It rained a few nights ago, and when I took my early morning walk I saw that there were hundreds, probably thousands, of worms looking as if they were either dead or gasping their last breaths, spread out like litter all over our dirt road. While I thought that the rain had flooded the worms' passageways to and from their homes just underneath the surface of the road causing them to flee or be killed, scientists theorize that this is not true. Worms surface for migration purposes; it is easier for them to move when things are wet. Also they do not drown as humans would; they can stay submerged for days without any negative consequences. Yet another theory is that in hearing rain, worms flee because rain sounds like mole vibrations, and moles love to ... read more

Three of us left at 6:30AM this chilly grey morning to walk in the Western Wall tunnels; the other thirteen members in our group had chosen not to go, not to wake up and be out and about so early in the morning. Zvi drove our very small group in his car to a parking lot nearby, and then we walked in a downpour to the entrance of the tunnels. No people other than maintenance workers were in the tunnels so early, so we were able to walk through at our own pace, stopping whenever Zvi chose to offer us more history. I had thought Osama, our guide in Jordan, was exceptional, but Zvi, an Israeli, is an historian, not only knowing all about Israel's and Palestine's past, but also extremely knowledgeable about all the religions ... read more

This morning we left the kibbutz and the Golan Heights heading to Capernaum. This was St. Peter's home. This ancient holy site is marked by a church; Mass was in progress so, strangely, we were not allowed to enter, but why the modern rocketship-looking church was built so closely over the remains of the 2000 year old structure below, making it dark and enclosed, diminishes its energy, its holiness. I wish the architect of this church had created a different, less heavy looking structure, and not a church that looks as if it could sit down and totally destroy the beautiful remains of where Jesus performed miracles. One has to peer underneath this monster building to see the site, a very unfortunate and caged-in setting. But we are in holy land. Almost everywhere we go is ... read more

Yesterday was a day full of adventures! Sunday is the first workday of the week for Israelis, so streets were full and there was traffic, but mostly heading in the other direction. Driving north to Akko in our still beeping bus took about an hour, but it was absolutely worth it. The Crusaders came here, knowing this city as Acre. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Akko has two parts, above and below ground. The Old City of Akko is a well preserved Crusader city, still being unearthed and brought back to life; it is directly under the bustling city above. We walked through narrow tunnels, bending over quite a bit in parts, but never having to crawl on hands and knees, to secretly pass from one side of the city to the other, linking the invincible ... read more

Much of Tuesday was spent in the rain enroute to Petra, travelling first to Madaba to see the remarkable ancient mosaic floor in St. George's Church, the earliest surviving map of the Holy Land, dating back to the 6th century. Continuing on after lunch in Madaba, we parked at Mt. Nebo and had a short discussion of whether or not to leave the bus to climb up the hill in the drenching rain. Several of us really wanted to do this, so surprisingly to me we all ended up going. We were a rainbow of colorful waterproof jackets and umbrellas winding our way up the hill; no two of us were alike. Amazingly, at the top, the rain stopped for a bit, enough of the sky cleared for us to gaze across the Jordan Valley and ... read more