Mount of Olives, a hill on the eastern side of Jerusalem, was the site of Christ’s betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. There are several churches commemorating events of Christ’s Agony on the Mount of Olives. Jewish cemeteries are a prominent feature on the hill. You’ll also find it is a GREAT place to view the Old City. There are some excellent views of the Dome of the Rock!
As we were without motorized transport for the day, we opted to do a guided walking tour on the Mount of Olives. For the photography, and of course the history, visiting the Mount of Olives is a good way to pass the afternoon. Here are some of the churches and sites we saw on our visit.
When we had finally confirmed we were going to the Middle East, and actually able to visit Bethlehem, I was super excited for the historical aspects of the visit, but also the impressive art that would be on the separation fence. I had seen works by Banksy on the wall, and read up on some of them, and the reactions they caused.
Admiring such a torturous, agonizing structure definitely left me feeling pretty crummy, but at the same time, I understood the need to turn the wall into something inspiring–covering something so ugly with beauty, or even just a tiny political kick to the powers that be.
I’ve been reluctant to post some of the photos as I don’t read Arabic or Hebrew, and cannot manage to find a proper translation for some of the pictures. It is NOT my intent to post anything the perpetuates hate or racism. Based on the pictures accompanying the writing, my guess is they’re not, so I’m taking the risk. I’ve managed to painstakingly translate some of the Hebrew. Mr. H. Vacui is quite the poet…
Enjoy
~j
Banky’s dove wearing a bullet proof vest, Bethlehem
Given the most recent Israeli/Gaza conflict, some back ground information is probably critical. Let’s face it, Israel and the Middle East don’t get a lot of great press when it comes to safety and security. Due to lack of interest, global awareness or even opportunity, some people don’t have any knowledge of WHY the conflict even exists. Here is a very brief explanation:
While I can’t claim to be an expert in international politics in any way, I can tell you what we saw. For background, we visited the West Bank–not Gaza. There is a difference! We crossed at a pedestrian only checkpoint, as most are, so we either had to rent a car, or hire a guide with a vehicle. Navigating the road restrictions was more than we wanted to bargain for by ourselves, and we were forbidden from driving our rental car in the West Bank. As a result, we hired a guide for the day.
There are 3 areas, A, B and C. A is controlled by PNA, B is patrolled by PNA, but enforced by IDF and C is IDF.
Most news footage of the Middle East is typically of missiles, rubble, and agonizing grief. Mainstream media does more to misinform than it does to enlighten when it comes to Israel/Palestine conflict, and the portrayal of the people living in these areas. I didn’t feel unsafe in any way where we were. There was one freaky road sign, that Salwa explained to us. Israeli Defence Forces (IDF)and Palestinian National Authority (PNA) control three different areas, A, B and C, in the West Bank. FYI: Hamas controls Gaza. HUGE difference. Google it if you like.
Here is some information about our guide, Salwa, an actual human beingfrom Palestine. Salwa is a Palestinian woman, who was born in Colombia. She grew up the West Bank, and now lives with her husband and daughters near Beit Jala. Her family lived in Detroit, MI for a while when her Palestinian husband was working there as a university professor. She’s a witty woman who speaks several languages. During the course of the day she spoke English, Arabic, French and Spanish.
Salwa is a Catholic, not a Muslim. It always seems to be portrayed that all Palestinians practice Islam. (Thanks network news!) She explained to us that religious faith is listed on identification papers. I asked what would happen if a person doesn’t believe in anything? She answered that it isn’t possible to have a choice of “no religion.” For the sake of profiling, if the person selects none, they are by default listed as the same faith as their parents.
Salwa was willing to answer our questions about day to day life under occupation in The West Bank. Let’s begin the recap of the day…
Rachel’s Crossing – Israeli Check-Point
We crossed from Jerusalem at Rachel’s Crossing. This is the closest crossing to Bethlehem, Nativity Square, and some of the churches and monasteries we wanted to see.
Rachel’s Tomb Crossing, Israeli Side
Rachel’s Tomb Crossing, Palestinian Side
Rachel’s Tomb Crossing, Palestinian Side
Rachel’s Tomb Crossing, Palestinian Side
Rachel’s Tomb Crossing, Palestinian Side
There is a stark contrast between the Israeli side and the Palestinian side. In a conflicted way, I was loving the art on the wall.
