations and wealthy homes surrounded by cypress and other trees.

Just before hitting the outskirts of Amman, we headed west for the Kempinski Ishtar Resort on the Dead Sea. It turned out to be a sprawling complex with numerous pools, villas and dining areas. There is a spa that probably costs an arm and a leg. I have not found Jordan to be any cheaper than Israel.

Our room is huge with a lovely big lanai but I would point out that there is a distinct lack of electric outlets. In this day and age they are a necessity due to our dependence on our gadgets.

We were fed a late lunch that was over the top in amounts. There were four full servings of different meats along with rice and, of course, it was all preceded with the usual appetizers – for me the best part.

We rested in our rooms then Lucy, Jan and I went exploring. This place is really like a labyrinth. We got a bit confused but did find a number of pools. The views from everywhere are incredible.

Another good breakfast and we were all loaded onto the bus around 9 am, heading for Wadi Rum. We are in the Shara mountains so the views are spectacular everywhere you look. As we rose further up into the mountains we were able to look back towards Petra and try to determine the winding trail that led to the Treasury.

I took a few personal interest shots as we left the city – one of a hot air balloon that probably takes people over the Petra ruins. Hmm – hot air balloons are allowed but not drones…. And I took a shot of the rooftops of houses as we wound up further into the mountains. These showed the solar heating system used for the house’s hot water, the water storage tanks and the solar electric panels. That was a pretty common sight both here in Jordan and also in Israel.

After an hour or so on the road, we pulled over at a rest stop that sold goods as well as goodies. I found a silk wall hanging of the tree of life that I bought. It was not cheap but what the heck. The fellow told me that it was made by the local women’s co-op. Not sure if I believe him as I bought something similar in Nepal. But I like it.

The mountains have spread out and we see more and more desert – large sandy plains sometimes sporting a Bedouin tent with a camel or two, sometimes a shepherd with goats. Sometimes the camels are out on the plain alone. Are they like the wild horses found in the States? Another question – the land that the Bedouin move around on, is it federally owned or what?

Basel told us about the narrow gauged railway that was constructed running through this area and we stopped to examine an old steam train that once plied these tracks.

Not far from here, we stopped for lunch at the Wadi Rum Information Centre and the Wadi Rum Film Centre. We had a delicious Jolloff rice-like dish called Makloba. We were surrounded by movie posters. The ragged mountains and sand dunes of this place are prime for making big-budget movies – think Dune.

By the way, a wadi is a dry river bed and Rum means elevated (or high). Since the area is inhabited mainly by the Bedouin who are an Islamic group, the area is a dry zone. So no one is ‘high on rum’.

Next stop was our camp in the desert called Sun City Camp. Accommodations are big domed structures complete with wonderful beds and full bathroom. I think this is what ‘glamping’ is like.

Once settled in, we were loaded into the back of three chinchima Toyota trucks that took us on a wild ride through the dunes. We stopped at a particularly large dune which a few of us climbed to see the view (and to prove to ourselves that we could do the climb).

Once we had collected enough sand in our shoes we headed back to join the others to check out a Bedouin tent where we were served a lovely cardomen tea.

On the loop round the mountain we came to an extremely steep sandy drop. I lost my nerve and jumped out of the back of the truck to cower in the back seat instead. Jan the fearless stayed in the back of the truck and survived the plunge down the embankment.

Back at camp, once my stomach had calmed itself, we joined a few other groups for dinner in the restaurant dome. Jan called our dome ‘The Restaurant at the end of the Universe’ because we were the furthest away but, sadly, we served no food in our restaurant.

After supper and the sun had gone down, there was a distinct drop in temperature. We had to bundle up for another wee trek into the desert to do some star gazing. We were given an interesting talk on Polaris, constellations and the astrological signs before getting a chance to look through four different powerful telescopes.

For me, this visit to Petra is the highlight of the trip. I learned about Petra in an Art History course I took years ago and it fascinated me. Basel had us gathered in the hotel lobby by 8 am. The entrance to Petra is right across the way from the hotel so we headed over.

