Smooth Sailing on the Sea (of Galilee)

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With three mysteries down and sixteen mysteries yet to see on this pilgrimage, we will need to be covering almost two per day; but, there will be no mysteries today! Sharon reminded me that most will come in Jerusalem. It is nice not needing to repack our suitcases while staying in the Pilgerhaus for three nights. As I’m writing these words at two o’clock in the morning local time, I’m thinking, again with that stupid donkey. It wasn’t the ultra-annoying morning is here bray, but one that doesn’t belong in the middle of a sound sleep. Dennis had noted that he had seen them in the morning up on the hill behind the Pilgerhaus. I thought the image might be good for the blog, but Dennis continued “He had seen someone out there taking a picture of those stupid asses… Why would anyone take a picture of a donkey: All that they’re good for, is looking at through the scope of a high powered rifle.” Breakfast is normally the one meal that Sharon can eat on our various journeys (even to China). But Israel is somewhat problematic. Again there was cheese, which doesn’t work. And she prefers to avoid eggs on long schedule intense tour days, which this purports to be, but these soft boiled eggs would have been non-starters anyway. Hurray for toast or bread. And cereal doesn’t work for her either. I mixed the corn flakes and raisin bran, added the sunflower and pumpkin seeds and muesli dry mix with some milk, and discovered to the left of the table was a large pot of honey with a honey ladle. It was good enough to get a second bowl and have again tomorrow.

Our mass is scheduled early this morning at the Beatitudes Chapel, an octagon shaped building designed by the same man who had built the shrine atop the mountain for the transfiguration of Jesus. The eight sides are meant to correspond to the eight beatitudes, of which Jesus preached during his Sermon on the Mount speech. You’d know them if you heard them: Things like “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Mass for larger groups as ours are held in the amphitheater outdoors overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Beautiful doesn’t begin to describe the view before us. The grounds themselves are more than that and the water is still as glass this morning. It is hard to imagine any turbulence at all on these waters as described in the gospel. Access to the amphitheater is down many steps, and while Dennis and Erin had been warned that there was one site she would probably find it difficult or impossible to see everything; but, we haven’t visited that site yet. So far Erin’s been able to deal with most of the steps we’ve encountered, and this time was no exception to that. It was difficult, even Sharon and I had to watch our step stepping up and then down a large stone block to enter the semi-circular seating from the top, which is where we sat on the aisle. It was a very nice mass with a moving homily by Father David (the Franciscan Monk serving as guide on our bus) about the importance Jesus placed in his ministry on service to the poor and weak and down-trodden, and all quite appropriate to be given in this venue. After mass Erin and I went into the chapel where throngs of pilgrims from Lagos (identified as such by the “Lagos State” T-shirts many of them wore) were in a trance like state and the hum of chanting was deafening, though nothing that we could understand. Erin speculated that they were saying the beatitudes over and over again, dancing around with their hands in the air. Erin could get only partway in. And that donkey is in fine voice this morning, calling out now for the third time since I’ve started writing.

Father David noted on the bus as we were leaving the chapel on the mount, that there were three towns mentioned in the Bible whose residence chose to ignore the miracles Jesus was performing and the ministry he prophesied, saying “Woe to Corazine, Copernum and (??town name)”. The difficulty for many Jewish faithful was that they recognized that what Jesus was able to do with his miracles was certainly a God-given gift that they’d never before witnessed, but their diligence to protecting their faithfully devout monotheistic and non-human existence of God made it hard for them to grapple with Jesus being the son of god or the existence of the Holy Spirit. Our bus drove through many very green fields and there were many crops growing in the lush soil. Sharon commented how this differed so from the sandy desert conditions that she had expected to see in Israel. The Jordan River feeds into the Sea of Galilee depositing much silt and creating a very fertile basin. The passage of time has caused the Sea of Galilee to be pushed farther south, and it may indeed in the time of Jesus appeared to be much larger before eons of new fertile land became useful to farming. From the Sea of Galilee water continues south where it flows into the Dead Sea, so Sharon may yet get to see her desert. We saw our first camel standing in one of these green lush fields studded with black and white stones of basalt and limestone. This land was once volcanically active. We also learned that a “tel” is where the land formation reveals a mound resulting from the rebuilding that occurs from one civilization to the next, constructing newer buildings on the foundations of older ones. Father David pointed out Tel Hazore to us. The nets over some of the agriculture, such as the many banana plantations are to protect the crop from birds. Father David also pointed out a town in the distance that was half in Israel and half in Lebanon. He also pointed out that we were currently in the Golan Heights and to the left the fence along the road protected by barb wire and frequently displaying signs with red triangles warning in several languages including English “Mines”. We were near the original border before Israel claimed additional territory during the 6-Day War.

