So as usual, we begin the day with an awesome breakfast. Soon it’s time to head back to the buses, most of us toting swimwear.
We venture out of Jerusalem (just slightly) and enter back into the West Bank to go to Bethany. Here we have Mass at the area where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived. Yes, you guessed it. A significant part of this celebration was Jesus raising Lazarus from the tomb. We hear another great homily from Father Dave. Wonderful way to start the day!
Into the bus we go. Before long we are at the Jordan River. While I knew this was part of the day’s plan, I can add this to another one of these experiences that I didn’t realize would be so…awesome.
Looking at maps, the Jordan River right here is the boundary between the nations of Israel and Jordan. Mentally, this is easy to understand. However seeing it for myself was a while different experience.
The Jordan River is not very wide.
Shoot, if you have a good right arm you could probably fling a rock from Israel into Jordan.
Given this is another popular destination in the Holy Land, we are among several tour groups there at this time. The plan for our group is to have a renewal of baptismal vows and be sprinkled with holy water. When I glance around at the other groups it’s pretty obvious that a few folks will be going into the river for full-immersion baptism.
I’m glad I am with the Catholics because…that water doesn’t look very clean or clear.
Some members of our group mentioned that, at this site, the Jordan River can be quite polluted due to things such as agricultural runoff.
How about some pictures to help the story along?
Looking directly east, into Jordan:
That’s Father Dave in the middle, just before sprinkling all of us with holy water:
It’s now time to go to the Dead Sea! After a quick lunch we get instructions unique to this body of water. Things such as: how to best float oneself; do not put one’s head under the water; don’t get the water in your mouth or nose; and the importance of showering off once you’re done. Oh, and they mention you can also dig down from the bottom and put that mud on yourself.
(You couldn’t get more different from visiting a Minnesota lake if you tried!)
I admit I had some trepidation at first. I am not the world’s most coordinated person and I had fleeting thoughts of somehow slipping or otherwise winding up fully immersed in this salt sea.
Turns out I shouldn’t have been anxious. The temperature of the water was fine and sure enough, once I got out to a certain depth just gently laying back and allowing the water’s buoyancy to do what it does was all that was needed.
After a certain amount of time in the water just floating around, minding my own business, I figure I’ve had enough. Getting out was really just as easy as getting in and after a stop at the bathhouse for a quick shower I’m dressed, relaxed, and my skin feels, yeah, pretty good.
I meet up with Geogal and we get adult beverages at the lowest bar in the world. We also touch base with a couple from our bus and enjoy some really good conversation.
This is one awesome way to spend an afternoon.
But we’re not done with the day yet! Once we’re back on the buses it’s time to visit the city of Jericho. According to the information from our guides this is the oldest continuously inhabited city on planet Earth.
Just outside the city we get a stunning view of significant cliffs and rock outcroppings. This area is believed to be where Jesus endured some of the evil one’s temptations when He was in the wilderness for 40 days just prior to starting His ministry.
After milling around it’s back to our buses, back to Jerusalem. For the first time since departing the airplane, this evening there will not be a group meal. Instead all of us have the opportunity to simply go eat wherever we wanted this evening.
A large city, with numerous eating establishments within walking distance. Sounds good, right?
Except…
It’s the Sabbath. (Shabbat) We are in Jerusalem and the vast majority of restaurants/eating establishments are closed as of sundown.
Some of our acquaintances talk about visiting an Italian joint (Christian-owned, so they are open) for pizza however that doesn’t work for Geogal and I. She cannot have gluten and I despise cheese. Therefore we need a different plan.
Since we’re staying at a five-star hotel we figure we’re going to get our money’s worth and go to the concierge. Thankfully she guided us to a place that fit our needs well.
We end up being able to have a short conversation with one of the servers. Her English was a little bit shaky but she seemed very friendly and willing to engage with us. Turns out she’s an immigrant from either Russia or one of the associated republics. When it was time for us to leave, we left her a very generous tip. Our server expressed a lot of thanks and Geogal thinks that she might even have had tears in her eyes.
Time to take the short walk back to the hotel and turn in for the night. This was one of the earlier evenings both of us got to bed.
