Blogs from Jerusalem, Jerusalem District, Israel, Middle East - page 2

The best part of my job while working on a cruise ship is, that once in a while I get to escort guest tours. Since I started cruising again last December I have been able to add a few new countries to my travel list. Yesterday I had the chance to visit the city of Jerusalem, a place that was not really on my list, but I was really excited to see the city. From Ashdod were our ship docked it was a 2 hour drive to the city of Jerusalem. The tour itself would take about 10 hours. We covered so much much during this day and a lot of walking was involved. We had 33 guest on board of the bus and while our tour guide was leading the tour I was staying in ... read more

There are many cities in the world, big and small, noisy and quiet, for business and leisure, but there is not a single city in the world that looks like Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the cradle of three religions – Jewish, Christian and Muslim. Its atmosphere is saturated with the rich and ancient history of the universe and the birth of humanity. Only in Jerusalem can you feel the power of history and the vulnerability of man to time. In this city, you can see how the ancient past and the turbulent present touch. "Jerusalem, you are a city built to unite all» This is what king David called the capital of the Jewish people and their state in Psalm 122. What makes Jerusalem so special in our eyes?Bible researchers have counted 70 names of Jerusalem: The ... read more

Sain nukuttua hyvin: klo 21 - 6. Hain kaupasta leivän ja kosher-kahvilasta kahvin. Ostin netistä huomiselle päiväretken Kuolleellemerelle. Lähdin asunnolta klo 8.40. Juna lähti lentokentälle klo 9.09 ja sieltä oli vaihtoyhteys Jerusalemiin klo 9.31. Juna ajoi pysähtymättä suoraan Jerusalemin uudelle asemalle, joka oli syvällä maan sisässä. Olin etukäteen miettinyt erityisen paljon liikkumista Jerusalemissa. Ulkoministeriön matkustustiedote kirjoitti (https://um.fi/matkustustiedote/-/c/IL) "Vältä julkisen liikenteen ja Länsi- ja Itä-Jerusalemin läpi kulkevan Light Rail –raitiovaunun käyttöä mahdollisuuksien mukaan." Aloin sitten etsiä netistä tietoa siitä, mihin tuo perustui ja ilmeni että vuonna 2016 oli tapahtunut jotain ratikkalinjan pohjoisella pääteosuudella, joka on Itä-Jerusalemin puolella. USA puolestaa kieltää käyttämästä busseja, mutta ei ratikkaa (https://www.osac.gov/Cou... read more

My last day of vacation...today I had signed up for a tour of Masada and the Dead Sea. One of the house guests also signed up so Florent and I set off to experience this tour. Florent is a young Frenchman, working in Moscow that is here for holiday too. Out the door we went to the Hotel down the hill to get picked up by the tour bus...the whole thing was a bit confusing at first but a hour later and a transfer of busses we were off to head out of Jerusalem to Massada. Our first stop was marked by the sign indicating we were at see level and heading further down. Into the desert we went...how often do you get to see camels when looking out your window? Camels! We then came to ... read more

This morning I was accompanying Lori back into the Old City so she could walk Via Dolorosa. She had never done so. It was also an opportunity to enter into the Old City through a different gate. We walked through an Arab cemetery to get to the Lions Gate. From there I was able to impart what I had learned on my tour and has the pleasure of visiting the stations again. However, before we began, we spent some time in the Church of St. Anne. Not only was this church amazingly beautiful in an understated and simple way but the acoustics are amazing. People come from all over to take their turn singing in this beautiful church. Lori and I sat through several groups of people from several different countries/languages listening to their devotional offerings. ... read more