Day 3
Christmas Service, Trip to the Mediterranean sea, Mount Roshanika the border of Lebanon the roof that caved in.
It was now time for the real Christmas service. It was about midday, people had gathered in a place called as the house of prayer and study (HOPS) it was not called the church, synagogue or mosque. It had no symbols or signs. Frans explained that this was meant to be a meeting point for people of all religious traditions. If there was a cross the jews would not come in and if there was a star the muslims would not step in. So it was best to just have a hall with large windows.
Annemarie lead the service. There were carols that were projected on the screen so that the congregation could join in, there was a bible reading, followed by some songs and a narration of Christmas in another context. Eva, a volunteer who had spent a Christmas in Australia all alone shared the need to go out and think of the poor on Christmas day. After a couple of songs, Annemarie gave us the Christmas message. The service closed with the choir singing Mary had a little baby boy. The song was so animated by Mathias, a German pastor, he was also choir master.
The service led us straight into lunch. The salad bar, bread and curds, it was the milk lunch. Having a quick lunch we left for a short trip.
We knew that were going to mount Roshanika. On the way, Frans stopped the car on the beach. We saw many families partying and having fun. Walked on the beach and Florina had the real chance of touching and walking on the cold Mediterranean sea. The beautiful blue sea couldn’t have been more splendid than here. It looked like a sheet of blue glass that was laid out. With minimal waves it appeared almost still.
We then drove on top of mount Roshanika. This was the border to Lebanon. The road to Lebanon actually ended here. There was a barricade and the united nations was present to guard the border. Though we did not see them we could say that it was heavily militarized.
There was a cable car and a hotel that presented a beautiful view of the Sea. The coast was fertile with banana plantations that were covered with mosquito nets and the bananas themselves were covered with plastic bags. The sea shore almost came inside the land. The mountain that ended like a cliff oversaw the ocean and the old railway line that ran between Istanbul and Cairo. This must have been a wonderful route. It is a pity that the conflict has put an end to the rail route.
Standing on the Lebanon border we were informed that it was almost like India and Pakistan. After 1948 the families who lived on both the sides were separated. So if a person wanted to meet her sister she had to go to Cyprus or to Europe or another African country. There was no possibility to walk across the road and meet them though they were merely a kilometer away. This was truly appalling. Made our hearts to imagine this situation.
We continued our drive through the mountains. We now went from there to the border places of Lebanon. We came to small rocky trek trail. I have always loved these trails since it reminds me of home. We walked on rocks and reached a site where the rock that formed the roof of a cave had fallen, making it look like a bridge. It reminded me of one of the gorges in China. It was natural bridge and it could take a lot of weight. We walked on it without any fear but when we approached it from the other side to see it as a standalone bridge it looked like the one in the Manirathinam’s Raavana.
That was a lot of impressions for the day. We returned home right on time for the chirstmas dinner.
Florina wore her new saree and impressed all the people who saw her. We had carols, soup, Christmas message, carols, main course, carols and soup. We had a lot of time to socialize in between the carols and the food. Finally we had a full meat meal after days of having milk meals. It was a wonderful spread of Mediterranean cuisine (Kosher of course). Soups and salads, fish, beef, egg and turkey, with a whole range of regional veggies sautéd in olive oil and garnished with herbs all this with really fresh bread to go with the meal. This brought the Christmas party to a grand end.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
From the Middle East
Day 6
Tiberias view point, Dead sea, holy city of Jerusalem,
We left Nes Ammim and were heading towards the Holy City. It was a very scenic drive. This time were driving along the river Jordan the long and windy road through the plantations, olive gardens, pomegranate, mango and orange orchards, vineyards and so on. The first stop was to fulfill our wish to step into the river Jordan. It was no the place of the baptism of Jesus but a place where we wanted to get in and touch the water. It was fresh and cold. Not too deep but was swift. Washed our faces again and again to feel the freshness and spent some time just wondering about the swiftness of our life and continued the journey.
We were now driving below the sea level. Really, we were about 150 meters below sea level and still had a good view of the lake Tiberias. This is the same as the lake of Galilee also known as Lake Kinnered. We stopped at the town called Tiberias. A very lovely touristy town that gave a wide view of the lake. From the place where we stood we were able to see the spot where we were yesterday in Caparnahum. Now you can imagine where we were. The lake had many feeding points. The water came in from the mountains thorough the valleys and filled the huge lake. It could have been formed because of a crater or an earthquake.
