Bethlehem

Bethlehem is in a Palestinian controlled area.

We had to go through a checkpoint to get there:

And through a massive wall that sections of the Palestinian areas from the areas controlled by the state of Israel:

On the Palestinian side of the wall there is graffiti.  The slogan below “To exist is to resist” caught my eye.

Our first stop in Bethlehem was to shop:

Once our bus arrived at this shop,  street vendors started showing up.  They are VERY, VERY aggressive.   They hand you stuff to “look at” and refuse to take it back, expecting you to pay for anything you touch.  They will follow you, block your way, tell you anything to get you to buy.  If you do buy, they will push more.  They do not make change.

However, we were to meet more aggressive sales people around the church of the nativity.

(I’ll post some more tonight about yesterday and today… I have only a few minutes before the bus leaves)

Mount of Olives

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Pool of Bethesda

Leave Tiberius

As we drive through and around Israel we see farming everywhere.  There are very few places that are not put to use.   This is a common scene:

And a sight to make a Texan feel at home 🙂

Visit to the remains of a Roman City at Beit Shean.

Remains of a Roman Theater:

We are traveling with DayStar a Christian TV station.  There are the DayStar singers that perform at various stops.  When they were performing on the stage in the Roman Theater, it was easy to hear them clearly without amplification.

Can you guess what this is?

Maybe this will help:

It is the remains of a Roman toilet.  There is a channel underneath that water would run continuously through, taking away the waste.

In various spots throughout the ruins, the floor was decorated with beautiful mosaic tiles.

On the way to our next stop, we drove by a prison:

Visit to the ruins at Megiddo

On the way through our next stop. we drove by a Arab community.  It is great seeing a group of Muslims leaving in peace, and being accept enough to have a community within Israel.  Notice the minaret that stands above the mosque.

Caesarea by the Sea

remains of an aqueduct:

Something I saw on the Path to Jerusalem

Morning view from hotel room.  Looking out from Tiberius over the Sea of Galilee:

Breakfast at the Hotel (yes.. fish for breakfast)

In Tiberius I saw this painting on the side of a building:

On the way to Capnarnaum I saw two vehicles flying the UN flag marked with UN:

Capnarnaum

This is my mom standing in the remains of a synagogue in Capnarnaum where Jesus is thought to have taught.

Mount of the Beatitudes

We are here with the DayStar TV network.  They had a fundraiser where you could donate $300 and you would get a olive tree planted for you, with your name by it, in this olive orchard ran by Olive Bond.

Next came lunch… And guess what we had:

St. Peter Fish

It was pretty good.  Next we had a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee with a devotional service in the middle.  And we sang the Star Spangle banner and raised the American flag too

Next… Baptism in the Jordan

Here is my Mom after getting baptized:

Here is me getting baptized:

Afterwards

A pretty good day!  Now we are back at the hotel.  We are going to go downstairs, eat dinner, settle up on the hotel Internet bill.  Tomorrow morning we leave this hotel for one in Jerusalem.

My mom and I arrived at the airport outside of Tel Aviv about 5:30 PM local time.  It was already dark!  The sun rises here around 6AM and sets around 5, at this time of the year.

Passport control was not difficult to go through.  I had heard stories from my uncle who came several years ago, and my running partner who had come for business many years ago to.  But I did not find it difficult.  They just want to make sure you are visiting, and that you have legitimate plans.  “Why are you here?” – tour  “Are you with a group?”  – Yes  “Where are the rest in the group?” –They are all spread out (we didn’t go through passport control at the same time.)  “Do you have a return ticket?” –Yes  “Can I see it?” –no it is an eTicket  “What is the flight information?”  -Handed the passport agent the travel information the tour company gave to me.  “Where will you be going?” –Handed the itinerary to the agent (Thank goodness they had given those two things to us, and I had them available!)

We met with the tour representative at baggage claim.  It was near there that we took the “Welcome to Israel” picture you see above. 

Then we took a 2 hour bus ride to Tiberius.  We had dinner.  Here is the food that I had:

Then we went to our rooms:

View from our balcony:

At the airport I had exchanged $100 into Israel Shekels.  The exchange rate was $1 to 3.76 shekels.  Here is an example of the money.  (There is an American quarter in the coins picture.)

Now time to take a quick shower, go to bed… Wake up time is 6:30AM and we leave the hotel at 8AM.

BTW, Internet access is expensive here. 

1.50/minute…  which comes out to be about $0.40/minute..  Just like making a telephone call.

I’m going to Israel next week with my mom.  I thought it would be good to post the Itinerary and hotel information here just in case it came in useful, and so I can recount my trip later.

Novembe 21, 2009

Depart USA to Tel-Aviv

November 22, 2009

Arrive in Tel Aviv and go to hotel in Tiberias (Moriah Plaza; Habanim Street; Tiberias, Israel 14103; Tel 011-972-4-671-3333.

November 23, 2009

Sea of Galilee boat ride, Capernaum, Mount of Beatitudes, Fish Lunch, Jordan River Baptism.

November 24, 2009

Beit Shean, Nazareth, Megiddo, Mount Carmel, Caesarea by the Sea and overnight in Jerusalem

Hotel:  Regency Jerusalem 32 Lehi Street; Jerusalem, Israel 97856 – Tel 011-972-2-533-1234

November 25, 2009

Qumran , Masada, Dead Sea, Valley of the Shadow

November 26, 2009

Bethlehem, Mount of Olives, Palm Sunday Road, Garden of Gethsemane, Upper Room, King David’s Tomb, Farewell Dinner

November 27, 2009

Southern Excavation, Temple Mount, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Pool of Bethesda, Gordon’s Calvary, Garden Tomb.

November 28, 2009

Arrive in USA