| Sunday, April 16, 2006 When we arose this morning, we found that it was cloudy and raining outside. Our room looked out on an apartment building about 15 feet across an alley so there wasn’t much of interest to look at save for a small patch of sky. We had a good sleep of about 8 hours so were feeling much more rested this morning. Unfortunately, I had fallen asleep on my heating pad and the cover had come off resulting in a large first degree burn with a small blister in the center. Jacquie found a large band aid and some antibiotic ointment to put across the blister and we’ll hope for the best. Fortunately, it’s not too painful. The good news is that my arthritic back is feeling much better this morning. Breakfast in the dining room this morning was served buffet style. There was an array of food: cold cuts; cheese, mostly young, white; several types of olives; fruit, both fresh and pickled; dry cereal and more. On a steam table there were some scrambled eggs, vegetables baked in an egg mixture, latkes, and some other items that I do not remember. Juice, tea and coffee were available as were some sweet cakes. There was no bread, only matzo because of Passover. Jacquie and I both managed to find plenty to “fill the void” although it was not like what we prefer to eat at home. We gathered in the lobby at 8:30 AM and used the first ½-hour for a get acquainted session with each person taking a minute or so to tell a bit about themselves. Then Benny brought the bus around and we headed off our tour. By then, the rain had stopped although it would continue off and on for much of the morning. Our first destination was Latrun located southwest of Tel Aviv where we’ll visit a memorial to Israel’s Armored Corps and a bird sanctuary. Following are some observations and comments from the drive to Latrun.
We reached the Latrun interchange during a hard shower about 9:30 AM. The Memorial was visible almost immediately when we left the main highway from Tel Aviv; its presence being announced by a tall tower capped by an out-of-service Israeli battle tank. We drove only a short distance from the highway and then pulled into a large parking lot at the main gate of the memorial. The light rain, which had been intermittent all morning, started up again just as we disembarked the bus so we had to don our rain gear. We followed sidewalks up a slight hill to a large paved plaza that was ringed with battle tanks and related mechanized equipment. Some of these were Israeli, some were donated by friendly countries and some had been captured from neighboring countries in the various wars during the past fifty plus years. It is reputedly the largest collection of its kind in the world. At the opposite side of the plaza was a solid-looking concrete building with a rust-color metal tower on one end. Flanking it was a long wall of white marble wall that bore the names of all armored forces soldiers who had lost their lives in the line of duty since the formation of the State of Israel. The Latrun Armored Forces Museum is housed on a former British police station constructed in 1941. It was one of several such facilities built during that era and actually was constructed as a fortress capable of withstanding a substantial military assault. The building is located on a low hill that enables it to command a considerable area of the Avalon Valley which has been of great strategic significance throughout recorded history. It was here that the road from the Mediterranean Coast split into two branches, both going to Jerusalem. One goes through Sha'ar haGay (today the main road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem), the other goes more northwards, via Beit Horon. It was in this area that Joshua defeated the Amorites (Joshua 10:1-11); King David smote the Philistines; and the Egyptians, the Maccabees and the Crusaders battled their way to Jerusalem. During the War of Independence in 1948, the bloodiest combat between Israeli and the Arab armies took place for control of the route to the beleaguered Israeli forces in Jerusalem. It was not until the 1967 “Six Day War” that Israel finally was able to drive out the Arab forces and take control of the facility at Latrun. It has since been developed as a museum and a memorial to soldiers who lost their lives in the War of Independence and the several conflicts that have followed. Located adjacent to the Memorial is the Latrun Bird Sanctuary that includes an extensive avian research program. We were met in the plaza by a young woman soldier who would serve as our guide on a tour of the memorial. She led us inside the building which was crowded with tourists. She explained the purpose of the memorial was to commemorate the soldiers of the mechanized corps who had lost their lives in the establishment and defense of the State of Israel. She led us through a series of displays and dioramas depicting some of the equipment and heroes of various battles. The building itself was still pockmarked from rifle, machine gun and cannon fire it had received during various battles of the War of Independence and the Six Day War. She pointed out that the tall tower was entirely made of armor salvaged from damaged Israeli battle tanks and showed us again the damage from enemy fire. The tower’s inside was meant to simulate what it would feel like inside a tank. Water constantly dripped into a pool below the floor to simulate tears being shed for the fallen soldiers. She then led us outside to view the memorial wall close-up so we could see the names of the hundreds of soldiers memorialized there. They were listed according to the war in which they died going back to the War for Independence. The wall was many feet in length and held hundreds of names. Also included there are soldiers killed by terrorists during “undeclared” wars that have continued almost uninterrupted through the years. There was much more to see at the memorial and it would have been interesting to walk around and view all of the mechanized vehicles in the collection. But again, we were on a tight schedule so had to move on to our next activity which was a visit to the bird sanctuary and research center on the same site. The research center is a collection of modern buildings just across the road from the Armed Forces Museum. The primary focus of our visit there was on a research program being conducted there that is studying how to reduce the number of midair collisions in the Tel Aviv area between large migrating birds and both military and commercial aircraft. We first went to a classroom for a presentation by one of the researchers who is also a professor from one of the universities collaborating with the air force in the study. It turns out that Israel, particularly the area along the Mediterranean coast, lies on a major flyway for migrating birds between Africa and Europe. During the spring and fall, there can be thousands of birds passing through the area. Large birds such as cranes and storks represent a serious hazard should they collide with an airplane. He showed photos of damage incurred to aircraft as a result of collisions with large birds. This can range from dents and dings, to loss of an engine to, shattering of the windscreen to in one or two cases, crash of the airplane. It is considered impossible to stop or divert the birds from migrating so most of the research is focused on establishing warning systems to identify and /or predict the hazard and thus avoid them. To date, the work has significantly reduced the number of incidents although the results are considered far from perfect and research continues. One collision avoidance system involves tracking the birds with ultra-sensitive radar. We visited a radar installation on site that is operated by a retired Russian Army general now working with the program. He demonstrated how the radar can pick up even a single large bird and through computer enhancement of the data, a three dimensional grid can be developed that shows what levels of the airspace around the airport at Tel Aviv are vacant of birds and therefore safe for airplanes landing and taking off. Reports are generated hourly, or on emergency basis if needed, as advisories to military and commercial aviation pilots. I spotted a spur-wing plover picking around in the rain on a green lawn near the radar site. There also were hooded crows in small groups of two to six hanging out all around the area of the military museum and bird sanctuary. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any of the migratory birds that were discussed during the presentation even though there were some marshes just below the study center placed there for their convenience! We walked back to the bus through light rain following our visit to the radar facility. Once on board, we drove back out to the four-lane highway and headed for our next destination, the Har Haruach Goat Farm. A few miles up the highway, Ido pointed out what I first thought were some type of sculptures in the median strip of the highway. We were in a rather narrow canyon with hillsides covered with boulders and pine trees. The “sculptures” looked somewhat like funny old trucks but were nicely painted and the areas around them maintained. Ido said that these are called “skeletons” and that they are the remains of trucks used by the Jews to run supplies to Jerusalem through the Arab blockade in 1948-1949 during the War for Independence. The Arabs controlled the highway and the Jews had to run the blockade. They took their trucks and welded sheets of metal to them to protect against rifle and machinegun fire which is why they looked so strange. Of course some didn’t make it and they were just pushed to the side of the road. In this area in particular, the Arab villagers would roll boulders down the hill and try to create a “sandwich” where the trucks would be trapped fore and aft and at the mercy of their firearms. In later years, the damaged vehicles were restored and returned to the median as a reminder to the citizens of Israel of the struggles and heroism of the early settlers. Ido also told how women in those days would wear loose, baggy dresses so they could hide firearms beneath them. The British who were charged with the peacekeeping task were too modest to search the women until they caught on to what was happening. The rain stopped about 12:45 PM and the sun came out through broken clouds. We passed a man just then coming out of the roadside bushes zipping up his pants after having relieved himself. Not many rest stops out here I guess! The area was quite mountainous and wooded. There also were many yellow, a few purple, wildflowers in bloom. We left the four lane freeway about 1:00 PM and turned onto a two-lane macadam road leading up into low mountains covered with a forest that was composed mostly a type of pine tree. Shrubs with yellow flowers were in bloom all around. There also were many flowers in purple and other colors. Everything was very green and the vegetation was quite thick. Ido told us that this forest had been planted during the last 100 years and before that time, this area was quite devoid of trees. He said that the planting had been done by the Israelis and he pointed to distant areas that we could see through the trees where the hills were rocky and barren. These areas he said were on the other side of the former border with the Palestine . He claimed that the Arabs had never bothered to try to regenerate the forest. I have no way to substantiate this claim one way or another. Certainly, we passed a number of areas where there is a sharp demarcation between forested and denuded land. I accepted his statement at face value but I believe that it is worthy of independent verification. Our bus soon turned into a narrow graveled lane and after negotiating a couple of steep curves, we backed into a level spot and disembarked. From here, we walked about 100 yards to a set of rustic wooden building nestled among the trees. This was the Har Haruach Goat Farm. We climbed a short flight of stairs and entered what was the farm’s guest dining room. The room was warm and cozy and was furnished with six or eight wooden tables, each seating four to six people. Large windows looked out into the forest and a view of the ridges and hills stretching off into the distance. From the kitchen emerged wonderful aromas of freshly baked bread and things cooking on the stove. We were greeted by our hostess who along with her husband, owned and operated the farm. Her children grew up on the farm and some of them still live and work there. She explained that she and her husband had developed the farm to operate on an ecologically sound basis with the purpose of maintaining and restoring the normal flora and at the same time, suppressing fire. The goats are perfect for this dual purpose and their pastures are rotated on a frequent basis with these goals in mind. Their goat herd numbers 140 animals and the milk is used to produce cheese which provides much of the farm’s income. She is also an art teacher and she operates workshops for individuals and groups. The restaurant was developed to service attendees at the workshops as well as drop-in guests and groups like ours. We had a very interesting discussion following lunch about these and other matters that related to the farm. This discussion included comments related to the village, Abu Gosh, located at the foot of the road where we left the highway. It is mostly a Bedouin village and is friendly to residents of the farm. During the 1947-48 War of Independence, Abu Gosh was the home base of an Israeli fighting brigade that was very important in securing the eventual safety of Jerusalem. Our lunch was composed entirely of organically-grown ingredients and started with large bowls of steaming hot soup, hot bread and several types of cheese. All were made on the farm. This was followed by platters of grilled vegetables, a large salad and more bread and cheese. Small, lightly-sweetened cakes were served for dessert. Since it was Passover, all of the bread was made with matzo flour. The cakes were baked using cornmeal (massa) flour in consideration of Passover as well. We finished lunch with glasses of steaming unsweetened mint tea that provided an excellent end to a fine meal. We soon were on our way walking back to the bus. Just as we arrived at the bus, a large herd of goats came down the road tended by a couple of herders. They were on their way to be milked. Needless to say, the goats provided a wonderful “photo op” and a chance to give them a few pets (photo). Then, we boarded our bus and headed on our way bound for Old Jaffa which is located just a mile or so down the beach from our hotel in Tel Aviv. We arrived back in Jaffa after a short drive and enjoyed the sights as the bus found its way through the streets around the old city. The area appeared to busy and thriving with both business and residential traffic. We passed a small plaza where there was a modernistic sculpture and fountain of a whale commemorating the one that had swallowed Jonah. We later learned that it was the old port of Jaffa (Joffo) from which Jonah had sailed on his journey that led to his being swallowed by the whale. Hence, this tale is woven into the fabric of local folk lore and the tourism industry. Following is a excerpt about the history and significance of Jaffa taken from the Wikipedia on-line encyclopedia.
