The journey home

We basically made a big loop on this trip. We started in Dubai, then went to Jordan and Israel. Now, we are backtracking to Jordan, then we fly back to Dubai, then back to Kuwait and USA. Although it is extra miles to travel, it was a lot less expensive for me to do the long direct flights on Emirates Airlines, and there was no way for Sean to get back to Kuwait directly from Israel (unless he went through Turkey), so that meant we both got to spend more time together. Crazy, but that's how things work over here.

So, we left Jerusalem yesterday morning and went back across the bridge. I will definitely say that getting OUT of Israel is a lot easier than getting IN! It also helped that we mailed the knives home in Israel! We went through one metal detector, and our bags were only checked once, on each side. It also helped that we crossed over on Friday morning, which is "Jumah" the Muslim sabbath day, so there were very few people crossing, and the terminals were almost empty. We paid the Israel exit fee ($52 USD each), and got on the tourist bus to ride over to the Jordan side. 

There were less than 20 people on the bus, and the majority of them were a group of catholic priests.

There's a separate bus, and separate security process, for Palestinians; somehow a Palestinian got on our bus, and the Jordanian police pulled him off. The whole way through, the longest wait was while 

the Jordanians looked over our passports. (The King Hussein/Allenby Bridge crossing doesn't issue visas, so you already have to have been given one elsewhere. We got ours at the airport when we arrived.) Then we met the car service on the Jordan side, and came back to the Sheraton Amman. 

Ah, the comfort of being spoiled at a fancy hotel again! The guest check in staff thanked us for returning, and for the good feedback I left on their guest survey from our previous stay. When we 

arrived in our room, they even had a big fruit plate waiting for us!

The first thing we did was to go down to the hot tub for a nice soak, and a swim in the pool. This was really nice after a long week with lots of walking! Then we started the re-packing. Oh wow... We bought an extra suitcase in Dubai so I could come back with souvenirs and Sean's extra clothes. (Amazingly, Emirates allows economy passengers 2 bags of up to 50 lbs each!) He also bought a fancy hookah/shisha that we wanted to come back with me. So, after sorting all of the dirty clothes, and deciding which things would go back with each of us, we now have everything packed and ready for the return trips this afternoon.

We then headed back to the local restaurant down the street, Warak Enab, for a good dinner. The 

waiter recognized us when we walked in, and even the owner came by to say hello. Again, our dinner was delicious! Sean had lamb chops, and a shisha. As before, it was delicious! The owner even have us a discount since I wrote a nice review on Trip Advisor. After dinner, we came back to the Sheraton and had dessert and drinks in the Club lounge, then we both went to sleep pretty early. It has been a fun-filled twenty days, and we were both really tired!

Oh, one interesting travel thing: Israeli passport control. Due to many countries barring entry to someone who has evidence of travel to Israel, the Israelis stopped stamping passports several years ago. Now, you are issued an Entry Permit that's a little separate card. You have to keep it with you in your passport, and they usually take it when you leave. (Somehow, Sean was given his card back!) Then, when they clear you to leave, you are given a similar Exit Permit that you have to show the Jordanians to get back into Jordan. There's no cost for Americans to pay to enter Israel, but everyone
pays to exit. 

So now we are just relaxing until it's time for us to head out to the airport. We had discussed going downtown and walking around the market (which we didn't get to do on the day that it rained), but we both decided we'd just rather relax. Besides, the suitcases are full so we couldn't buy anything! 

I've had a great time here, but there are things I'm definitely looking forward to getting back to in the USA:
Friends, family and coworkers

My pet cats (the feral/street cats are not the same)

Signs in English 

American music

Mexican food

Oh, and after all of the walking we did, I REALLY need a pedicure! 

Sean's birthday in Israel

Today is Sean's birthday! It's also our last day in Israel, and our last day of fun vacation freedom before we start the journey back to Texas and Kuwait. So, I left today totally open for him to do whatever he wanted. He decided he wanted to rent a car and visit a couple of sites that were not close to Jerusalem. So, that's what we did today.

The first place we visited was Yad Lashiryon Armored Corps Memorial Basically, this is a memorial to Israel's Armored Corps troops who have been killed in action. It also happens to be one of the largest collections of military armored vehicles in the world! (Of course that's why he wanted to visit!)

I will admit that even I was very impressed with the collection. We discovered that it's run by a non-profit foundation, and many of the vehicles they had on display were spoils of war from WW2 to the present. (The ones we noticed were conspicuously absent were the M1 Abrams and the Bradley.) Bu they have SO many more! Of course, the Israeli Merkava tanks, and also many German WW2 and Soviet tanks were represented. They even had a Patton tank that had been cut in half so you can see what it is like inside, and a depiction of another tank being unloaded from a ship. 

We happened to meet one of the foundation's principals, and he gave us good information about the collection and the site itself, and the plans they have to make it even better. Sean really enjoyed this place! 