Petra is more than two thousand years old – built by the Nabataeans in the Shara Mountains. These mountains are made basically of sandstone – perfect for sculpting. The area is chock full of tombs that have been cut into the cliffs. Many of these are heavily decorated – depending on the wealth of the family constructing them. Because this area was central to the trade routes, visitors from all directions passed through but it is the impressively carved structures that grab your attention. The Obelisk Tomb dates back to the 1st century AD and is the resting place for five members of a wealthy family.

There is a narrow gorge about 1.5 km long with water channels on either side and a roadway with ancient paving stones. Along this route can be found a dam built by the Nabataeans to divert flash floodwater from Petra.

The gorge opens out into the main part of Petra dominated by the Treasury – a three story facade with tombs beneath the main level, a temple sporting tall Corinthian columns, and above the temple is an intricately carved urn surrounded by two more structures containing carvings of mythological figures. It is very impressive.

We strolled from the Treasury plaza along the way past the Street of Facades – a whole series of Nabataean tombs all of varying amounts of decorations. Eventually we came to the Theatre – carved steeply into one side of the cliffs – accommodating 4000 people.

Above the theatre is the High Place of Sacrifice with a number of stairways leading up to it. It is a place of worship used for important religious ceremonies.

By the time we got to the theatre most of the group had reached their limit of heat and trekking so they turned around to head back to the place where you could catch an electric cart to take you back to the start. Jan and Lucy and I chose to trek a bit further and were rewarded with a view of the incredible Royal Tombs. By the time the three of us had turned around and trekked back to the start where we were to eat lunch we were pretty hot, tired and ready for a cold beer.

Jan and I chose to forego a trip to Little Petra (more of the same kind of monuments and tombs) to rest a bit and catch up on laundry.

After supper Lis, Jim, Jody, Jan and I chose to trek back out to the Treasury to see a show lit by candles. The 2 kilometre trail out to Petra was lined by paper covered lights that looked like candles – a haunting effect. People gathered on stools facing the Treasury and we were entertained by first a native flutist and then a traditional violinist. Meanwhile a series of coloured lights lit up the Treasury facade.

The day we left Amman was long. We were mainly in search of examples of Jordan’s impresssive mosaics. The first stop was in Madaba, about an hour southwest of Amman where we studied the Madaba Mosaic Map – in the floor of the Byzantine church of Saint George. It is probably the oldest map of the Holy Land and it includes Jerusalem, the Jordan River, the Nile Delta, the Mediterranean, the Dead Sea and the Eastern Deserts. It is oriented East/West rather than North/South. Our visit to Madaba was basically a surgical strike – in to see the Mosaic Map and out again to avoid the worst of the crowds. It appears to be a very popular place. What I did see of the city was lovely – it looked thriving – but, of course, we didn’t get an extensive tour.

Back on the bus and we were headed for a visit to Moses’ Spring at Mount Nebo – a bit further south. There is the Memorial Church of Moses constructed in the fourth century where Moses was supposedly given a view of the promised land. The floor of the church is full of mosaics, and while cleaning some of them, more mosaics were found beneath. Again, the crowds were gathering so Basel hustled us back down to the bus for the next leg of our journey.

Along the way we passed a group of camels lounging by the highway and I was lucky enough to get a picture. Usually the bus is going too quickly for me to get any good shot.

We stopped at a Queen Noor co-op which supports local artisans. We watched the incredible artists creating mosaics using local limestone which comes naturally in various colours. They do a lot of Tree-of-Life mosaics for the tourists. There were a couple of artists using tiny bits of limestone to create mosaics on ostrich eggs. They were all absolutely beautiful but also way out of my price range.

Next was our lunch stop at the Kir Heres Restaurant in Karak where we were given a main meal of goat cooked in a yogurt sauce. I’m not much of a goat eater but this was delicious.

After lunch we walked down to the Karak Castle built in medieval times – around the middle of the 12th century. The castle occupants controlled the trade routes (silk and spice) as well as the movements of the local Bedouin because of its central and strategic location. Typical of crusader castles, it sports a moat, slanted walls and towers.