We say goodbye to Bethlehem, as today we head back to Jerusalem. Our drivers navigate the traffic as we arrive at the Old City, with our first stop being the Western Wall. As with so many others in our group, I very much want to approach the Wall, and do so with proper reverence.
Afterwards I reconnect with Geogal (the Wall is gender segregated). Both of us agree it was a meaningful experience even if we are not Jewish. Following this, our green bus group gets a tour of the outside of the Temple, and before long all three bus groups are sitting on the southern steps. It’s explained to us that Jesus spoke to crowds in this very location in the days preceding His crucifixion. To add even more significance, Peter also preached here in the days recorded in the first section of the Acts of the Apostles.
After lunch, we visit the Upper Room where it is believed the Last Supper took place.
Once again (a common them throughout this travelogue!) this was not ever how I pictured this location in my mind’s eye. It is just one room and it’s actually quite large. Also again, because we are just one of many tour groups, this Upper Room is quite crowded.
From there we take a walk to Caiaphas’s house. I saw this on the itinerary but I didn’t realize just how impactful this stop would be for me.
One of the features of the house was an area where they kept prisoners. This was not a jail cell or holding cell the way we typically think of them. Rather it is a very small area, rough walls, no way to really to sit down or lay. And our guides share with us how in Jesus’ time this room likely had vermin.
Hearing and seeing this, I reflect for a while and realize again Jesus’ sufferings on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday were to such an extent I may never fully understand them.
It’s now late afternoon and we had to our Jerusalem hotel (which is quite awesome). Soon it’s time for supper and this time it’s just a walk to a local restaurant. Instead of the larger tables we’ve become used to, this is a restaurant that has just your typical smaller tables and chairs, generally about four people to a table. As it turned out, we sat at a table with a couple from a different bus. Initially I wasn’t sure how it would go given that we were not at all acquainted.
I should not have been concerned. Turns out engaging in conversation with this other couple was very easy. Verdict?
We begin by going to the Shepherds Field. Tradition dictates this is the place where the angels appeared to shepherds, announcing the birth of the Christ child. This does involve a Mass which is the first one we’ve had outdoors.
This particular Mass also provides a quick humorous interlude:
As I indicated previously, my wife and I are not Catholic so while we do attend each Mass during this pilgrimage we do not take communion because we want to be in accordance with the church rules. In the previous Masses this was no issue because we would sit at the back of the church, knowing that doing so we would not impede anyone going up to receive the Eucharist.
Today however, Geogal and I are standing towards the back (as usual) and when it comes time for the distribution of communion, Father Dave heads right to the rear and approaches me with the hosts! I was caught off guard and try to be quiet by simply shaking my head “no,” and attempted to come up with some “no, no, not me” sign. While a bit uneasy in the moment, it’s one of those that just even a few minutes later causes me to look back and laugh.
When the Mass is ended (“Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!”) we all have some downtime to walk around this area. If memory serves me correctly I think the original plan was to celebrate Mass in one of the caves, yet due to many other groups coming to this area the caves were taken. Therefore, Mass outside!
(If I’m wrong on my recollection anyone else who was on this trip is welcome to let me know.)
After some time enjoying the outdoors and reflecting that this landscape (very rocky) was similar to what the shepherds walked 2000-some years ago it’s time to get to the next destination on the itinerary. Once again, back on the buses and we head to the Church of the Nativity.
It should go without saying I’ve been looking forward to being able to be at or extremely near the spot where Jesus was born.
However…because this is a highly visited area, our group winds up standing in line for around 90 minutes.
(I’m really glad I’m over my sciatic pain issue otherwise all this standing would’ve been agony.)
Finally, Geogal and I get our chance. You have to get down on your knees due to the design of the surrounding building materials. Still, it is incredibly meaningful to place your hand on the spot where Jesus was born.
With the wait over, now it’s time to have lunch!
Something else I’ve enjoyed (at least up until now) was that the meals were all within my food preferences. This lunch, however, was one that was, let’s just say, pasta-intense. Unfortunately there was little meat to go along with it so it’s the first meal that I didn’t truly truly enjoy, although the fellowship was still good.
After lunch is over the day becomes much more casual. We go to a place called The Store. This is one of the few places in Bethlehem that is run by Christians and it features plenty of carvings and other crafts to serve as mementos of this area.
