Middle East Adventure
​Syria, Jordan, & Israel 2010 - 2011

Dear Readers, it's heartbreaking for us to reread our notes from the extraordinary winter of 2010/2011. It's our trip to Syria, just a few months before Civil War broke out. It's called a Civil War, but their beautiful country and culture was hijacked by terrorists. When I look at our pictures of the people we met, remembering shared moments, I cry for their lost lives and lost innocence. When subsequent years we saw Syrians (and others) endangering their lives and their children's lives in desperate flights in rubber dinghies hoping for a friendly landing spots, we break a little more.

Remembering:
* the man's anxious face waiting for me to try a Syrian chocolate bar;
* the teenage boys who kept feeding me from their food stand while Con went to another shop for drinks, all the while the boys laughed, excited to know what I liked best;
* the young man who spotted us leaving a restaurant calling frantically while leaping over boxes in his closet-sized used television shop, to invite us for tea. He arranged two seats, (a box and a chair) then ran off to order "chai". There was no verbal conversation because there wasn't a common language, but his messages were rich with smiles, hand over heart motions, and the words, "Welcome";
* the eager boys who followed us around at the small town near the Iran border smiling, curious, asking us to take their pictures, all the while older men telling the to go away, smiling apologies, and then joining the kids in requesting pictures;
* the friendly young woman at the reception desk in our Aleppo hotel who TWO YEARS AFTER the war began, their beautiful city destroyed, she emailed me to say, "Your birthday cards have arrived. Where can I mail them?" Con had arranged for family members to mail birthday cards to the hotel as a surprise for me.

Syria:
December 18 -- Our flight touched down in Aleppo, Syria's largest city and one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, dating back to the 6th century. Syria, with a population of twenty million is under the authoritarian presidential control of Bashar al-Asad. Tourism is rare, as human rights advocates state the government security forces arrest and detain activists, organizers and other regime critics without due process.

We signaled a taxi driver at the airport and were whisked to our lovely hotel just as the sun was setting. Enormous mosques dominated our view and we dared to blink for missing something.

Rising early, we set off off toward the old city, the medina and the Umayyad Great Mosque. The people we passed were welcoming, smiling, nodding, and saying, "Welcome."

Aleppo is vibrant, in part because of the centuries of visitors and merchants who have passed through. It has been at the crossroad of ancient trading routes, since 2000 BC.

We were eager to see ad-Madina Souk, the largest covered market in the world. (Since the war it no longer exists.) Somewhat lost, we were, and the people couldn't have been more helpful offering directions, generous with their time and smiles. A brief stop to consult our map brought a crowd of people eager to help. Nearly every man and child we passed stopped to bow their heads, smile, and say, "Welcome to Syria," often adding, "ow are you?" Women kept their faces down, rarely making eye contact. Modernly dressed women were more likely to smile, but "hello" was not offered unless you walked into their shop.

We moved deeper into the old city, the medina, the pulse of the ancient city. Every nook and cranny was filled with small shops and stalls selling everything from kitchen sinks, wires, fabrics, shoes, couches, to beautifully displayed fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Ask for it; someone has it, or will walk you to where it can be found.

Fairly lost within the rich old medina, women's attire became more closed. Most common was to see teenaged girls to old aged women covered from head to toe. The scarf covers all their hair and is pulled low on their foreheads. Some wore completely black burka shields covering their faces with just slits for their eyes. Fewer wore the baby blue burkas which covered every single part of the woman, including her face, eyes, nose and mouth with just a mesh for breathing and seeing. The cobblestones are difficult to navigate when you have full sight, let alone through a mesh. One woman in blue tripped in front of us missing the curb. Some women hold a scarf over their face with their teeth and when the coast is clear, they release it. One spotted Con and quickly replaced hers.

Men wear a variety of modern to caftan-styled clothes, some with head scarves and Arabic pants. It's common for men and women to smoke the Shisha Hookahs in restaurants and cafes. The tobacco has been mixed with fruit and sugar. It's sucked up a long hose from a bowl, into your lungs. We read that one session is like smoking more than a pack of cigarettes.