On the platform of hotel Chick Dee Do we had a coffee and hot chocolate and witnessed the wonderful view of the place. Sea gulls and black ducks were diving into the water and coming out with fish in their beaks. Effortlessly they swallowed the small fish. There were many cats that scavenged on the hotel’s waste food and also made it up to our legs touching and purring on our foot wear. The wooden platforms provided a fair space to stand, sit or walk without being touched by the lake water.
As if that was not enough for us we went into the water and sure enough had to touch it and wet atleast some part of ourselves. With the sun out, it was warm and keeping us in high spirits.
We moved on to the southern part of the country. This time it was through the deserts. Don’t imagine the ones in Rajasthan. This was magnificent mountains that were deserts. Spectacular would be a cheap word to describe it. There were Bedouin houses that could be spotted all along the desert and guess what! We also saw an oasis. This was real. Filled with date plantations I was surprised to see that people were able to farm cabbage, and other vegetables under plastic bags in the desert. I will surely write about this separately as well.
All this was not completely happy as on one side we had these desert plantation and on the other we had a huge electronic fence. It was the border of Jordan. Meant to keep away people from entering the country. The fence ran for many kilometers.
Driving along I was constantly watching the altimeter in my watch it said -270. We were actually 270 meters below sea level. Worse still the board on the shores of the dead sea read 418 meters below sea level. It was a weird feeling. Remember we were not in a vault, tunnel, or and underground shaft. We were on the shore of the Dead sea.
The Kalia Beach provides some space for changing and relaxing. Before that we had packed some traditional Puliodarai (a trip is never complete without it), we sat and ate it and were ready for the float.
The dead sea is called so because it is too salty for anything to live in it. The shores were covered with clay that was quite slippery. The water felt soapy and oily as well. Grey in colour, it also looked a bit dirty. We saw that people were taking the clay and applying it to their body. It is believed to have a lot of healing result. Psoriasis and other skin diseases would be healed if it is used therapeutically. So all those who decided to take a plunge did the same and so did we.
Soon we were covered with the black clay and were already floating. The only safety instruction was not to get eyes in the mouth and eyes. We went to the knee deep water and laid down with our heads held up. Lo and Behold we were effortlessly floating. We could read a news paper, do a back stroke, front stroke or just lay on your back and enjoy the chill breeze. We did all that and played around like kids. I had a lot of clay on my face and wanted to wash it off. So just like I would do it at home, splashed some water on my face. A few drops of water entered my eyes and the pain was excruciating. I did not panic. Flo, ran to the
shore to fetch some clean water and helped me wash my eyes I recovered instantly. Well the experience would have never been complete without it. Again we covered ourselves with the clay and rested on the shore while Annemarie took the photos of the two clay covered Indians, while Frans watched us as he floated along. We had floated enough and it was getting cold and dark.
There was an open shower that sprayed really cold water on us. My teeth were typing as I walked to the dressing space and clothed myself. Soon we were in our warm car and on our way to the holy City.
Through the same Bedouin villages and the deserts we were now on the main road. We went through the check point entering in to the West Bank (Palestine). The road to Jerusalem was beautiful but was painful to hear the story of the road. It actually cuts across the heart of Palestine. It was seen more as a mode of control rather that a mere way to transport. Politics of land, religion identity and many more things were platted together on the road. The sight of the Bedouin homes which were resembled the slums were particularly disturbing. Even seeing them sent cold waves through my body.
Now, we were in Jerusalem. We parked our car in the Augusta Hospital Guest house and took a taxi to the town to Damascus gate.
Jerusalem has an old city. The whole city is surrounded by a very high wall. It was probably built during King Solomon, destroyed many times only to be rebuilt again. The wall envelopes the city with many entrances. The old city itself is home to several religious controversies. The Jews claim it to the temple site of Solomon and also have the wailing wall inside it. The Christians claim it to be part of the Jesus heritage since it holds the Holy Sepulchre, the birth place of Mary and many vital sites, the Muslims claim it to be a holy site where the Prophet visited and there is a Mosque of Omar. All this has resulted in generations of tensions bearing the destruction and reconstruction of the places that have been most holy. Till today the places are the cause and source of these brimming conflicts.