Orthodox Monasteries
We arranged to visit the Mar Saba Monastery in the Kidron Valley, and St George’s Monastery in Wadi Qelt, as well as the Monastery of the Temptation in Jericho. All three are Greek Orthodox Monasteries. Salwa actually thought we were Orthodox because we wanted to see them. That’s funny! FYI: As females, Salwa and I weren’t allowed into Mar Saba Monastery. We waited outside while a young kid came out to offer us water and cookies.
Mar Saba Monastery, Kidron Valley The West Bank
Female Pilgrims outside Mar Saba Monastery
Kidron Valley The West Bank
St George’s Monastery Wadi Qelt, The West Bank
St George’s Monastery Wadi Qelt, The West Bank
Living quarters, Mount of Temptation, Jericho
Living quarters, Mount of Temptation, Jericho
Jericho
Jericho is thought to be the world’s lowest lying, oldest, continually inhabited city. It is approximately 850 feet below Sea Level. There have been archaeological evidence of settlements up to 10,000BC. That’s pre-pottery folks! Another fun fact–Jericho has the World Record for the longest cable car below Sea Level. We stopped in Jericho for lunch which included Knafeh, a traditional Palestinian desert.
Jericho Cable Car
Sea Level, The West Bank
Manger Square, Bethlehem
UNESCO Designation, Church of the Nativity Bethlehem
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is traditionally thought to be the birthplace of Jesus. As of 2012, the basilica is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visited the Grotto of the Nativity, and saw the 14 pointed silver star that marks the spot of Jesus’ birth. Unlucky for you, the photos were a blur. We were being rushed by a crowd, and Salwa was being shushed by one of the Orthodox Monks. (She said he usually gives her a hard time for being too sassy when she’s there.)
Mosaic Floor, Church of the Nativity
Mosaic Floor, Church of the Nativity
The Wall
I started this entry with photos of the Wall, it is called a Security Fence, a Separation Fence, an Anti-Terrorism Wall, a Racial Segregation Wall and an Apartheid Wall. Prior to even planning a trip to Israel, I saw a news story about the wall and wanted more information. A couple of the books that I found helpful were A Wall in Palestine and Behind the Wall: Life, Love and Struggle in Palestine. There are so many awful, infuriating stories to be told. Stories of separation, resilience, desperation, and strength of spirit.
I had been asking Salwa a lot of questions about the wall and living under occupation. She actually stopped the car, started talking to a man who graciously invited us into his home so that we could see how construction of the wall affected his family. It was heart-breaking! Here is what we saw from his balcony.
The wall protecting Route 60 – Israeli Only highway through the West Bank
The view from their deck. Where the wire fence is currently is where the wall was supposed to be built–right over the family’s tiny garden that is in ruins now.
This portion protects the Israeli Only highway through the West Bank
Essentially, the wall serves to protect one side, and imprison another. Courtesy of googling “effectiveness of the separation barrier” Israeli statistics say that between 2000 and 2003 there were 73 suicide bomber attacks, and from 2003 to 2006 there were only 12. With 521 attacks stopped during that same period. That’s A LOT.
Both sides are being driven to desperation. There has to be a better way.
~j
Haifa, in Northern Israel, is home to the Bahá’í Gardens. The Garden houses the Shrine of the Bab which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most holy places for the Bahá’í religion.
Because I’m a total nerd, I researched the Bahá’í faith prior to visiting the centre. In a nut shell, the religion is monotheistic, so there is one all-powerful God. Bahá’ís emphasize a spiritual unity of all people. One of the main beliefs is that no religion has a monopoly on the truth. They believe that all are true at the spiritual core, but have diverged through their social teachings. Bahá’ís seek to combine all teaching of the holy men into one tidy package.
The gardens were spectacular. They truly are some of most gorgeously manicured gardens I’ve ever seen. Viewed from the base of the gardens, or from the top of Mt. Carmel, they’re beautiful.
If you want to know where to find the BESTShawarma in Israel, look no further than Nazareth. This historic biblical town may be full of crazy drivers, winding roads, and hoards of Ethiopian pilgrims, but they 100% know a thing or two about perfecting this delicious food!
Let’s begin the story with why were in Nazareth for lunch in the first place. Nazareth, “the Arab capital of Israel” is home to The Basilica of the Annunciation. The basilica was consecrated in 1969. It was built on top of 4 previous churches at the same site, and over the grotto thought to be the Virgin Mary’s house. So, at least 5 churches later is the present day basilica in Nazareth.
