Hitchhike from En Gedi to Eilat, 3 hours of fun.

Today we left Ein Gedi via hitchhiking. We made a nice sign with “Eilat” written on it. Now, Eilat is about a four hour drive from Ein Gedi so we were hoping this method of travel would work out...I think Mariella was right at home with the hippie like family that eventually picked us up. The people who picked us up were an Israeli family. We did not learn much about them because they did not talk much on the journey, but they did rock out to reggae music and they did sing a couple songs together, each chiming in when feeling it. Some songs were in Hebrew others were in English, even Portuguese some even had drums and didgeridoos playing. They were content rolling through the desert in their campervans. They did not even ask where we were from. The father sitting in the passenger seat sported a scraggly like beard and hairdo. Oh how we wish we could have recorded parts of the journey. Mom sat in the middle of the front three seats. She was carrying her compact homeopathic kit in a small case. The sixteen year old (I am guessing) son was driving, passing cars on the two lane desert highway wall beating his hand against the steering wheel. Their young daughter was woken up in the back seat while the family pulled over to pick us up. She moved out of her sleeping spot and Mariella sat next to her while I crawled into the very back of the van complete with blinds around the window. We were jamin’. The best part was the family singing to the songs. Sooo funny! Mariella was moved to give the little girl a bracelet that our young friends in Kenya made. The bracelet had the word “PEACE” woven into the bracelet. Mariella also gave the little girl a glass necklace that was made in Monaco and purchased in Venice. The girl was grinning ear to ear. I don’t think her parents saw Mariella giving the little girl the gifts. I bet the girl’s mother will want the necklace. It was a cool necklace. Unfortunately the family was not going all the way to Eilat, so they dropped us off at a bus stop in the desert. We had a sandwich and whipped out the sign reading “Eilat”. It was not long before some guys working for the city water department picked us up in their work truck, by the way they had just passed earlier and waved, turned around further down and approached us as a taxi driver also stopped, wanting to give us a “deal” we obviously took the cheaper/free option. They dropped us off at the door of the hostel, and seemed happy that we were visiting their home town. Thank you God for providing. Our German friend, Thomas who we met in Jerusalem, is also staying in this hostel, today is his birthday, we went to sushi…mmmmmm, sushi, we shared a delicious cake and ice cream with some sparkle candles on top. Happy Birthday Thomas, we’re glad we met you.

Wadi David

This morning I went out hiking in and around Wadi David, while Mariella chatted with a new friend before going on a solo hike to Wadi David. The hike was in a majestic canyon. The terrain looked like a martian landscape. It was apparent that nothing could live in this habitat. I wish I had a functioning camera to share the beautiful scenery. I walked from the mountain side down to a dry canyon river bed with humbling walls towering around me and no other person in sight. After soaking in the silence I continued hiking out of a canyon to Ein Gedi Spring. It was amazing to see a location with no life, utter emptiness, and then a river of life flowing out of the rock. As I approached, life was teaming around the oasis high upon the mountain side. There was a frog basking on a rock, birds perched on the branches of reeds surrounding the spring. There were also Rock Hyrax everywhere and Ebeks (a dear like animal). Christ referred to himself as the “living water” and that the water he offers will cause people to never thirst again (spiritual imagery). When Christ spoke these words it must have been a powerful word picture to the people of his day who could not exist without life giving water. The wadi is a location where some think David hid out while Saul was trying to kill him (1 Samuel). Here are some photos an Israeli guy and a Russian guy took using our SD card. Tomorrow we plan on catching a bus south to Eilat to obtain Egyptian visas then we hope to cross over to Jordan and hike around Petra. We’ll see what actually happens.

Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, En Gedi, Masada and the Dead Sea

From Israel, Dead Sea Floating

PICTURES COMING SOON- WELL ALL 9 OF THEM ANYWAY.