With this background we stepped into the holy city. The streets were laid with the pale brown (almost white) Jerusalem stone beautifully cut out from the locally available rock. The streets were filled with vendors and touristy souvenirs. The broad streets lead into narrow streets which were called souks. There were two main roads this would have been meant for transporting the horses and the army. The Roman plan was quite evident from the very outlook of the streets.
Walking along the souk we imagined the streets in the time of Jesus. Doing so we saw “Via Dolorosa” the way of the cross. This was presumably a recreated way and not the original one. The way in which it flows does not exactly match the archeological fact and hence there is enough reason to believe that the real way would have been from another direction not too far from the currently perceived one. In faith it has now become real.
The path lead us to the church of the Holy Sepulcher. Since it was late we could not get inside it but had a good view from the outside. We were sure that we would visit it the next day.
The travel had worn us out so we decided to get back. Near the Damascus gate there was a shop that sold falafel. We sat and enjoyed our meal to end our day.
Tiberias view point, Dead sea, holy city of Jerusalem,
We left Nes Ammim and were heading towards the Holy City. It was a very scenic drive. This time were driving along the river Jordan the long and windy road through the plantations, olive gardens, pomegranate, mango and orange orchards, vineyards and so on. The first stop was to fulfill our wish to step into the river Jordan. It was no the place of the baptism of Jesus but a place where we wanted to get in and touch the water. It was fresh and cold. Not too deep but was swift. Washed our faces again and again to feel the freshness and spent some time just wondering about the swiftness of our life and continued the journey.
We were now driving below the sea level. Really, we were about 150 meters below sea level and still had a good view of the lake Tiberias. This is the same as the lake of Galilee also known as Lake Kinnered. We stopped at the town called Tiberias. A very lovely touristy town that gave a wide view of the lake. From the place where we stood we were able to see the spot where we were yesterday in Caparnahum. Now you can imagine where we were. The lake had many feeding points. The water came in from the mountains thorough the valleys and filled the huge lake. It could have been formed because of a crater or an earthquake.
On the platform of hotel Chick Dee Do we had a coffee and hot chocolate and witnessed the wonderful view of the place. Sea gulls and black ducks were diving into the water and coming out with fish in their beaks. Effortlessly they swallowed the small fish. There were many cats that scavenged on the hotel’s waste food and also made it up to our legs touching and purring on our foot wear. The wooden platforms provided a fair space to stand, sit or walk without being touched by the lake water.
As if that was not enough for us we went into the water and sure enough had to touch it and wet atleast some part of ourselves. With the sun out, it was warm and keeping us in high spirits.
We moved on to the southern part of the country. This time it was through the deserts. Don’t imagine the ones in Rajasthan. This was magnificent mountains that were deserts. Spectacular would be a cheap word to describe it. There were Bedouin houses that could be spotted all along the desert and guess what! We also saw an oasis. This was real. Filled with date plantations I was surprised to see that people were able to farm cabbage, and other vegetables under plastic bags in the desert. I will surely write about this separately as well.
All this was not completely happy as on one side we had these desert plantation and on the other we had a huge electronic fence. It was the border of Jordan. Meant to keep away people from entering the country. The fence ran for many kilometers.
Driving along I was constantly watching the altimeter in my watch it said -270. We were actually 270 meters below sea level. Worse still the board on the shores of the dead sea read 418 meters below sea level. It was a weird feeling. Remember we were not in a vault, tunnel, or and underground shaft. We were on the shore of the Dead sea.
The Kalia Beach provides some space for changing and relaxing. Before that we had packed some traditional Puliodarai (a trip is never complete without it), we sat and ate it and were ready for the float.
The dead sea is called so because it is too salty for anything to live in it. The shores were covered with clay that was quite slippery. The water felt soapy and oily as well. Grey in colour, it also looked a bit dirty. We saw that people were taking the clay and applying it to their body. It is believed to have a lot of healing result. Psoriasis and other skin diseases would be healed if it is used therapeutically. So all those who decided to take a plunge did the same and so did we.
