20180603 Jerusalem: A very long day from 8:00-5:00 and all in Old City and City of David. Exhausting and exhilarating. Yael and her father (who is also a guide) picked us up. They had parked one of their cars in a lot by the Old City since spaces are hard to get. So he drove us up there, parked, and took their car home.

Tough to even outline all that we did. Yael’s father first had driven us totally around the Old City to see all the walls and all the gates. We entered the Zion Gate into the Jewish Quarter and walked to the Roman Cardo (old main street that ran the length of the city) where Yael gave us an overview using a map depicting Roman times. We then spent a good amount of time in the Jewish Archeological Park outside the walls. Got a full history of Jerusalem from the beginning to now … all the epochs and rulers, when the First and Second Temples were built and by whom and when destroyed, etc.

All through the walk, we got good views of the Dome of the Rock and the El Aqsa Mosque. The Old City is on Mt. Moriah and the Dome of the Rock is the place where the world was created … where Heaven touches the Earth, and is the place where Abraham bound Isaac. Both the Dome of the Rock and the mosque are on the Temple Mount, and not really accessible by non-Moslems except in specific times. And we saw a movie (the first of many of the day) about the history of Jerusalem.

In the park, we went to the where the steps to the Temple are and could see the arches for where Jews entered and exited from the Temple. All the arches are sealed with rocks, but their outlines are clearly visible. The stairs are broad with many steps taking one up to the walls.

And we went to a place where the Southern Wall meets the Western Wall. It’s not the area where people pray since it’s at the other end away from where the Dome of the Rock is above. When the Romans conquered Jerusalem, they wanted to tear down not only the Temple, but also all the walls. However, the stones of the walls were so huge that all they could do was throw down much smaller rocks and boulders, which are at the base of this section of the Western Wall.

After a break for iced coffee (our first of a few), we went to the Western Wall where Andy and I split off from Yael, Marian, Tracy, and Anna since there are separate sections for men and women. We had all made prayers on scraps of paper which we put into the Wall as we prayed there. It is a very emotional experience for me. I was here in 1970 and am blessed to be here today. Tough to know exactly what my feelings were, but touching the wall (and when we first saw Jerusalem from Mt. Scopus) brought tears to my eyes.

After the Wall, we all went on a tour of the tunnels below and parallel to the Western Wall all the way to an ancient aqueduct and cistern. This is a guided tour and takes a bit of time (and more movies). What we can see on the surface of the Wall is only part of it. Much is underground all the way to bedrock. Emerging, we got a brief introduction to the Stations of the Cross and then went to the Austrian Hostel for another iced coffee and a rest in their garden.

We walked the route of the Stations of the Cross and Yael told us about each one. It’s all in the Chistian Quarter. You end up at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of where Jesus was crucified, prepared for burial, and buried. It’s a church that belongs both to the Catholic Church and Greek Orthodox Church. Beautiful inside and very meaningful for the faithful.

We walked through the the Moslem Quarter back to the Jewish Quarter and had lunch (bagel, cream cheese, salmon!). Finally, we did some shopping in the Jewish Cardo and left the Old City and walked down to the City of David, the oldest Jewish settlement that pre-dates the Old City.

Saw a 3D movie about the City of David and then toured a bit. We were all flagging from all the walking, so did not go down to the aqueduct or the tunnel there, but walked way uphill back to the car park and headed back to the hotel for a rest.

About 8:00, we went out to dinner at Olive and Fish down the street. As with about everything we’ve eaten here, was very good.

So tomorrow we leave here at 8:15 for another full day.

20180605 Ein Gedi, Masada, Dead Sea, Eilat: Was an outdoor-adventure day that started at 8:00 AM and ended almost 12 hours later. But before I go into that, I want to say that my whole perception of the Territories/West Bank has changed being on the ground here and seeing what is where. I think you have to drive through A, B, and C areas to really understand. I’m just beginning to.

So, off we went from Jerusalem this morning with all our luggage. We went south to Ein Gedi Reserve for a hike to see some neat waterfalls. At one, all but Andy and me got into the water and got wet from waterfall coming down on them. And Ein Gedi has a place in the Bible especially relating to King Saul and David.

After a hike up and down (where Marian excelled in conquering it all), we drove to Masada. Saw the movie explaining the history and took the cable car to the top. Yael walked us around for about two hours explaining the history and events from Herod’s time to the fall of Masada in 70 AD. Wonderful. And you look out at the Dead Sea and across to Jordan.