Craig and I contacted the Alternative Travel Group (ATG) as suggested by some friends, and made arrangements to stay with a Palestinian family in Beit Sahour while we visited in and around Bethlehem. Again, we have reveled in God’s goodness to us through His provision of people wanting and willing to love on two young travelers. The highlight: Feeling like I was back home with my family; drinking coffee, laughing, drinking coffee, talking, drinking coffee, staying up late and drinking coffee. Needless to stay Craig was a little stretched and stayed up as late as 1am, maybe.
Samie and her family; 2 men, their wives, and 2 children each, all live nearly under the same roof, but more importantly they live as ONE family, it’s beautiful to watch. I ended up hanging out with the kids the last night as they hosted some German guests. I sat with 4 children, all under the age of 10’ish, and we spoke Spanish, English, Arabic, German, and French. We giggled as we attempted to learn from a French school book and learn certain words in all languages present; children are so great at breaking down cultural walls, no matter the size of these walls. I also fell in love with the newest member of their family, who is the same age as my little nephews Luke and Jack, she was a beautiful and joyful little girl with one dimple on the right cheek and the biggest, most beautiful honey colored eyes you ever saw. Don’t get all excited Mom and Mamacita, no news to write home about, I’ve always loved children.
It was a great couple of days visiting our new Palestinian friends. We ate some amazing food, cooked by Samie and the girls, and had delicious teas, coffees and conversation. We learned a lot of things regarding the political situation in Palestine and still know nothing about it-one of those incredibly complicated and sensitive issues that we will just have to understand by knowing that we can’t understand it.
We left Bethlehem this morning after a yummy pita and humus breakfast. After saying good-bye to Samie we caught a cab to the bus stop, then a bus back to Jerusalem. On our way out of the Palestinian Territory everyone on the bus had to exit the bus and show the machine gun bearing soldiers their passports and other forms of identification. After a five to ten minute stop we continued to Jerusalem to catch an Israeli bus to En Gedi, near the Dead Sea. After checking into the hostel, we walked to the sea for a float. It was a weird and fun sensation to effortlessly be floating in water. I am sure you’ve all seen pictures of people floating in the Dead Sea, I remember seeing one as a kid, but being in the sea and walking into the water, immediately feeling the buoyancy of your feet is so strange. You eventually get to a certain point, perhaps a bit past your belly, and your legs are pulled from under you and you are forced to float, no effort at all, you can’t put your feet on the sea floor because it’s just too difficult. This of course makes you let out loud, uncontrolled laughter and everyone else, who is already used to the new sensation stares as if they weren’t just in your shoes. Unfortunately, the camera is broken, this time it seems permanent, but a guy was nice enough to take the SD card and take some photos of us from his camera.
Tomorrow, we plan to catch a bus for a twenty minute ride south to Masada where we will visit the site of the fortress where the Zealot’s made their last stand against the Romans. The desert area is beautiful! The following day we hope to explore Wadi David before heading further south to Eilat, where we will attempt to acquire Egyptian visas, again, hopefully this time we won’t have anything incredible to blog about.
Friday, December 4th
Today we hiked to the top of Masada, a fortress that was one of the ancient wonders of the world. “Perched atop a plateau in the Judea Wilderness with a spectacular view of the Dead Sea nearly 2,000 feet below, it was a luxurious fortress-palace combining all the essential elements of a King Herod project. A three-tiered palace hung precariously from one end of the plateau, almost defying gravity. The western portion contained hot and cold baths, mosaic floors, and plastered walls. Masada also boasted swimming pools, barracks for soldiers, huge storehouses with supplies for outlasting years of siege, and cisterns holding millions of gallons of water”-Ray Vander Laan. “During the Jewish First Revolt against the Romans in AD 66, after the destruction of Jerusalem, the Zealots fled here to its high fortress, which became the last outpost of Jewish Resistance. Faced with imminent attack, 10 Jewish men were elected to slay the rest of their group. When the Romans stormed the fortress, they discovered 960 bodies; only seven people, who’d hidden in a water cistern, survived to relay the tale to the world” –Lonely Planet. The history of Masada is quite fascinating. Unfortunately the camera is still broken. We now carry our SD card around and ask people to put it in their camera and take a photo of us. The hike up the Snake path was great and we hiked to the top before the herd of people taking the cable cars got there, so we enjoyed the views and eavesdropped on some of the English tours before heading back down to watch a quick film about Masada and returning to out hostel, not by bus because we missed it by a minute or two, but by yet another successful hitchhike from two nice German guys-hooray for kind people unafraid to pick up two sorry looking people.