Our route into Jaffa ended at the waterfront. To the left was a row of buildings that overlooked the old harbor and the beach. To the right, was the Old Jaffa “tel,” a mound several square blocks in area that was the result of successive centuries of human occupation laid down layer after layer as city after city flourished and then declined to rubble. It now is covered with old buildings constructed since the last destruction. Benny dropped us off at the edge of the tel and Ido led us on a short walking tour of the old district. We strolled along a very narrow cobblestone street, restricted to pedestrians, that was lined with boutiques and shops catering to the tourist trade (photo). Apparently the district is home to many artists, writers and the like and we saw many people hurrying home after visiting markets in the area. We passed an old building bearing a sign explaining that it had been a Jewish hostel in the early days of Jaffa. We next doubled back and crossed the street to take a short look at the early-day harbor. It was a very small area of no more than a few acres protected by a breakwater of natural boulders (photo). It is said that during ancient times, the Jaffa harbor was considered a very dangerous place for sailing vessels and many preferred to anchor off-shore rather than attempt passage through the rocks to reach the harbor. The area seemed little used now except for a few small craft anchored there. Our next, and last, stop was an archaeological museum located immediately adjacent to the harbor. It was built over and around an ongoing excavation of several buildings that were part of the old city and later had been covered over as the tel grew. One could sit down and watch a short movie explained the significance of the various structures being unearthed in the center of the room. The museum also contained a number of interesting artifacts from throughout Jaffa’s history arranged along a timeline from the ancient period to present. I found the visit to the museum to be quite interesting and one could have spent several hours at the site had time permitted. On the way back to the bus, we crossed a footbridge over a local roadway. There were symbols of the zodiac mounted on the railing. Local lore says that if you make a wish while touching your zodiac sign and looking out to sea, it will be granted. But, you must not tell anyone what was your wish. I can only say that it didn’t work for me! We saw several yellow-vented bulbuls in the park and as usual, several hooded crows. We returned to the hotel about 5:00 PM. Jacquie and I needed to exchange some dollars for the local currency, called “Israel New Shekels” (INS). Our guide was of no help when we asked for advice concerning the location of an exchange office. This was in spite of his encouragement the previous day that we use such places rather than hotels or banks. So, out of frustration, we elected to exchange our money at the Basel Hotel where we received a fair exchange rate that was close to the published official rate! We then walked about three blocks to a market we had seen yesterday where we bought band-aids and some shaving cream. It was interesting to browse through the market looking at the various foodstuffs and other items available. They actually were not too different from what one might find at home although the establishment was far from being like our large supermarkets. We also stopped in a local drugstore just to look around. It was a bit junky and cluttered like many drugstores at home and it carried much the same merchandise including many of the major brand names. We debated about eating out in one of the several restaurants in the neighborhood as Ido had advised. But, several of them were closed because of Passover and the rest didn’t appeal to us. We finally returned to the hotel and ordered a chicken dinner for one from room service with the idea of dividing it between us. It turned out to be plenty for both of us. We indulged ourselves with two jiggers of Scotch each before dinner, the first ones since leaving home. They helped immensely with attitude adjustment, I still being “ticked off” at our guide over the exchange matter as well as a variety of other incidents that happened during the day. Tomorrow is a moving day so we spent some time after dinner repacking our bags. Luggage must be out in the hall for pick-up at 7:30 AM and we have to be checked out and in the lobby by 7:45 AM. We will have to identify our bags before they can be put on the bus. Breakfast will be available after 6:30 AM. After we finished packing to the extent we could, we showered and went to bed. My burn is looking OK but I added some antibacterial ointment to the dressing. We were in bed by 10:30 PM with the alarm set for 5:45 AM. Return to Table of Contents Monday, April 17, 2006 It was just getting light when we got up at 5;45 AM. The sky was clear with promise of it being a nice day. After the usual morning preparations, I went downstairs to the front desk to pay our bill for last evening’s room service, $11.66 US. The clerk couldn’t make change for a 100 INS bill so I had to put the charge on my American Express card. This probably cost me an exchange charge. Following this, I met Jacquie in the dining room for breakfast. The breakfast choices were identical to yesterday and not highly exciting. We returned to our room and set our bags out at the last minute. I didn’t put them out earlier to avoid them sitting in the hall exposed to possible mischief. We then gathered our carry-on luggage and went to the lobby to meet our group and identify our luggage for stowage on the bus. What happened next was one of the more humorous events of the trip. Last evening, Ido had told the group to pack items that they would need for one night in their carry-on luggage. The idea was that in Haifa, our stop Monday evening, it would not be necessary to unload our other baggage from the bus. Our other bags would be unloaded only in the event we made a special request. Jacquie and I had discussed this mater and arrived at the conclusion that our carry-on packs were already fully loaded and could not accommodate additional clothing. Furthermore, our other baggage items were light and their purpose was to carry clothing and items we needed day to day on our trip. We decided that we would need all of our bags in Haifa and so they would be “special request” items. This morning, Ido asked that we all sort luggage into two piles, those which were “special request”, i.e., had to be unloaded in Haifa, and those which could remain on the bus. To my surprise, all of the luggage ended up in the to be unloaded pile and only 2 or 3 pieces were in the pile designated to remain on the bus overnight! Ido was visibly irritated that virtually nobody in the group had followed his request. Some professed that they did not hear his directions the previous evening. I suspect that others, like us, decided their need for their luggage superseded Ido’s desire to reduce the amount of baggage handling. I personally was irritated at the request since there was no warning of such requirements in the trip briefing materials. Besides, why bring the luggage and the things packed inside if you cannot access them regularly on an overnight basis. In any event, this was the end of such requests until our last night on the road when again, it met with dismal failure. In spite of the “confusion” in the lobby over the luggage, we were able to depart the hotel about on time at 8:10 AM. Ido had rescheduled our city tour of Tel Aviv to this morning when traffic would be light because of the early hour. So, we took the “long way” getting out of town to see more of the city. Following are some of my notes taken during this part of our journey.
We completed our tour of Tel Aviv and by 8:45 AM, we were headed north on a freeway toward the Caesarea National Park. We were driving along the coastal plain through agricultural areas intermixed small towns and industrial parks. Within about a half-hour, we left the freeway and headed west toward the Mediterranean Sea which was just a couple of miles distant. Benny dropped us off at the South entrance to the Caesarea National Park where there is a large parking lot and one of two major entrances to the park. Caesarea is nestled among the sand dunes along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea stretching northward from this point for well over a mile. Following is a bit of information about Caesarea summarized from information presented in the park brochure.
We stopped first at the Theatre that was constructed in Herod’s time and was used until the Arab conquest in 640 A.D. Ido gave us a briefing before we entered the theatre and discussed the general history of Caesarea and what we could expect to see. We then entered through a passageway that opened at the level of the second tier of seats and provided an impressive “first view" (photo). The theatre had seating capacity for four thousand people and is in the shape of a semi-circle with the open side facing the stage and the Mediterranean Sea just a hundred or so yards distant. The “orchestra” occupies the semi-circular space cupped between the stage and the first row of seats (photo). During Herod’s time a large wall three stories high with pillars served as backdrop to the stage but this is now gone except for some blocks of rubble that have been piled in the open area between the theatre and the sea. As is typical of these early-day theatres, the acoustics are marvelous and one sitting in the highest row of seats can easily hear someone on the stage or in the orchestra speaking in a conversational tone of voice. We wandered around for a few minutes exploring the theatre and taking pictures before assembling on the stage. Ido then led us down an iron circular stairway in the floor of the stage to a labyrinth of dressing rooms below. This was where performers could change costumes and ready themselves for their next appearance. The theatre is now a popular location for concerts, ballet and opera performances during the summer. Caesarea was laid out in a south to north direction along the seacoast with the theatre at the southerly end and the harbor and administrative areas at the north . So, we headed in a northerly direction to reach our next stop which was a palace built on a point of land jutting into the sea just north of the theatre. It is thought by some to have been Herod’s palace but it must have been used as well in the subsequent course of time by various Roman and other high officials. The palace was once an elegant two-story structure with at least two wings with part of it being built out over the Mediterranean Sea. All that remains today are a few pillars and some mosaics from what was the entry chamber of the palace (photo), the outlines of an indoor fresh-water swimming pool that was located on the ground level (photo) and a few crumbling remnants of foundations. We took some photos of these relics and then continued on northward following a sidewalk at the edge of the beach for perhaps a half mile. For most of this distance, on our immediate left were the remains of Herod’s Amphitheatre (photo). It was a huge complex for horse races and other sporting events with seating for 10,000 spectators. Adjacent to this was Caesarea’s commercial sector with vaulted chambers underneath that served as storehouses (photo). Near the very end of the commercial sector was an elegant small bathhouse that had been part of the Governor’s Palace that once stood at that location (photo). By this time we reached the Governor’s Palace, we had traversed about half the length of the city. A small peninsula jutted out into the Mediterranean at this location and behind it was the harbor. In Herod’s time, a breakwater had been constructed opposite this point of land to create an artificial bay that made a protective harbor for ocean-going ships (photo). This general area was the location of the commercial district during the Arab and Crusader periods (photo). The remainder of a massive wall built by the Crusaders to protect the city remains visible today as does the minaret of a mosque from days of the Arab occupation. There are remnants of a number of old buildings in this area . It also is the site of several commercial souvenir shops for tourists. The Park Service operates an interesting interpretive center at this location that includes a multimedia presentation about Caesarea plus a small theatre where one may “converse” with residents and important people who lived in Caesarea during its heyday. This latter activity is facilitated through use of a sophisticated audiovisual process that displays actors cast as citizens from Caesarea’s heyday, King Herod for example. They appear on flat panel screens as they respond to questions selected by the visitor from a menu listed on a computer console. After viewing these audiovisual presentations, we continued toward the North Gate of the park. We passed the temple platform or Podium which was built during Herod’s time for a temple dedicated to Rome and Augustus. We still could see remnants of an octagonal church erected there during Byzantine times. All of this was mostly overlaid by rubble from an Arab mosque and a Crusader cathedral that followed. We finally exited Caesarea through a gate in the reconstructed remains of the old Roman wall (photo). Our walk through Caesarea had taken most of the morning but we could have used much more time to thoroughly see all of the interesting relics that are available for viewing there. It was only a short walk to our bus and then we departed and went on our way to Megiddo. We headed in a northeasterly direction on Hy 65 approximately following a route from Egypt in the south to Syria and Mesopotamia in the north that has existed for several thousand years as a road for commerce and invading armies. As we left the coastal plain, we first passed through rolling hills and then climbed into an area of rugged, lightly forested, rocky hills separated by narrow valleys. Although we were still in areas under Israeli jurisdiction, it seemed that the population of Moslems was considerably greater here as judged by the number of mosques and women wearing head covering. Palestinian controlled West Bank areas were generally about 5 miles to the east of our route of travel. After driving about 20 miles on Hy 65, we topped out on a mountain pass and below us spread a broad valley running approximately southeast to northwest. This is the Jezreel Valley of Biblical note. At the foot of the pass was a junction with Hy 66 that ran along the west side of the valley. Just before reaching the junction, we passed a cluster of low grey buildings surrounded by guard towers, high chain-link fences and barbed wire. Ido explained that this was a prison for persons adjudged to be terrorists. An inmate on a work detail inside the prison recently discovered a mosaic floor of a church that includes an inscription of the Greek name for Jesus. This is considered to be an important find but there is now a dilemma about how to excavate the find. Archaeologists cannot go inside the prison and the inmates cannot be moved. So, for the time being, the find will remain unstudied! We turned left at the junction and followed Hy 66 for about two miles. The tel was easily visible just a few hundred yards off the main highway on our left as a large mound about 100 ft. high. It encompassed several acres on the slope of a ridge leading up into the mountain range we had just crossed. The bus turned into the parking lot and dropped us off at the visitor center. The visitor center, which is located immediately adjacent to the parking lot, occupies a building that was formerly the headquarters for a Rockefeller-funded expedition conducted by the University of Chicago just prior to WWII. The visitor Center includes souvenir shops, a museum, classrooms, Park Service offices and a restaurant. Ido gave us a short briefing and tour of the museum and then gave us time to have lunch in the restaurant. In spite of it now being well past lunch time, I was not hungry and had only an ice-cream bar and a can of soda. Jacquie and most of the rest of our group selected lunch from a variety of items at a buffet counter. By now, it was quite warm outside and the air-conditioned restaurant felt very comfortable. When everyone was finished, we all assembled outside in a shaded garden prior to Ido guiding us through Tel Megiddo just a short distance from the visitors center. The following narrative about Tel Megiddo is copied from the brochure provided visitors to this national park by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. It suffices to explain the history and significance of the site.