Soon we were covered with the black clay and were already floating. The only safety instruction was not to get eyes in the mouth and eyes. We went to the knee deep water and laid down with our heads held up. Lo and Behold we were effortlessly floating. We could read a news paper, do a back stroke, front stroke or just lay on your back and enjoy the chill breeze. We did all that and played around like kids. I had a lot of clay on my face and wanted to wash it off. So just like I would do it at home, splashed some water on my face. A few drops of water entered my eyes and the pain was excruciating. I did not panic. Flo, ran to the
shore to fetch some clean water and helped me wash my eyes I recovered instantly. Well the experience would have never been complete without it. Again we covered ourselves with the clay and rested on the shore while Annemarie took the photos of the two clay covered Indians, while Frans watched us as he floated along. We had floated enough and it was getting cold and dark.
There was an open shower that sprayed really cold water on us. My teeth were typing as I walked to the dressing space and clothed myself. Soon we were in our warm car and on our way to the holy City.
Through the same Bedouin villages and the deserts we were now on the main road. We went through the check point entering in to the West Bank (Palestine). The road to Jerusalem was beautiful but was painful to hear the story of the road. It actually cuts across the heart of Palestine. It was seen more as a mode of control rather that a mere way to transport. Politics of land, religion identity and many more things were platted together on the road. The sight of the Bedouin homes which were resembled the slums were particularly disturbing. Even seeing them sent cold waves through my body.
Now, we were in Jerusalem. We parked our car in the Augusta Hospital Guest house and took a taxi to the town to Damascus gate.
Jerusalem has an old city. The whole city is surrounded by a very high wall. It was probably built during King Solomon, destroyed many times only to be rebuilt again. The wall envelopes the city with many entrances. The old city itself is home to several religious controversies. The Jews claim it to the temple site of Solomon and also have the wailing wall inside it. The Christians claim it to be part of the Jesus heritage since it holds the Holy Sepulchre, the birth place of Mary and many vital sites, the Muslims claim it to be a holy site where the Prophet visited and there is a Mosque of Omar. All this has resulted in generations of tensions bearing the destruction and reconstruction of the places that have been most holy. Till today the places are the cause and source of these brimming conflicts.
With this background we stepped into the holy city. The streets were laid with the pale brown (almost white) Jerusalem stone beautifully cut out from the locally available rock. The streets were filled with vendors and touristy souvenirs. The broad streets lead into narrow streets which were called souks. There were two main roads this would have been meant for transporting the horses and the army. The Roman plan was quite evident from the very outlook of the streets.
Walking along the souk we imagined the streets in the time of Jesus. Doing so we saw “Via Dolorosa” the way of the cross. This was presumably a recreated way and not the original one. The way in which it flows does not exactly match the archeological fact and hence there is enough reason to believe that the real way would have been from another direction not too far from the currently perceived one. In faith it has now become real.
The path lead us to the church of the Holy Sepulcher. Since it was late we could not get inside it but had a good view from the outside. We were sure that we would visit it the next day.
The travel had worn us out so we decided to get back. Near the Damascus gate there was a shop that sold falafel. We sat and enjoyed our meal to end our day.
From The Middle East
Day 5
Jordan River, Golan Heights, Capernaum (fish, lake Galilee, the town of Jesus, Peter’s house), Tabgha (place of five bread and the fish, church with mosaic peacock), mountain of the beatitudes)
We knew that we were going to be driving into the cold and Frans specifically told us to carry warm clothes. So we did take we had layered ourselves with warm clothes and set out on the drive. We drove along the beautiful mountains that were studded with rocks and flowing with sand. We also knew that were driving along the course of the Jordan River. It presented a splendid view as it looked like a forest river that flowed quite fast. Green in colour, it gushed through the slopes and was creating its own path. Seemed as if it was a law unto itself. We decided to stop by it and take a closer look. We went really close to it and were happy only to see it and not dare to touch it, as it was too swift in that area. We were sure we could get into it in some place.
On our way to the Golan Heights we also passed by the spots where the 2007 war against Lebanon had taken place. The places where the Lebanese rocket propelled grenades had destroyed the Israeli tanks. It was appalling to see that the border was so close and yet they were so divided as countries. If not for that fence it could have been one peaceful site. Families could be united and there was no need for war
The drive continued till reached the spectacular mountain view of the Golan Heights. Back in 2001, I was teaching a class on displacement and rehabilitation. The first unit was on geopolitics and my first case study was on the Strategic location of the Golan Heights. It is hard to describe the importance till you actually see. Let me try to describe it to you all.