Something that really gets my attention and warrants a picture is an urn that held the held one of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Geogal and I actually don’t take too long in the store, however there are other members of our group that are making significant purchases. As such, we have some more leisure time. After the rapid pace of the last 2 to 3 days I welcome the casual time.
After what seems like a long wait, everyone’s finally back on the buses that whisk us to the hotel. After a brief rest, we gather again and arrive at a restaurant for more feasting, followed by karaoke.
Today involves a lot of travel. I don’t mind that, though, and in fact I’ve been looking forward to it. Our destination is Jerusalem!
We all get in our buses and start heading south, following the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
I was really fortunate at one point, accidentally so. I was seated on the right side of the bus and I happened to notice we went over a very small bridge. It looked to me like an ordinary ditch or maybe a small creek. However, in checking my map application, it turns out I saw exactly where the Jordan River begins, transporting water from the Sea of Galilee, then due south to the Dead Sea.
Since my generally bad luck and fate usually work against me with these types of things, I give myself a figurative pat on the back.
We head away from the Sea of Galilee and I’m marveling at just how close we are to the country of Jordan. (Unbeknownst to me, we would be even closer before this pilgrimage is over but that will be covered in another day’s entry.)
The further south we go, the more the landscape changes. Slowly, the green that is so indicative of Galilee turns into desert terrain. It seems we are starting to move into how I always pictured the Holy Land.
It takes a while but our caravan of buses finally makes a turn due west and we begin to go up…up…up…up.
This is not the same kind of switchback road that we experienced yesterday on Mount Tabor. Our guide explains the geography of Jerusalem, emphasizing it is at a higher elevation than much of the surrounding countryside. And, just about any way you approach it, you go up. We start getting closer and closer to the city (my map app confirms this) but it doesn’t really seem like we are in civilization. We pass up some Bedouin camps and our guide tells us how this culture still adheres to some of their first century traditions in how they live—even if during the workday they practice modern-day professions.
We enter a tunnel and our guide tells us, “be sure to be looking towards the left.” Indeed, when we clear the tunnel we have a view of Jerusalem, especially the old city. The Dome of the Rock with its golden top is impossible to miss.
Not too far into the city, our buses pull off the highway and next thing we know we are at a restaurant for today’s mid-day meal. In the pre-trip material our esteemed guides noted that at this location we would have a great view of the city. Very true!
Lunch was delicious and I realize I can’t get enough of hummus!
After lunch everyone has a few minutes to spend some time outside the restaurant and obviously we were all enjoying the great view of the city.
Our stomachs full, and needing our legs to be good and stretched after the long bus ride, it’s time to go to our next destination. Our bus drivers negotiate some narrow streets and we soon stop and disembark.
How about a walk?
We are on the eastern edge of the city and the route we are now walking is thought to be very similar to the route used by Jesus as He made the triumphal entry into the city on Palm Sunday.
One thing I will definitely remember about this walk is that it was downhill. And when I say downhill I mean downhill. To be sure, for those with with knee issues it could be challenging and I’m thankful for good footwear.
We stop, we sit, and Lino gives another talk. Where we are sitting is considered to be the area where Jesus stopped and wept over the city. All of us, I’m sure, have different responses combined with different reactions. For me it is yet another opportunity to pause, be quiet, and reflect.
Next up is the Garden of Gethsemane. There is an adjacent church where our Mass for the day will take place.
Granted, I had very very few disappointments on this trip. Yet one that stands out is I didn’t get to spend more time just walking through the Garden of Gethsemane and taking time to meditate. Conversely, I also accept that is what happens when you’re part of a tour group.
In any event the Mass is meaningful, wonderful (as all of them have been so far), and Father Dave gives great homilies.
The Mass is ended and then it’s back to the tour buses (thankfully we did not have to walk uphill).
Our next destination is Bethlehem. I’m paying particular attention because this involves crossing over from Israel into Palestine, specifically the West Bank. While on the map this leg is a short distance, it takes a while as…Jerusalem also has rush hour! No matter, and we arrive at the hotel where we will spend the next two nights.
Another wonderful breakfast, then it’s to the buses for our brief journey to Nazareth!
Rather than being the trashy and inconsequential village described in the Bible, modern-day Nazareth presents as another small burg that might be overlooked if not for the New Testament history it contains.