The call for prayer echoes in the streets and alleys, reverberating throughout the city five times a day. No stray cats and dogs?? Streets are impeccably clean. No feces. No garbage. It appears to be an ideal, orderly way of life.
We entered the al-Medina Souk. It was stunning! Our senses took in the sights, smells, and sounds. It was completely devoid of tourists, but teeming with locals.
December 19 -- What a way to wake up, to lots of birthday greetings from family. The al-Medina Souk was so awesome, we returned again today enjoying the long walk, stopping to talk with locals who were anxious to talk with us. The moment we entered the market, a group of men pulled Con aside and dressed him like a Sheik, laughing and enjoying heartedly our responses. Pondering the women in full burkas, we see a style emerging in the form of running shoes, stilettos, ankle jewelry, men's socks... Surprisingly, there are many sexy clothing shops for women. Groups of burka-clad women fill those shops, touching fully body lace stockings, see through sexy undergarments, bras full of dquins, and negligees. We hailed a cab and for 25 cents, we were dropped off near our hotel at a restaurant where we tucked in for dinner. We ordered generously many delicious Middle Eastern appetizers, including raw meatballs, not something I ate. After, we sauntered through the neighbourhood back to our hotel marveling at the many Christian decorations (Christmas trees) in a Muslim country.
December 20 -- Con is fighting food poisoning! I warned him about the raw meatballs... The hotel was excellent in pampering Con with simple beef broth soup, delivered with an empathetic smile. Regaining some strength by nightfall, we wandered into the streets, stopping in a closet-sized store. The father of the proprietor, who seemed to be a permanent fixture on a stool, pulled three chocolate bars offering them to me, but to eat them in front of him to tell him which one I liked the best. We purchased them, the equivalent of 12 cents Canadian each. I took a bite of each one. They were good, but not great. He waited eagerly for my reaction. "Delicious," I smiled. He laughed and the world seemed perfect in that moment.
December 21 -- Now on chicken broth and feeling as if he'll survive food poisoning, we couldn't help ourselves and headed back to the Souk, 39 km of covered whopping all in tiny alley ways. We sat at an outside table sipping chai (tea) and watched the amazing display of culture walking passed us in the form of Syrians.

December 22 -- In a rented car, we left Aleppo venturing off into the wild and crazy roads. Syrian-style driving is a culture all its own, with no dividing lines on the roads and drivers squishing tightly to the next car all competing for space. The horn is a communication tool signalling: move over, thanks for moving over, crossing four lanes horizontally, and driving in the opposite direction. Pedestrians cross the streets (sometimes eight lanes) contorting their bodies leaning back and forth depending on the car that's whizzing past them. 
​By afternoon, we were in the countryside and stopped at an old Roman Bridge, not another soul in sight and ventured into the nearly dry riverbed. Unbeknownst to us, we had entered a wild cat's den. I could hear meowing all around me, but didn't see the animals. I interrupted Con who was filming the countryside, chatting away to point out a thigh-high cat that began sprinting toward us. I turned to look back at Con and he was sprinting to the car. I followed like an Olympian. We looked at the spot where we had been standing and there was the enormous cat. Our family teases us about it being a tabby cat, but I dare them to hang around if it chased you out of the den.

Arriving at St. Simon Basillica, now called The Citadel by the Arabs, it was built in 459, we learned of its history. Simon died at 69, 37 years after standing on top of a pillar, or so the story goes. He claimed to have had a revelation that he should impose a regime on himself to test his faith. He buried himself to his chin in summer, wear spikes to draw blood, and chain himself to a rock. Finally, he lived on the top of the pillar for 18 years, and people from all over came to check him out and bring food.

We drove on to Elba, a civilization dating back to 2400 BC, but its location was not known until 1964. It wasn't easy to find for us either. We followed our instincts, since maps and locals sent us in circles. It is believed to be the work of the Byzantines who ruled the area until the Crusaders in the Middle Ages. They then built larger and stronger fortification around it. Since the Crusaders didn't have enough manpower to hold the fortress, it fell to the Arabs in the 12th century.

Christmas Day in Latakia
We arrived in the beautiful northern Syrian sea area. Our hotel is at the waterfront, beautiful and modern. If we'd arrived by sea, this would have been our Port. (During the 2011 Civil War, the roof of our hotel was the location of terrorist snipers.)
​We joined guests and staff for a Christmas brunch upon invitation, all Syrian styled. The food was artistically displayed and fabulously favourable. Arabic musical entertainment filled the room.
Onward toward Hama, we witnessed a motorcyclist with two kids in the front and two behind the driver who balanced two dozen eggs tied in a package by ribbons. That was nothing, later we saw a young boy in front of the driver, woman behind holding an infant in blankets, a young boy behind her and a five-year-old on the handlebars. Six in total.

