Travels

We do have pictures but with all our travels we haven't had much time to get them on here. They will be coming soon.
Meanwhile, I'll post some notes on our adventures...

Thursday, after my parents arrived, we ventured around Nazareth, the market right by our house, our spice shop and grocery store, the Greek Orthodox church, just spots familiar to us. In the evening we made food and ate with JT staff.

Friday we borrowed a car from a friend and took off. The weather had been cold and rainy up until that point. It continued but seemed to lift every time we wanted to get out of the car and began pouring again when we got in the car. We stopped by Megiddo and saw Solomon's chariot stables and a cistern from the time of Ahab. Then we were off to Caesarea. The rain threatened but we were able to enjoy the incredible ruins of an amphitheater, hippodrome, bath house, etc. as well as fabulous aqueducts. We even met Linford and Janet S. randomly. They were also showing their EMU cross-cultural the sights. As the rain came down we drove to the Carmel Mountains. Beautiful misty green mountains, hairpin turns, burnt trees from the fire a couple months ago. In the evening we had tea at Hinke's.

Saturday we were given an excellent tour of the Basilica of the Annunciation by a Catholic friend of ours, Habib. We were even given the tour of the locked museum and houses believed to be from the old city at the time of Mary. They were basically caves. In the afternoon, Philip and I worked at NV. My parents had two tours, a smaller group but more detailed tour by me and a larger, shorter tour by Philip with a NV lunch in the middle. I think they were impressed by both of us:).

Sunday was at last a beautiful, sunny day. Dave dropped us off at Zippori, we spent hours exploring the ruined city on a hill in the gorgeous weather, then hiked the JT back to Nazareth. Some kids threw rocks at us at the end but all was well. In the evening we met with Lin and Janet. After our long day and hike in the fresh air we slept well.

Monday we caught the bus to Jerusalem. We arrived at our hostel on Jaffa street, dropped our bags, picked up pastries and fruit in the crowded Yehuda open market and ate a picnic lunch beneath the walls of the Old City. We spend some time exploring the Garden of Gethsemane and several churches on the Mt. of Olives. We decided to enter the Dung gate. As we approached the Western Wall, we realized that a military induction was happening in the plaza right in front of it. Very strange and disturbing to see college age boys and girls yelling their oaths to the State of Israel and being given automatic weapons in return. Right in front of a "place of prayer."
After further exploration of the Old City, we ate supper at the quaint Armenian restaurant.

Tuesday we slept in and ate breakfast at the hostel then began a five hour guided tour of the "Holy City." Very good secular Jewish guide. We saw the "upper room," which is also supposed to be the site of Pentecost. We visited the room beneath that is called David's Tomb. We visited the Dome of the Rock, resplendent in golden dome, blue and green tile, sunshine, conflict, tour groups, Muslim worshipers, photos, and complex history. We ate hummus, falafal, and Arab salads for lunch at a local place in the Muslim Quarter. In the afternoon we visited the divided, incense-steaming, many chambered Church of the Sepulcher. Another full, sunny day in Jerusalem. City of Peace.