We go to the Basilica of the Annunciation, where Scripture tells us Mary was visited by the angel, informing her she would bear the Christ. With the beautiful architecture and artwork from numerous countries, this is yet another place where one could spend hours. The cave where Mary is believed to have lived is preserved and many in our group pause, kneel, and reflect.
Father Dave officiates the Mass for today and we also get a talk from Lino. The rain makes another appearance but that can’t dampen our spirits!
Time for lunch, and who can but not like shawarma and hummus? I purchase a Magnum bar from a nearby vendor and it seems Father Dave was intrigued by my dessert…
After lunch we get back on the bus and head over to Cana. Even non-Catholics (perhaps even non-Christians) have heard of this location and what it represents. The significance of this place is this being the location where Jesus performed His first miracle. We gather in a small chapel and Father Dave leads us in a devotion. All the couples are invited to stand up, face each other, and repeat some standard marriage vows.
Afterward we get to look around just a bit and again there’s an excavation (very, very common in so many of our locations). We also see vases from around that time that look to be very similar to the containers that had water and then became wine, courtesy of a Miracle-Worker from Galilee.
Again, the bus (!) and we drive a little bit through the countryside. I noticed how Galilee is just very, very, big, very beautiful, very verdant. We see in the distance what appears to be an Israeli military installation and they have what looks to be an aerostat. I’m intrigued and do snap a few pictures of it (not that it relates to anything spiritual, I just thought it looked really cool).
Our buses begin to approach a hill. I suppose you could call it a hill however some may call it a small mountain. It definitely stands out from the surrounding landscape. This is Mount Tabor, which is believed to be the side of the transfiguration
Throughout this trip I have to appreciate the sense of humor that Lino and the rest of the crew share. In referring to the transfiguration, they like to use the term “Shiny Jesus!”
I look up at the hill-mountain and think, “well there’s no way our large coaches are going to make it up this hill.”
That is correct. We disembark from the buses and are shuffled into passenger vans that are not much bigger than your average conversion van.
Our van loaded with people, it’s time to go to the top! Granted, the roads are well-engineered with plenty of switchbacks. Why do I mention this? One has to wonder are if these van drivers are getting paid by the number of up-and-down trips they make. First of all, they go fast and second, they take the switchback turns pretty doggoned hard. Every time we hit a turn I feel like the forces of physics are well in play. Fly to the right, then fling to the left! Whump! Whoom!
We arrive at the top within a few minutes, none the worse for wear. There is a basilica on the site where the transfiguration is believed to have taken place. We had the opportunity to walk around quite a bit especially because, given the number of van loads, it takes a little while for the entire group to get to the summit.
I enjoy this quiet time, as it’s wonderful to not feel rushed. Also, I’m enjoying the views from the top of this hill (or mountain). Looking down and getting the privilege of a 360° view is amazing. I get another glimpse of that Israeli aerostat.
Going through the basilica, the architecture (just like everything else we’ve seen so far) is beautiful. Upon entering, we see porticos off to the right and to the left. The artwork in those depict episodes in the lives of Moses and Elijah. Moses is carrying the 10 Commandments and Elijah is calling down the fire on the altar. (Take that, you Baal worshippers!!)
Our group listens to more narration from our hosts and we then get back into the vans. The trip down didn’t seem quite as interesting (or traumatic) as the trip up, probably because we knew what to expect.
Back on the bus, back to Tiberius. We get to rest up for a bit at the hotel and then went out to a local restaurant for a wonderful meal.
I wake up and walk around my room. I’m still trying to absorb that I’m here in the Holy Land, so far from home. I take a look out of our hotel room window and I see a beautiful lake. I’m thinking to myself, “That’s the Sea of Galilee. I can clearly see over to the other side.” In my mind’s ear I tell myself, “Well this must just be a big bay or in inlet of some sort, but I imagine the actual full body of the Sea of Galilee is on the other side of that hilly area.” I then pull out my devices (i.e., my MacBook Air and my iPhone) and start looking up some maps.
Turns out I am looking at the actual entire Sea of Galilee.
This was probably the first of my many many amazing moments related to geography in this part the world.
From the Bible stories, I always pictured the Sea of Galilee to be a much larger body of water but hey, seeing is believing.
(Sea-ing is believing? Sorry about that one, readers, I couldn’t resist.)