December 26 -- On our way south to Hama, we stopped at the Krak Des Chevaliers and toured the magnificently preserved Crusader castle, unchanged since the 12th and 13th centuries. Many knights defended it and it was never penetrated by invasion. In 1271, a sultan-led Egyptian army attacked the castle for two days. A letter was then received at the castle from Lebanon, stating that the knights should surrender as no further defenders would arrive to ensure their safety. They laid down their arms. The letter was a fake and the Arabs them walked in and took control of the castle.
​We arrived later that afternoon in Hama, built on the banks of the Orontes River, known for the water wheels dating back to 1100 BC. Today, the city is better known for housing the Muslim Brotherhood and has been raided by the Syrian Army many times in the last few decade.
​

December 26 -- Following the Euphrates river to the Iraq border, we arrived in a small village. Walking around, we were followed by dozens of curious boys and men smiling and trying to make conversation with a few English words. We took a table near the sidewalk and sat for chai. The cafe's are all-male events and many people took good long looks at a woman sitting there. 
Carrying a long the Duro Europa site near the Iraq border, known as the Pompeii of the Syrian desert. It was destroyed in the 3rd century and has the oldest synagogue we've ever experienced. 

December 29 -- Now in Palmyra, we spent the night in a Bedouin hotel driving to the fabulous Palmyra citadel to watch the sun set. Bedouins, for a price, will take you around the site on a dromedary. It's all quite incredible to see, which we did on foot, as these ancient structures stand tall defying gravity. The structures, as old as dust, have survived two and three millennia. (A sad note following the 2011 Civil War, much of Palmyra has now been destroyed by ISIS.)
Sand has blown over the site burying it until modern archeologists began the tedious job of digging. Bedouins, have dug up most of the gold, jewels, and historic relics over the millennium and they're well gone. What was found was shipped to a museum in Paris.

I understand some of the practical significance of the scarves worn by men and women. They're wrapped over their heads, covering their hair and the women covering their faces as protection from the sand and strong sun. Men wear red and white checkered scarves, the women wear black. Men gather in plastic chairs along the sidewalks in front of various buildings, nearly sitting on the shoulder of the highway. Women scurry along the roads and tuck in to a mud houses, tents, or if the town is large enough, the medina. Everything is the red/brown sand colour, mostly because it’s made of mud.  

December 30 – The closer we drove to the Iraq border, the more likely the locals hadn't seen a tourist ever or at least in a very long time. It was evident in the friendly stares and the hordes of people that followed us, especially the kids. They were continually scolded by older men to continue delivering their goods, piled in their wheel barrels and dollys. The boys smiled at the men, and continued to stare at us, joined by the men who had just scolded them. All the women wore black and were closed either in full burka, or scarves pulled tight across their faces by their teeth. They would sneak peeks at us, but never spoke. The men and boys were excited to hear us talk and wanted desperately to make conversation, instead gestured for us to take their pictures.
Syrian's pride themselves on their hospitality and friendliness. At the gas station, we filled up our rented car, and couldn't leave until we shared a cup of tea with the attendant. Walking in the street one evening, in a small town near the Iraq border, a television and computer screen salesman, working in a dusty shop the size of a closet, with 16 inch computer screens (the old square heavy ones) and similar televisions, pulled out a chair and an over-turned box insisting that we join him for tea. He ran off, ordered the strong sweet drink, returning with another chair for himself, and the three of us sat squished in the closet. "Shukran" I said, shaking his hand as we departed. In the desert, dust and silky sand accumulates in every orifice on the car.

On to Damascus, we stopped at the Great Umayya Mosque in the heart of the Old City in Damascus. (Pictured in the slide show above.) It's considered the fourth holiest place in the Islam. My knee length, hooded jacket and shin-high boots weren’t 'covered' enough, and I was asked to wear the brown robe. The Mosque was built on the Christian church and allegedly holds the head of St. John the Baptist. Interestingly, we’ve been to other sites that claim his head, like the Amiens Cathedral in France (Notre Dame).
Turning in our rental in Damascus, we crossed the border by taxi, buying the back seat, and a third passenger bought the front. The driver helped us at the border to check us out, filling in the papers in Arabic and translating making our exit smooth. The driver drove us into Jordan to our first stop, Amman.