The trip from Karak to Petra took close to two hours so by the time we got to our hotel (the Movenpick) we only had energy for supper and then to bed. The hotel is quite nice and the room very comfortable.

Today was a later start – the bus didn’t leave until 9 am – and we drove north of Amman for about an hour to the city of Jerash. The terrain was sandy and hilly though there were pockets of reforested areas and olive plantations. At one point the bus stopped near a rushing stream where a number of horses stood ready to take tourists for a trek into the nearby hills.

Jerash itself is a city of about 50,000 with a history that extends back to neolithic times. It has been occupied by every group of invaders found in this part of the world. At times it has even been completely deserted but then re-occupied at a later date. According to Wikipedia Jerash has the best preserved Greco-Roman ruins in the world outside of Italy.

Hadrian’s Arch leads into an amazing series of temples, roadways lined with columns, an amphitheatre, a huge plaza and even ancient manhole covers. The heat was pervasive and after about an hour of walking, part of our group chose to seek shade and rest while the rest of us hiked up to check out the Temple of Zeus and an extremely well-preserved amphitheatre. Between the two, Basel pointed out a pepper tree and encouraged us to taste the peppercorns. They were really good.

In the amphitheatre, Basel demonstrated the amazing acoustics. Three men dressed in traditional garb came into the theatre playing a bagpipe and a drum. Sadly, they played Amazing Grace but eventually played a bit of traditional music. They even got a few people up dancing.

We headed back down the hill and picked up the rest of the group, heading north out of the plaza towards the Temple of Artemis. The roadway was paved with rocks laid in a diamond pattern so that wagon wheels would not get caught in the cracks. Deep grooves from the wheels could be seen in the rocks.

The heat was impacting the entire group by now so we headed back to the start where we bought wonderful fresh fruit drinks and rested in the shade.

From Jerash, the bus took us to a Women’s co-op funded by UNESCO where we ate a delicious lunch and then sat and talked to three women and a couple of young men who all worked at the co-op. Basel acted as interpreter for our questions and their answers but eventually Ted got a few of them to practice their English.

A number of us bought some pomegranate molasses that is made there. I believe they had used it in the dressing of one of the salads that we ate at lunch. I’m looking forward to trying it at home.

Back to the hotel for supper. Tomorrow we leave here and head for Petra.

We packed up and were on the road by 7:30 am, heading for the border. Even at that hour there were a lot of vehicles lined up waiting to cross over the no-man’s land to the Jordan side. We saw a number of UN cars in the lineup with all the buses and trucks.

Zaev could only go with us as far as the Jordan customs building. He had been a wonderful guide – so knowledgeable and gracious. Our new guide – Basel met us after we went through the Jordanian customs. The whole crossover maybe took a couple of hours at most but Basel was very apologetic. I’ve been in far worse lineups at customs.

Jordan is a country of about 11 million with 4 million people living in the capital city, Amman. The country is surrounded by neighbours of the ‘troubling’ kind – Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Palestine West Bank and Israel. It is about 95% Muslim. It also contains some of the oldest versions of the Christian religion which currently make up 4% of the people – down form 20% in 1930.

We are staying at the Kempinski Hotel in the heart of Amman. I stayed at a Kempinski in China and it was beautiful. This one is not quite as grand as the China one but it is still quite nice.

After settling into our rooms and indulging in yet another delicious lunch, we headed for the bus to do a tour of Amman. I’m afraid I was so tired that I missed a lot of Basel’s talk. I kept dozing off. But I’m also having difficulty with his accent. It is quite a bit thicker than Zaev’s and I can’t seem to get on board with his sense of humour – it has a decided sexist bend.

We were taken to Amman Citadel which is the highest point of the city where excavations have unearthed artifacts extending back as far as neolithic times. From our vantage point we could see a large Roman amphitheatre that had survived a number of earthquakes due to ‘expert local construction’. Seating in the amphitheatre was based on your income level. (How different is that from today?)

The site sports some Roman columns alongside some iron-age caves. The museum atop the hill is very small but jam packed with pottery shards and bones.

When I emerged from the museum, the haunting call from the city minarets filled the silence of that quiet spot. I was able to record a bit of it.

