Today was a test of endurance and who could ride the bus most comfortably....it was a 9 hour ride from Sharm El Sheik to Cairo. Never gave it any thought that when we crossed over the Suez canal that we were going to be on the continent of Africa!! It was an interesting bus ride and our guide gave us very good information. We got to see lots of different things.....we went to Elim (Exodus 15) where Moses threw a stick in the water at Marah and made the water pure. We were standing right beside those wells. We also visited the pace where it is believed that Moses parted the Red Sea. We saw very interesting landscape, many Bedouins, and a livestock market where they were selling camels. It was funny to meet a truck ... read more

We left Jerusalem bright and early. Our usual routine one this trip is up by 6:30, breakfast at 7:00 board bus by 8-8:30. Today we were up at 5:30, breakfast at 6:00, bus pulled out by 7:10. This was going to be a long day. It took 5 hours driving time to get to the border of Egypt. We drove down by the Dead Sea and then off in the desert of Israel. There weren't many places to stop. We did however stop at a kibbutz that was a dairy farm and got to have ice cream. It was very good. I had Dulce De Leche, Ferrero Rocher, and Time Out candy bar.....all very good. It was interesting because we were able to shop in a small grocery store and have sandwiches made. Typically we have ... read more

Today we were on the bus early but there was so much traffic in and around the hotel that we couldn't go anywhere....so my favorite vendor got on the bus to sell Jerusalem crosses. They were so beautiful!! They are made by Armenian nuns. We headed out to the temple and old Jerusalem. We went through the stages of the Via Delorosa. The place that touched me most was where Pilate question Jesus and finally turned him over to the Jews to be crucified. The pavements where we were standing were the actual pavements where Jesus walked.. Where he put his feet.... Where his blood was shed. I touched them... I took pictures.. But nothing can describe what I was feeling there. Just around a corner is a beautiful mosaic of Jesus bearing the weight of ... read more

.Today we said goodbye to the Sea of Galilee and the Royal plaza Hotel as we boarded the bus with Jerusalem as our ultimate goal. Because this was Sunday many places were closed. We tried to stop at the church where Jesus performed his first miracle in Cana. If you remember this is where he turned the water into wine. Sadly it was closed so we drove by and headed on to Nazareth and the Church of the Annunciation. This church is built over and around the house/cave in which Mary lived when the angel appeared to tell her she was chosen to become the mother of Jesus. You could go in and walk right by her home. The church also had beautiful depictions of the Virgin Mary from many different countries. Today was a lot ... read more

Today was the day we left The Angel Hotel in Bethlehem to go to the northern part of Israel to Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea. This was one of Herod's biggest projects, but its importance in Christianity is that it was where the first Gentile, Cornelius, was baptized by Peter. This is considered the start of Christianity. Paul also spent time there and was imprisoned there for two years. It is interesting to look along the shore there because fragments of pottery come in with the tide along with the sea shells. This is ancient pottery pieces from when Caesarea was destroyed. When we left there our bus broke down I believe it was a fuel line. We all got off the bus and made the best of it. We probably lost an hour or more ... read more