We followed a graveled path that wound along the north side of the Tel taking us up to the old city entrance. To our right and paralleling the highway was Jezreel Valley and what I assume were the “Plains of Armageddon.” A small stream runs beside the highway in this vicinity. On the other side of the valley was a line of mountains. Stretching both east and west just behind the Tel is a line of low, mostly wooded hills. The day was sunny and bright but a bit windy. Clumps of brightly colored wild-flowers stood out against a backdrop of the green pastures and yellow-brown agricultural fields that carpeted the valley (photo). About ¾ of the way to the top of the tel, we came to an excavated staircase and an outer gate to the city that was built during King Solomon’s reign, 970-930 BC. Shortly afterward we reached a series of massive stone structures that were remnants of the northern gate of the city from various periods between the 18th century BC and the time of Solomon (photo) . Ido told us that the street that we followed through these gates and which was paved with rough stones would originally have been covered with a topping of dirt. This made riding and walking more smooth. Of course, the dirt topping didn’t work so well when the winter rains came but it was all they had in those days! Once on top the Tel, we walked in a clockwise direction beginning with the “holy district” where remnants temples, dating to the beginning of the third millennium BC, could be seen. (In all, twenty-seven layers of habitation make up Tel Megiddo.) Next was an area that probably was the residence of the commander of King Solomon’s chariots. In succession, we stopped to look at a building from King David’s reign (photo), remnants of King Solomon’s palace, the circular public grain silo (photo) and the stable area where chariot horses were trained and housed (photo). Ido claimed that the Israelites were master cavalrymen and were renowned for their exploits in battle and for the quality of their horses and equipment. We finished out tour by descending a staircase into a 120 ft shaft and walking the length of a tunnel to the spring that provided water to the city. The presence of the tunnel assured access to water in case Megiddo was under siege by an enemy. From there, we walked back to the Visitors Center where our bus awaited. About half-way through our tour of Meggido, Ido’s cell phone range and as customary, he interrupted the tour to take the call. Unfortunately, the news was bad. The call came from a friend who knew that he was scheduled to be in Tel Aviv today and who was worried about his safety. A suicide bomber had exploded a bomb and himself this morning about the time w had left the city. Our initial information was that several Israeli’s were killed, many were injured and that the blast had occurred at or near the city bus station. This cast a pall over the day for most of us. It certainly reminded me that we were in a country that was not entirely safe and that the admonishments we had received about being constantly cautious should be taken seriously. Still, I vowed not to let incidents such as this destroy my trip or to be afraid of all Moslem persons in my environment. Knowing what had happened perhaps explained why low-flying fighter aircraft were circling about this afternoon. Were they trying to send a message to those who might attempt to take advantage of the opportunity to make more mischief? On a brighter note, one member of our group, Rich Magasin, visited the nearby Kibbutz while we were touring Tel Megiddo. Rich had worked at the kibbutz as a volunteer for several months many years ago. He was fortunate to find the man who was his immediate supervisor and to be able to visit with several other members of the Kibbutz from the period when he was a volunteer. We stopped for a short restroom stop at the visitors center and then headed westward on Hy 66 bound for Haifa. Except for some low hills near the end, the highway followed the Jezreel Valley nearly all the way. We made no additional stops before reaching Haifa since the afternoon was wearing on and we would have a brief tour of a few sites of interest in the city before going to the hotel. For the last couple miles into Haifa, the highway ran between Mt. Carmel on the left and sloughs and tide flats of Haifa Bay on the right. The flatlands to the right gradually gave way to the harbor as we neared the city itself. Following are a few of the things of interest we saw and did before reaching our hotel for the evening.
Our hotel for the night was the Dan Panorama located on the flank of Mt. Carmel overlooking the harbor and the temple. We did not arrive until 6:00 PM. By now, we had put a ten hour day. It took only a few minutes for us to get our luggage which was dropped off in the lobby. We were in our room on the eighth floor in a few minutes. We would have had a nice view of the harbor had it not been for the fog which closed off the view. We also could look northward along the mountaintop toward the sea but again, fog closed off much of the view. Ido had briefed us in the lobby to the extent that departure tomorrow would be at 7:45 AM and we should have our bags out by 7:30 AM. Breakfast would be served in the dining room at 6:30 AM. He also told us that there were several restaurants where we could eat dinner that were within walking distance in the neighborhood. With that, he departed, leaving only his phone number to be used in case of emergency. Jacquie and I discussed pros vs. cons of going out to dinner after a long day of travel and settled on calling room service. We had a nice chicken breast dinner in our room for a modest charge without the hassle of wandering around in the chilly wind and fog looking for a restaurant. Following dinner, we got ready for bed and turned in by 10:00 PM. Return to Table of Contents Tuesday, April 18, 2006 We woke up to an overcast sky that was mostly high fog. The sun was peeking through here and there giving promise of a better day. The chilly wind still was blowing across the mountaintop such that it was not pleasant to be outside. We breakfasted in the hotel and then put out our luggage and we headed for the lobby. There ensued a considerable wait for the hotel porters to bring down the bags. Group members had begun to identify bags and set them out so Benny could begin loading them when Ido finally arrived several minutes late. Soon, we were on our way out of town heading eastward. Out first destination for the day was the ruins of the ancient city of Tzippori about 30 Km to the east. We learned this morning that the yesterday’s Palestinian bomber was a young boy of 16 yrs from a village near Jenin, just a few miles back down Hy 66 from Megiddo. The bombing occurred in a restaurant near the entrance to the bus station in South Tel Aviv . The same restaurant was bombed just 3 months ago with no casualties but this time, at least 9 people died and many were injured. We headed back out of town the way we came. After a few miles, we turned off on a highway that would have take us directly to for Nazareth. But, after a few more miles, we turned off on a highway loop that would take us through Tzippori and then back to Nazareth. We left the coastal zone behind us by 8:30 AM and were driving into the lowland zone. Everything was very green with woods growing on the hillsides and along the intermittent watercourses. Ido told us that this area receives rain for about 4 months and is very dry the rest of the year. I thought to myself that this is much like home where we don’t see significant rain between May and November. The soil appeared to be rocky in most areas but it must have been fertile for people were growing crops. We noticed that people here live on the hillsides and farm the valleys. They don’t waste fertile bottomland by paving it over for houses and business buildings! We passed by several plantations of very old olive trees. Some had trunks that were at least two feet in diameter. In some groves, the trees had recently been topped but they now were sending out new green shoots. Left to themselves, olive trees constantly renew themselves through self-pruning and sprouting new growth so they grow extremely old. The pruning is merely a way to control this process. I recalled that in Jordan, these trees were called Russian olives and wondered whether they have the same name here. Also in Jordan, many families processed their own olives directly from the tree. Ido discussed how Israel must generate its own power and does so mostly with coal or gas-powered generators. There are no nuclear power plants in Israel principally because they are too tempting a target for terrorists and unfriendly neighbors. Ido explained that in Israel, Hassidic Jews are the persons we had seen wearing the long black coats, hats with broad brims that seem to perch on top their heads, “high water” black pants and “clunky” black shoes. Some Hassidic women wear the hats as well as the men. But, Hassidic Jews are only one small sect and are the ones that many Americans are accustomed to seeing at home. There are several additional sects of “orthodox” Jews who are common to Israel that we may see during our travels. Most originally come from Eastern Europe and each group follows a rabbi who is their spiritual leader. They can be identified by their manner of dress, e.g., some wear cylindrical hats that look like brown or dark red bearskin. Some of these fur hats may cost as much as $2,000. In most cases, their manner of dress likewise originated in eastern Europe and is ill-suited to a hot climate like Israel. It was Ido’s bias that as a result, many smell strongly of perspiration. Many believers in Judaism, although not all, wear the small black or white yarmulke that looks like a small skull cap. But, many Jews are secular and wear no identifying clothing. Just before arriving in Tzippori, the terrain became even more hilly and the woods more dense. We turned off the highway onto a side road that climbed up onto a low plateau. We soon came to the entrance to the Tzippori National Park where Benny stopped briefly while Ido showed our entrance passes. The Tzippori National Park contains the remains of the old city of Tzippori and presents a rich mixture of cultures and artifacts typical of its inhabitants during its existence. I have entered the following narrative taken from an Israel Nature and Parks Authority brochure as orientation to the history and significance of Tzippori before describing our tour of the site.
After Ido arranged our entrance park entrance permit, Benny pulled into a parking lot just a short distance down the road. When we disembarked the bus, a chilly wind was blowing and it was necessary to wear a windbreaker. The landscape here was reasonably level and was covered with trees. We came to a pair of sign boards a short distance down a sidewalk that described a marvelous water system that supplied the city of Tzippori. The sign explained that we would be able to see a huge cistern that was part of this extensive system that collected water from the surrounding hills and brought it several miles via aqueducts to serve this city of 18,000 or more souls. When we arrived at the cistern, we found that the aqueducts first flowed into a settling basin that allowed sediments to drop out of the water. I then flowed on into the cistern. We entered the cistern via a stairway that took us down at least 25 feet into a long narrow “chasm” cut into the chalky rock of the hilltop. This was the cistern and it stretched for 260 meters in length. Its average height was 10 meters and it varied between 2 and 4 meters in width (photo). Its total capacity was 4,300 cubic meters of water, enough to supply the city of 18,000 persons for about two weeks. A 235 m. tunnel connected the reservoir with the city, It could supply water to nearly all areas of the city. The walls of the reservoir were plastered to further prevent seepage into the surrounding soil. We walked about 50 yards into the cistern until we reached a barricade where part of the ceiling had fallen down. Other than a few places like this, the system has been restored to much of its original condition. A brief study of the maps referred to above reveals that the system included additional pieces to further its efficiency but these parts are not mentioned here. Our visit to this part of Tzippori’s water system was very interesting. We boarded the bus and drove only a short distance to the visitors center which was also the access point for walks into the ruins of the old Roman and Hebrew towns that were the original Zippori. We stopped briefly at the visitors center to allow for the necessary “potty calls” and some souvenir shopping, While we waited, I was able to get my first positive identification of a “Common Blackbird.” It is a Middle Eastern bird that looks and behaves more like a American robin that one of our blackbirds at home. We saw many more during the trip but this was the first sighting for me. I also had time to confirm that a bird we saw coming in from our stop at the cistern was a black-eared wheatear, another new one for our international bird list. It was only a short walk from the visitors center to the beginnings of the ancient city which we entered via one of its two major streets, the Decumanus. The Decumanus ran east to west and was paved with large limestone blocks. It was easily 18-20 ft wide and was lined on both sides by the remains of buildings that once had been shops in the city’s business area. Remnants of mosaics were visible as we walked along. Many of the remains were of porticoes that once had fronted the street. Although many of the buildings in this area had been excavated, little remained other than the foundations and a few low walls. The Decumanus intersected with the other major street of the city which was the Cardo Maximus at what once was approximately the center of the city. Like the Decumanus, the “Cardo” was also paved and one could see here the remnants of the large colonnades that had once lined both streets. The stone surface of both streets was rutted from years of wheeled wagon traffic passing over them. Near the intersection of the two streets someone had scratched a series of lines into the surface of the street that are thought to represent some type of game like tic-tac-toe that was played during times of the Roman occupation (photo). By now, the sun had come out and it was becoming quite comfortable even without a jacket. We turned left (west) at the intersection of the two major streets and followed the Cardo nearly to the end of the excavated area at the location of the Nile House. This building was composed of several large rooms, each of which had floors decorated with exquisite mosaics. While some of the mosaics are badly damaged, others are in excellent condition and are very colorful. Among more noteworthy designs are a pair of hunters (photo), a centaur holding an object bearing a Greek inscription (photo) and Amazons (photo). But, most spectacular is a large floor that combines scenes of celebrations held in Egypt when the Nile River is in flood along with various hunting scenes (photo). We took many photos at this location and were thankful for the large memory capacity of our digital camera. We retraced our steps back to the intersection of the major streets and then followed the Decumanus a short distance past the remains of a public building on our right to a gravel path that led uphill through a piney woods. We left the path after about 100 yards and climbed steep stairs to emerge at the top of the hill. The