After this, he decided he wanted to visit Masada, which is a mountain that overlooks the Dead Sea. So, we got in the car and drove. It ended up being a longer drive than we thought, but we did end up seeing some neat things along the way. First, we saw a warning sign about loose camels, and then we saw the camels!

We finally made it to Masada, and unfortunately, we arrived at the side where we would have had to hike up the mountain path to get to the top (45 minute climb), rather than the side with the cable car ride. We both decided that was a NO GO, so we just took some pictures from this site. It was still a very impressive view of the Dead Sea. 

So, we got back in the car and headed back to Jerusalem. We had hoped to see the Israel Museum and the Dead Sea Scrolls, but we got stuck in a big traffic jam that delayed us, and we really needed to return the car on time. Bummer! At least he got to talk to his parents on the phone while we were sitting in traffic.

I let him pick whatever he wanted for dinner, and (of course) he said "lamb chops! " So we found a fun restaurant and bar right around the corner that has draft beer, shisha and lamb chops! Sean says that's as good as it gets!

Happy birthday, sweetie!

Bethlehem!

Our tour today was to Bethlehem, which is on the Palestinian side of Jerusalem. So, went with another group tour, and we got to cross the "wall" to get to that side. Since we were in a tour bus, it was nothing. The Palestianians have a mirror government to Israel, which includes different colored car license plates, and separate tour guide licenses. So, we had to use a Palestinian tour guide on that side. The difference between Palestine and Jerusalem is very obvious. While Jerusalem is modern with big, clean streets, Palestine looks like any other Arab country with small streets, and a lot of trash. Anyway, it is interesting to see the difference.

Our first stop was the Shepherds' Field and the modern Church of the Angels. This was the field, and the nearby cave, where the shepherds were the first people to be told the news of Jesus' birth.

Today, the site is maintained by the Franciscans. There is an excavation of a Byzantine era church, and a very nice garden in addition to the modern church that was built in the 1950s.

After this, we went to the Milk Grotto. This is a cave (now a church) where Mary was said to have quietly nursed baby Jesus while King Herod had all of the infant boys in the area killed. 

Our guide said recent excavations have found the bones of many infants who were buried here, and you can also buy some of the chalky powdered earth to mix with water to cure infertility and diseases.

After this, we headed up the hill to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. This is the oldest Christian church in Jerusalem; unlike all of the others, it was spared by the Persian invaders. Unfortunately for us, it is currently undergoing major renovations to repair the roof and restore the mosaic floors.

 Still, it is really impressive! 

The Bible story tells us Mary gave birth in the stable because there was no room at the inn. In reality, the "inn" was a normal house, and the stable was simply a cave that was attached to the house. In modern times, the actual site where she gave birth is marked by a little cave with  a 14-point silver star on the floor. 

People came by and prayed at the spot, and you can kneel down and touch the star. 

Across the room, there is another spot where the manger stood. We took our picture in front of it. 

After this, we climbed back up the stairs and went to another cave. This one was the "inn" where Mary and Joseph weren't able to stay, and it was also the site where St. Jerome translated the bible from Aramaic into Latin.

Finally, we came to the big Catholic Church. If you see the Christmas Eve mass on TV from Bethlehem, this is the church from which it is televised. 

Inside, the was a small choir and the pipe organ warming up for noon mass. It was very beautiful! 

Outside, there was a nice view of the church looking back up. 

After this, we made a rather unremarkable  lunch stop, then headed down to the Jericho area. It is very close to the Dead Sea, and is also in Palestinian area. 

Our first stop was the Mount of Temptations, where Christ was tempted by Satan while fasting for 40 days. There is a 19th century monastery on the mountain today. 

Finally, we came to the oldest city in the world, Jericho. The ruins of the city's legendary walls are now just dirt, but in its time, Jericho was a very impressive place! 

We then headed back to Jerusalem. Tomorrow will be another full day. It is also Sean's birthday, so it's his choice of what we do! 

Odds and ends in Jerusalem

Today was kind of a "catch up" day. First, we slept late after our busy day yesterday. That was nice!

Then, we got those knives (and some other souvenirs) shipped home! This proved to be a challenge in both finding a mailing box and packing material! A few shopkeepers each gave me pieces of bubble wrap, and I found a store that had empty boxes from their morning restocking. We packed up the items, used tape from our hotel front desk, and walked over to the Israel Post Office. I like how their system works! You get a number when you walk in, then you sit in chairs and wait for your number to appear on a video monitor, which also tells you which window to go to. It was the equivalent of $49 to mail the box home, which is a fair price to not be hassled again by Customs in three countries on my way home!

After this, we went to The Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls, also known as The Shrine of the Book.

Unfortunately, they don't open until 4 PM on Tuesdays (?!) so we stopped into an archaeology museum (Bible Lands Museum) that was nearby. We both decided it was boring! So, we hopped in a cab and headed back to the Old City. Sean had seen a shisha place in the Muslim Quarter that he wanted to visit! Thankfully, we found it without getting lost!

While he enjoyed the shisha, we both had an Arabic Coffee. 