Back at the hotel, I gave Jan a good laugh when I called her in to figure out the shower and got a blast of water in my face. And once the hotel tech guys were able to fix the TV we were quite happy with the room.

This morning we headed to the City of David established over 3000 years ago when King David of Israel conquered Jerusalem and made it his headquarters. The city was a strategic choice because of its Gihon Spring (which still provides water to this day) and the location’s naturally strong position of defence. It was also central to the tribes of Israel – an ideal spot for unification. The City of David lies just outside the southern wall of the Old City of Jerusalem. King David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem cementing it as a spiritual centre.

To thwart the Assyrian invaders of water, Hezekiah – King of Judah some time after David – diverted the water from the Gihon Spring through a tunnel to the Shiloah Pool between the city’s southern walls. Zaev led us through one such tunnel between the walls and ending at the newly uncovered Shiloah Pool. It was an amazing feat of engineering – with two groups of tunnellers working towards each other and ultimately meeting in the middle.

On our walk back up to the Old City we learned of the carob tree, the role of its seed in defining the carat as a measure of weight for rare gems and gold. We learned about the olive tree and its fruit and how to determine the quality of olive oil (check that the acidity levels are low – 0.2 – 0.5 is good).

The Western Wall (often called Wailing Wall) is divided into two sections to separate the genders. People go there to pray and shove little bits of paper with their wishes into the wall’s cracks. Then they back away from the wall slowly, usually praying the whole time.

After another very filling lunch we headed to The Israel Museum where we spent quite a bit of time absorbing information about the city of Jerusalem as Zaev led us around a giant model of the city. The grounds of the museum contain a Rodin sculpture as well as an Ai Weiwei installation.

From here we travelled to the Holocaust Museum. Before entering the museum of horrors we visited the Children’s Memorial. 1.5 million children were killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust. The memorial is a testament to ‘lest we forget’. So is the rest of the museum – designed by the architect Moshe Safdie. It is a concrete structure made up of triangular sections that seem to cut through the landscape. It is incredible what we humans do to each other.

I chose to skip the light show tonight because I was tired and I wanted to write this up before I forgot the details. Jan went so I will get her to fill me in tomorrow on the road to Jordan.

Yet again, up early for 6:30 breakfast followed by meeting the bus by 7:30. First destination was Masada National Park – about an hour’s drive southeast of Jerusalem. The drive took us through extremely arid land. Occasionally you would see groupings of sheds housing goats but the life looked pretty hard-scrabble.

When the elevation dropped below sea-level we knew we were getting close to the Dead Sea. Off to the right a flat-topped mountain rose out of the desert. On top there could be seen some signs of buildings. This is Masada National Park – a World UNESCO Heritage Site. Originally Masada was built as a palace retreat and a refuge by King Herod and was used by him until 4 BCE. It was luxurious – cisterns that were filled by a nearby aqueduct whose capacity could keep Masada’s residents hydrated for years, storehouses of grains, Roman baths, swimming pool, pigeon coops.

But the best-known story coming out of Masada took place around 74 CE. A group of Jews rebelling against Roman rule retreated to Masada. 960 rebels met a many month-long siege by the Romans – over 8000 strong. The Roman’s built a series of eight forts around the hill from which they launched their attacks. But the rebels were able to hold them off for months until finally the Romans developed a ramp and tower with which they were able to scale the hill. But by the time they reached the rebel strong-hold the remaining rebels were all dead. Rather than be taken into slavery they killed off their families and then each other. They chose death rather than oppression.

We returned from the top of the Masada mountain by cable-car and headed for the Dead Sea. The Sea is so saline that nothing can survive in it. Some of our group did the Dead Sea Dip – a somewhat ungraceful attempt to keep balanced in a sea that is determined to not let you touch bottom. Any slight scratch would sting when the seawater touched it. And you really didn’t want to get it in your mouth or eyes.

We ate lunch at the resort by the Dead Sea and then headed back to Jerusalem where we attempted to view some of the Stations of the Cross in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Problem was – there were a group of Greek Orthodox monks that were trekking between the stations so we were blocked from checking them out. I was quite tired so decided it was no great loss.