Dionysus House was on our right and a Crusader Fortress was on our left. We turned right and first visited the Dionysus House which was built in the third century A.D. The house included several rooms, most of them paved with colorful mosaics. The main attraction was a large room that served as a banquet hall. A large mosaic here depicted the life of Dionysus, the God of Wine, and his worship along with many figures in a border around three sides of the room. The main attraction of this room, and the whole building for that matter, is the figure of a woman of exceptional beauty, probably the Goddess Venus, that has been called “The Mona Lisa of Zippori.” Ido pointed out to us how her eyes seemed to follow you as you move past her along one wall of the room. There was a large crowd of people walking through this house when we toured and I quite honestly, did not appreciate the claimed beauty of this mosaic. I hesitate to mention that almost of equal interest to me was the presence of an indoor toilet in this building. Granted, it was a bit crude but still, it was impressive considering the time the building was constructed! The next stop was at the Crusader Fortress located about 50 yards farther north along the top of the hill. It was built of stones scavenged from other buildings in Tzippori and was used by the Crusaders as a command post over traffic along main north-south roads in the valley below. Now, there is a nice museum that has an interpretative display relating to the period when Jewish scholars inhabited Tzippori. We climbed to the roof of the fortress and enjoyed marvelous views of the surrounding areas including Israel's National Water Carrier (photo) . From here we walked back down the hill passing above the Roman Theatre and past the site of several other ancient buildings. On the way, Jacquie and I were fortunate to get a close-up look at a Eurasian jay that perched in a tree not 15 feet off the trail. This again was a new addition to our international bird list. We then boarded the bus and headed on our way toward Nazareth. It now was late morning. The day had turned out to be sunny and bright and the temperature was quite comfortable. It was only a few miles drive from Tzippori to Nazareth which we reached about 11:45 AM. I don’t know what exactly I had been expecting but somewhat to my surprise, Nazareth looked pretty much just like any of the other towns of the area. Much of the town lies in a valley with step hillsides rising up on all sides. The buildings are constructed of limestone blocks or poured concrete, some are stuccoed and most are light in color. The older part of town seems to be in the valley and on the lower slopes of the hills with newer buildings being higher up. The streets were very congested with both pedestrians and motor vehicle traffic. There were many Moslem people living here as judged by the large number of women on the streets wearing head coverings. Almost none wore the full-body robes like in Jordan however. About 12:40 PM, we heard the Muezzin calling people to prayers, again attesting to the presence of a significant Moslem population. We drove directly to the La Fontana Di Maria Restaurant and Coffee Shop for our lunch. The restaurant was located near the city center a short distance from Mary’s Fountain Square. The restaurant was housed in an old stone building that, if memory serves me correctly, formerly was a monastery. It was necessary to walk through a very nice garden and outdoor dining area to enter the restaurant itself. Inside, was a large room with many tables set up for large groups on one side and smaller tables for individuals and small parties on the other. A long counter and bar stretched almost half-way across one end of the room. We were a bit early for the noon rush so were seated and served almost immediately. In spite of its Italian-sounding name, restaurant served Palestinian-style food so the meal started with as array of appetizers similar to those we had encountered in Jordan. There was a choice of two entrées and this was followed by fruit for dessert. Delicious Palestinian bread was served throughout the meal. The bread tasted especially good, perhaps since due to Passover, most of our previous meals in Israel had included only Matzo. Our waiters mostly were young women who dressed in latest 20-something styles. I thought as I ate my meal that if you set any of them down on a street in Stockton, CA where I live, they would easily pass for our local young people considering their style of dress and behavior. We boarded the bus following lunch and drove through busy streets for several blocks to the area of the Church of the Annunciation. Because of narrow streets and congestion in the area, we could not drive directly to the church but instead, we had to disembark a block or two distant and walk. Our route took us up a narrow street paved with large cobbles. This street was lined with small shops that mostly were selling religious souvenirs. The route was steep but could be negotiated without problems. A bigger difficulty was for Ido to keep the group together since the temptation to shop was very strong among some members. I had been expecting to see the church from afar but this was not possible and suddenly, we walked through a gate in a high stone wall and there it was just across a small courtyard. Instead of the old building several hundred years old that I expected, I was surprised to see a large modern structure made of light colored limestone that was rectangular in shape with one large dome or steeple ringed with glass windows rising at one end (photo). The façade of the church was incised with modern designs and inscriptions in Latin and other languages. Ido did not know when the church had been built but told us that told us that construction had started sometime after the 1948-49 War of Independence. But, it had not been completed until sometime following the 1967 War. Ido led us to one side of the courtyard so that he could give us a short briefing about the church and what we would see during our visit. My notes are sketchy on the content of this orientation and there is little that deserves entry into these notes. He did tell us that the Church of the Annunciation is the largest Catholic church in the Middle East. It is located on the site where the Virgin Mary was told by the angel that she would give birth to Jesus and the location is revered for this reason. The present church is constructed over the remains of an original church built by early Christians. The small courtyard where we were waiting was roofed around two of its sides and in these areas, small murals hung on the walls depicting religious scenes involving the Virgin Mary . These had been donated by Catholic organizations around the world and each was identified with a plaque as to its origin (photo). This made fascinating browsing and I must admit, I was paying more attention to these than to Idol’s briefing! We entered the church on the middle floor of its were three levels. This was a large, mostly empty hall. Stained glass windows along one side allowed daylight to enter but otherwise, the hall was quite dim. This floor was where pilgrims and visitors wishing to pay respects to the Virgin Mary were allowed to enter. The area was mostly deserted now because there were few visitors today. Near the far end of this hall were circular openings in both the floor and the ceiling. The one in the floor gave visitors a view of Mary’s Grotto and of pieces from the original Church of the Annunciation. The opening in the ceiling, gave a view of the sanctuary above and its the beautiful altar under the church’s dome. The Grotto is supposedly the location where the Mary had received the visit from the angel informing her that she would have a virgin birth and the baby would be the son of God. A small chapel immediately outside the grotto provided a place for special services. A gate barred access to the grotto itself from the chapel and made it virtually impossible to take photos. Access even to the chapel usually was restricted but today, it was possible to go down a set of stairs to view it. So, not to be deterred in her quest for pictures, Jacquie went down the stairs and then into the chapel. She then was able to take a photo of the grotto itself by poking the camera lens through an opening in the metal grid-work of the gate (photo). I’m not sure the Priest in charge of the church would have approved of her behavior but, he wasn’t around! After a few minutes of viewing the grotto, we climbed a stairway to the upper floor and the Sanctuary. This was a marvelous sight! At the front of the room was a huge mural flooded by natural light coming through the dome. The mural depicted Jesus and John the Baptist along with numerous Biblical figures, In front of that was the altar. All paintings were done in brilliant colors (photo). Flanking these were side altars and in front, was the shaft that gave sight access from below. The entire area was flooded with natural light streaming down from windows in the dome high above. The interior of the dome was beautifully decorated including the repeating use of the letter M as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. The rear two-thirds of the hall housed benches for the worshipers. A double set of marble pillars provided support to the ceiling high above but they were placed in such a way that they did not block the view of the worshipers. Very large tile or ceramic murals hanging on the walls depicted various artist’s ideas concerning Mary and the Baby Jesus. Each mural was accompanied with a plaque that identified its country of origin and where appropriate, the artist (photo). Each had been donated by Catholic societies in the country of origin. The overall effect was one of light and beauty and was very different from so many of the somber, dark Catholic cathedrals that one sees all over the world. I was very impressed with the beauty of the Church and to me it seemed to be symbol of hope in the chaotic and troubled land where it is located. We left the Church of the Annunciation via a doorway at the side of the Sanctuary and found ourselves in a paved plaza fronting what is the main entry to the Church of the Annunciation This is the entry that would be used by the local congregation. It was in this area and the sanctuary inside that a distressed local family recently committed an act of terrorism that touched off riots in Nazareth and caused many injuries. None of the resulting damage was visible by the time of our visit. Our group headed back down the street along the way we had taken before. This time, we stopped at a couple of the shops to purchase souvenirs. Almost all of the souvenirs were “bible-oriented” and in my estimation, most probably were made in China. Much of it was of questionable worth and Jacquie and I elected to buy nothing in keeping with our general philosophy that we already have too much “stuff” at home and don’t need to accumulate more. I did wander into a Palestinian-operated store that sold spices, grains, dried fruits, nuts and what have you. The aromas were fascinating and everything looked very nice. The proprietor, however, was quite unfriendly and he never approaching me to see if I actually was interested in buying anything. He was the first person that I had met to date on this trip who seemed almost openly hostile. But, may this was just my impression and not actual fact. Ido finally found out where Bennie was waiting with the bus and we set out to join him. We had to cross a busy street and then walk two or three blocks to reach the bus. On our way to the bus we passed two or three storefront carpenter shops. In each place two or three men were busily at work using only hand tools to craft furniture for local use. We ad seen a number of these places in Jordan and I always found them to be very interesting. Apparently, they built things on order. If someone needed a chair or a table, they would go to one of these shops and put in their order. It would be built to specifications right there on site. From what I saw, the workmanship appeared to be very good. What a difference from going to Levitz or Sears or some similar place to buy pre-made furniture like we do at home! In any event, we boarded the bus once we had found it and soon were on our way. Our destination was the Peace Vista Country Lodge on the Golan Heights, high above the southeast shore of the Sea of Galilee. We would stay there tonight and tomorrow. Our route would take us in an easterly direction toward the western shores of the Sea of Galilee. Before reaching the Sea of Galilee however, we would turned south and drove around its southern shore almost to the Israel-Jordan border where we would make a steep climb into the Golan Heights. Then, we would head north to the Kfar Haruv Kibbutz, the site of the Peace Vista Country Lodge high above the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Soon after leaving Nazareth, we passed through Kfal. This is the village where Jesus is said to have converted water into wine. This area was the site of many olive plantations along the highway. Many of the olive trees were only 10-12 ft. high and had multiple trunks. They looked more like large bushes than trees. There also were extensive pine and eucalyptus forests growing on the hillsides. Most of these are the result of reforestation projects started in the last 100 years. There were many campgrounds here, all in active use. We drove most of the afternoon through a countryside of rolling hills covered with sparse vegetation save for a few introduced pine and eucalyptus groves. Otherwise, the hillsides mostly were covered with short grass with many rock outcrops showing. I add here just for the record that we have encountered hard water during all of our stops to date in both Israel and Jordan. This is undoubtedly the result of all of the limestone that seems to underlay the whole region. We were able to see a large body of water off to our left about 3:30 PM. At the time we were heading south so this had to be Lake Kinneret, the name the Israelis use for the Sea of Galilee. A roadside sign said that we were at sea level but the lake still was several hundred feet below our present elevation. Its actual elevation is -210 m, almost -700 ft below sea level. The Jordan River that drains out of Lake Kinneret south of here. Both are situated in the Great Rift Valley. The Great Rift Valley runs from north of Lake Kinneret all the way down into Sub-Sahara Africa following a major fault line in the earth’s crust. We soon passed through the outskirts of the town of Kinneret near the southwestern corner of Lake Kinneret. The town is nearly at lake level and the climate appeared to be semi-tropical. We drove by many large groves of date palms, banana trees and large plantings of bougainvillea and other shrubs and flowers were abundant. These must have been the result of irrigation systems because none of them grew outside the limits of the cultivated areas of the town and the surrounding district. I was interested to see that the nearly-ripe stalks of bananas were wrapped with paper to protect them from marauding birds. We stopped at the Kibbutz Galilee at the southern end of Lake Kinneret near the outlet of the Jordan River. This is the location of a baptism area, supposedly the site where John baptized Jesus. The river has been dammed here to control the water level and an elaborate paved area with stairs and metal railings has been constructed where people can come to be baptized. Needless to say, the area also was replete with many