I head on down to the breakfast buffet and oh, what a spread! I’m not ever going to go hungry on this trip and I’m definitely not lacking for much this morning. Lots and lots and lots of choices. Pastries, various bread products, eggs, different varieties of fish and a lot of things I cannot identify. It turned out it to be a really good mixture of Middle Eastern, European, and American breakfast choices.
Full disclosure time: I did have extremely brief thoughts of, “Where are the bacon and sausage products?”
Oh! (Slap my head.)
I am in Israel. This is a country that follows largely kosher rules and other Jewish dietary restrictions. Obviously that includes no pork products.
Breakfast is outstanding and I have great conversation with some fellow pilgrims. Soon it’s time for us to get ready for the day. We all congregate down in the lobby and get on the bus. Given that we’re not far from the Sea of Galilee our ride to the dock was a pretty short one. We arrive at our launch and pretty soon we’re being escorted down the dock and onto the boat. There is a boat tied right next to ours and it contained a lot of people who were singing. (We think they were Koreans.) Very quickly our guide, Lino Rulli, now lets us know that some religious groups on these pilgrimages engage in singing or other mirth. He does not encourage this and not because he has any difficulty with singing or with music. Rather he simply wants us to enjoy the experience, each in our own way. When we were all quiet or having subdued conversations among ourselves it’s so much easier for all of us to just take in the experience however we wish.
Off we go! The winds are pretty calm and we don’t really even go that far out into the sea of Galilee.
Immersed in my own experience of the moment, I notice something that’s very meaningful for me.
I am well aware the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee has changed a lot over 2000 years. As already noted, the towns and villages are all modern. But as I look out off in the distance I see cliffs, rock outcroppings, gentle hills, and other features of geology. Although these might change just slightly over the course of two millennia, when I look at those I’m thought to myself: “These features of nature, these hills, valleys, and cliffs are very similar to what Jesus and the disciples themselves saw!”
At that moment I experience a sense of emotion that is really hard to put into words. (It won’t be the first time this trip I feel such a way.)
The boat ride as I said was gentle and we hear Lino give a talk about the Sea of Galilee and some of what occurred here. After a while it’s time to motor on back to the dock and as we are heading toward shore we catch up with a couple of acquaintances we first chatted with during supper the previous evening. One of them appeared to be wiping her mouth. I didn’t think anything of it until she went up to the front area where are the operator of the boat was selling T-shirts. Some of the shirts had the phrase: “I sailed on the Sea of Galilee.” Our newfound friend said to the vendor, “Too bad you don’t have one that says ‘I puked in the Sea of Galilee.’” To be sure, I don’t know if she is prone to seasickness but I guess even the gentle rocking of the boat got a little bit too much for her at one point.
After that we get back on the bus for another very short ride. Our next stop is Capernaum. This was an area described in the Gospels as the place where Jesus began his public ministry. It was interesting to see the ruins including those of what archaeologists believe was Peter’s house, where Jesus healed Saint Peter’s mother-in-law.
Time for Mass! Today it is in a church that is built right above Saint Peter’s home. I will give the architect credit, given this is one interesting structure. Some people even say it looks like a UFO landed. To be fair, I will let a picture provide a thousand words:
Following Mass we are checking out the synagogue ruins. The gray skies begin providing a light drizzle. (This would not be the only time the skies would open up on our gang, more on that later.)
Soon it’s time for lunch and in this area why not enjoy what’s called St. Peter’s fish? This is where they take fish freshly caught from the Sea of Galilee, dip it in batter, and fry it. I even heard some people say, “Like oh yeah, you really got to eat the fish eyes.”
(In case you’re curious, yes I did eat the fish eyes or at least I tried to. A bit crunchy. It was similar to putting pebbles in your mouth.)
With lunch over, it’s back on the bus (green bus!!) and again we’re skirting the north side of the Sea of Galilee. This is the area where historians believe Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. Then, as the afternoon gets later, we go to another area on the shore called the spot of Peter’s primacy. This is the area where Jesus appeared to Peter and the disciples following His resurrection. In contrast to the horror of Jesus’ trial, torture, and crucifixion, this Biblical story portrays a time of peace and restoration.