Bethlehem

Today we walked around Bethlehem visiting the Church of the Nativity. The camera was broken today so there are no pictures. After walking around Bethlehem Square we walked to the Shepherd's Fields, basically another church with some caves. Tomorrow we plan on taking a bus from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to Ein Gedi near the Dead Sea. We hope to take a dip in the Dead Sea and hike up Wadi David. We are enjoying the community and good cooking with our new Palestinian friends. All is well. Blessings!

Arrived in Bethlehem

Yesterday we departed the Muslim Quarter of Old City Jerusalem. Before catching a Palestinian bus we visited the Garden Tomb. The tomb could be the garden of Joseph of Arimathea in which Jesus was buried after his crucifixion. On the premises is a beautiful garden like area with a burial tomb, a giant rainwater cistern (the biggest ever found in the area), an ancient wine press and a place called Skull Hill (a skull shaped cliff). While visiting this site we met a wonderful American family currently living in Qatar (located in the Middle East). Mariella and I were impressed by amiability of their children (similar to the Cotter Clan in Belfast). The brief meeting was a refreshing way to start the day. The carving on the door to the entrance of the cave sums up my initial experience in the “Holy Land”, a location where there are many monuments stating that such and such event occurred at such and such location. The quote on the door reads, “He is not here- for He is risen.” This is a reminder to me of the presence of the Living God in our lives. Although the history and ruins are amazing, the presence of and power of Christ in our lives is much more significant and tangible.
Eventually we caught a bus to Bethlehem. The wall built around the Palestinian Territory is unsettling. At one point on the bus ride I saw a group of high school aged students exiting their school located on the inside of the wall. It looked as though the students were caged in their town. We entered Palestinian territory and Bethlehem easily with no passport checks. We just drove through the checkpoint. Our friends working on the Jesus Trail connected us with a Palestinian travel organization that sets travelers up with Palestinian families. We are being hosted by a wonderful family who has welcomed us as their own. We are staying in an area called Beit Sahour next to a location called
“Shepherd’s Fields”. This is the traditional location where shepherds who visited Jesus in his manger are said to have tended their flocks. I was surprised that Bethlehem sits up on a hill. I always pictured the area to be flat. It is very hilly area. We will go exploring the area today. It is exciting to be here in December and listening to Christmas music brings a greater aura of enchantment to the little town of Bethlehem. I am happy we visited this area after exploring the Galilee region where Jesus lived and did most of his miracles, followed by Jerusalem where he wept over the city and was innocently crucified and powerfully conquered the grave and now, we are in Bethlehem, the place where Jesus (or Emmanuel meaning God with us) entered the world. While kings and kingdoms have passed away the reality of God’s redeeming love continues to live and move, transforming the ones He came to seek and save. This is a love story unlike any I have ever known.

Jerusalem Day Two

Is it December already? Wow! Today we hung out with our new German friends for the day, Thomas and Michael. While in their company laughter and deep conversation is frequent. We walked out Lion’s Gate down the hill through Gethsemane and up the Mt. of Olives. We visited a couple of churches before soaking in the view of the Old City from atop the oldest functioning cemetery in the world. Later we went on a “three-hour tour” around the city. We greatly enjoyed the history lesson from a native Israeli. We ended with a visit to the church of the Holy Sepulcher built on the site of Calvary or Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion of Jesus. The church is actually under the care of a Muslim family who open and lock the premises each evening. We also visited one of the locations of the last supper. It turns out there are many sites that claim to be the location of various religious events. It is a little unsettling to see teenage boys and girls walking around with their machine guns, real this time. Crazy to us, but the locals seem to be comfortable with it. Young Israeli’s are required to serve three years of military service. It is intriguing to see people of different faiths divided into different areas of the old city. The Armenian and Jewish quarters are in the south. While the Christian and Muslim quarters are in the Northern part. Mosques, churches and synagogues fill the skyline. Sometimes people of different faiths live in areas dominated by other faiths. One photo shows the roof-top of an Israeli family living in the Muslim quarter. There are high fences around the roof top where there is a guard on duty 24-hours a day sitting in his guard shack right next to the children’s playground, both located on the roof. Crazy! We saw the ancient Roman road that passed through the city. It is actually twenty or so feet below the current ground level of the city. There are layers and layers of ruins below Jerusalem. This evening we ate in a restaurant that recently opened, located of a side alley on Via Dolorosa. The owner told us that he found an ancient room while remodeling. Supposedly we were eating in history. Not sure, but the room was far below the current level of the city. We plan on departing Jerusalem tomorrow to go down to Bethlehem for a couple days. We will attempt to exit Israel into the Palestinian territory, where Bethlehem is located. We have contacted an organization that is connecting us with a Palestinian family to stay with for a couple days.