souvenir stands and a large tourist center operated by the kibbutz. We entered the area via a sidewalk bounded on one side with a wall displaying murals with biblical sayings and a stream of running water. Once inside the controlled area, the vegetation along the river is lush and green and the water is still with little current. The water is full of small fish of undetermined species plus a few large catfish that are quite different from ones in the USA (photo). We also saw many birds plying the area including pied kingfishers, yellow-vented bulbuls, doves and egrets. We also were fortunate to see a muskrat-like animal that Ido called a otter swimming in the river. A group of worshipers from an Asian country was holding a baptism ceremony seemingly oblivious of the spectators photographing their activity. Our group spent about a half-hour enjoying the site and shopping for souvenirs. Then, we returned to the bus and went on our way. By now, it was 4:40 PM. We continued on and picked up Hy 98 a couple of miles to the east of Kinneret. From there, it was a short distance to the Israel-Jordan border. The border consisted of a double line of barbed-wire fences separated by a minimum 15-20 ft. On the Jordanian side was the Wadi Raggad and behind that the hills rose steeply. Here and there, you could see pillboxes and other fortifications on both sides of the border although now, it is peaceful. Almost immediately, the highway on the Israel side began a torturous climb with multiple switch-backs up a very steep bluff (photo). Ido told us how the Israeli Army sent busloads of reserves up this road during the 1967 war while under fire from the Jordan side of the border. This was necessary to provide reinforcements for beleaguered troops fighting on the Golan Heights. Looking at the steep grade now, it was hard to imaging how such was even possible although I imagine that at the time, Israeli guns were active in protecting the troop transports. In any event, we soon topped out onto a grassy plateau. There were few farms or settlements to be seen. We now were on the Golan Heights. We turned left off after just two or three miles onto a road that directly took us to the parking lot of the Peace Vista Country Lodge. Just to our right as we reached the parking lot were the buildings of the Kfar Haruv Kibbutz. We were greeted by staff members of the lodge who showed us to our individual cabins located among nicely planted gardens of flowers and blooming trees. Our greeters were young people who also were residents of the kibbutz. The Peace Vista Country Lodge consisted of about 25 individual cabins arranged in two rows facing Lake Kinneret to the West. One row of cabins was sited immediately along the edge of the bluff and looked out across the vista of the lake and the mountains beyond. The second row was behind them about 75 yards across a grassy lawn and had a less dramatic view. Jacquie and I were fortunate to be assigned one of the cabins on the edge of the overlook as were most of our travel group. The cabins themselves were very nice being constructed out of what appeared to be pine or other native trees. Both inside and out, the natural wood surfaces were covered with only a clear finish. The whole effect was rustic but at the same time, one had the feeling of being in a very nicely kept, well finished apartment. Our cabin had a large living room/kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom on the ground level with a half-loft above that provided room for a couple of additional beds. Ido had asked us to meet at the bus at 6:00 PM to go to the Kfar Haruv Kibbutz for dinner. There were no dining facilities at the Peace Vista Lodge. He told us yesterday that our having dinner tonight at the kibbutz would be a rare opportunity. In the “old days” before the kibbutzim began to privatize, it was customary on the second holiday of Passover, for all members of the kibbutz to gather together for dinner. The Kfar Haruv Kibbutz still observes this tradition and we would be their guests tonight for this occasion. We drove back out to the main road and then went about a mile north before turning left onto a kibbutz access road. Benny parked the bus at the end of the road where there was an overlook and an old Syrian fortification where at one time, soldiers fired upon Israeli settlers along the shores of the Sea of Galilee directly below. From here, we walked about a block to the meeting hall of the Kfar Haruv Kibbutz. We were greeted in a meeting hall one floor below the dining room by one of the directors of the kibbutz who Ido introduced simply as Sharon, a man in his 40s. He welcomed us and then showed a video about the kibbutz. A “question and answer” session followed by. We learned that he Kfar Haruv Kibbutz was formed in the early 1970s with a grant of 800 acres of land from the Israeli government. All of the land is located on the brink of the Golan Heights overlooking the Sea of Galilee and was captured from Syria in the 1967 War. Prior to this time, the Syrians had been shooting for several months at a kibbutz located below on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The he Kfar Haruv Kibbutz derives its income from farming plus the lodge where we are staying and a plant that makes state of the art valves for fluid flow systems. This latter activity now has become its main source of income. There are now about 350 people living in the community. They elect their leaders every 5 to 6 years. They vote on matters of community interest and pay local taxes. New families can join the community on a probationary basis and are voted in after a one-year probationary period. By the time that we finished with the orientation, it was about 8:00 PM and time to go upstairs to dinner. There was a magnificent orange-red sunset on display to the west across the lake and lights of communities on the far side were just beginning to show. There was a haze in the air that enhanced the colors in the sunset although it did little for the view of the far side of the lake. The dinner was served in the kibbutz cafeteria so we got in line and took trays , plates and silverware and proceeded to the steam stables for our choices of food. Dinner featured many choices including chicken breast, halibut filets, wax beans, baked squash, baked potatoes, corn fritters, matzo, chicken soup and a table of salads and appetizers. There were oranges, pears and apples for dessert and water, tea, coffee and juice to drink. Once you made your food selections, you went to a cashier who rang-up your total cost; in our case, this was paid by OAT. Everyone sat at long tables and when finished, you bused your plates to a cleaning line in the kitchen. When we arrived, we found that few residents still had arrived. But people soon began to show up and before long, the dining room was quite full and noisy with conversation. We noticed that most of the families were relatively young and that there were lots of children. Sharon had discussed in his briefing how the kibbutz was just now beginning to come to grips with how to deal with its older members who are reaching retirement age. The hope is to keep them on the kibbutz as active members of the community. Other than Sharon, who came by our table to chat with us, there was not much interaction with kibbutz members who mostly seemed to be enjoying one another after perhaps not having been together in a social setting for a period of time. When we left the dining hall, we found that it was quite chilly outside. We returned to our cabin, we turned on the heaters and made things nice and toasty while we showered and got ready for bed. We were in bed about 10:45 PM with the alarm set for 6:45 AM. We will have to be on the bus by 8:45 AM for a full day of activities on the Golan Heights. Even though we dialed back the thermostat to about 65 ˚ F, the heater still cycled on and off in our cabin suggesting that it is quite chilly outside. We were glad for the warmth. So ended a long day. It was 9-1/2 hrs from departure at Haifa until arrival at the Peace Vista Lodge plus another 2-1/2 hours this evening at the kibbutz. We hoped for some time tomorrow to enjoy the nice setting of the Peace Vista Lodge and to relax a bit in this pleasant environment as our travel brochure describes. Return to Table of Contents Wednesday, April 19, 2006 The alarm went off at 6:45 AM today. Our heater cycled off and on all night long so it must have been quite chilly. Looking outdoors, I could see that the sky was clear and it gave promise of being a nice day. We had just finished dressing and had started ready for the day’s activities when a young woman delivered our breakfast in a large covered basket. It was full of all sorts of “goodies;” several kinds of cheese, olives, fresh tomatoes, cucumber and more. There also were several kinds of fruit, jam, orange juice, coffee, a choice of tea and of course, piles of matzo crackers. There was enough food for four people so we had no problem finding enough to eat from among the things in the basket. After breakfast, we stepped outside for a few minutes to look at the view. Our cabin faced to the west and it was just a few steps from our door to the sidewalk along the edge of the bluff. Lake Kinneret lay 1500 ft below. The slope, while steep, was covered with brush and woods and in fact, it was a wildlife preserve. Sharon had told us last evening that we might see deer, hyenas, many kinds of birds and other animals should we care to take one of the trails along this hillside. Far below, we could see the settlements located along the narrow strip of level land between the hillside and the near shore of the lake. It now was about 7:30 AM and the sun already was hitting the hills and the shore across Lake Kinneret. From our location, we had a 180˚ view of the lake and beyond it, the brown and green hills of Galilee (photo). Several towns were visible along the west bank of the lake including Tiberias and Migdal, the claimed home of Mary Magdalene. To the far north was Capernaum and the north end of the lake. There were several small boats already plying the lake this morning. It would have been nice to spend the morning enjoying the view and perhaps, looking for wildlife on the slopes below. But, we had a busy day scheduled for us so we had to return soon to our cabin to collect our things and walk to the parking lot to board the bus. We drove the short distance back out to the highway and then headed northward on Hy 98 along the length of the Golan heights roughly paralleling the Syrian border. The terrain consisted mostly of low rolling hills covered with prairie grass and was cut by intermittent streams that flowed mostly in a southwesterly direction toward Lake Kinneret. Many of these streams had cut very deep canyons by the time they reached the western edge of the highland. We passed several man-made ponds where these streams had been dammed to provide water for livestock and irrigation for crops as well as recreation opportunities for tourists. After a few miles, we branched off to the left onto a secondary road, Hy 808, but continued in a generally northerly direction. Only a relatively small part of the total area that we drove through was devoted to farming. Much of the rest was allocated to nature preserves and recreation and some appeared to be reserved for military purposes. Signs here and there warned of minefields but whether these are placed there for contemporary defensive purposes or were remnants of the earlier wars is not known to me. We also passed visible remnants of former military battles. Abandoned farms and buildings that had been part of former Syrian military encampments were badly damaged and pockmarked from bullets and artillery fire. One also occasionally sees old battle tanks, presumably Syrian, out in the fields that were damaged and abandoned during the Yom Kippur War. I suspected that they have been left there for the interest of tourists. They’re also as a reminder of the battles that Israel has fought on the Golan Heights to protect its citizens residing in the farms and villages in Galilee. We finally turned left off Hy 808 and followed a macadam road into the Gamla Nature Preserve. The road initially led through grasslands strewn with large boulders and rock formations. Ido told us to look carefully since some of these rock formations were actually Dolmens. Dolmens are megalithic structures erected 4000 years ago. The word "dolmen" means a stone table in ancient Breton. The Dolmens in the Gamla Nature Reserve are built of large stone slabs laid upon two upright slabs. They are thought to have served as burial edifices for intermediate Bronze Age nomadic tribes that roamed the Golan Heights. Approx. 700 dolmens can be identified around Gamla and thousands more have been found all over the Golan Heights. Unfortunately, we were not able to stop to photograph the one easily recognizable dolmen that stands beside the road. We disembarked the bus at a large parking lot next to restrooms and a stand that sells food and souvenirs. From here, we took a short trail to the west that took us first to the remains of the Byzantine village Dier Qeruh. Most of the village's stone-block buildings houses are in ruins. They include remnants of a monastery erected during the Byzantine period. The central building of the monastery is a church whose walls and parts of the roof still are intact. We gathered in the shade of a giant old olive tree while Ido gave us a brief historical orientation to the church and the village. But, he first pointed out how the olive tree renewed itself by sending up new shoots around its base as older parts died off. In this way, these olive trees can live for hundreds of years. The church is constructed from basalt which is the predominant rock in the area. Inside, there are stone arches still standing that once supported the ceiling (photo). Two things are unique about this structure. One is that its apse is square and not round, so it does not resemble most of the churches found in Israel but rather, it is like churches found in the basalt regions of Jordan and Syria. The second thing is that, wood being scarce in the region, its roof was made of entirely stone slabs. One can see remnants of the slab roof protruding from the arches and in one small room, the stone ceiling is still intact . The ceiling here is a marvel of interlacing stone slabs that somehow holds itself together and is strong enough to have withstood 1500 years of earthquakes and weathering (photo)! It was only a hundred yards or so from the church to an overlook on the rim of the deep canyon of Gamla Stream. The Golan Heights is basically a basalt plateau similar to what one sees in Washington and Oregon in the USA. The plateau is deeply cut along its western edge by streams that drain rain and snowmelt from the Golan Heights down into Lake Kinneret about 1500 ft below. Gamla Stream has cut such a canyon that begins with a 150 ft-high waterfall, the tallest in Israel, about two-thirds mile northeast of this viewing area (photo). The canyon grows steadily deeper until it reaches Lake Kinneret a few miles to the west (photo). The primary reason for the overlook is to enable visitors to view raptors that frequent the area as they soar on the winds that flow up-canyon during the heat of the day. Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed eagles, Long-legged Vultures, Bonelli’s Eagles and Griffon Vultures all call the Gamla Nature Reserve home. Especially of interest are the Griffon Vultures. Following is an excerpt from the park brochure describing these interesting birds.