We arrived at Banias, a pagan site dating from 200 BC and featuring a Temple to Pan. It was here near Banias at ancient Caesarea Philipi where Peter made his confession of faith in Jesus. When they pathway to the site became gravel, Erin’s scooter could go no further. Sharon and I walked on up to see the cave entrance in the side of the mountain, and got a closer look at the rock carvings in the side of the rocky cliff face. In pagan beliefs, caves such as this would form the entrance to the underworld, and this is likely what Jesus was referring to in his ministry when referring to the “Gates of Hell”. Jesus spoke in simple terms that people could understand using everyday references. We walked back to the bus, and examined some excavated ruins near the parking lot. Dennis pointed out a marmot sunning itself high on a guardrail type crossbeam near the top of a tower. This is also known as the rock badger or rock hydrix that Father David had told us that we might see a couple days earlier, describing them as mostly docile creatures. We were treated to baklava again once we got back on the bus, and this really is a treat. Later at dinner I confirmed with a member of the Blue Bus that their driver was taking care of them as well. As Dennis and Erin and I were enjoying our baklava, I couldn’t help but notice the dichotomy of the situation because there was Sharon snacking on a Ritz Peanut Butter cracker. Erin chimed in “See, See, another special meal for Sharon.” During a recent family reunion for her mother’s 85^th birthday her family seemed to be split as to whether it was only Sharon who had received special dietary considerations (or “Special Meals”) that nobody else got. Erin was obviously in the Special Meals Camp. One of us pilgrims assisted Father David with counting us fellow pilgrims to make sure we didn’t leave anyone behind. He came forward and announced the total, and the monk queried “So we have everyone onboard?” To which this weary pilgrim instinctively replied to our robe clad monk and guide, “Yes, ma’am.” Father David raised his eye brow and cast him a quizzical glance, to which this weary pilgrim replied, “Excuse me Father for being gender challenged.As we departed the Temple of Pan site, Father David noted that the Byzantine ruins that we’d been exploring by the bus was actually a 5^th century church commemorating the site where Jesus had healed the hemorrhaging woman.

Driving higher away from the Sea of Galilee Father David informed us that he’d asked the driver to take a slight detour in our route, and to drive through two Druze towns in the Golan Heights. This route he told us would take us quite close to the Syrian border. The Druze are a sect of Islam that is very closed knit, nobody can join the sect from the outside, and nobody can leave the sect. Marriage is only permitted between Druze; but, Father David questioned the recent marriage of George Clooney to a Druze woman. I’m thinking, well, I guess there could be one way that might be permitted. I also wondered if this had anything to do with seeing his face on a bunch of billboard advertisements that we had seen in Tel Aviv. Within their sect the Druze recognize two kinds of members: First is the sage, knowledgeable in all religious matters and the second is the ignorant. In the city of Mas’ade we saw several woman dressed in traditional garb of a white scarf and a black or dark dress. Men often sport impressive mustaches and also where white and black clothing. Children and younger adults often are seen wearing more traditional Western style clothing. We stopped at a roadside scenic viewing spot beneath an Israeli border observation post. Father David noted that it would be a good idea to keep our cameras pointed down the hill. He also pointed out the abundance of lavender along the edge of the parking lot, and we rubbed some in our fingers to smell the potent fragrance. Below us was a UN border observation facility; and, while parked here we saw a convoy of about five UN trucks pass by. Sharon had come back in the bus and hurried outside to snap a picture of a UN truck, but that was the end of the convoy and all that she saw was a Brinks armored vehicle. At this point I just need to assure my mom that when we talked about Sharon and I coming to Israel, coming near the Syrian border wasn’t on the itinerary. Ever since Israel occupied the Golan Heights, a state of war has existed between Syria and Israel.