It was good to get back to the room for a shower and head down for a leisurely supper.

Everywhere you look there are feral cats. But unlike the feral cats at home, they seem healthy – certainly not scrawny – and usually quite friendly. Our Shabbat host likened Israel’s cats to Toronto’s squirrels. That was true in Israel more so than Jordan.

In Jordan we saw more dogs. We were told they were Bedouin dogs – used for herding. In fact it seems that Jordan has a stray dog problem exacerbated by earthquakes in Syria and possibly the refugee situation. Abandoned animals have crossed into Jordan and over time proliferated.

Another observation was the general cleanliness of Israel’s streets and roadways. Jordan’s highways seem to be lined with plastic of all kinds – garbage found closer to the towns and cities.

Roundabouts were quite common in both countries but maybe more so in Israel.

Zaev taught us a new term for going to the washroom – coffee out (as in ‘coffee in,coffee out’). It became the standard for the trip.

In Jordan some camels seem to roam freely in the desert countryside. I’m not sure whether they are feral or if, in fact, they are owned by someone and we just didn’t see the owners.

In Israel we were told that most of their electricity was produced thermally – by coal. We did see a lot of solar panels on rooftops though. We wondered about nuclear power generation but did not get an answer. We were surprised about the thermal electricity because we were under the impression that Israel was quite forward thinking in terms of environmental concerns. In Jordan we saw wind generating farms in the desert.

Poor Jan did not get a lot of sleep last night because of my snoring. I think that up until last night I had probably accumulated no more than five hours of sleep in total since Red Car picked me up in Guelph. So it seems I made up for it in spades last night. I will have to make sure I can’t roll onto my back tonight.

Another early day and we were on the bus headed for Jerusalem by 7:30 am. We headed south at first following alongside the Sea of Galilee and then the River Jordan. We passed through terrain filled with limestone outcroppings (often containing caves) and many farms. Plantations of banana, olives, mango trees, grapevines – often covered in netting to protect the crops from insects. I saw a few herds of cattle and a few more herds of goats. As we headed south through the Jordan River floodplain Zaev explained that the Jordan River provides the dividing line between Jordan and Israel. There was a time when the border was very peaceful but that came to an end when a Jordanian guard shot up a boat full of fourteen year old Israeli girls who were simply punting down the river. Peace in this part of the world is very tenuous.

Over two hours on the road before we entered Jerusalem. As an Israeli, Zaev could not go with us to Bethlehem which is in the Palestinian West Bank. So he switched out with a young woman named Lourdes who took us to the site of Jesus’ nativity.

Lourdes told us that the famous Banksy had painted three murals between Jerusalem and Bethlehem but two have been bought and removed by the purchasers. The one that is left is quite appropriate for the setting.

We entered the compound of a church complex made up of Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches. The entrance to the church had originally been large but then it was reduced in size to keep out invaders. As a result most of us had to duck to get in.

Inside the building were ornate incense burners, tapestries, paintings, carvings and much golden glitter. Lourdes ushered us into a line that was aiming for a peek at the manger and the actual birthplace in a cave under the church. We were warned it would be at least an hour before we got into the cave but the consensus was that we had come this far so we should see it through. Lourdes filled the wait time with information on the history of the Catholic Church in Bethlehem and the secular divisions in the running of the city. It appears there are three mayors – each representing the three main Christian religions. (Not sure if I got that right).

When we were just about to the steps that led down to the Nativity cave, a small group of tourists led by a very pushy guide shoved their way in front. Lourdes tried to send them back in the line and a number of us in our group tried to block their progress but they rudely pushed past saying they had paid extra to move to the front of the line. So much for the sanctity of the holy place.

Once in the cave, I found it difficult to see much of the manger. The star embedded in the floor that marked the actual birthplace was so low down that I only got a quick glimpse before having to move on. Such is life.

Lunch at a nearby restaurant was wonderful. All of the appetizers were delicious (and not quite as daunting in number today) and the salmon I ordered for the main dish was superb.

