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May 2008, Egypt, Part 3

 

Much Aloha to all our friends.

This is the end of our three groups of photos which covers the last part of our trip ~ Israel.

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  1. We land at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. This flight was also on Egypt Air.
  2. After finding our very elusive driver we head to Jerusalem. We pass many farms, orchards and forests.
  3. The towns are vastly different than in Egypt, much more modern and you get a feeling that they have a building code.
  4. We arrive in Jerusalem and check into our hotel. The view is not as spectacular as the last place we stayed but neither is the hotel.
  5. View to the right.
  6. The city is an odd mix of old and new and buildings of different religious significance.
  7. Looking into the old city we get excited thinking about the history in front of us.
  8. The air is clear and temperature is very comfortable. Beautiful views.
  9. This is a good view of the Dome of the Rock within the old walls of Jerusalem.
  10. Here in Israel there are guards everywhere too. These guys really look a lot more serious.
  11. Within the “old city” walls the Christians, Muslims and Jews seem to share space. You can see the minarets of the mosques next to the churches.
  12. This is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
  13. The old wall is being restored.
  14. This is believed to be the old entrance to the city. The original entrance is important to some of the prophecies.
  15. As we enter through the old entrance we see a mural has been painted to what they believe it may have looked like.
  16. Because the week that we visited was Passover or Pesach, security has been increased.
  17. Sign as we approach the Western or Wailing Wall.
  18. Men and women are not allowed to enter together so a small fence separates us.
  19. We were told that the bottom of the old wall is now underground about sixteen feet.  It is obvious where different construction has taken place on the old city wall.
  20. There were people of many faiths, from all over the world, praying here. Some seemed entranced while others just curious.
  21. This is Via Dolorosa, the route that Jesus walked to his death.
  22.  I would love to give you accurate history but as they say in Hawaii “no can”. There is so much controversy over where it started, ended, how many stations he stopped at and what took place at each. It is very confusing.
  23. Part of the walk.
  24. All along the walk we encounter vendors of every kind.
  25. One of the stations.
  26. Cynthia is investigating.
  27. She found more confused people.
  28. We were told that people take these heavy wooden crosses and make the walk themselves.
  29. Along the walk.
  30. The walk ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
  31. People pray at the site where they believe Jesus was crucified.
  32. Very large crowds here.
  33. After Jesus died his body was laid on a rock and washed. It is believed that this is that rock. There were lines of people that had brought jewelry, bibles, and even car keys to set on the rock and pray over them.
  34. One group of people believe that this may be the tomb of Jesus.
  35. Looking up at the dome of the church.
  36. Another group of people believe that the tomb of Jesus is in this small sanctuary inside the church. It was a very long line and you could stay for no more than one minute.
  37. This is the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is a Christian church but the door key is in possession of a Muslim who unlocks it daily. Like I said it is very confusing. The night before we came here there was a huge fistfight between two groups of orthodox Christians in this very spot.
  38. Garden of Redemption sign.
  39. Garden of Redemption.
  40. This is the room where it is believed the “Last Supper” took place.
  41. The countryside is beautiful. The Jewish people believe that they should plant trees where they live, and the forests are lush.
  42. We visited the Holocaust Museum.
  43. This is our hotel. The Prima Royale.
  44. Because it is Passover, things that are not made in Israel cannot be sold or served.  All of the markets cover the items that can’t be sold. (I thought Johnny Walker was made in Israel, but nooooo)
  45. Our drive to the Dead Sea takes us passed flocks owned by the Bedouins.
  46. The vegetation thins as we get closer to the desert.
  47. Today’s Bedouins do not use tents as in the past.
  48. coming down out of the mountains we reach sea level.
  49. In the distance is the town of Jericho.
  50. This is the valley of Armegedon. (drive faster please)
  51. This area is called Qumran. The Dead Sea scrolls were found in these caves.
  52. More Qumran caves. The scrolls were found in 11 different caves in this area.
  53. View of the Dead Sea. The sea is 1378 feet below sea level and is so salty that you can’t sink. We didn’t try it but we were told that it is difficult to stand in waist deep water because your legs try to float and you fall over.
  54. We are on our way to Masada.
  55. The fortress of Masada was built by King Herod in 37 BC as a refuge for himself in case of a revolt. It is on top of this mesa at sea level.
  56. As we waited for our tram ride to the top we view the artists concept.