The walls are adorned with artwork from all over the world that represents the Virgin and Child. I was loving the variation on a theme. See for yourself…
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After touring the building and grounds, we wandered on some of the surrounding streets. Kazanova Kiosk was the perfect spot to grab something to eat quickly before getting back on the road. There is a great little seating area just to the right of this little gem of a place. Super quick service, and so, so delicious! I really wasn’t expecting much for tasty options so close to the Basilica in a touristed area. (The customer before us paid in US dollars which is usually a sign to run in the other direction.)
The not so secret location for you!
If you’re in Nazareth, and you’re looking for some divine shawarma, this is you’re place! Tell them I said “Hi!”
~j
Masada is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of Israel’s most popular attractions. For our first night in Israel, we stayed at the Masada Youth Hostel and Guest House. FYI: The Hostels in Israel are like no other. This place was more like a convention centre! We visited the ruins of this mountaintop fortress that overlooks the banks of the Dead Sea.
There is a cable car to get to the top of Masada. (There is also a switch-back pathway to the top, but it looked BRUTAL, and it was HOT in the desert!) Masada has the ruins of one of the palaces of Herod the Great at the top of the mesa, as well as the remains of Roman camps at the base of the fortified hill.
Israeli Flag Masada Israel
View of the Dead Sea from Masada
View of the Dead Sea from Masada Israel
Columbarium to hold urns of ashes, Masada Israel
Archway ruins Masada
I didn’t know much about the history of Masada prior to visiting, and actually found the site rather informative. In 73AD Masada had been under Roman siege for two years as one of the last Jewish strongholds when it was finally taken. Rather than succumb to Roman rule and slavery, the Jews of Masada chose to commit mass suicide.
Judaism prohibits suicide, so the men of Masada drew names, and killed each other down to the last man who would commit suicide. There was a whole exhibit showing pieces of the clay shards with names found on the site. Almost 1000 people were killed.
The synagogue at the top of Masada is thought to be one of the oldest in Israel. While we were at the site, there was a group singing in the synagogue. It was simultaneously eerie and beautiful.
From Masada we made our way to the Tiberias. Stay tuned…
~j
After we had finished our Bedouin experience, we reunited with our German friend to taxi to the border crossing. To cross from Jordan into Israel, we used the Wadi Araba border crossing from Aqaba to Eilat. This is a pedestrian only crossing with about 100m of no man’s land to walk through to get to the custom’s office. I can honestly say I’ve never a tank gun pointed in my direction before then!
Directions to Egypt and Jordan, Eilat Israel
Once through customs (which was a total breeze, our local airport is more stringent!) we made our way to the rental car company. Renting a car in Israel was our first experience with driving abroad. So liberating!Car rental was not overly expensive, distances are not extreme given the size of the country–especially compared to Canada where driving for 10+ hours to get to somewhere in the next province isn’t unusual!
Eilat is a haven for bird watching being a crossroads for migratory birds from Asia, Africa and Europe. It’s also a coveted site for SCUBA divers wishing to dive in the Red Sea. You can even swim with Whale Sharks! We didn’t have time for either, not that you could pay me to do SCUBA. FYI: The water of the Red Sea–not red!
The Red Sea, Eilat Israel
Once we had the car, we realized we needed a quick pit-stop for continuing our journey. We stopped at McDonald’s. Yes, I know, roll your eyes! But, it was different–kosher food laws and all, so we wanted to check it out. No bacon or cheese to be found on a burger anywhere!
Kosher food wasn’t the only shocking difference. How about these fellows and their accessories?
Is this different from your local McDonalds?
That’s not something we see at the arches here! Any thoughts?
~j
ps: We usually check out McDonald’s at least once while away. There’s almost always something crazy on the menu that we’ve never seen before. Sometimes the choices are HILARIOUS!
I have been trying to find a way to get back into writing for a while now. Let’s not fail to point out it has been just over a year since anything was last updated. This isn’t because the two of us haven’t been out and about in the world, but more so because I wanted to take a step back from spending time online. Ironically, by quickly posting photos on Facebook, the majority of stories feel like they’ve been told. (And, then there’s Pinterest, which is completely counteractive to anything productive!)
However, writing about our travels is something that I actually enjoy. Even if I’m only one of a handful of people who reads any of this now, it is a great way to remember where we’ve been. In an effort to catch everyone up to speed, I will be filling a few missing posts from Asia, and a lot of posts from New Zealand. My return from New Zealand was pretty much where everything shared here stopped; there were a few Middle East posts to let friends and family know we were still alright on our trip, but nothing of significance. At that time, I had spent a lot of time writing and editing photos from the trip by creating a book for Fazh. With any luck I’ll be able to use some of the book as photo essays, and you’ll be up to speed in no time. Then, to tackle the entirety of Jordan and Israel, and Mexico after that.