INTO JORDAN
January 2, 2011 – Happy New Year!
We crossed the border yesterday by taxi arriving in Amman, Jordan on a nice smooth highway. Jordan is another crossroads country with Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq Palestine, and Saudi Arabia as neighbours. The King has little governance, restricted by a constitution which means he’s not a dictator. The country was named after the Jordan River, the subject of many Biblical stories. The country came alive for us, especially because my mom had read all the Bible stories to my brothers and me when we were children. We were in awe the entire visit.

In AMMAN, excavation discovered homes and towers built during the Stone Age, 7000 BC. Biblical references to the town date it to 12000 BC. It's where the Ammonites fought wars with Saul and David. King Herod in 30 BC took control of this city. We're traveling over the same sandy soil where the main characters walked: Jesus, Noah, Lot, St. George, Abraham, Elijah, Hud, Jethro, Joshua, Moses, David, Solomon, Job, and John. Seven hundred years after Jesus' death, Mohammad walked these same trails.

JORDAN RIVER & BAPTISMAL
The Jordan River is 251 kilometres long flowing into the Dead Sea passing Israel, the West Bank, Golan Heights, and Jordan. In our rented car, we drove to the Baptismal sight where John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ in the river. We stood over the excavated steps that lead down to what has been declared the very place where the Baptismal took place which is said to be the beginning of Christianity. An Earthquake in the year 700 rerouted the river to its current location, and that’s why the baptismal location is no longer where the river runs today. Following the baptism, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness east of the river.
All around this location, Jordanian soldiers protect the sight from an Israeli invasion. (Pictured in the slide show below.)

We drove up the desert mountain side to the top of Mt. Nebo, where Moses' tomb resides. Madaba, is on the other side of the mountain, where St. George's church holds the floor mosaic that depicts a map of the Holy Land during Jesus' time. It seems wherever we go the Greek Orthodox appear to have been the first religious group to claim holy status by constructing their churches in the best real estate locations.

We parked ourselves in a beautiful hotel on the Dead Sea for two days and it was heavenly.

DEAD SEA
The Dead Sea is 75 km long and 6 - 16 km wide, fed by the Jordan River, with no outlet. It's completely devoid of plant and animal life because of the extremely high content of salt. It's famous for restorative powers and has become an expensive spa location. And, how about this, it's the lowest point in the world, 400 meters below sea level!

In the Bible, Abraham went into the wilderness, the area from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba (near the Red Sea). It's where David slew 18,000 Edomites; Abraham and Lot divided their herds and people going separate ways after their journey from Egypt. Lot went to Salt (north of Amman).

January 3 – FLOATING IN THE DEAD SEA
It was a spa-like day in the desert. We floated in the Dead Sea most of the day, dried off in the sun, and exfoliated our skin with the liquid oily salt left behind on our skin. I used the black mud and exfoliated my legs. It’s not a place to go swimming, because it’s hard. The buoyancy of the salty water pushes you high up in the water. On my belly, I was top heavy and if I hadn't flipped over on my back, my head would have dipped in. The water, I've been told is extremely painful in your eyes. I imagine it would be like shaking a salt shaker into your open eyes. Con took his Yachting Monthly magazine into the water to read. It never suffered a drop of water. (As an after note, the magazine picked up the picture and published it.) At sunset, we drove to one of the highest points overlooking the Dead Sea. (Pictures beside in the rotation; Israel across the water.)

January 4 – Today’s journey is the King’s Highway, a must if you travel to Jordan, as we wound through the heart of the country to one of the world’s most extraordinary locations, Petra. The King's Highway is the oldest continuously used communication route, and is mentioned in the Bible in Numbers 20. Moses requests the king of Edom to "allow his people to travel along the king's highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory."

We stopped to take in the spectacular sight, the Wadi Mujib, a canyon over 1000 meters deep. In the Bible, it was referred to as "Arnon Gorge" or "Arnon River," Numbers 21:24; Judges 11:18.

