Friday we went to Jerusalem and saw... everything. It was incredible! We had considered renting a car and doing the whole thing on our own... bad idea. We decided to hire a tour guide for the four of us. Moshe! He took us to see the Wailing Wall, the Jaffa Gate, the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish quarters of the old city, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Garden Tomb and Golgotha, David's tomb, the room of the Last Supper, the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, and Bethlehem.
Bethlehem required us going out into the desert, meeting a Palestinian driver who took us to Jerusalem (Jews are not allowed), where we met a Palesenian tour guide. Guide #2 took us to the church on the spot where Jesus was born. We then saw the Shepherds field, and the place where Ruth gleaned in Boaz' fields. To get us back to our Israeli (Jewish) tour guide, we had to be driven to an abandoned security checkpoint back in the desert and meet our Israeli tour guide. At one point, I would not have been surprised to see masked gunmen surround our car. Pretty cool (in retrospect). Bethlehem is very depressed economically, but Jerusalem is booming. The Palestinians are shooting themselves in the foot.
Also, I saw Jeff Goldblum playing the lobby piano in our hotel last night. Today, he was in the executive club, and I told him he did a good job on the piano, and asked if he was learning to play. He thanked me and said he was always a student. He is very tall, and has shaved his head to look bald.
Finally, I have taken 200+ pictures, but have no way to upload. I will do so after I return. I also took some video. Love you all. I love Israel. Went swimming in the Mediterranean today. Surreal.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I can't believe you've been to Jerusalem! It sounds like an amazing trip. Talk about one of the top places in the world to see. And of course you talked to Jeff Goldblum and told him he was good at the piano! That's so fun.
Amazing...what an experience to be able to see all of that! Wow! That is so cool, John. I'm excited to see some pictures!
Amy
John - What an amazing trip! Dad and I just envy your opportunity to be in the land that is truly the center of the spiritual world. Amazing to see the places about which you have heard so much in your life....to think of the events that have taken place there. I just felt such pleasure of you as I read your account this evening. Take care of yourself...MOM
So rare these days to get to visit those special sites. What an incredible experience to have been able to go there. Can't wait to see the photos.
DB
Post a Comment