Despite the crowd, I still take my own time to reflect and visualize the scene. Jesus having prepared the fire and the fish, ready for Him and the disciples to enjoy. Jesus, no doubt showing the wounds from his crucifiction, yet He is with the men today, resurrected. Never to die again.
While today’s setting is unquestionably different than it was two millennia ago, it still is very special to realize what happened right near here one peaceful spring morning, circa 33 AD. I even think about the work involved just to start the fire (no butane lighters in those days!) and it becomes apparent how Jesus wanted this time to be special and memorable.
Time to return to the hotel and get ready for the evening meal. This was the first of several specifically-hosted suppers for our group. Then it’s back to the hotel and restful sleep.
What follows is one of my more involved writing efforts. Back in March of 2023, Geogal and I joined many others on what is more than a trip. More than a journey to the other side of the globe. This was a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
How did this come about? Granted, prior to this, a visit to Israel/Palestine was one of the furthest things from my mind. To be sure, I was interested in such a journey dating back to 1996, when my mother and father joined a group from Family Life Radio making a Holy Land sojourn. Since FLR is headquartered in Tucson (and that is where yours truly resided at the time), the parents visited to engage in an in-person presentation combined with a question and answer session. I tagged along that evening and recall watching a brief video detailing what the group would be doing and the various sites on the itinerary. I left that gathering thinking, “Now I want to go.” Very much so.
Back to the present. How did such a trip come about?
Geogal enjoys listening to The Catholic Guy (a.k.a. Lino Rulli) on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel. Even though we are not Catholic (a theme that will emerge a few times throughout this narrative), she appreciates his combination of humor and insight into issues of spirituality and the ups and downs of everyday life.
Rulli also hosts pilgrimages to the Holy Land on a regular basis. During the fall of 2022 the group put out a call indicating that his next Holy Land trip would take place in March 2023, thus will fall during Lent. Geogal approached me and said, “They’re doing this pilgrimage…should we put our names in?” I pondered for what was probably just a few moments and then said, “Yes, definitely yes.” We talked about the cost if our names in fact were drawn and decided that, indeed, we could certainly swing the journey. Therefore we put our names in and then just waited for the drawing.
The day comes and Geogal is keeping an eye on the email. Unfortunately…we got an email saying “while we appreciate your interest,” indicating our names were not drawn. I was disappointed yet also thought, “Well, if it’s not meant to be it’s not meant to be.” Therefore we began to make plans to visit Europe, as our daughter would be doing study abroad in January. Geogal and I agreed the idea of visiting Germany, Denmark and eventually Norway would be quite the consolation prize.
But…..
Less than a week after getting the aforementioned email the powers that be put out an announcement saying they were adding a third tour coach to this pilgrimage. As such, additional names were going to be drawn.
On a Saturday morning I’m enjoying the weekend fresh-brewed coffee and minding my own business when I hear Geogal exclaim: “Oh my, oh my.” It didn’t sound negative to me but as I didn’t know the context I asked what was happening.
We were drawn.
Therefore our plans changed to travel to the Holy Land. From then on it was a matter of answering “yes” to the Catholic Guy’s minions staff and then preparing. We told certain family members and people in our church and everyone was happy for us. Good friends of ours loaned us electrical adapters and my father let me borrow several of his Holy Land maps.
We received the itinerary. Most notable would be that for starting out, our flight over the pond would be leaving from Newark, New Jersey, with takeoff scheduled for late in the evening. Very quickly we looked into flights from Minneapolis to Newark. We found one that was nonstop and would work well for us, affording us several hours of layover at Newark (known to the aviation set as EWR).
So, before I would even leave the surly bonds of Earth to head for Asia, I would finally have an opportunity to partake of radio and TV stations in the number one media market for the United States. (This reflects one of my other interests: broadcasting and radio DX-ing.)
I figure it didn’t matter how much space these things took up, I would definitely be taking both my MacBook Air with DTV stick and my Sangean radio.
December turns into January, then becomes February, which evolved into March. The time for departure is getting closer and both of us are getting more excited.
Finally the big day comes. Thankfully, there are no issues whatsoever driving to Minneapolis, parking the vehicle, catching the shuttle to the terminal, and getting ready for our flight to Newark.