It is a mountain from which you can see the snow clad mountain range of Mount Hermon, the place where the transfiguration is originally supposed to have taken place (not in mount Tabor as we have it written in the Bible). The Cliff of Golan oversees Damascus the capital of Syria that is only 60 km from there. On the other side there is a look out to Lebanon. Historically Golan heights belongs to Syria and is currently occupied by Israel. Since it is located on the mountain the military has a great advantage as they can just aim and shoot from there or just fire in any direction they want.
The installations of war were still present. The bunkers, some of the used artillery and board images of soldiers who would have been fighting from that place were all intact. Florina, constantly asks the question as of why they kept those boards of gun men. It is a bit scary and also realistic. May be it reminds you of the past for some at the same time it can also traumatize some.
The view from the Golan was breathtaking. We could see for miles without any disturbance. The wind was too strong even to let us stand.
We drove to our next destination Kefar Nahum (the town also spelled as Caparnaum or village of Nahum). I was very excited to see the boards of the place and started clicking away. We parked by a good restaurant and decided to have lunch. It was located right on the shores of the lake Galilee. Remember the place where Jesus walked on water, the place where he called out to Peter and the fishermen to follow them. This was it. We were on the same shores. The lake was calm, very pretty and huge. It almost looked like an ocean. We had the opportunity to step into the icy water and feel the place for our selves.
Since this was the place where Peter caught the fish that had the coin inside its stomach we decided to eat the same fish. Rightfully it was called Peter’s fish. I am not sure if it was the very same fish but I can tell you that it was tasty.
Just a kilometer from the lake of Galilee we went to a place called Caparnahum. This was the town of Jesus. The very board was too disturbing. I was walking in the place where he had walked. The archeological evidence says that there was a fishing village and it was most likely the house of Peter. Jesus stayed here while he started his ministry. He probably lived here for all the three years of active mission work.
The houses were small as the ruins indicate that there must have been a town here. With narrow streets and small houses it resembled a typical coastal village. The village was also strategically located between the areas governed by Herod and Phillip. So if he had problems with the Herod he could always move away to that of Phillip, which was more liberal.
There is Byzantine synagogue that was in ruins and the old olive press that was used to get out the oil. For a moment it appeared that time had frozen. For me this village created a lot of impression. It made me heavy. This was the place where he must have had a lot of discussions, planning, and most of all this could have well been the birth place of a new theology. Wow it was getting too much. I was able of constantly talk with Annemarie and Frans about my reflections share their thoughts in it.
The place was under the control of the Franciscans and they were doing a good job with it. But there was an ongoing custodian battle between them and the Greek orthodox church over more excavations. What was more surprising was that many parts of the place were excavated only about 50 years ago and there are several sites that remain unexcavated because of the conflict. I hope some sense prevails over these conflicts and people are willing to move ahead in time.
Our next stop was Tabgha. Remember the incident in the bible where Jesus went on preaching and people had to remind him saying that the crowd was hungry and there he found someone with fish and bread and the rest is known to all. Yes this was the place. The bed rock still remains and a beautiful church has been built over it. The church was apparently destroyed and by the Turkish invasions. Later excavations found that there was a beautiful byzantine church with some extraordinary mosaic work. The flooring had basket with four bread and two fish on the side. Birds and animals found in the region decorated the floors. It was quite extraordinary to find peacocks on the floor. Flo took a picture of it reminding us of our home.
From below sea level we also had a quick look at the mount of the Sermon. Also known as the Mount of Beatitudes. Frans clearly explained to us the likelihood and authenticity of this mountain being the one for the preaching. Located only a few kilometeres it has a natural place for people to sit and listen. So when a lecture was given from a lower level it all could hear. As we drove past it the beatitudes rang in my ears.
My head was getting heavier and it could have exploded if we had not stopped for the day.