This is a very strong coffee that has spices added to it, and it's served in a small cup. It's very tasty, but beware of the "mud" of spices and grounds left in the bottom of the cup! 

 As we walked out of the Old City, there was a Jewish man playing "Stairway to Heaven" on his violin. That's Jerusalem!

After this, we decided to walk to the Mehane Yehuda Market. This is a very traditional, stereotypical Middle Eastern market. Lots of fresh produce, meat, fish and bread is sold here. You can also get sweet pastries and a few gifts in the market.

We enjoyed walking through and seeing all of the local people buying food, and the variety! We did buy some fresh sweet pastries for a snack. They were delicious!

After this, we walked back to our neighborhood to have dinner at a local place we had seen that 

morning. It's called The Israeli Kitchen, and they make all of their food fresh from local sources. Our dinner was delicious! 

After dinner, we stopped in to a little museum called the Friends of Zion Museum that a shopkeeper recommended. It was VERY good and had several fascinating multimedia presentations about Christians that helped the Jewish people over the years.  

We are now back at our hotel and we have a big day planned tomorrow: our tour to Bethlehem!

The old city of Jerusalem, part 2

I cut the blog short last night because we were both so tired! Sean had already fallen asleep, and I was nodding off while I was typing. We had a very full day!

The Church is actually really big. Each of the four religions that cooperate to maintain it has different areas for their people, and they share the common areas. It was kind of a mish-mash, but it worked.

The outside of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher isn't as fancy as you'd think. Each religion wants to be the one to do the work, so things don't get done because they keep arguing over who is going to do it.

So, after seeing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, we walked though the markets of the Old City. Each quarter has a different feel to it, but the Christian Quarter definitely has the best shopping!

The market here is open air, and each stall is packed full of wonderful things! Of course, there are plenty of religious items, and souvenir junk, but there are also textiles, sandals, jewelry (of varying quality), etc. The center of the market has sculptures that used to be a fountain. Now, they are a useful landmark to remind you which quarter you are in. Our tour group ate lunch at a restaurant with rooftop seating they had a great view of the Christian Quarter.

The Muslim quarter is right next to the Christian Quarter, and it also has good shopping. The market here is covered, and it has a different feeling. 

We exited the Old City through the Jaffa Gate, which put us on the side closest to our hotel. This si the biggest gate in and out of the Old City. 

Walking around the Old City is just amazing. You see all sorts of  priests, nuns, rabbis and imams, and all of the people from all over the world speaking different languages! You hear the Catholic angelus bells, the Muslims' Assam, and you smell incense from all of the religions!

One very important point: WEAR COMFORTABLE, STURDY SHOES! The streets are paved with very old, very slick stones, and it would be easy to trip and fall. Also, there are LOTS of stairs everywhere. (The ADA doesn't apply here!)

Needless to say, we were very tired after doing so much walking! We did an easy dinner at a local street food stand by our hotel that made excellent vegetarian and kosher wraps. Robin, you would've enjoyed it!

The old city of Jerusalem, part 1

Today was the first of two organized group tours in Jerusalem. The tour today took us to the Old City, which is a holy place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It is divided into quarters for each of the faiths, plus the small Armenian Quarter. I was really looking forward to seeing the Old City, and it did not disappoint!

We met up with the group and took an overlook of the city from a high point at Hebrew University on Mount Scopus. If you look in the picture, you can see the Dome of the Rock (gold, Muslim site), the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Christian, black dome) and the Temple Mount (Jewish, white).

We drove by the Mount of Olives, which was referred to many times in the gospels, and the huge Mount Zion Jewish cemetery.

Then we came to the Zion Gate to enter the old city. We crossed paths with some musicians who were heading into the Old City to play for a Bar Mitzvah (those are held on Mondays) and they played Hava Nagila for us and blew the Shofar!

Then we walked through parts of the Old City. First, we came to the Syriac Church of St Mark, which contains the Last Supper room. The writing is Aramaic, which was the original language of the Bible.

We walked some more, and we came to the Wailing/Western  Wall, which is the holiest site for Jews. 

Men and women pray in separate areas here, and the men's side had all the action today, so Sean took the photos. A rabbi brought his synagogue's Torah, and he was displaying it. You can see the women looking over the wall from our side!

There were also many different Orthodox Jews praying here. 

After we left here, we walked to to one of the holiest places for the Catholic faith, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher This is the site where Jesus was crucified, died and buried. It is actually one building with 6 different churches, and many different chapels, within it. The Catholics, Greek Orthodox and 

Armenian Orthodox all share space in the building. The Chapel of the Crucifixion is maintained by 

the Greek Orthodox, and it is where the cross was placed, and where Jesus was nailed to it. Many 

people come here to pray on the site, and to light a candle.

Just below this is the Stone of the Anointing, where Jesus body was laid after He died and was taken off the cross. 

Again, many people come to pray here, and you can lay religious items on the stone to bless them. I did this with the crosses I bought for souvenirs.

More about the Old City in my next post...