We arrived back on the Sea of Galilee for lunch, where our driver was encouraging people to try the whole fish (or St. Peter’s Fish). We were told a story about how a new tax was levied on fish, to which Jesus replied that they should collect the tax from the fish, or more exactly from the coin in the fish’s mouth. It sounds a lot like he was telling them to go stuff it. We were told that one in our group would get the fish with the coin in the mouth (if you ordered the whole fish with bones). Somehow Sharon and Erin and Dennis nominated me to get the fish. When given the opportunity to choose a fish filet without bones, and more importantly without a head or eyeballs looking at me, I went that route. The downside of course is that there also was no mouth for me to find a coin in. They just got chicken, and again it was a very sizeable grilled chicken breast. The lady sitting to my right ordered the whole fish and hers was the ugliest tilapia I’d ever seen, and someone observed that they didn’t know that tilapia was that ugly. I pointed out to my neighbor that she’d gotten the fish with the coin in its mouth. She’d been poking at the fish and trying to separate meat from the bones and not having much luck at that, so I think getting the coin was well worth it. Our driver came by to see who had gotten the coin. Dennis believes that the driver’s family, who is in the jewelry business, made the coin-jewelry insert and he confirmed this with the driver. It was no cheap trinket either, and was marked sterling silver and had a one-half shekel coin incorporated into coin frame and pin combination (the pin inserted into the fish’s mouth to secure the coin for serving). Dates were served for dessert, and although I hadn’t thought I would try them again, for something I did, and I may be developing a taste for them. The restaurant owner then came by holding a fancy brass ornate pot/brewing/dispensing system, and was offering people tiny cups of something which at first I thought was perhaps a mint tea, so I indicated I would like some. It was in fact coffee, or maybe expresso, which I would normally ever take, but I thought what harm can this tiny serving do. To my great non-coffee drinking surprise it was quite smooth and strong and non-acidic, and not at all what I was expecting. It was also quite strong and I got an immediate caffeine rush. A fellow traveler reminded me that we had eaten in a Lebanese restaurant, and what I had drunk was Lebanese Coffee.

After lunch we drove to the pier for our boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The boats are replicas of a Jesus Boat, found from the time of Jesus. They have a number of these boats available to allow pilgrims to sail on the Sea of Galilee. One boat easily held our group of eighty; although, before sailing they did borrow about ten chairs from one of the other Jesus Boats. Upon sailing they raised the American flag alongside the Israeli flag at the front of the boat to music from our national anthem and we all sang the Star Spangled Banner. The captain asked if we ever thought that we’d be singing that song on a boat in the Sea of Galilee in Israel. From the boat we could see various places that we’d been, including the Pilgerhaus, the Loaves and Fishes Church, the Primacy of Peter shrine and even the Chapel of the Beatitudes. The captain did a demonstration of fishing with casting nets off either side of the ship in the stern, but to no avail. We were in deep water, he said about 150 feet, and the fishing is generally better when the water is not so deep. The captain then started some catchy dance music, encouraging people to get up and dance on the Sea of Galilee. Father Ben (The Franciscan Monk who is the guide for the other bus) got people to join in a Hava Nagelia line; and, even more surprising, he got me to join in the line as well, which put a big grin on Sharon’s face, and dang, if she wasn’t holding the camera as well. I’m never going to live this down; although, I did survive my dancing the hokey pokey in China. At least I didn’t dance the chicken dance at Sharon’s and my wedding (the one four years ago, not yesterday). We have Sharon’s friend Lin to thank for adding that to our wedding plans. The crew were great about helping Erin in and out of the boat, and helping Dennis with the scooter.

The busses then whisked us off to Capernaum. This is the town Jesus called home during the three years of his ministry. It was conveniently located for trade routes with wine and olives produced locally. Consequently, the town was a thriving middle class community. Before proceeding on a tour of the sites, we rested some in the courtyard. While there, Father David, the Franciscan Monk on our tour noted that a new monk must have walked by because he was wearing the new monk’s robe with the much higher hem, referring to it as the “High Water Robe”. We all clearly saw the new monk’s sandals (and shins). Some would say shocking! We visited the site of Peter’s house. We also spent time seeing the ruins of the Synagogue where Jesus taught. Despite being an hour journey by boat, we had a very short bus ride back to the Pilgerhaus. I was eager to get back to the room; but, Sharon wanted to buy a couple books being offered for sale, and had to wait until the bus was empty. I went up to the room, where I discovered that my room key no longer worked. I went to the front desk and the sign said that they’d be back shortly. I went back to the room and eventually was able to meet up with Sharon. Fortunately, for me, her key did open the door to our room. We had some time to unwind before dinner. Yesterday’s blog was finished up and approved by the editorial staff (Sharon and Erin). Dinner was opened early and I got another one of their hot peppers, and even tried the eggplant and garlic salad which was very good. Tonight’s soup was a vegetable soup in chicken stock. The entrees were fish and beef stroganoff served with vermicelli. Dessert was a coconut cake. This just isn’t Sharon’s day.

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