Jordan River, Golan Heights, Capernaum (fish, lake Galilee, the town of Jesus, Peter’s house), Tabgha (place of five bread and the fish, church with mosaic peacock), mountain of the beatitudes)
We knew that we were going to be driving into the cold and Frans specifically told us to carry warm clothes. So we did take we had layered ourselves with warm clothes and set out on the drive. We drove along the beautiful mountains that were studded with rocks and flowing with sand. We also knew that were driving along the course of the Jordan River. It presented a splendid view as it looked like a forest river that flowed quite fast. Green in colour, it gushed through the slopes and was creating its own path. Seemed as if it was a law unto itself. We decided to stop by it and take a closer look. We went really close to it and were happy only to see it and not dare to touch it, as it was too swift in that area. We were sure we could get into it in some place.
On our way to the Golan Heights we also passed by the spots where the 2007 war against Lebanon had taken place. The places where the Lebanese rocket propelled grenades had destroyed the Israeli tanks. It was appalling to see that the border was so close and yet they were so divided as countries. If not for that fence it could have been one peaceful site. Families could be united and there was no need for war
The drive continued till reached the spectacular mountain view of the Golan Heights. Back in 2001, I was teaching a class on displacement and rehabilitation. The first unit was on geopolitics and my first case study was on the Strategic location of the Golan Heights. It is hard to describe the importance till you actually see. Let me try to describe it to you all.
It is a mountain from which you can see the snow clad mountain range of Mount Hermon, the place where the transfiguration is originally supposed to have taken place (not in mount Tabor as we have it written in the Bible). The Cliff of Golan oversees Damascus the capital of Syria that is only 60 km from there. On the other side there is a look out to Lebanon. Historically Golan heights belongs to Syria and is currently occupied by Israel. Since it is located on the mountain the military has a great advantage as they can just aim and shoot from there or just fire in any direction they want.
The installations of war were still present. The bunkers, some of the used artillery and board images of soldiers who would have been fighting from that place were all intact. Florina, constantly asks the question as of why they kept those boards of gun men. It is a bit scary and also realistic. May be it reminds you of the past for some at the same time it can also traumatize some.
The view from the Golan was breathtaking. We could see for miles without any disturbance. The wind was too strong even to let us stand.
We drove to our next destination Kefar Nahum (the town also spelled as Caparnaum or village of Nahum). I was very excited to see the boards of the place and started clicking away. We parked by a good restaurant and decided to have lunch. It was located right on the shores of the lake Galilee. Remember the place where Jesus walked on water, the place where he called out to Peter and the fishermen to follow them. This was it. We were on the same shores. The lake was calm, very pretty and huge. It almost looked like an ocean. We had the opportunity to step into the icy water and feel the place for our selves.
Since this was the place where Peter caught the fish that had the coin inside its stomach we decided to eat the same fish. Rightfully it was called Peter’s fish. I am not sure if it was the very same fish but I can tell you that it was tasty.
Just a kilometer from the lake of Galilee we went to a place called Caparnahum. This was the town of Jesus. The very board was too disturbing. I was walking in the place where he had walked. The archeological evidence says that there was a fishing village and it was most likely the house of Peter. Jesus stayed here while he started his ministry. He probably lived here for all the three years of active mission work.
The houses were small as the ruins indicate that there must have been a town here. With narrow streets and small houses it resembled a typical coastal village. The village was also strategically located between the areas governed by Herod and Phillip. So if he had problems with the Herod he could always move away to that of Phillip, which was more liberal.
There is Byzantine synagogue that was in ruins and the old olive press that was used to get out the oil. For a moment it appeared that time had frozen. For me this village created a lot of impression. It made me heavy. This was the place where he must have had a lot of discussions, planning, and most of all this could have well been the birth place of a new theology. Wow it was getting too much. I was able of constantly talk with Annemarie and Frans about my reflections share their thoughts in it.
The place was under the control of the Franciscans and they were doing a good job with it. But there was an ongoing custodian battle between them and the Greek orthodox church over more excavations. What was more surprising was that many parts of the place were excavated only about 50 years ago and there are several sites that remain unexcavated because of the conflict. I hope some sense prevails over these conflicts and people are willing to move ahead in time.
Our next stop was Tabgha. Remember the incident in the bible where Jesus went on preaching and people had to remind him saying that the crowd was hungry and there he found someone with fish and bread and the rest is known to all. Yes this was the place. The bed rock still remains and a beautiful church has been built over it. The church was apparently destroyed and by the Turkish invasions. Later excavations found that there was a beautiful byzantine church with some extraordinary mosaic work. The flooring had basket with four bread and two fish on the side. Birds and animals found in the region decorated the floors. It was quite extraordinary to find peacocks on the floor. Flo took a picture of it reminding us of our home.