  57. A small museum shows items found at the ruined palace which included some glass bowls and cups.
  58.  Oil lamps and jars.
  59. Coins.
  60. We start the tram ride that takes us about 1300 feet to the top.
  61. The desert is very interesting here and shows much wear from flash flooding from the mountains above.
  62. Approaching the top.
  63. These are walls from a Roman fort. The Romans, in about 70 AD, learned that there were a group of 700 to 900 Jewish zealots living at the top and came to get them. Masada had only one trail leading to the top and the Romans were unable to attack them. They built a wall totally surrounding the mesa in order to keep any of them from escaping.
  64. The wall and camp sites are still visible.
  65. It is a very desolate and hot place to want to build walls and fight.
  66. View from the top.
  67. When Masada was excavated and rebuilt they painted a black line around the original, still standing walls. Everything above the black line was rebuilt and below the line is original.
  68. The paint is still colorful.
  69. Some of the columns still stand, at least in part.
  70. There is a small trough that runs (center of photo and down the right) that collected rain runoff and dumped it into huge cisterns that were carved out of the rock.
  71. Walkway. Note the black line of original wall. The rebuilt sections were made with the original rock that had fallen during earthquakes.
  72. I’m not sure how they know where the windows went and their shapes.
  73. Wall paint is colorful and so is the triangular floor tiles.
  74. Steps that lead into a bathing area.
  75. This was a Roman invention. It is a raised floor with vented tile to make a steam room.
  76. There is still evidence of smoke from the fires, beneath the floor, that heated the steam room.
  77. This corner of the steam room is rebuilt with new materials to show how it was made.
  78. These areas were for storage of food stuffs.
  79. Storage areas.
  80. Original (maybe) jar.
  81. Herod had a three story palace built at the north side. This is the top floor and was like a garden gazebo.
  82. Description of baths.
  83. Looking down on the bottom two floors of the palace.
  84. Mosaic floor looks like it would be beautiful if cleaned.
  85. Remains of Roman camp on the west side.
  86. We were being followed by one of the locals.
  87. This is a model of what Herod’s palace must have looked like.
  88. Because the Romans had no way to attack with their equipment, they built, over a three year period, a ramp that would take them to the top from the west side. When the ramp was completed they celebrated the night before the final assault. During that night the zealots, knowing what their fate would be, killed themselves and the Romans could take no slaves. The zealots picked their final ten men who killed all of the people and the last one killed himself. These men were chosen by writing their names on chards of pottery which were discovered here.
  89. These are the pottery chards.
  90. This is a corner of one of the water storage cisterns. The roof has caved in but when in use the water stayed clean because it was not exposed to sunlight which caused bacteria to grow.
  91. This is one side of a meeting area where the zealots, as a whole, agreed to die rather than be captured and enslaved.
  92. This area was a pigeon coop. Pigeon is still a common food in the mid-east.
  93. Looking out of the pigeon coop towards the west.
  94. During the last days the Romans used catapults to attack the fortress. These are some of the stones they launched at them. These probably did a lot more damage than a pirates cannon ball.
  95. This is all that remains, after two thousand years, of the ramp used to access the summit. Rain and earthquakes have worn a few hundred feet off of it. This had been a canyon and over three years the Romans filled it in and built the ramp to the top.
  96. In later years a Byzantine church was built here, this sign explains.
  97. More of the sign.
  98. Walls of the Byzantine church.
  99. Mosaic floor of the church.
  100. Looking back at the top as we descend.
  101. It is a harsh landscape and temperatures in April were close to 100 degrees. It is hard for me to imagine the kind of hatred it took to spend so much time and resources to capture these people.
  102. Looking over the Dead Sea.
  103. We stopped for an up-close view. The mud of the Dead Sea is known to have health benefits because of the amount of minerals. People come from all over the world to cover themselves in the mud and to float in the sea.
  104. Floating. We decided not to join in the fun.
  105. Israeli flag.
  106. More scenery.
  107. Were on our way back up the mountains and are passing the 150 feet below sea level sign.
  108. This is the Church of the Good Samaritan.
  109. A Bedouin sheperd.
  110. Back in Jerusalem. We found the local graffiti to be a bit different than what we are used to.
  111. The sign says it.
  112. Passing again through the valley of Armagedon.
  113. Up out of the valley into Nazareth
  1. The town was very busy.
  1. We visited the Church of St. Joseph. The church is built around a grotto that is believed to be where Joseph lived or worked.
  2. Very beautiful church.
  3. The inside of the church dome is highly decorated.
  4. We were required to turn off our cell phones. When the priests’ phone rang he went outside to answer it.