Jerusalem

Today we left the grimy hostel we located late last night; I guess you get what you pay for. After walking from one end of Old City Jerusalem to the other and checking out more grimy hostels, we located the Austrian Hospice located on Via Dolorosa. Check in time was later in the afternoon so we left the bags and walked through the Muslim Quarter to the Jewish Quarter where the Western “Wailing Wall” stands. We met Yair, a seventeen-year-old who was praying at the wall. He was kind enough to answer our barrage of questions. Thank you! We departed and walked back down Via Dolorosa and out the Lions Gate entrance. Lions Gate also called St. Stephens Gate is where Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death. We continued down the hill to the base of the Mt. of Olives. We Visited the Gethsemane site where there are huge, gnarled olive trees from the time of Jesus. We walked back to the Old City visiting Mary’s tomb in and underground cave like location filled with nearly 300 intricately designed incense lamps. Mariella is thrilled that we are staying in a place that’s clean and has real mattresses, what a blessing, we are thankful. Old City Jerusalem is a unique place.

From Nazareth to Jerusalem

After a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, we were invited to stay with David and Anna, the couple heading up the Jesus Trail, for a few days. We accepted and got some much needed down time, thanks guys, we really enjoyed getting to know you a bit better and learning more about the Jesus Trail.

Craig and are really enjoying our time in Israel, the people have been super kind and welcoming. The store owners usually want to know where you are coming from and upon hearing California, they usually get a smile on their face and tell us about some relative that lives there or on the east coast. This is all followed by a common, but still genuine, "Welcome". The children usually are a bit curious, and smile, most greeting us with a "shalom" and today Craig got a little one wanting a high five, super cute. The most unusual thing in Nazareth and maybe it will be common here in Jerusalem too, is seeing children with guns. Gotcha! They're not real guns, they are either air soft guns or cap guns, but they are black and resemble real guns, well at least for the untrained eye they do. I was bummed that the camera wasn't working yesterday because we saw loads of kids carrying these guns. The best was on the way back from Mt.Precipice. There were four or five kids all carrying flower bouquets in one hand and guns in the other-it was perfect, but the camera wasn't working so you will have to take my word for it and use your imagination.

Craig and I left Nazareth today at about 7pm for Jerusalem. We plan on staying here for a few days. Good news, we are here safe and have beds to sleep in. Bad news, our camera has died again, this is the longest it's gone without coming back, so ...we will see. -Wow, it just came back as I finished typing that sentence-yahoo! Ok, so we took a two hour bus ride from Nazareth and walked into Old City Jerusalem, entering through Jaffa Gate. Tonight we are staying between the Christian and Jewish quarter of old City Jerusalem. Tomorrow we will explore and take loads of pictures to make up for the two days of a broken camera. Goodnight.

Thanksgiving in Nazareth

Thanksgiving! We were invited back to Nazareth by a nice couple who are getting this “Jesus Trail” project going. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving with them and other volunteers and workers at the Fauzi Azar Inn (hostel). David and Anna are great people who’ve invited us to stay with them. We will likely leave for Jeruselum on Saturday evening. Not many busses run tomorrow because of Shabbat (Sabbath). Almost everything shuts down on Friday evening and into Saturday.

We have much to be thankful for. Thank you Lord!