From below sea level we also had a quick look at the mount of the Sermon. Also known as the Mount of Beatitudes. Frans clearly explained to us the likelihood and authenticity of this mountain being the one for the preaching. Located only a few kilometeres it has a natural place for people to sit and listen. So when a lecture was given from a lower level it all could hear. As we drove past it the beatitudes rang in my ears.
My head was getting heavier and it could have exploded if we had not stopped for the day.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Notes from the MIddle East
Arriving
It has not yet sunk into me that I am in Israel. After all that uncertainty, reaching Israel was a big deal after 28 hours of travel. The flight was delayed in Jordan. For a 45 minute flight we had to wait for 4 hours. We felt that we could have even walked the distance instead of waiting. We reached and waited and waited in a queue for the immigration. A young lady was at the slow moving counter. She asked the regular questions: Where are you going? Is this the first visit? How long are you going to stay? Where will you be staying? Are your friends Israeli nationals? What is the purpose of your visit? We patiently answered and got out of it and waited for our luggage. It also arrived like the delayed flight slow and steady. The baggage belt spat out our bags that came sliding down. We picked it up and went to the immigration, Our Pappa Bear, Pastor Frans was eagerly waiting for us. We gave him a tight hug of relief and got into the car. He said, “it is a two hour drive”. We sat down and decided to enjoy the ride.
Not having slept for about 24 hours was getting to me. I was trying to sleep in the car but could not avoid seeing the beautiful hills and mounds. They all seemed to me like some strategic lookouts. On our way we crossed several villages. They looked like Muslim villages with prominent mosques with minarets. Frans told us that that was Palestine. The villages were surrounded by walls that were any where between 10 ft in some places to about 25 feet high in other places. It looked like walled villages. They were supposed to stop the Palestenians from getting across to Israel.
As we drove by, I really wanted to sleep but the signboards kept me awake. It said Jerusalem, Tiberias, Nazareth and so on. Now I was slowly waking up to it. It was the road to the real Nazareth and not the one in Pennsylvania or the one in Northern Tamil Nadu. We drove by Galilee and reached the northern part of the country. Passed by the orange plantations, the olive trees still pregnant with olives and orchards of avocado. Finally we arrived in Nes Ammim. We met with Annemarie our Dutch god mother and gave her a quick update about the trip and went for dinner.
It has not yet sunk into me that I am in Israel. After all that uncertainty, reaching Israel was a big deal after 28 hours of travel. The flight was delayed in Jordan. For a 45 minute flight we had to wait for 4 hours. We felt that we could have even walked the distance instead of waiting. We reached and waited and waited in a queue for the immigration. A young lady was at the slow moving counter. She asked the regular questions: Where are you going? Is this the first visit? How long are you going to stay? Where will you be staying? Are your friends Israeli nationals? What is the purpose of your visit? We patiently answered and got out of it and waited for our luggage. It also arrived like the delayed flight slow and steady. The baggage belt spat out our bags that came sliding down. We picked it up and went to the immigration, Our Pappa Bear, Pastor Frans was eagerly waiting for us. We gave him a tight hug of relief and got into the car. He said, “it is a two hour drive”. We sat down and decided to enjoy the ride.
Not having slept for about 24 hours was getting to me. I was trying to sleep in the car but could not avoid seeing the beautiful hills and mounds. They all seemed to me like some strategic lookouts. On our way we crossed several villages. They looked like Muslim villages with prominent mosques with minarets. Frans told us that that was Palestine. The villages were surrounded by walls that were any where between 10 ft in some places to about 25 feet high in other places. It looked like walled villages. They were supposed to stop the Palestenians from getting across to Israel.
As we drove by, I really wanted to sleep but the signboards kept me awake. It said Jerusalem, Tiberias, Nazareth and so on. Now I was slowly waking up to it. It was the road to the real Nazareth and not the one in Pennsylvania or the one in Northern Tamil Nadu. We drove by Galilee and reached the northern part of the country. Passed by the orange plantations, the olive trees still pregnant with olives and orchards of avocado. Finally we arrived in Nes Ammim. We met with Annemarie our Dutch god mother and gave her a quick update about the trip and went for dinner.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)