From The Red Sea to Turkey, the Crusaders built castles as a wall of defense against the Arabs. At the top of one of the mountain ranges we drove up, sits the Castle fortress in the town of Karak, dating to the 12th century. Further south, is the Wadi Hasa, a deep gorge known in the Bible as "Zered Valley." There Moses and the Israelites ended their wanderings in the desert and camped on their journey north. Numbers 21:12; Deuteronomy 1:13-14.

January 5 – PETRA
Definitely Jordan’s most famous sight, situated just off the King's highway, south of the Dead Sea. It's a mountainous area of rose-coloured sandstone, and deep canyons, where the nomadic tribe of Nabatean-Arabs settled in the 6th century and carved a wonderland of temples, tombs, and elaborate buildings out of solid rock. For seven centuries, Petra was a heavily guarded secret, only known to the local Bedouins, until 1812. The entrance is through a deep Siq (canyon) with rock walls five meters to 200 meters wide. It is believed to be 9,000 years old. The Bedouins lived in the carved rocks until 1984, when it was declared a place to be protected. Today, the Bedouins sell rides on horse, dromedaries, and donkeys, and today continually hound you to buy their jewelry and other things they have set up throughout the beautiful landscape.

January 6 – TO AQABA
Leaving the labyrinth of caves and mountains in the tribal Petra area, dodging a dusty donkey crossing the King's Highway, we traveled 110 km along this highway. It's not unusual to come around the bend and find traffic coming at you in your lane; Bedouin desert-dwelling Arabs suddenly appearing from the sand dunes and walking in your lane of traffic; or 20 or so goats crossing the highway.

Now further south, heading to Aqaba, and more specifically, to a resort area on the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba – the north gulf off of the Red Sea. Just a few hour's drive, passing nomadic lifestyles, we arrived at our five-star hotel in a modern city. Our deck opens to view four palm tree shaded pools, facing the Sea, with Israel just a sliver away, pictured beside. We lazed by the Sea, taking our pleasures in the warm sunshine and the pool's outdoor hot tub.

January 7 – GULF OF AQABA
Soaking up the sunshine at the sandy beach our eyes resting on the view down the Gulf of Aqaba. If we could see for eight kilometers, we’d be looking at Egypt and if we could see for twenty kilometers, we’d be looking at Saudi Arabia.

January 10 – It’s Epiphany Day, a Christian holiday celebrating Jesus as the son of God. Sauntering through the market in Aqaba, we wandered into a travel book store looking for a book on Israel since that was our next stop. We couldn’t find anything – not a reference – zilch on Israel. When asking the proprietor, he gave me a quick nod (in Arabic that means 'no') followed by 'la' which also means 'no' and a quick brush with the back of his hand, which means 'go.' We got it: don’t ask about Israel.
We're so close to the border, that on our walk back to the hotel, we turned right instead of left at the traffic circle, and I we saw an Israeli flag blowing in the hillside beside us. As neighbours, they're so close, yet so far.

January 11 – TO ISRAEL
Walking across the border from Jordan to Israel, we entered the country of Shekels, switching our money yet again. The price of chocolate bars for currency comparisons (CND equivalent) and not likely the best measuring tool, but what the heck: Syria 25 cents; Jordan 75 cents; Israel $2.

The map of Israel, unfortunately without name and locations shows the Palestine occupied areas (West Bank) and areas for us to avoid.

While walking over the border, dragging our suitcases, we stayed within the marked sidewalks walking toward the customs I believe in No-Man’s Land (because we’d just checked out of Jordan). I took a short cut, possibly shaving a meter off my walk by stepping out of the sidewalk lines. When I reached the Israel border, a rifle-toting guard suddenly appeared from nowhere behind me and whispered in my ear: “In Israel we stay on the marked sidewalk.”
Con said: “They profile here Barb, so don’t give them anything that makes you stand out.”

January 12 – TO MASADA
In another rented car, we drove north to Masada, an ancient fortification located 450 meters up on the top of an isolated rock plateau overlooking the Dead Sea, 20 kilometres from Arad.
Masada is known as the 'last bastion of Jewish freedom fighters against the Romans. In the year 73, the Roman leader Flavius Silva, laid siege to the mountain to capture and enslave the 960 Jews living as rebels. Flavius had 8,000 troops and built eight camps around the base of the mountain. The siege lasted a few months, and when they knew the time was nearing the end for them, the Jewish leaders (10 men) killed their women and children, and then each other. This is all documented on pottery urns that had been discovered up there in the 20th century.