Next stop was the Dead Sea where we changed into bathing suits and floated around for awhile. The water is shallow since it’s in an area where they are harvesting minerals and pumping out water. And it’s warm. Can’t say it was something I want to do again, but I can notch it off that I’ve done it. Took showers, dressed, drove nearby for iced coffee and then a two-hour drive south to Eliat.

Room 626 at the Dan Panorama in Eilat. Our room overlooks the marina and the city. Had an only fair dinner nearby around 9:00 after floundering around to find a restaurant. Early and full day tomorrow – Petra.

20180604 Jerusalem: Yael picked us up at 8:15 and we headed over to the Herzl Museum for an interactive tour of his vision and thoughts. They do these kinds of tours really well. Then walked up Mount Herzl first to Herzl’s grave, next the cemetery area where leaders of Israel are buried and then to the military part of the cemetery. Of course, Yael’s stories, general and personal, were meaningful. All the graves are quite simple. Those of the leaders of one design and those of fallen military another.

From there, we drove to Yad Vashem. Marian and I had been here in 1962, but it is much expanded. Yael walked us through the main building adding commentary or directing us to various items or screens where survivors told their stories. It’s both a hard place to visit, but important to do so. Whole groups of IDF personnel were in there learning the history of the Holocaust as part of their training. After the main building, we visited the synagogue, Building of the Eternal Flame, and the Children’s Monument. What we saw and experienced are very difficult to put down in writing. So many feelings well up. We saw history develop and its results. In many ways, I don’t want to explain more of what we saw and felt. It’s something one should experience altogether on one’s own.

After lunch there, Yael drove us to the Mamilla Mall where we shopped and then walked back to the hotel. Around 7:30 we walked about 15 minutes over to Music Square where there are several restaurants. We ate at Pikolino (dairy) which was next to a meat restaurant. At ours was a group of 70 high school seniors from a Houston Jewish day school on their senior trip. At the meat restaurant were over 100 Orthodox women celebrating. And this was all outdoors. Cold, so they brought us blankets! Good dinner and a nice walk home. Gotta get up early to leave at 8:00 fully packed for another set of adventures.

20180606 Petra: Today is was all about Petra. Left here at 7:45 and Yael drove us to the Itzak Rabin Crossing into Jordan. Lots of paperwork on both sides coming and going. And I think we had to put our stuff through scanners and walk through metal detectors at least six or eight times during the day not only at borders, but also at Petra Archeological Park, the hotel for lunch, etc. Also showed our passports lots of times including some profiling on the Israeli side (e.g., tell me your name).

We walked across into Jordan and waited for a bit for our Jordanian guide to come, do the paperwork and visas. Into the van with Max the driver and our Guide, Raed Salim. It’s a two-hour drive over not-so-good paved roads. First it’s the Desert Highway. Then Kings Way. We passed various parts of the mountains climbing from sea level to 5,000 feet and over to the other side. With a major fault line running down the Jordan Valley, lots of wonderful rocks and colors.

Got to Petra. Going into the bottom of the valley where the Treasury is really is two parts. There is a path leading past some tombs and carvings and then you get to the entrance of the valley with rock formations of all sorts and colors all around. The round trip from entrance to Treasury and back is about 3.5 miles. All downhill going in. All uphill (obviously) coming back.

Raed stopped and explained things as we went along. He has a trick when you get near the Treasury which I will not reveal. And the Treasury is as wonderful as I imagined it would be. We found out it’s really a royal tomb and never was a treasury, but that name has stuck.

Walking back was uphill, as I mentioned, and seemed steep at times. At the halfway point, the Spellers did the rest of the journey on horseback. The older generation walked. Marian is to be praised for another day of soldering on outside her comfort zone.

Back in Petra - Wadi Musa (Moses Valley), we had a humongous lunch at the Movenpick hotel. We were the only ones in a huge dining room to eat a set lunch. Then the two-hour bumpy ride back to the borders, scans, passports, checks, etc. and finally back in Israel around 5:00 with Yael waiting for us.

Rested until 7:30 then went out to La Cuccina on the promenade near the marina for a lovely dinner with Yael. Early night. Only 9:30 now and we don’t leave here until 10:15 tomorrow.