Today, there were several of the red-brown griffon vultures soaring effortlessly along the canyon rim. Even viewed through the binoculars, they looked huge as they rode the thermal updrafts back and forth. These birds were very attractive in the morning sun and appeared to be red-brown across their back and underbody with darker flight feathers along the trailing edge of their wings. They occasionally would land in a spot on the opposite side of the canyon but, it was too far away to see if there was a nest there or whether it just was a resting spot. We also saw a raven or two gliding along below us in the canyon and an Egyptian Vulture soaring high above. A park ranger dropped by and gave us a brief talk about the vultures and other wildlife in the reserve. From the wildlife overlook, it was only a short walk to another viewpoint where we could look down on the ruins of ancient Gamla. Gamla is mentioned in the Talmud as being a walled city dating from the period of Joshua. This very early city was destroyed but was resettled during the middle of the second century BC. This later Gamla was built on the slope of a very steep hill surrounded by cliffs and one could only reach the it by one trail that entered its eastern side. From our vantage point, we could see that the old city lay across the slope of a steep mountain whose low side began at the Daliyot Stream running through a canyon the base of a sheer cliff to the south. This slope terminated at the top of the mountain along a ridge line where the land dropped abruptly into the canyon of the Gamla Stream to the north. These two streams joined in a deep canyon at the western end of the city thus making it inaccessible from three sides. One could approach the city only from the east via a trail that led along the crest of a ridge that connected the mountain to the somewhat higher plateau where the overlook was situated. Otherwise, the terrain from the east also was too steep for access. As you look down on the ruins of the old city, two things are immediately apparent. First is that it would have presented nearly impregnable defenses to an attacking army that had to move men and equipment along one narrow trail to reach the city walls. Second is that the hill from above looks very much like a camel lying in repose with its humped back and neck stretched out to the west. Of course, one must use their imagination regarding how the city must have looked since only a small part has been restored and only rubble attests to the presence of the city that once was located there. According to the park brochure, Gamla joined the revolt against the Romans in the year 66 AD. Just before the revolt, the residents fortified the city's walls. A wall was built on the eastern side of the city starting at a round guard tower on top of the hill and ending above the Dalyot's riverbed. The easternmost houses of the city and the outer eastern wall of the synagogue of Gamla were made part of the wall. King Agrippa the Second besieged the rebellious city but was forced to retreat after seven months. But, the Romans did not give up and Vespasian besieged the city once again. After one month the Romans succeeded in breaching the walls for the first time and penetrated Gamla. However, the Jewish defenders killed most of the Roman soldiers and turned this into a painful and disgraceful defeat. A few days later, the Romans succeeded in a second attempt to breach the walls and overwhelmed the Jewish defenders. Nine thousands Jews were killed and Gamla was destroyed and was never reconstructed. Gamla was forgotten until it was rediscovered in 1968. The findings of the excavation confirmed the location of the city and revealed remnants of the wall dating back to the period of the revolt, the city's impressive synagogue, living quarters of its inhabitants and other structures (photo). Evidence of a furious battle was also found that included hundreds of ballista balls, thousands of arrowheads and nails that had been prepared for the siege. The viewing area includes a memorial to the residents of Ancient Gamla and identifies points of interest. Ido supplemented information from this memorial and the park brochure with a brief presentation that related the historical events at Gamla to present-day events involving Israel-Arab conflicts. Then we headed back to the park entry where we spent a few minutes buying refreshments and souvenirs and then, we went on our way to the rest of the day’s activities. During our stop at Gamla, Ido announced that he had been able this morning to finalize arrangements for our group to have lunch today with a Druze family in their home. This would be a special opportunity that was not listed on our schedule and he hoped that all of us would participate. The cost per couple would be $24 for lunch plus a $3.00 gratuity, a price that Jacquie and I thought was quite reasonable. Our whole group was agreeable to the arrangement. Some people in a previous group apparently had objected to the price and had refused to participate for unknown reasons. The family lived in a village that is in the very north of the Golan Heights and it would take about 1 hour to drive there from Gamla. There was much to see along the way and following are my notes about some of the more interesting of these.
By the time we finally reached our destination, the terrain was getting quite steep and we were beginning to climb the lower slopes of Mt. Hermon. The elevation here was about 4,000 ft. We turned left off the main road that went on up to the ski resort and military fortifications. We then drove a couple of kilometers or so to the small town where our hosts resided; I believe this was Newe-Ativ. The village which lay across the slope of the mountain was all quite new. The houses mostly were multi-story and most were made of the beige limestone that was prevalent in the area. There were many flowers planted in small gardens and in baskets hanging from balconies. Orchards of flowering fruit trees spread across the slopes just below the town. Water was prevalent as judged by the presence of several large brim-full tanks along the road. A fruit packing plant was located just below the village with large crates stacked high awaiting the harvest that would come next summer. In many respects, it reminded me of small towns in California’s Central Valley where agriculture pervades the community culture. We drove into the town past houses where rugs and cushions were hung out on balconies to air in the fresh spring breezes. The bus stopped in front of a multi-story house that was the home of our hostess and members of an extended family. We were greeted us at the doorway of the wing of the home where out hostess lived and then were led up to the second level which was the location the living area. We initially sat in a living/reception room while everyone was introduced. This room was furnished with sofas and chairs plus a coffee table in the center of the room. Out hostess was Rena. She was the head woman of the household and the mother of two small children. Two other young women, members of the family, were also there to help her. None of the male members of the family was present. The women had collectively prepared an authentic Druze meal for us. Rena then invited us into the dining room telling us that she would explain the dishes when they were served. There would be time for questions following the meal. The dining room was devoid of furniture save for a small space heater to one side of the room. We sat on carpets on the floor and after being seated, plastic “table cloths” were spread out in the spaces between us. Rena and her helpers then brought out the dishes that they had prepared for us. All were traditional Druze cuisine. My notes are incomplete but the following dishes were included in the meal: baked potato stuffed with a chopped meat mixture, small egg plants stuffed with pine nuts and other things and served with a tomato sauce, lamb kufta, rice with noodles, bulgur with lentils, cabbage salad, spinach stuffing in a piecrust cover, meat balls, tabouli and more (photo). Served with the meal was the very thin bread we had eaten in several Arab restaurants during this trip (photo). We had fruit for dessert. The meal was absolutely excellent and I would loved to have eaten more but I had just no more room in my stomach. We had time for questions after the meal. Rena spoke reasonably good English as well as her native language and Hebrew (photo). But, she relied upon Ido for English translation part of the time. I believe that she pleaded ignorance of English in some cases to provide cover for questions that she didn’t want to answer. In its trip brochure, OAT had billed our home visits as being times when we could have “open and candid discussions” with residents of the occupied territories. Perhaps as a result, some of the questions asked by members of our group were very probing and clearly made Rena uncomfortable, especially with our Israeli guide and driver present. We received quite evasive answers to questions about how she felt about life under Israeli occupation. To his credit, Ido helped her out of these uncomfortable situations by trying to change the line of questioning. Once we were back on the bus, he scolded the group for pushing Rena to respond to questions when she was visibly uncomfortable with them. My own feeling was that some of the questions indeed were inappropriate but that Ido should have cut off the them off at the time they were being asked. To me, one of the roles of a guide is to help his charges steer through culturally sensitive issues that they may not realize exist. He had not fulfilled this obligation! Otherwise, the discussion was informative. We learned that the Druze in this famiy are Moslems although Rena’s family are secular rather than orthodox. She and her husband and two children live in the home where we had lunch. Other members of the family live in other parts of the large house which is quite new and is nicely furnished (photo). She told us that all Druze in this area have been given Israeli citizenship and can travel “freely.” But, she admitted that travel, even in Israel, is difficult. Some Druze citizens do serve in the Israeli army. Rena is a teacher and many women in the village are well educated. She claimed that Druze women are free and have equal rights with men. However, they must observe basic Moslem rules of modesty. There was additional discussion that I, unfortunately, did not capture in my notes. One point that she did mention about the Israeli occupation was that contact with her Druze relatives who live on the Syrian side of the border is virtually impossible. There is a place nearby where the border fences are close together and Druze people go there to be able to see their relatives in the other country. They converse in a very public way by calling back and forth across the intervening distance. Quite naturally, conversation is very limited and actual physical contact is impossible. She expressed a wish that families not be disrupted by these political boundaries between countries. (This discussion took place just a few weeks before the Hezbollah rocket attacks from Lebanon and Israel’s subsequent invasion. Those actions can only have served to further inflame feelings throughout this region and make the border between Israel and Syria an even more sensitive place.) We had some time to take pictures and then bid our hostess and her helpers goodbye. We boarded the bus and headed back toward the Peace Vista Lodge many miles away. At this point, still in the mid-afternoon, I was hoping that we would reach there in time to relax and enjoy the view for a while. But, that was not to happen. A few miles down the road, we stopped at the Kibbutz El Rom where there was a souvenir stand and a multimedia presentation for us to watch about the battle of the Valley of Tears during the Yom Kippur War. Between watching the presentation and shopping, this consumed the better part of 45 minutes. We then drove about a mile to the site of the Valley of Tears to view a memorial to the battle (photo). The Valley of Tears is a gap in the hills between the Syrian border and the intervening valley where a small Israeli force from Tank Battalion 7 stopped 150 Syrian tanks trying to break through their lines at the beginning of the Yom Kippur War. The area was fortified with bunkers and a small armored force that was no match for the Syrians but somehow, the Israelis prevailed. It is revered to this day as a turning point in the Yom Kippur War that saved the day for Israel. We spent considerable time here while Ido discussed the battle and its significance. Then we drove on down the highway to another overlook of the battlefield where we stopped while Ido again discussed the battle and its historical significance. While I appreciated the importance of the battle to Israel, the continuing narrative, much of which was repetitious, was beginning to wear on me, especially near the end of an already long day. We finally continued on our way with still a long distance to drive back to the Peace Vista Lodge. By now, I was thinking of the glowing terms depicted in our brochure about our stay at this lodge and thinking that by the time we would arrive, we might have a half-hour to enjoy the site. But, we had to go out of our way for Ido to use an ATM in Qazrin and that took some more time. By the time we got back to the Peace Vista Lodge, we had put in a 9-3/4 hour day and it was 6:30 PM! The day was shot as far as any opportunity to enjoy the lodge and its surroundings was concerned. Dinner was scheduled to be on our own tonight but, there were no dining facilities on site. Ido offered a trip to a nearby travel and souvenir shop that sold sweets and other “goodies.” The bus would depart at 7:30 PM. Jacquie and I elected to stay at the Lodge feeling that the day had been long enough already and that our noon meal was an adequate replacement for dinner. We brought out the remnants from breakfast; cheese, fruit, sweets, a bottle of red wine and matzo and had a very satisfactory supper. As we reflected on the day, we had some good experiences but we agreed that the return to the Peace Vista Lodge would be in our minds, the “Ride in Hell!” Fortunately, we had a very nice relaxing evening watching the sunset over the Sea of Galilee while being thankful that we had not rushed off in the bus this evening in pursuit of yet another experience of questionable merit (photo). After our meal, we arranged some of our baggage in preparation for departure tomorrow and then got ready for bed. We were sound asleep by 10:00 PM. Return to Table of Contents Thursday, April 20, 2006 It was sunny but very windy when we awakened this morning. In fact, the wind had howled most of the night beginning about the time we went to bed. Breakfast arrived about 7:30 AM and much to our surprise and pleasure, it included several kinds of freshly baked bread! Apparently the Passover prohibition against raised bread has passed. Again, there was too much food. We ate what seemed reasonable and packed some of the remainder to take with us in case we might want it later in the day or tomorrow. The rest, we left for the staff to dispose of. We carried our bags to the parking lot where Benny loaded them onto the bus. Sharon came to the bus and rode out to the road with us while bidding us goodbye. He had been a wonderful host and had made us all feel welcome. My only regret was that contrary to the hype we had received in our pre-trip materials from OAT and Ido’s comments, we had precious little time to enjoy the very nice facilities of the Peace Vista Lodge during our stay there. Much of the blame for this had to lie with Ido’s inability to keep us on schedule and he thereby allowed the days to become excessively long because of peripheral activities. In any event, we drove a few miles north on Hy 98 and then turned left onto Hy 789. We had a brief stop in a town along the way while Ido conducted some business at a bank. From there, we followed the steep winding highway through a canyon down to the lake level. Here, we turned south on Hy 92 paralleling the waterfront for a few miles. The land here between the foot of the bluff and the lake was intensively farmed. We soon reached a community, I believe it was En-Gev, almost directly below the Kfar Haruv Kibbutz. We disembarked the bus at a roadside park and marina and then walked a short distance along a dock to a small ship that was waiting for our group. Once we boarded, the crew, only two or three persons, cast off and we were on our way across the lake to the far side. Our ship was identical to several that plied the lake carrying tourists on excursions. It was red-brown in color, about 40-50 ft in length and looked somewhat like an old-time sailing ship with a high stern and bow and low mid-ship (photo). The crew steered from the stern and that was the location of the head and engine room. There were benches for passengers under an awning in the mid-ship area. The raised bow was uncovered and passengers were allowed to stand there to enjoy the view ahead. Flags of Israel and the United States flew from a mast over the mid-ship area. An onboard motor in the engine room powered the vessel along at a speed of 5 or 6 miles per hour. The wind that had blown so strongly all night and earlier in the day had died and it was almost dead calm. This made for a very pleasant ride. Once we were clear of the harbor, the captain played taped music on an on-board PA system but other than that, we were mostly left to just watch the sights. Save for a dredge working off in the distance and a couple of other craft similar to ours, there wasn’t much going on. I had the advantage of having my binoculars so I could scan the shore for things of interest and watch for wildlife. I was rewarded by seeing several pygmy cormorants frequenting the yacht harbor as well as a big white pelican, a couple of night herons, an egret and a few gulls out over the lake. When we were about half way across, the captain slowed down and one of the crew demonstrated the use a throw net used by fishermen since biblical times on the Sea of Galilee. The young fellow using the net knew how to throw it, no small accomplishment in itself, but he didn’t catch anything of significance and so he gave up after a half dozen throws. Other than this, there wasn’t much to do except to enjoy the morning and the view and to ponder how things might have differed in biblical times. From things I have read, archaeologists figure that the lake was a much busier place in those days. Unfortunately, it was very hazy this morning so our photos of the lake during our journey weren't worth including here. The crossing took about 45 minutes from En-Gev to a dock near the town of Migdal on the western shore. We disembarked and walked across a long dock and jetty to the shore and a large building that was the Yigal Alon Center operated by the Kibbutz Ginosar. Although the Yigal Alon Center is devoted to the story of man in the Galilee and contains a number of exhibits and things of interest, our only purpose in making a brief stop was to see the “Ancient Galilee Boat,” sometimes referred to as the “Jesus Boat.” This boat is the relic of a craft that plied the lake at the time of Christ. It eventually sank and became buried and preserved in the muddy lake bottom until it was discovered a few years ago. Following is a description of the boat taken from a small brochure provided to visitors to the Yigal Alon Center.