Hiking to Tabgah and Capernaum (11 miles)

From Israel, Jesus Trail, Water Walking1

Photos from November 25th 2009

The next morning we entered Arbel National Park and ascended the Arbel Cliff. We soaked up the view from the top. After an hour or so we descended, passing ancient cliff dwellings and caves. This is where Mariella saved the life of a baby tortoise that was turned upside down, Maryanne you would’ve taken this guy home in a heartbeat, Mariella sure wanted to. We continued down the mountain into Wadi Hamam before continuing to Tabgah. At this point a refreshing rain ensued that turned into heavy, not so welcomed, rain. We decided to ask the Franciscan monastery, which is the traditional location of the feeding of the 5,000, if there were any accommodations for the night. After some persuasion slash playing the poor couple without a place to stay, they let us stay in one of their rooms located in the back garden near a babbling brook that empties in the nearby Sea of Galilee-not too bad at all. Yet another example of God’s provision, this time near the site where he fed 5,000. Beautiful! The next day we woke up and walked to the church of the Primacy of St. Peter, which is built over a rock traditionally thought to be where Jesus shared a meal with his disciples after the resurrection. Then we ascended the Mount of Beatitudes, the traditional side of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Later, we hiked down the mount to Capernaum where we meandered through the ruins of the city which was the hub of Jesus’ ministry. In Capernaum there are ruins of a synagogue and the church at St. Peters house built over the ruins of St. Peters home. Mariella made friends with more strangers as she played with a few of the cats at the ruins, they later picked us up on the road and offered to join them as they drove around the Sea of Galilee, we gladly jumped in. It turned out to be a huge blessing for all people involved. Linda and Mariella were glad to have another female around and Craig and James both found they had an affinity for similar strange adventures involving more discomfort than most prefer. Thank you James and Linda for letting us join you. After a short time of driving, James suggested we pull over when we see the Jordan River and jump in. So we did! Somewhere on the drive we also passed the location where Jesus cast demons into pigs that ran off a cliff into the sea. We continued to a place where people can be baptized in the Jordan. There were busloads of people, literally! We ended the day in Tiberias where Linda treated all of us to a nice dinner. Thank you guys for letting us hang out with you. We needed to be around other people. The arguments were becoming too frequent, turns out several days of hiking on our own creates a bit more tension than the last 150’ish days. Thank you for being a blessing to us. *Thank you so much Linda for the few delightful hours of female interaction-you were indeed a gift from God for me-love Mariella.

From Israel, Jesus Trail, Water Walking2

Hiking from Kibbutz Lavi to Moshav Arbel (10 miles)

From Israel, Jesus Trail, Cow Head

We hiked through more agricultural fields to ascend the Horns of Hittin, a volcanic structure where a famous Crusader battle took place. It is at this location where we caught our first glimpse of the Sea of Galilee. Later, we descended past the tomb of Jethro, father-in-law of Moses. We walked past olive groves and made sure we stayed on the trail, not wanting to wander off into the mine fields. Yikes! The fields were a beautiful green because of heavy rains about a week ago, it was great. Mariella sunk down in one of the“mud” puddles (also pictured). We continued on through the valley and rose up to Moshav Arbel where we stayed at a great bed and breakfast. The place is run by a husband and wife team. Israel, the husband, makes amazing meals and his wife, Sarah, was more the hospitality and logistics, both incredibly warm and amiable. The personal in-room hot tub was a real treat after a long hike.

Hiking Cana to Kibbutz Lavi (9 miles)