  5. Cynthia by a statue of Joseph and Mary.
  6. This is an area that the Holy Family may have possibly used to hide.
  7. Blueprint of the grotto.
  8. Mosaic floor is still intact.
  9. Painting in the church.
  10. Church description.
  11. The cigarette warnings in Israel seem more serious.
  12. Leaving town.
  13. Heading towards Tiberias.
  14. First view of Sea of Galilee.
  15. On to Capernaum.
  16. We visit the Church of Heptapegon.
  17. The mosaic floor is very intricate.
  18. This is believed to be the rock that Jesus stood on when he fed the many with two fish and five loaves of bread. The mosaic floor shows the fish and bread.
  19. There were many bird nests in the rafters outside with lots of small birds flying around.
  20. Entry to an old area of the town where churches were built on top of each other.
  21. Description at gate.
  22. The foreground is the oldest area and was built from local lava stones. The ruins in the background were built from imported stones.
  23. I was required to have my knees covered. Luckily I don’t look too bad in a skirt.
  24. Description of the four churches.
  25. Another view of the old sites.
  26. Ancient olive press.
  27.  Most of the church had fallen from earthquakes but it was rebuilt to what they think it may have looked like.
  28. The street sign here says “Hawaii”. No one knew what it meant.
  29. Tiberias again?
  30. The Sea of Galilee with Golan Heights in the background.
  31. The Jordan River.
  32. These carp looked to be about 2.5 feet long.
  33. People come from all over the world to be baptized here.
  34. The river here was very beautiful and quiet. It was around 100 degrees and we were glad to find very cold sodas at the gift shop.
  35. Tiles outside the giftshop.
  36. Jordanian flag at one of their border posts.
  37. We were very close to Jordan here.
  38. The end of the day as the sun sets through the haze.
  39. The next day was a free day meaning no tours. Our big adventure that day was to take the bus from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to find the Harley Davidson dealer and buy tee shirts.
  40. There is a lot of farmland on the way.
  41. While in a huge mall in Tel Aviv we went into a store for some snacks. Again items that could not be sold because of Pesach were covered.
  42. It still seems odd to see a guy with an automatic rifle in line at a fast food place.
  43. On the bus ride back to Jerusalem we pass apartment housing.
  44. This was the first large motorcycle we saw, it was parked outside of a burger place that has meat.
  45. No matter where you travel, there is always someone who just doesn’t seem to have a mirror at home.
  46. We walked by a small flower shop and noticed that most of these flowers are grown where we live.
  47. Antheriums… just like at home.
  48. Cynthia enjoyed a cheesecake while I enjoyed a cool beer.
  49. As we walked back the our hotel Cynthia says “oh look a vet”.
  50. You will have to do the math but it aint cheap.
  51.  Each evening the parks were totally packed with people celebrating Passover. There were two fireworks shows each evening as well but the first time we heard them it spooked us just a bit as we were almost asleep and they were close by. Unfortunately the folks didn’t pick up after themselves when they left the park. It happens here too.
  52. As we wait for our flight back to Cairo we were in the duty free store and saw that the cigarette warning aren’t too subtle here.
  53. Back at the Hard Rock Café in Cairo we gave “shaka” lessons to our favorite waiter.
  54. Not sure I would want to sailboard in the Nile but they looked like they were having fun.
  55. In a public restroom there was a fully automatic toilet seat sleeve that came out at the touch of a button. I don’t think I want it anymore automated than that.
  56. On our way back to the USA we say goodbye to our favorite guide Ashram.
  57. Goodbye to our driver Badr.
  58. Back in New York.
  59. The skyline is certainly different here.
  60. This time we stayed at the Marriott Times Square.
  61. Very nice room.
  62. The view from our room.
  63. The glass elevators go up the outside of an interior shaft.
  64. Times Square on a cold rainy morning.
  65. People were lined up waiting to purchase tickets to shows.
  66. Herald Square.
  67. Cynthia and lady liberty.
  68. Oh oh, fire in southern California.
  69. Sharks in San Diego, this isn’t good.
  70. Horse cop.
  71. The rain clouds were pretty low.
  72. Though a few minutes late our plane arrives to take us back to Maui.
  73. There was a lot of snow over Colorado, Utah and surrounding states.
  74. We had heard that Maui’s air quality had been suffering because of southerly winds and an overactive volcano. I took this picture from over a hundred miles to the east of Maui. Fortunately the winds shifted and this all blew away within a couple of days.
  75. Just arrived at Maui International Airport.
  76. We went to dinner with our friends and family that helped take care of our home and animals while we were gone. Thanks to Elena, Kelly, Rae, Craig, Denise, Rob, Jeannie, Zack and Hannah and all the others for all you did. Without all your help we would never have such a fantastic trip... we owe you all. Much Aloha and Mahalo.

Thanks for watching and Aloha,

Jim and Cynthia.