We arrived on one of the two days in the year that the gondola undergoes maintenance and the day it was closed to hikers too. We’ll have to stop again on our return trip.

Israel takes security seriously. We spotted a goat herder with a machine gun over his shoulder; five or six tanks; military men and women carrying automatics; and barbed-wire fencing around every Jewish settlement. Once we arrived in Tel Aviv, we walked around the outdoor shopping district, and were frisked going in. It's standard to go through a scanner in every hotel.
Israel is expensive! Things are two times more than in Canada, and four times more than in Syria. We picked up a hitch hiker heading to a Kibbutz, (Israeli agricultural farms) and had a delightful chat and drove passed the West Bank areas (Palestine lands).

January 14 – ISRAEL & MILITARY
Everywhere we turn, there are Israeli military men and women with automatics and then each store has an armed security guard that frisks you before entering. 

January 17 – JERUSALEM
It’s a mosaic of people and religion, where the past meets the present: historic archeological Biblical sights and modern technology. From its roots during the time of King David to the State of Israel in 1948, and today, Jerusalem has been an inspiration for Christians, Jews and Muslims.
We spent the whole day touring the Museum of Israel, traveling through the Canaanite Period, Israelite, Early Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Crucifixion of Jesus, Late Roman, Byzantine, Persian, Early Museum, Crusaders, Ottoman, and British periods, a dozen layers of history in one city. The Dead Sea scrolls are housed there, and seeing them was an extraordinary moment.

At breakfast we entered discussion with a few people around us. A female therapist visiting tried to explain the gruff nature that many view the Israeli Jews. “They are a shell-shocked hand-me-down generation of survivors of WWII, mixed with aristocrats and others hoping to build the new nation."
Another woman who'd been visiting relatives in Israel since 1964, spoke of the frank calmness as if saying, “Glad we were in the kitchen when our living room was bombed.”
Last night, we met two young men here on Biblical studies. One guy scratched his head, “At first seeing so many young military people, like kids carrying automatics, it unnerves you, but you can’t help but be reminded that you’re in Israel.”

Carrying on our Biblical tour of the area, Con and I visited the Church of Annunciation and St. Joseph's carpentry, in the town of Nazareth. This is allegedly where Jesus was conceived, where Mary lived, and where Joseph's carpentry shop was located. It was all within 150 meters! The Church of Annunciation was built over Mother Mary's house. (Pictured beside.)

We drove on to Tiberius and along the Sea of Galilee, to the Church of Multiplication of Fish and Loaves, where it is written in the Bible that Jesus fed thousands with one fish and one loaf, and he walked on the water in the Sea of Galilee.

January 18 -- We toured the old walled city of Jerusalem, one square kilometer, filling ourselves with history, and leaving us begging for more. Entering at the Jaffa Gate, we toured the four quarters of the city: Jewish, Christian, Armenians, and Muslims sites. School was just getting out in the Jewish Quarter. Archeologists are able to verify many accounts in the Bible, and at the same time, prove them incorrect. Jerusalem has 4,000 years of history, and every time they dig, more pieces of history are uncovered.
The most amazing part of our day was in The Christian Quarter, entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, located on the Hill of Golgotha (also known as Calvary) the site of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The three locations are within a few meters from the next. The church was built by the Crusaders. When you enter the door and walk a few paces, you can touch the Anointing Stone where Jesus' body was prepared for burial. It is said to be the exact location. Just above the stone, you climb steep steps, to the site where Jesus was crucified. It was on a hill, and the church is now built around the hill.

From the Mount of Olives, a Jewish grave site, and a place referenced many times in the Bible we could see the walled city, and just out of view on the left is the Temple Mount. The gray mosque is called Al-Aksa Mosque, the furthest point Mohammed reached from his journey from Mecca (Saudi Arabia).
In the Armenian Quarter, the church is built on the site where it is believed Jesus ate his last supper.