From Israel, Jesus Trail, Church Wings

Photos from November, 23nd 2009

In Cana we stayed with a local family who run a B & B. They are amazingly kind people whose hospitality overwhelmed us. We were welcomed as family and were even treated to a fresh catch of “St. Peter’s” fish caught in the Sea of Galilee. We hadn’t even arrived to the area where Jesus fed the five thousand and we were being provided loaves and fishes. This gesture of hospitality was a reminder for us of God’s constant provision in our lives. We bless Him! So good! Most of their family lives in the neighborhood. One son runs the N.Y. Pizza the other runs a barber shop. The husband manages the store beneath their house. They were great people overflowing with a Christ like love. They live next door to the traditional location of Jesus’ first miracle where he turns wine into water. There are some photos from the ruins under the church as well as a large ancient jug/cistern used for holding water and wine. The Jews, Muslims and Christians we’ve met have been overwhelmingly welcoming. Everyone has greeted us with a smile and eager to assist when needed. That is with the exception of a boy we met while walking through Cana. He greeted us with a broken hello then threw a stick at Mariella’s head just missing her. He followed the stick with a rock but he was much further away when he chucked the rock. In one photo I caught Mariella just after a big sneeze. Nasty! We were shocked one evening by the sound of automatic gunfire around the neighborhood. Our host did not seem too concerned. They told us it was people celebrating. I was hoping the people shooting did so at an angle and not straight up. We were jolted out of bed in the morning by the blaring chants coming from the mosque two blocks away. During the pauses in the chant we could hear the other mosque at the next town echoing in the distance. Once the blaring chant ceased the church bells of the two neighboring churches started to sound. Good morning!

Hiking Nazareth to Cana (8.6 miles)

From Israel, Jesus Trail, Roman Road

Photos From Saturday, November 21st and 22nd

Here are some photos from the hostel we stayed at (Fauzi Azar Inn) and the first day of hiking. There are photos from the Church of Annunciation, built over the cave that is traditionally thought to be the location where Mary lived and was visited by the angel Gabriel who announced her conception by the Holy Spirit. We ascended out of Nazareth and walked through calm pastoral fields to Zippori National Park to visit the archeological ruins of the main administrative city in the Galilee at the time of Jesus. We admired the beautiful mosaics and enjoyed the view from the top of the Crusader fortress (Craig is picture in-front of the building). Walking on the ancient Roman roads was fantastic. If you look closely at the pictures you can see the groves worn by chariots and carts wore down the stone road. We continued from Zippori to Meshhed, the city where Jonah was born. We continued on to Cana where we had pizza at NY Pizza and stayed at a bed and breakfast next door to the Cana Wedding Church.

Nazareth

Spent time in Jaffa with some friends we met the night before at a restaurant near our hostel, not at all a coincidence, it was meant to be. Eyal, a lover of words and meanings beyond words, and Michal… one of those girls that I, Mariella :), could easily develop a friendship crush on, met with us and took us out to some amazing pizza, yeah probably the best pizza we’ve had so far. We went back to Eyal’s place and began our study, if you will. I quickly realized how badly I need Jewish friends, why don’t I have Jewish friends? What and amazing culture, faith, people. Craig and I sat, sipped on tea, and soaked in the history and stories. It was such a sweet time and I wish it would’ve lasted much much longer. I have a feeling we will meet again. COME TO CALIFORNIA! Until then, we have the glorious resources of communication via the World Wide Web. Thanks so much guys for making our short stay in Tel Aviv memorable, and not just because we had a surreal experience at the Egyptian embassy, but because we had the beautiful opportunity for an incredibly organic cultural exchange-thank you.
After a 2.5 hour bus ride from Tel Aviv we arrived safely in Nazareth. We are staying in Old Town Nazareth which is great. We peaked in on the Church of Annunciation, the traditional location where the Angel Gabriel tells Mary that she will conceive a child. We perused the mazes of street side shops and enjoyed good tasting falafel recommended by a shop keeper. We also visited the synagogue built over the location (maybe near the location) where Jesus read in the synagogue (Luke 4:16). The following quote is from a guy name Ray Vander Laan (followtherabbi.com) about how Synagogue services were conducted:
“Following the reading of the Torah portion, a section from the prophets (called the Haphtarah) would be read by the same or another reader. After all readings, a short sermon would be offered, often by the reader of the Torah or Haftarah. Any adult member of the community was eligible to speak the sermon called the derashah. The sermon was frequently quite short (Jesus spoke only a few words-Luke 4:21). The service ended with a benediction using the Aaronic blessing found in the Torah (Numbers 6:24-26), if a priest was present to offer it. In Luke 4:16-30, Jesus was scheduled to read the Hephtarah and may have read the Torah as well as he concludes with a provocative derashah.” Now read Luke with this Jewish context. God’s word comes alive in a new and refreshing way.
We plan on attending 6am mass at the Church of the Annunciation before embarking on the 40 mile or so hike around the Galilee region (“Jesus Trail”). We may extend it a day or two or three and walk along the hills of the western side of the Sea of Galilee. Today we met a couple spearheading the “Jesus Trail”. They have invited us over for Thanksgiving. We hope to join them, Mariella especially hopes to join them. We make our plans, but God directs our steps.