After a bit of a rest and a short dip in the hotel pool, we headed out to join a local family for Shabbat (it is Friday and a special day in the week of the Jewish people). Mark and Sarah and their three children greeted us warmly into their home. The evening started with Mark and Sarah sharing the story of Shabbat and each step of the blessing of the wine and food. A couple of Hebrew songs were sung and then we dug into the many dishes that we have become familiar with. It was a lovely way to spend Shabbat and learn something of the life of a typical Israeli family.

An early breakfast at the hotel and we headed out for a stroll around the local kibbutz with a guide (Moshe) who was born on the kibbutz in the year it was founded. The kibbutz concept consists of sharing all the work, decision-making, all expenses and income. A Nanny raises the children in a central building although the kids do spend time with their family most days. But the philosophy of the kibbutz is undergoing a shift allowing for more ownership. Children tend to live with their parents now and many of them are leaving the kibbutz for education – without returning to the kibbutz life.

From the kibbutz we loaded onto the bus and headed to Capernaum – the centre from which Jesus carried out his teachings. The home of St. Peter’s mother-in-law where Jesus performed two miracles was excavated and hovering over the dig was built an amazing eight sided Catholic Church. The church contains a central glass floor allowing worshippers to gaze downward to the holy spot.

Next door to the church is the remains of the White Synagogue – originally more of a place for the study of Jewish laws. Nowadays synagogues have become a place of worship like the Christian church.

Next stop was the Mount of the Beatitudes – a singularly spiritual setting where Jesus gave his Sermon On the Mount. The area is dominated by a beautiful but not large Catholic Church. There were a number of groups of pilgrims making their way around the grounds – some conducting full mass and some simply singing. Lucy met a group from Kenya led by an archbishop from Nairobi.

After another full lunch (Jan and I split a fish again), we headed for Nazareth. The imposing Church of the Annunciation was our goal. It is built around (on top of) an excavated building from late BCE where the Virgin Mary met the Angel. A knave off the left side of the church opens out onto the excavation. Around the walls of the church are murals created by well-respected artists and donated by the churches from various countries.

Last part of today’s travels took us to a winery where we were offered a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon Blanc and a mix of Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc. I thought the Chardonnay was fine but didn’t enjoy the reds at all. Most of us felt much the same and we were all shocked at the cost of a bottle – from $40 to $90 CDN. The place was pretty – but we were surprised they gave no history of the winery or any real explanation of their offerings.

Back at the hotel for a wee rest and supper. Tomorrow we have another early day for we are off to Jerusalem.

An early breakfast (6:30 am) and we were loaded onto our bus for a day of historical reckonings. First stop was Caesarea where the Romans appointed Herod King of Judea and allowed him to run the show from 37 to 4 BCE. During that time he built Caesarea into a thriving port city for his Roman rulers – constructing a theatre, a hippodrome and an incredible palace.

Next stop was a Druze village in the hills north of Caesarea. The Druze religion is an off-shoot of Islam that is quite secretive. According to a young fellow who gave us a short lecture on it, they believe in reincarnation and a very strict adherence to a set of rules seemingly designed to keep the bloodline pure. They fed us a lovely meal in a house atop a long and winding road. The view of the valley below was lovely.

Northward again to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Akko (aka Acre). Akko is an ancient walled city that was occupied over the centuries by many different people – Greeks, Roman, Byzantine, Crusaders, the Mamluk and the Ottoman Empire, to name a few. An entire Crusader city was discovered underground beneath a prison courtyard by the Israelis.

Now we are ensconced in Nof Ginosar – a resort-like set of low-rise buildings with lovely gardens and nicely appointed rooms beside the Sea of Galilee. According to the brochure it is the first authentic Israeli Kibbutz hotel.

Breakfast was an amazing variety of fruit, salads, breads, vegetables and sauces, and, of course, the standard North American fare of eggs. Wonderful cappuccino and Americano coffee, tea and I don’t know what else was offered. We piled it on our plates with at least one trip to the buffet each.

