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Of all the countries we visit, Israel is the most interesting, perplexing and amazing. The fact of Israel being at the confluence of the major religions of the world, the enormous documented history of this disputed bit of land, the sheer beauty and diversity of the countryside, and the ongoing and seemingly unresolvable Palestinian/Israeli conflict is enough to confound and intrigue a traveler to this Holy Land.
We arrived in the port city of Haifa and opted for a ship's tour to Caesarea Maritime. This city was built by Herod the Great and named after his Roman benefactor Augustus Caesar. Pontius Pilate was here during the time of Jesus. The Roman gladiators performed their feats at the circus and the Christians and lions fought to the death at the amphitheater. After the Roman period, the Arabs controlled the area until the Crusaders destroyed most of the city. It was part of the Ottoman Empire up until WWI. Now Caesarea is one of the most important archaeological sites in Israel.
That night the ship had an outdoor dinner complete with local entertainment. The dance troop was made up of mostly middle-age performers who had the skill of professionals and
the exuberance of youngsters. Dining on the top deck of the ship, we had a lovely view of Haifa's most noted landmark, the Baha'i Gardens and Shrine.
Brooks and John had arranged for a private van to explore Jerusalem and the surrounding area. They invited us along and we met up with our guide on the pier in Haifa and headed out for some heavy duty touring. Moti, our guide/driver/political analyst, took us first to the Mount of Olives for a dramatic view of Old Jerusalem. Then we drove through Mea Shearim, the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish area of Jerusalem. It has the look of an 18
th Century Eastern European Jewish ghetto with the men dressed in black with broad brimmed hats, full beards and side curls and the women in long dresses with their hair covered by snoods or wigs. We then went to the Mehane Yehuda market which has all sorts of spices, vegetables, fruits, souvenirs, breads and even a few cafes. We stopped at one of Moti’s favorite restaurants for a traditional lunch. The tiny Azura has been around since 1952, has about four tables and serves great kosher food.
The afternoon was spent visiting Old Jerusalem.
CAESAREA
Perfectly restored columns by the sea It was like stepping back into the Old and New Testaments and the Catechism. We prayed at the Wailing Wall, walked the Via Dolorosa—the Stations of the Cross, and visited the most sacred of Christian sights, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church was built over Golgotha, where Christ was crucified, and where he was anointed, buried and rose from the dead. We saw the Dome of the Rock, the Muslim holiest of sights. The Eastern and Greek Orthodox, the Copts and Armenians are also heavily represented in Old Jerusalem.
All of these religions are so intertwined and yet so at odds with one another. Driving around Israel, seeing the walls which enclose the Palestinian settlements and hearing about the constant conflict between all the different religions and ethnic groups, it seems that any type of “peace” is an impossible dream in this land. The more we learn about Israel, the more complicated the issues seem to be. When we were there, several members of the U.N. Peace Keeping Force were kidnapped near the Syrian border. Recently parts of Israel were hit with rockets launched from the Sinai. There is a constant threat of violence between the Palestinians
and Israelis. It will take a miracle by someone’s God to end all these conflicts.
We spent the night at the Dan Panorama Hotel. The next morning we visited the historic King David Hotel and then we met up with the grand-niece of Herb, our friend from Marin, California. Marissa is an American who has just married a British man and they are living in Tel Aviv. She works for the U.N., keeps kosher and is studying for her Master’s Degree. It was interesting to hear her take on life in this small country. She loves living in Israel and plans to take up permanent residence. Both sets of parents are in the process of moving to Israel.
After more sightseeing we drove back to the port of Ashdod to rejoin the Voyager. We have spent a total of six days in Israel and only scratched the surface. We find it to be fascinating and can’t wait to visit again.
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Jean Peterson
non-member comment
Jerusalem!
What a beautiful commentary and excellent photos. It seems to be a place of impossibilities but we can always hope and pray that one day peace will happen.