It was necessary to wait for 20-30 minutes once we were inside the Yigal Allon Center for our turn to see the Galilee boat. There was a large lobby area with a cafeteria where we could purchase snacks plus a large gift shop that had a wide variety of souvenirs. Most of our group, including Jacquie and me, headed for the gift shop but we soon tired of looking at the selection, none of which interested us. So, Jacquie and I wandered back out to the lobby and found a place to sit in the cafeteria till the time designated by Ido when we should assemble for the tour. The boat was housed in a special viewing room at one side of the lobby and we were allowed to enter as a group at the designated time. We first viewed a multimedia presentation about how the boat was found and then restored. Following that, there were a few display cases to view that contained artifacts associated with the find. Then, we walked to a screened-off area where the boat was on display. Only the lower part of the hull and ribs of the craft remain and this is held in a metal framework. Overall, I found it interesting but a little disappointing. Still, one had to be impressed that here before us was the remnant of a vessel that had plied these waters 2,000 years ago at the time of Christ. We were given about 10 minutes to look at the craft and then were ushered out of the viewing area to make room for the next group of visitors. We departed the Yigal Allon Center through the front entry and walked past nicely landscaped grounds to our bus. During the time we had been riding across the Sea of Galilee on the ship, Benny had driven the bus around the south end to meet us here at the end of our tour. We headed north following the western shore of the Sea of Galilee toward Capernaum. By now, it was about 11:30 AM and was getting quite warm. We passed by sveral banana plantations and many wildflowers grew along the highway. There also were plantings of oleanders with large compound flowers in full bloom that grew like small trees. Just before we reached Capernaum, Ido pointed out a tel standing above a small valley (name not recorded). This was the site of a major fortress that in ancient times controlled the Via Maris, the highway between Egypt and the cities in Syria and Mesopotamia. Capernaum is no longer an active town and is now maintained as an historic and spiritual site. Archaeologists estimate that it was inhabited from approximately 150 BC to 750 AD. It appears to have been a small village at the time of Christ and it is mentioned in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Luke it was reported to have been the home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew. In Matthew 4:13, the town was reported to have been the home of Jesus himself. According to Luke, Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum, and a building which may have been a synagogue of that period has been found beneath the remains of a later synagogue. Capernaum is perhaps most famous as the location of a house thought to be the original home of St. Peter. Although originally a humble dwelling like other houses in the village, it underwent a transformation beginning in about the second century AD that appears to be the result of its being recognized as a holy place. It was upgraded over time as Christianity flourished and as the site gained fame and respect. The Byzantines constructed an octagonal church on top of the house in the fifth century to mark its exact spot. But in the process, they covered the original structure completely. It was no longer visible until discovered by archaeologists in more modern times. Our bus turned right off the highway and drove down a lane shaded by trees toward the site of the Capernaum National Park. We stopped in a large parking lot still a couple of blocks distant and from here, we had to walk along a service road to the entrance. I noted with some relief that the parking lot was far from being full so maybe there wouldn’t be too many people visiting the site. Ido showed our park passes at the entrance and then led us inside (photo). Immediately to our right was a large brick building that I believe was a Catholic Monastery. It also houses the park’s administrative offices. We then walked through nicely landscaped gardens while Ido provided commentary about the site and the significance of various structures. Our first stop was at the Octagon Church and the remnant of St. Peter’s house. All that remains now are the foundations and some walls (photo), (photo). Overarching all of this is a modernistic looking structure of a Catholic Church. Ido told us that the Franciscans own this part of the site and for some reason have seen fit to build this church. The structure is restricted to the public and prevents close access to the site. In my opinion, it is a visual monstrosity totally out of keeping with the general appearance of antiquities surrounding it. Adjacent to the Octagon Church are the remnants of foundations of houses in the original village and then to the north a few yards are the pillars and walls of a synagogue that remain in relatively good condition. This structure was built in the fourth or fifth century AD, probably above an earlier synagogue that may be the one in which Jesus is said to have preached. We spent some time looking at this structure and then walked to an adjacent shaded spot that overlooked an area where excavation is still occurring. A number of sculptures and related artifacts from the later eras of Capernaum were on view here. We walked back to the bus after spending about an hour at Capernaum and then drove to Tabgha only a short distance to the south. Tabgha is where Jesus is said to have divided a few loaves and fishes while renewing them in such manner that 5,000 people were served. The Byzantines built a church here in the sixth century over the ruins of a still-earlier church. If my notes are correct this is the Church of Heptageon. The floor of the Byzantine has some exquisite mosaics that have been preserved in a modern church constructed by a German monastic order. This church is a popular tourist attraction of contemporary times and Ido gave us a few minutes to view the mosaics. Jacquie and I walked in and took a few pictures of the mosaics which were very nice and then prepared to return to the bus (photo). On our way out, we noticed that many of our traveling companions had stopped in an on-site gift shop to browse the wares. After a quick look in the gift shop, we found a seat in a shaded patio. While waiting, we took some close-up photos of barn swallows nesting on ledges just below the ceiling of the covered walkways (photo). After what seemed like an interminable wait, the shoppers finished and we returned to the bus. Next on the agenda was lunch. We drove back south a few miles until we came to what looked like a large gasoline station with an associated restaurant. We stopped here and parked beside many buses in the restaurant parking area. Once inside, we found that the restaurant was a single open room like an large auditorium that was filled with long tables and bustling with activity. The restaurant was owned by some Lebanese people and specialized in serving St. Peter’s fish to tourists. The entire Sea of Galilee area is a popular tourist destination because of its numerous resorts as well as the many historic and spiritual sites. In ancient times, fishing was a major commercial activity and several of Jesus’ disciples, including Peter, the fisherman, were so engaged. Eating St. Peters’ fish is a “must do” activity for visitors to the region today. Expect something unique in St. Peter’s fish? No, it’s just plain old tilapia! Whether tilapia was what Peter the fisherman caught, I do not know but today, you’re served tilapia. Actually, we were given our choice of chicken or fish but both Jacquie I ordered the fish in the spirit of being in Galilee. Our meal was preceded with the typical array of Arabic appetizers and flat bread. All were good, as usual. When the fish came, we each were served a large tilapia that had been deep fried complete with head, skin, tail and fins. We found that the fish had firm white flesh that was done to a turn and made excellent eating. Nothing was left except the inedible parts by the time I finished my meal. This was an accomplishment in itself since the methadone I take for my painful back plays hob with my appetite and I had been eating lightly the whole trip. We were served frozen dates for dessert and mint tea at the end of the meal. The dates were thawed just so they were soft enough to eat and they were delicious and refreshing. I have never eaten dates served in this manner but would gladly have them again given the opportunity. I was stung by a large black and yellow bumble bee while we were drinking our tea. It apparently had landed on the table and I accidentally brushed it with my right hand before seeing it. Fortunately, the sting wasn’t very painful, about like being given a strong jab with a needle. Although it hurt for about a half-hour, no redness or swelling developed. Apparently, either the bee was not very venomous or else I brushed it off before it could inject much of its toxin. I was a bit surprised by the fact that although a fellow traveler reported the incident to our guide almost immediately, he didn’t get around to asking me about it until 20 or more minutes later after the bus had departed and we were on our way down the highway. Clearly, I was not injured by the bee but, the potential for an anaphylactic event is something that should be of immediate concern to someone who has responsibility for a group of tourists. We did not leave the restaurant until 2:45 PM. By then, it was very warm and quite hazy and the air conditioned bus felt very welcome. Our visitations in Galilee ended at this point and we were now headed for Jerusalem and the Mt. Zion Hotel which would be our home for the next four nights. Our route would take us south on Hy 90 along the western shore until we reached the south end of the Sea of Galilee. We would continue on south following the Jordan River and paralleling the border with Jordan for about 62 miles until the junction with Hy 1 near the north end of the Dead Sea. Here, we would turn right and head due west about 20 miles to Jerusalem. There was many things to see along the way and following are my notes about some of the more interesting of these.
