Today was a long, full day, but well worth the effort. I was on a ten hour tour which took us to Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Gethsemane. I t had rained through the night and the weather was rather cool, so I had to bundle up in four layers and I brought along my “in case” jacket and a scarf which I ended up wearing at the top of the Mount of Olives because it was quite windy there.
We left the ship docked at Ashdod and travelled by bus around one and a half to two hours to reach the holy city. I have to confess that I was a bit sleep deprived, so I was happy for the long drive, because I was able to doze off and catch up. The countryside that I saw between naps was lush and green. A lot of irrigation is carried on to make the land fertile and it pays off.
Our first stop was at an outlying section of Jerusalem called En Kerem. This is the birth place of John the Baptist. At the time of his birth, this was a little village outside the city but now it is part of Jerusalem.
We drove through Jerusalem to get to Bethlehem, about ten kilometers away. I was really impressed with the appearance of the city. There are a lot of parks and green areas. It is a law here that any new buildings have to be constructed with white blocks or bricks in order to preserve the ancient look so it is an impressive clean looking white city.
All types of worship is allowed in Israel, so there are a lot of Christian churches, Islamic mosques and Jewish temples side by side. Too bad the people cannot find the peace preached by all the religions represented here. I truly believe that the average citizen here desires this – it is the radicals that cause the problems.
Upon arrival in Bethlehem, we entered the Church of the Nativity. I was surprised that there was no order in the way we entered. Everyone crowded around to bend and enter through the small opening that leads inside. There is only one way the pilgrims are allowed in and it is through this tiny opening, just large enough for one person at a time and so low, that one has to crouch down to get through.
Inside the church it was no different. The area we had to pass through to reach the nativity site was narrow and down some steps. No effort was made at crowd control. I must say that most people were considerate and with time we all got there. Here is a picture of the place where we were told that Jesus was born. The star on the floor marks the location:
Both Moslems and various Christian sects claim this spot, so there are places of worship for each one. We were supposed to go into the Catholic Church, but there was a procession going on at the time and we were not allowed in, so we had to be contented to seeing it from the outside.
We drove back to Jerusalem, stopping along the way to view the Old walled city, including the Dome of the Rock from which Muhammed is supposed to have ascended to heaven. Across the valley we were able to see the location of the Garden of Gethsemene and the Mount of Olives which is where we were headed, but first we had a very delicious kosher lunch stop at a large hotel. It was delicious and plentiful and included red wine.
At all our stops we were approached by the vendors and a lot of people got some good bargains. I had to remind myself that I’m in the process of getting rid of things, not acquiring – but it was tempting ! ! ! Our guide warned us about pick pockets but I don’t think there were any incidents. On a cruise as long as this one, people (for the most part) get wise and look after their valuables .
After lunch the bus took us to Mount Olive and to the Garden of Gethsemene. Mount Olive contains cemeteries with a lot of the graves above ground. Our guide told us that many people, even those from out of the country, request to be buried here. There are cemeteries from all denominations scattered throughout the area. Apparently they believe that at resurrection time, those buried here will be the first to arise.
The Garden of Gethsemane which is adjacent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, is a beautiful peaceful spot, where the oldest olive trees in Jerusalem are to be found.
Our guide pointed out all the places where Jesus was supposed to have had the Last Supper, the Agony in the Garden, the Via Dolorosa, the Crucifixion, the burial, the resurrection and the ascension. (The tour was not long enough for us to go directly to all these places.)
Unfortunately, neither did our tour take us inside the walls of the old city, so we never got near the “Wailing Wall”, the temple etc. but we did get a panoramic view of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. By then it was late afternoon and we were getting tired, so most of us were satisfied with that. Our drive back to the ship took us through the new city where we saw (and had a narration about) the usual public buildings like the Knesset (Parliament Building), the Supreme Court, the Shrine of the book.
Our guide made the tour super interesting by incorporating music in his presentation. At the beginning, he played a disc that had a couple of songs about Jerusalem. At another point, we all joined in “Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore” and at the end he taught as a song to sing when the guards boarded the bus to control what we had purchased. That song, translated meant “We come in Peace”.
Between six and six thirty, we returned to the ship, ready for the entertainment of the evening which featured a local dance group of young girls called “The Ashdod Academy of Dance” as well as a young woman who sang and who had an excellent voice. This was by far the best local group we have had thus far. They danced with gusto, the music was lively and the costumes were colourful. At the end the girls went down into the audience and got people up to dance with them. It was great entertainment. I don’t always attend an entire show. It depends on the entertainers. I go to the theatre and watch the beginning of the performance and if I consider it good, I stay – if not I go dancing.
April 7th will be a sea day and on the 8th we arrive in Kusadasi, Turkey where we will stay for 2 days. I have a four hour tour booked the first day and the remainder of the time I’ll wander about exploring on my own – probably with my friend Shirley. The city is very close to where we are docked, so getting there is a simple matter – no need for shuttle busses and taxis.
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