Take off is smooth and the flight is uneventful. After two and half hours we start descending and I’m looking out the windows seeing if I can identify where we are (one of my usual behaviors when flying—geography is another of my interests/hobbies).
I have some difficulty given I’m not familiar with the roads, towns, and topography of this area. The jet then makes its approach and as such, we get lower and lower. Thankfully I’m seated on the left side of the plane and I was blessed with a great view of first the Bronx and then Manhattan. I immediately go into nerd mode, motioning to Geogal to “look out there, you can see Central Park, the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, the Statue of Liberty and way off in the distance…the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.”
Arriving in Newark was just the first of so many many positive experiences we’ve have on this trip. Part of what we received in our preparation material was luggage tags that were color specific. These colors referred to the bus to which we were assigned and therefore the group of people with whom we would be interacting most often. Geogal and I both had green luggage tags on our carry-ons. It didn’t take too long at Newark before we begin to encounter other people with similar luggage tags. And it didn’t matter if they were green or one of the other colors, we would see each other and just say something such as, “Catholic Guy Holy Land trip!” The response was always positive. Immediate connection.
After eating lunch we scout out the airport a little bit more and it didn’t take long for us to figure out where our flight to Tel Aviv would be boarding. It’s now time to settle down and relax just a bit.
Finally, it’s time to engage in something I’ve been looking forward to for months! First I got out my radio, plugged in the earbuds and began listening to the radio stations in the NYC market. FM and AM.
I peruse the dial and while I don’t say on any one station for very long, I still bask in the pleasure of listening to stations that could well be described as heritage. WABC. WINS. WCBS. WFAN. WOR. And many others.
I decide it is now time to put away the radio (for the time being) and crack open my laptop to plug in my digital TV stick. It wasn’t too long before I begin watching some of the TV stations in the number one media market in the USA. Overall my in-the-airport-terminal reception was adequate, although my antenna was not designed to pick up VHF stations. Still, I had quite the selection of full-power stations.
Needless to say I was happier than a pig in slop.
Time passes into the later part of the afternoon and we began meeting more and more people with, yes, the luggage tags. It was certainly easy to start conversations and obviously everyone was excited for this trip. Most of the people we talked to mentioned it was their first trip to the Holy Land as well.
The sun sets. Geogal and I seek out an eating establishment and purchase supper. After that it’s back to the gate where there is now even more people. The excitement is mounting.
Finally it’s time to board the plane.
(Aviation-smart folks now ask: What’s the equipment? Answer: A Boeing 787 Dreamliner.)
We walk on the plane, find our seats and we begin to settle down for the long, long flight taking us to the other side of the world.
Takeoff happens in the 11 o’clock hour. That’s 11 o’clock at night. I do catch a view out of one of the windows and fortunately get a glimpse of downtown Manhattan at night. (Pretty sight.) The plane picks up speed and we’re airborne. It’s a clear night however there is not much to look at that point because we are quickly over water. I get even more settled in my seat and start looking through the different movie and TV offerings that that United Airlines has for us.
As the flight continues both Geogal and I are settling into our media offerings. Since I’m not engrossed in a movie or TV show, I start looking across the aisle and see the screens of several people around me. It looks like a few of them have decided to watch a movie called “Ticket to Paradise.” Keep in mind I’m I’m not hearing the sound from this movie, but no matter. This movie looks so predictable I can figure out the plot just from watching it several seats away. (Hey, my entertainment can take all sorts of forms.)
Now for me the day is definitely getting late but I always have had difficulty sleeping on planes. I’ve flown at night before but the only time I’ve ever snoozed on a plane was on a return trip from Washington DC to Omaha. I was with Geoana and a cadre of her eighth grade classmates plus an assortment of parents. We all were wrapping up the eighth grade trip to our nation’s capital. The connecting flight to Omaha took off from DFW late in the night and I conked out not even 30 minutes in. That marked the one and only time I’ve ever slept on a plane. But I always have hope. I try to get myself as comfortable as I can, which in this coach section isn’t ideal but I make do. I look around the cabin and most of the other passengers already appear to be snoozing.
The first day
I managed to get some snatches of sleep but nothing that was truly restful. The screen on the back of the chair has the ability to tell you where you are over planet Earth. After some episodes of light dozing interrupted by not-so-light waking, I noticed that we were over Europe.