We turned onto Hy 1, itself “off limits” at night to US Government employees after 5:00 PM, and headed west to Jerusalem. We stopped briefly at a restaurant for “potty call” and then headed up the steep grade bound for Jerusalem. The climb to Jerusalem is about 4,000 ft from the junction which is well below sea level. We had gotten only about half of the distance when Benny had to pull the bus off the highway at a local-bus stop because we were overheating. There was nothing to do but sit there and wait for the motor to cool down. We did not have this problem with the same bus several days ago when we arrived in Israel but then, there were fewer of us and we had a lighter load. (We later found out that the Bus had a mechanical problem.) Three young men were sitting at the bus stop watching our predicament with big grins on their faces. I figured that they were off-duty IDF personnel because one of them was carrying an automatic weapon and there was a training facility just a hundred yards down the road. The bus finally cooled down enough that we could get under way again about 5:40 PM. We arrived in the outskirts of Jerusalem about 5:50 PM and immediately encountered heavy traffic. We could not use a tunnel that gives quick access into the city for whatever reason so had to use the “old highway.” We inched along through near-gridlock traffic for maybe a half hour. During this time, we were passed by a police car with its roof lights flashing. Given the troubles in Israel, this was a bit unnerving but Ido told us not to worry. It is common practice in Jerusalem for police to activate their lights anytime they are driving in traffic. Israelis call the lights “chaca laca. ” The police believe that flashing their lights causes drivers to slow down and to be more careful! If it’s an actual emergency, they will turn on their siren. Eventually, we went into a tunnel and emerged on the western side of the “Old City” just a few blocks from our hotel. We arrived at the Mt. Zion Hotel at 6:30 PM after a 10 hr. tiring, but interesting, day. Ido briefed us on events for the next day and told us that dinner was on our own. Restaurants could be found several blocks from the hotel. We should be on the bus at 8:30 AM tomorrow. He helped us check in and then disappeared until tomorrow. Our room was comfortable although it had no view unless we looked obliquely out the windows to the east where we could see some hills and a few homes. The room itself was a bit chilly but otherwise was spacious and just fine. We settled in and then thought about something to eat. We had no desire to walk several blocks to find a restaurant, especially since the directions we had been given were rather vague. We decided to explore what the hotel might have available. No room service was advertised in our in-room directory. We went to the front desk to inquire about the hotel restaurant only to be told that it wasn’t open; no explanation. We went to the bar to see if there was any access to food through that venue. Fortunately, the hotel’s head waiter was on duty and after Jacquie “sweet talked” him a bit, he conceded that even though the dining room was not open, he could get someone to make us a cheese omelet and a salad. That was fine with us and we each ordered a large beer which we started on right then and there. The omelet and salad came after a short wait and both were delicious. The charge came to 58 INS plus a generous tip on top of that. The waiter, started out tough and brusque but melted and was very friendly toward the end. However, he did remind us that a generous tip was expected! I had the feeling after dealing with him tonight and on subsequent occasions that he probably was an immigrant from Europe of the USA. We have encountered his type several times in New York City and other East Coast venues. Security is very heavy in the hotel. The main entry to the hotel is guarded by staff carrying side arms. On the way back to our room, we passed an armed security guard roaming through the hall on our floor. Goodness knows how many plain clothes security people are wandering around and I imagine that there are closed circuit cameras watching the halls as well. We have not encountered this level of security in the other locations we have visited to date. We returned to our room and washed out some underwear and got ready for bed. We were thankful that we had been able to get dinner in the hotel. There was a chilly wind blowing outside and a several block walk to and from the nearest restaurant would not have been enjoyable, especially after a long day and in a strange city with an uneasy security situation. Note to reader: I insert a note at this point about the entries in my log book that follow concerning the next three days in Jerusalem. We visited many places and saw a great many things during our stay in Jerusalem. Almost everything we saw was of historic and/or spiritual significance. It was almost impossible to make notes about everything that happened and the things that we saw. Furthermore, this period not only was at the end of Passover, it also occurred during the Greek Orthodox Easter and the area was crowded with pilgrims and other visitors. All of this combined with my personal aversion to crowds and my minor concerns about our safety in crowded places to make these days a less than totally enjoyable experience. Therefore, I made only very rudimentary notes of my experiences in Jerusalem and I have chosen not to provide much detail in this log. I have recorded instead, things of interest to me about little details of things we saw and personal interactions with people. But, I will leave to guidebooks, descriptions of the many exciting things that Jerusalem has to offer the tourist. Return to Table of Contents Friday, April 21, 2006 It was bright and sunny this morning with a bit of haze as we look out the window to the east. We could see that there was a brisk breeze blowing since shrubs below us were bending in the wind. It was hard to tell about the temperature but based on the higher elevation and last evening’s chill, we figured that it was liable to be a bit brisk outdoors. We enjoyed a reasonably good night’s sleep except for some noise in the hall toward morning probably made by a departing tour group. The Mt. Zion Hotel is built on a steep slope such that the lobby and reception at street level are on the top, sixth, floor. The guest rooms are on the floors below. Our room was directly below the lobby on floor five. Fortunately, the lobby floor must be thick for we get no noise from people walking above us. Breakfast today was available as a buffet in the dining room with chefs available to prepare eggs to order, much to Jacquie’s delight. The buffet held a wide array of vegetables, fruit, cheese, yogurt, scrambled eggs and traditional Jewish “goodies” that were interesting to try. There also were several kinds of fresh baked bread, croissants and sweet rolls. There was no danger of going hungry this morning and with departure not scheduled until of 8:30 AM, we had time for leisurely breakfast. We returned to our room after breakfast and gathered up our things for today’s outing. At his point, we were unsure about the itinerary since we had two or three conflicting published schedules. One activity common to all was a city orientation tour at the beginning of the day so we prepared for that. Anticipating that it might be chilly this morning but could warm up as the day progressed, we dressed in layers and carried our windbreakers. This turned out to be a good choice. We next headed for the lobby to met our tour group. When all were assembled we boarded the bus and were pleased to find that Benny still was our driver although he had a different bus for the day. It turned out that the problem yesterday on the long grade up from the Jordan Valley required a day in the shop so the company found a replacement for Benny to drive. He had done such a good job as our driver throughout the trip to date that we were comfortable with him. We would have hated to see him replaced which was the way things looked last evening. We headed south from the hotel and then turned left of a street that on the map is marked East Talpiot Promenade. We stopped and parked the bus where there was a wooded park-like area. Ido led us on a block walk to an observation point where we could look out over the Valley of Qidron and the Old City of Jerusalem about a mile to the north (photo). To the oblique right was the Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus. It was an excellent place to get our first view of the historic and sacred sites for which Jerusalem is famous. We gathered around while Ido presented an excellent lecture recapping the history of Jerusalem beginning the Canaanites who first settled the area because of an abundant spring located just downhill from the east wall of the Old City in the Valley of Qidron. He pointed out the various locations that are important to Christians, Jews and Moslems and gave us a perspective of relationships between things we would see during our tours. I was sorry to see Ido’s presentation end for I’m sure there was much more he could have told us. But, it was time to go and look at some of these places close up. Additionally, the chilly wind was taking its toll, especially among some people in our group who had failed to dress warmly. Additionally, it was Friday and we had to get much of our sightseeing done before late afternoon. Tomorrow is the Jewish Sabbath, and things will begin to close down today by shortly after 2:00 PM since activity must cease at sundown for devout Jews. We stopped briefly at the Mt. Zion Hotel to pick up some warm clothes for those in need and then we continued on to the Old City. In order to get to where we would disembark the bus, we had to make an almost complete circle around the Old City which is surrounded by a wall with eight gates; 3 in the north, 2 in the east, 2 in the south and one in the west. The road by the west wall was busy and there was little to be seen there. The Damascus Gate and Herod’s Gate on the north side are the main entrances to Moslem areas of the city including the Dome of the Rock and the El Aqsa Mosque on Mount Moriah. This area was very busy with Moslems entering the Old City for Friday prayers (photo). We continued on past this area and turned right along the eastern wall. To our left was the Mount of Olives and several important sites such as the Church of Gesthemene, the Church of Mary Magdalene and the huge Jewish cemetery. Then, we turned right again and drove along the southern wall. We stopped not far from the Dung Gate, our point of access to the Old City. We disembarked the bus and walked a few yards through the Dung Gate in the south wall of the Old City. No autos are allowed inside the city walls except for security and emergency vehicles. We spent the rest of our day viewing sights in the Old City. Following are a series of written vignettes about the potpourri of observations and experiences that made up our day.
We returned to the hotel about 4:00 PM to rest and change clothes for the evening activities. This gave me a chance to rest my back and hips which were getting quite stiff and sore. I figured the cause was all of the stairways and steep streets that we had walked throughout today. I took an extra dose of Vicodin and used the heating pad for about 30 minutes, both of which seemed to help a great deal. We were back o the bus at 6:00 PM headed for a visit to the Wailing Wall and then to dinner hosted by OAT at a local restaurant. The attraction at the Wailing Wall, also known as the Western Wall, is the gathering of orthodox religious Jews to recite evening prayers. The Wailing Wall is a portion of the west wall of the Temple Mount that is believed to be closest to the Holy of Holies in the former Second Temple that is now destroyed. It is separated from the southwestern part of the western wall that we visited in the morning by a huge pile of rubble on which are constructed present-day houses of residents of the Old City. The Wailing Wall, also known as the Kotel, has been a spot where Jews have prayed for 2,000 years. There is a tradition of placing prayers written on the small piece of paper into a crack in the Wall that goes back hundreds of years. We disembarked the bus at the Dung gate and walked northward along a street for the equivalent of a couple of city blocks until we came to a gate with several turnstiles. Armed police and soldiers stood guard at the gate and we had to walk through metal detectors and then pass through the turnstiles. Beyond this gate, we emerged into a broad plaza surrounded on three sides by buildings. On the fourth side was the exposed wall of the Temple Mount that is referred to as the Wailing Wall. A waist-high barrier partitions off a space about 75-100 ft. wide in front of the wall. There is access to the wall at the north end of the barrier for men and at the south end for women. A barricade separates this space into a rather small women’s’ area with the remainder being for men. Only for persons wearing a head covering are allowed access to the wall. For men, this is a yarmulke and for women, a head scarf. Alternatively, Orthodox Jews of both sexes may wear the hats traditional of their sect. When we arrived, only a few people were there praying but as time progressed, more and more arrived until the area in front of the wall was crowded with worshipers. Many, but not all, of the participants appeared to be members of various orthodox religious sects as judged by their dress. Some would approach the wall and stand quietly with bowed head while praying. Others, particularly members of some of the orthodox groups, would read from a prayer book while rocking their upper body to and fro. Some would stand at the wall while doing this but others remained at the rear. Some prayed individually and others participated in groups. Ido told us that those reading from books vary their prayers with the time of the year and religious events. I must admit that some of the participants rocking to and fro in their long black coats, baggy trousers and tall black hats reminded me of the bobble-dolls then popular at home! We would have liked to take pictures of all of this. But, it was sufficiently late in the evening that the light was not adequate for good photos. So, we contented ourselves with just watching the action. Ido told us that prior to the 1967 war (?), there was only a narrow alley about 3 ft wide where people could come to pray. After the war, a bunch of shanties in the area were demolished and the owners were compensated so that the space for prayers could be enlarged. People come to this place along the Western Wall because it is believed to be the closest point to the most holy place in the Second temple where only the most holy men could pray. The extreme northern end of the current area is the most favored and the crowd is most dense here. We noticed that fact today. We also noticed that women are banished to the end of the area farthest from the favored spot. Ido was very critical of the orthodox sects who are powerful in the Knesset and who facilitated the establishment of the policy of cordoning off the women to the far end of the wailing wall area. We watched the scene at the Wailing Wall for about a half-hour. During this time, some of us were surprised to see two of our group, Rich and Joe, suddenly wandering around in the reserved area among those who were saying their prayers. Neither is a member of the faith but both were wearing a yarmulke. They later explained that they had found a place where people could borrow or buy a yarmulke if they arrived without one. So on the spur of the moment, they obtained one and went down by the wall to see what it was like close up. They wandered around and talked with some of the participants. Ido finally had to go and retrieve them when it was time for us to go. We drove to a restaurant in Jerusalem that was a few blocks to the west of the Old City. There was a bit of a mix-up with our reservations with the restaurant staff claiming that we didn’t have one. But that eventually got straightened out when Ido got on the phone and called someone with influence. Following that, tables were quickly set for our group. I was able to put in Jacquie’s eye drops while we were waiting to get in. Being on stairs, I could stand a couple of steps above her and just let the drops fall! In any event, the restaurant was American style and apparently very popular judging from the crowd. The walls were decorated with old household implements such as irons kettles, etc. But, the food was quite good and we had a very enjoyable evening complete with some good wine, all courtesy of OAT. It was a nice way to end our first day in Jerusalem. Ido drove us back to the hotel in his personal van following dinner. Benny had taken advantage of being in Jerusalem by taking the evening off to be with his family. He had gone home right after dropping us off at the restaurant. It was a bit cozy in Ido’s van but is was only a short drive to the hotel. Once back at the hotel, we performed our usual bedtime activities and set things out for the next day. Following that, we went to bed. We have another rather leisurely start tomorrow at 9:00 AM and the day will be devoted again to touring in Jerusalem. We had our alarm set for 7:00 AM. 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