We then piled onto the bus and headed south to the old original city of Jaffa. Tel Aviv has only been around for just over 100 years. The port of Jaffa has been here for centuries but the port itself was not a popular spot because of the difficulty of approach. A collection of giant boulders clutters the entrance making it a bit of a navigation challenge. Legend has it that the boulders are the remains of a giant sea dragon slain by Perseus when he freed Andromeda from the dragon’s clutches.

Wonderful limestone roads lined by buildings of sand and limestone brick. Oleander bushes and bougainvillea draped the arches. The effect was stunning.

Artisans have transformed what was once a rundown section of the town into a beautiful work and living space filled with very high-end studios and shops.

Lunch again was delicious – starting with more appetizers than I have ever seen in any one place at a time. They piled it on even more today than yesterday. Jan and I shared a main dish of buri (some sort of fish) and we still had difficulty finishing.

Today we were exposed to the early Christian St. Peter’s church overlooking the harbour juxtaposed with the area’s Jewish origins and ultimately the dominant religion of the present population. We learned some of the rules of Kosher – how all sources of food are divided into three categories – sky (birds), land (terrestrial animals) and sea (fish) – and the limits imposed on each category to define what foods are allowed.

We visited ANU – the Museum of the Jewish people where we were led through the history of the origins of the various subgroups within the faith, the impact of the work of a multitude of Jews in theatre, the arts and the sciences.

We ended the outing with a jaunt through the colourful and wonderfully scented market in Tel Aviv.

After a short break to shower and change at the hotel we gathered for supper. Like last night, the supper was an elaborate buffet but with a totally different set of offerings. I’m hooked on the salads and sauces here. Desserts aren’t too shabby either.

Tomorrow we are off to Galilee.

Red Car picked up the four Guelphites (Me, Jan, Roz and Lucy) before 11 am and hustled us off to Pearson Airport for our 4:30 pm flight to Tel Aviv. It did seem a tad ambitious but, as it turned out, Jan and I struggled to get luggage tags from the very defective AC kiosks. Eventually we connected with a lovely young Air Canada worker who was able to issue us proper tags and send us on our merry way.

A very dynamic Israeli woman sat down with us at the gate and proceeded to regale us with stories about her homeland, its wonderful food, it’s beautiful scenery and its disconcerting politics.

I didn’t get the bulkhead seat I thought I had reserved and ended up instead in the very last row. At least it was an aisle seat. An orthodox Jewish man in full black frock coat, top hat and side locks was slated to sit between me and another woman (also a senior on the same tour as me). He immediately grabbed a flight attendant who quickly persuaded a young American man to switch with him so that he ended up sitting with two men instead. Huh! What was that all about?

The flight was over ten hours long but it turned out to be much more comfortable than I expected. Because I was at the very back I was able to lean my seat back as far as I wanted. I spent a lot of time reading an Elizabeth George murder mystery, watching ‘A Man Called Otto’ with Tom Hanks, and trying unsuccessfully to get some sleep.

Next thing I knew, we were all gathering at the baggage claim in Tel Aviv. John Potter (who arranged this tour) was able to secure some quick passage through customs and all eighteen of us were loaded on a bus for the Dan Panorama hotel. The Navigator app loaded on my phone with the Israel and Jordan pack showed us that the airport was inland (east) of the main city and that our hotel is close to the Mediterranean.
Once we’d settled into our rooms and had a bit of a break, we headed off for lunch at a restaurant a few blocks from the hotel. I used Merlin’s Sound ID (I had loaded the Middle East pack before I left home) to identify the Common Myna and a Hooded Crow. Lunch was delicious but way too much food so Jan and I skipped dessert and headed back to the hotel.

Time to check out the boardwalk by the sea so Jan, Lucy and I headed for the water. It was gorgeous – lots of people strolling along, dogs chasing each other up and down the beach, and even a couple of them playing in the waves.

We spied a really cool bird we later identified as a Eurasian Hoopoe. Have you seen one of them Glenn?

Back at the hotel we met up with the gang for supper. Buffet style so we could take as little or as much as we wanted. Good conversations and good food but now I’m exhausted. I’ve been up for about 32 hours so I think I’ve earned the right to be exhausted.