Contact info.

Hey guys, while in Israel we temporarily will have a cell phone! If you would like to contact us you can do so by calling 972543916615 ,your best bet might be calling through skype for best prices.

If you are in Israel, Eyal and Michal! you can call us at 025 4391 6615. Thanks so much for having us over, what a great great surprise and blessing. Michal, I should have taken you up on your offer to cut my hair because I have not stopped thinking about it since then...:(. It was really great meeting you two and enjoying some of the best pizza ever in Israel. We will be in contact, I'm sure of it.


As we understand it's free to receive calls, so call away!

Off to Nazareth!

Shalom.

Good News & Not so Good News

Written Thursday, November 19th

The good news is we quickly obtained our visas for China. The bad news is we were rejected by the crazy guy at the Egyptian embassy. By the way our future plane flight to China departs out of Cairo. I am not sure if what we experienced is a common occurrence at the Egypt Embassy or not. The visa guy was crazy! We showed up to a line of three people lined up behind one window. The people in-front of us all had their visa application filled out and were nervously waiting for their turn. I figured I would ask the man behind the window if we could get two applications from to fill out. He started yelling at me and telling me to wait in the back of the line. The time was 10:45am. I was informed by the frustrated customers that he rolls the shades down at precisely 11:00am. During the short wait we witnessed one man get denied for the visa he dropped off a few days before with no monetary refund. The second guy, a Peruvian, was charged a considerable amount more than the price posted in the window. We reached the window at 10:50 and were given forms to fill out. We quickly filled them out and went back to the window with 4 minutes to spare. The moment we reached the window the crazy guy said, “No visas for you! Come back on Sunday.” I told him we could not wait until Sunday. Then he pressed a button and rolling shades came down to cover the inside of the window. I guess we were not getting our Egyptian visas. Not more than 30 seconds later, shades on the window next to the one that just closed opens up. He helps an Israeli guy and gives him the run around for a minute or so before telling him it will be 3-weeks before it can be processed. Discrimination? The others before him were told to come back three days later to get their visas. Next we start begging him to please take our applications. After telling us no multiple time he takes the applications. Then he tells us to write what we teach and study in school on the side of the application. Weird? He was making up his own application questions. We pay him, but he does not have change. So he takes more money than we owe him. Whatever, it is only a few U.S. dollars. Then we asked him if we could please get the visas at the end of the day. We requested this because we read that it was standard operating procedure to apply in the morning and pick up the Egyptian visa in the afternoon. After persistently asking, he started yelling and through our applications out the window then grabbed money out of the cash box and threw it out the window. “No visa for you!” We stared at the crazy dictator astonished by the way he handled the visa procedure. Crazy! Plan B is to secure a visa in Jordan. Tomorrow we plan on taking a bus to Nazareth and walking the “Jesus Trail” for five days (Sea of Galilee area) through Nazareth, Cana, Kibbutz Lavi, and Capernum. We printed out a ton of reading material to help understand the Bible through a Jewish historical and cultural context. Can’t wait to hike and read.

Arrived in Tel Aviv

We made it to the hostel in Tel Aviv by 2:00am this morning after a train ride from the airport and a taxi to the hostel. It is nice to be back in warmer weather near the beach. The beaches are reminding us of the beach area of Southern California. The weather is supposed to be good for the next couple days (about 70 degrees). We also went to the Chinese Embassy this morning (9:00am) and applied for visas. We were verbally approved for a visa by the guy in charge. It should be official tomorrow morning when we pick up the passports, stamped and approved. We made a new friend at the beach front kebab shop. We enjoyed a Gyro. Fresh bread baked on the roof of an oven then filled with turkey, hummus, a salsa like concoction and tomatoes. Good stuff. We hope to go back tomorrow and hang out with the guys and get more good food. Nice!