​The Dome of the Rock or the Temple Mount is covered in gold, and to the right is the Wailing Wall or Western Wall.
In the Muslim Quarter, the Dome of the Rock the place where Abraham is believed to have bound his son Isaac in preparation for sacrifice to prove his belief in God. The angels stopped him from slicing him with a knife. This is also the place where Mohammed ascended to heaven. Like all the sites, a church or dome is built on top of the holy locations.
I went into the 'women's entrance' covered my head in the purple scarf and went to the Wailing Wall. Con went to the men's section of the Wailing Wall and had to cover his head too. The Wailing Wall is sacred to the Jewish people because it is the only remaining retaining wall from the second temple (the first temple was destroyed). The wall holds up the Temple Mount, built by King Herod.

January 19 -- Armed with a map, Con and I entered the Jaffa Gate again, into the 'Old City of Jerusalem.' With a few hours before the Temple Mount opened, Con slipped into a 750 year-old barber shop business for a haircut. The business has been passed down for generations, when the barber retires, his two sons will take over. (Pictures in the slide show beside.)

We climbed up the ramp and entered the Temple Mount through metal detectors. I lost count at 12, somewhat overwhelmed by the armed soldiers guarding the entrance. Taking pictures of them is not a good idea. The Temple Mount is the highest point in the Old City of Jerusalem, designed by King Herod, perhaps the greatest architect, at least of his time. Only Muslims are allowed inside.

It's yet another sacred location for all religious people. For Muslims, Mohammed ascended to heaven on a horse with wings from this rock. For Christians, Abraham presented his son on the rock for slaughter to test his faith in God.

January 20 – JERUSELUM TUNNELS
Controversial tunnels, led by archeologists, have been squirreled under the Muslim quarter along the full outside section of the Western Wall. The purpose is for Jews to get as close as possible to the Wailing Wall and the Dome of the Rock. The tunnels have created a 'time tunnel,' as we walked on the same rocks that Jesus had walked 2,000 years ago. At one point, we were directly in front of the portion of the Western Wall nearest to the Dome of the Rock, and deep inside the tunnels on the Muslim side. We passed frantic prayers with their faces against the wall. (Pictures in the slide show below.)

Walking through the Jerusalem market, I had a funny observation. Since Hebrew and Arabic writing is backward to English, a guy is the market called out: "Frutie Tuttie," instead of "Tuttie Frutie" -- whatever that means anyway, and "daddle dilly," instead of "Dilly Daddle."

January 22 – TO THE WEST BANK
In order to get from Israel to the West Bank, you cross the Palestinian border which we did to visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus (border crossing building pictured below). We wandered through the marketplace, with the Muslim crowds, enjoying their hospitality. At the end of the street, barely visible is the Basilica and Grotto of the Nativity where Jesus was born in what was once the manger. Remember the story... Joseph had to return to Bethlehem from Nazareth, for the censor (to count the people for taxes) so he and pregnant Mary traveled to Bethlehem. The manger is now a Greek Orthodox church. Pictures are in the slide show above, and looks like a fancy fire place mantle. 

We stopped for lunch: Arabic Coke Zero, chicken, salad, humus, yogurt with garlic, falafels, pita bread, hot salsa and a plate of hot pickles, peppers and olives.

Our visit to the Holocaust Museum was an emotional journey through the chronological documentation of the murder of six million Jews during WWII. The museum has nine underground galleries telling the history from the Jewish perspective. It's punctuated by a look into the worlds of Jews who lived and died under the Nazis and their collaborators, told in photos, video testimonials, and monuments.

January 23 – BACK TO MASADA
Returning to the eastern fringe of the Judean Desert, we were able to visit Masada, now open. (Pictures are above.) The King of the Jews, King Herod (37 BC - 4 CE) built the fortress in the style of a palace. The site is most known for the "Great Revolt" in 73 CE when 900 Jews held back 10 - 15,000 Romans who had captured Jerusalem and enslaved the Jews. The Roman's had eight camps like this one, surrounding the plateau, hoping that in a few weeks, the Jews would come down for food and water. In fact, they had enough sustenance to last for years. The Roman's eventually built a ramp and blasted their way through the stone walls, but it took them a number of years. Just before they climbed through the walls to enslave the Jews, they all committed suicide.

From Tel Aviv we flew to Dusseldorf to attend the boat show before returning to Big Sky.