A Trip Down the Garden Path

We were pretty lucky on the second half of our trip, having the opportunity to take two amazing day trips.  One of these was to those infamous places above.  I'll be honest here, and perhaps this shows me in a naive light, but....I didn't know that Bethlehem actually existed.  I mean I knew once upon a time it was a ridgy didge place, but I sort of figured that it had disappeared over the progression of time.  And truthfully, I can't say I've heard of it so much on the world stage...ever. I guess relying on my primary school RE lessons and a few years in youth group doesn't really equip one with a thorough knowledge of all things God.  Anyway, these places were certainly worth the visit, but let me start at the beginning.

We headed across the border into Israel at 11pm.  The border interrogation was a bit scary: 'What's your name? here are you from? Who are you travelling with? What are their names? Where are they from? Why are you here? Where are you staying? Do you know anyone in Israel? Do you know anyone in Gaza? Are you carrying anything for anyone?...' Talk about working up a sweat!  Then we had to wait for the bus...

Our lovely tour group

Well after a night of driving with a bus full of Russian travellers (who weren't so keen on us, or each other so it seemed) we arrive in the morning at Jerusalem.  Here are a few lovely pics of the city:




And then next to the Wailing (or Western) Wall, the centre (holiest place) of the Jewish religion in Jerusalem and one of the few remnants left of a very early temple. There is a section for men and one for women. Here, people write their prayers on slips of paper and stick these into the cracks in the wall. They also read from the Hebrew bible (the old testament - I believe), and while praying, the y rock to and fro as a way of rejoicing in the words of the bible.  So people had the faces up very close to the wall, sometimes hiding their faces with their bible.  A few were crying.  Our guide told us that they may be crying for the destruction of the original temple, or for a sadness in their life.  We went in to have a look and watched people backing away from the wall for a few metres. It's terribly rude to turn your back on the wall immediately. All in all, I found this absolutely fascinating, a religion that's so old, and that I know so little about. 

Prayers pressed into the wall

The boys had to wear a kippah

A Rabbi

Afterwards we walked the route Jesus did when he struggled with the cross on his back This led us to Jesus' tomb.  Have a look at the pictures below:

The path Jesus walked

We're told this where he fell and a lady called Veronica came out and wiped his face

This is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Standing in the place where Jesus was crucified and then later buried

This is the stone  on which Jesus' dead body was washed

Where Jesus' cross stood

The place of the cross

 Then we went across the border into Palestine, Bethlehem.  The transition was pretty obvious...

Border crossing

Our welcome into Bethlehem

A million and one nativity sets

Entering the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

Going down to see where Jesus' manger was

And there it was...

A close up

Ultimately I'm not the most religious person in the world, and I say each to their own when it comes to these things. However, I found these visits really fascinating if not for worshipping purposes, for the purpose of acknowledging a a way of life and a history that's so important to many people.

Now by far my highlight of Israel, the most unreal and amazing natural wonder I've ever experienced, this is the Dead Sea.  While everyone is familiar with the sensation of floating on water.  Well think floating, but even higher than normal.  Almost like the beachball or the inflatable pool toy that sits on the surface.  This is exactly what it was like swimming in the Dead Sea.  Put your legs under the water and you could feel the pressure and the push upwards, similar to two like magnets repelling each other.  I think that's the best analogy I can come up with to describe the sensation. It was really unique...

Add caption

Think in normal water, there's no way you can get your legs to sit up in the air like that, they'd sink!

Salt crystals

I think the waters of the Dead Sea healed my gimpie leg.  Ever since I missed the invisible step down into the toilets in Turkey, I've had a sore knee. And ever since I've twisted my ankle about 20 times on the uneven pavers of Brighton's streets, I've had a sore ankle.  Knee and ankle would give me grief when they had to sit bent for some time, or climbing down the steep steps of the bus (I was starting to worry - I'm too young to have a gimpie leg!) Well, wouldn't you know it, one dip in the Red Sea and it's all healed.....ooooohhhh, I'm a believer.