I’ve also been toying with the idea of posting information from pre-blog travels – mostly because the photos are hilarious! I’m sure at least one of my siblings would like to forget Super Bowl Sunday in Las Vegas 2004. I might also try including travels closer to home as well. After all, British Columbia is one of the most beautiful places on earth!
In the next few weeks there will be quite a bit more activity here, as I ease back into the blogosphere.
We’re winding down to the last bit of the trip now. Tomorrow is our last day with the rental car, so we have to drive from Akko to Tel Aviv to drop off the car, and then take transport to Jerusalem. Israel has been really interesting so far. The scenery is extremely varied–there are areas of scorched earth desert, so crumbly, dry and hot, that it looks like a foreign planet; then there are areas that look like familiar like farmland of the BC interior, or orchards and lakeside areas of the Okanagan. We saw this all within the span of a few hours driving.
Yesterday we were in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee; we drove up Mount Tabor, and visited the first of many religious buildings we will be seeing. There were over 100 Ethiopian pilgrims at the Church of Transfiguration. We continued onto Nazareth, and saw the Basilica of the Annunciation. The art work in and around the basilica was fantastic. There were representations/interpretations of the Madonna with Child from dozens of countries.
Last night we visited the mosque here in Akko, and this morning we were at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, and this afternoon the Stella Maris monastry. If only we were able to fit in a synagogue too! (The hotel we are staying in has one on site, so that will have to do!)
Wow…nothing like a 6 month hiatus from writing. Welcome back to the interwebs to me! Slowly but surely I will fill in all of the New Zealand entries. I promise! For now, here’s an update…
We’ve been planning our next trip for a very long time, and have finally been discussing it publicly, at work etc. For the next adventure we’re off to Jordan, Israel, and the West Bank. This has received a lot of mixed reactions when we tell people. Most wonder, “Why would you want to go there?!?!” Why WOULDN’T I want to go there?!? To be fortunate enough to be able to travel to countries rich with that much history and global/religious significance–I’d be crazy to say no!
Sure, at first I was a little hesitant. Nothing good is ever said on the news about Gaza and Israeli conflict. And, yes, traveling to the “Middle East” might not be a first time travel destination, or for someone who is wary, or who has only experienced all-inclusive, or cruise ship travel, but I don’t think it will be any different than any other travel for us. We will be meeting people, seeing sights, experiencing culture and foods that are new and different, taking photos and enjoying life. Yes, we’ll be in a more potentially volatile area than we’ve been in before, but that doesn’t mean there will be issues. Just because there were riots in Vancouver, BC–would that prevent you from going there?
That said, I will note, we hadn’t planned on the Arab Spring for our vacation in the Arab spring. If you’ve been watching the news (Not local, but international. We like RT.) you’ll see that there has been some conflict going on recently. FYI: This has not increased travel warnings from our government, nor have these warnings surpassed the levels for countries we have already visited without issue (ie: Cambodia.)
For the amazing sites and history alone, I’d do this trip in a heartbeat. I’ll be able to add several more UNESCO sites to the tally. Petra (where one of the Indiana Jones movies was filmed), Haifa’s Baha’i Gardens, the Old City of Acre, the White City of Tel Aviv and the fortress at Masada are all on the itinerary. Besides the markets and souks, I’m especially interested in the religious sites and places of worship. Though neither of us is religious or church-going, we’ve been raised with Christian holiday traditions in a predominantly Christian country–celebrating Christmas, Easter etc, so it will be interesting to see fervent worship on a large scale that is Jewish, Muslim, Baha’i and Christian. Even if one was visiting Jerusalem as an atheist, one couldn’t deny that the religious prophets existed as men. To be in places where people so significant to such a large portion of the global population has been is kind of awe inspiring. For example, being able to walk the Via Dolorosa is pretty profound.
I should be writing more. The photos have been inspiring, and I’ve read a ton of travel books. Of course, Google, Trip Advisor and youtube had all been awesome too. Everything is planned and mostly paid for; now we just have to wait for take off.
You know all those things you wanted to do? You should go do them.
Adventures of a couple seeing the world 2 weeks at a time.
Haifa, in Northern Israel, is home to the Bahá’í Gardens. The Garden houses the Shrine of the Bab which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most holy places for the Bahá’í religion.
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