Pretty cool. I drop off again for a short while.
I wake up, only slightly rested but quite excited. We’re getting closer. The flight indicator shows that we are now over Turkey. I also noticed the flight crew is preparing for breakfast service.
Yet something seems odd. According to not just my watch but also the time on the screen, it is well after dawn but I look at the windows and it still is dark outside. Wonder what that’s about? Shouldn’t the sun be shining through the left side of the plane?
About an hour or two later I finally get an answer to my question. Breakfast service is well underway and the captain has addressed the passengers. Right after that he throws a switch and the windows go from dim to regular.
So that’s it! Older planes have the manual shades that passengers can pull down or keep up. Evidently on these newer planes the flight crew does that for you. I look out the window and sure enough it’s the blue sky I expected and I saw a nice view of the Mediterranean Sea.
In less than two hours we are approaching Tel Aviv, the ground is getting closer, and I hear the hydraulics of the plane doing their stuff.
We are getting so close to the Holy Land!
We land, we taxi, and then we’re at our gate. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I am in a foreign country on the other side of the world.
And here we are. Ben Gurion Airport. A place I’ve heard about and read about and…we are here.
I’d like to say that the deplaning, then going through Israeli customs, followed by getting to our shuttle buses was a quick and easy task but it wasn’t. There was some waiting followed by a lot of standing. Eventually we get to meet the radio guys from Sirius XM: Lino; Father Dave; Tyler; and Brett. Finally it’s time for us to go out to our shuttle buses. (Look for the green bus!)
Everyone aboard, we head out of the city, making our way northward to the Galilee region.
I’m tired, but hoo boy I’m excited! As we leave Tel Aviv and get onto the superhighway I’m amazed at just how modern Israel looks and that it looked really nothing like the way I pictured from the Bible stories.
We start heading north and the urban transitions to rural. To me it looks like it can pass for just about any kind of typical coastal green area in North America. Maybe not much different from Southern California, although it lacks the traffic congestion. Or the smog.
As we go further north and then head in an easterly direction I see exit signs for familiar sounding places. Nazareth. Cana. Finally we arrive at Magdala. Our first official stop on this Holy Land tour!
First order of business is Mass. We are ushered into a church which, behind the altar, features a large replica of a fishing boat. We are told this is a tribute to the fishing industry from Biblical times. Father Dave changes into his vestments while us pilgrims fill the pews.
Since Geogal and I are not Catholic, we already know we will not be taking communion, however this doesn’t prevent us from enjoying spiritual fellowship with our fellow Holy Land travelers. I notice that some sections of Mass (more specifically, phrasing) have changed somewhat since the 1980’s when I last practiced the faith.
No matter! I still appreciate the beauty of the Mass, even if I’m not Catholic. Plus, Father Dave gives an excellent homily (the first of many to come) and since this is a Mass that only consists of our traveling brethren, it is shorter than an hour.
The Mass is ended! Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!!
Back on the bus. Only this time the ride is brief (maybe 15 minutes at the most) and we arrive at our hotel near the Sea of Galilee. Disembark, get oriented to the hotel, and receive instructions about the evening meal.
And what a meal it was! Probably more apt to call it a feast. To add another positive, we became acquainted with several individuals with whom we banter, fellowship, imbibe, and celebrate.
Finally, it’s time to head to the room and retire for the night. Unlike on the airplane, I sleep one of the most restful slumbers I can remember.
Why did I switch from my longtime Blogger site (click here) to WordPress?
There are a few reasons. First, I wanted more control over how the site looks and its layout. Blogger was helpful when I first got into blogging however it is limited in options and while there are likely ways around the default settings I don’t have enough knowledge of coding or website editing to make it look more up-to-date. Also, I began working with a WordPress site from another organization and realized that if I learned how to create and improve WP pages, that could benefit me in other areas. One of which, if you will indulge me a bit, might help me stave off dementia. It’s known that if people, as they age, continue learning, the connections taking place between brain neurons keep the brain “in shape.”
Lastly, I got locked out of the Blogger site. After living in Minnesota for a few years I decided to change my cell to a local number. While that process was not difficult, I needed to be aware of any two-factor authentications using the old number. I got practically all of them, save for, yes, my Blogspot site. And since Google doesn’t allow for alternatives, I am screwed.
