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.