to float or swim?

12/08/11

Swimming in the Red Sea and riding a camel along the Red Sea shores in Egypt – ah, this is the life!

A sweltering day – closing in on 50 degrees – the only place to take refuge was in the sea. Went for a refreshing swim before packing and deciding to go for a camel ride along  the beach for 2 euro and $1 US ; ) they were charging 5 euro. Got Scotty and Teresa to take some great pics of me with the sea and the moutains in the background – an amazing backdrop! Even did my pose. The only slightly anxious moments were when the camel awkwardly rises and descends – hold on tight – now I can do the whole Mt Sinai trek tomorrow.

After lunch and picking which food were edible and which were last nights leftovers we packed up and headed to Sinai.

Arrived at our accommodation in the middle of nowhere. Teresa was nurse for Fonz’s foot – had like 17 spurs in it – had aquite the audience watching the whole operation too. During our free time I went exploring to a few mounds got some pics with the view. Just after mass I received a call from Mike and Craig – at first I was really worried that something had gone wrong as they had gone for a climb up one of the peaks but they were fine and wanted us to take photos of us. They could just make me out waving the flag but I had trouble spotting them. I finally did (or what I thought was them) and grabbed Jenny and others to take some pics of them. Everyone was looking for them and we didn’t get complete confirmation of where they were until Michael flashed his torch repeatedly to the amazed crowd below.

Michael and Craig climbed up the 'V' peak

Am really looking forward to our midnight ascension (maybe 1 am) of Mt Sinai for our 3-4 hour trek to the summit in the tradition of Moses where he encountered God and received the 10 commandments.

into Egypt

11/08/11

The oldest city –Jericho, the Roman rock fortress at the famous Masada and sitting in water.

This morning we left Jerusalem and headed to, according to the video, the oldest city on earth – Jericho. We revisited the story of Joshua and his army that circled the city for 7 days before the priests blew their trumpets and the walls fell down. There are some 23 layers of different rock and life.  

Back on the bus and a surprise stop off – for me anyway – the Roman fortress of Masada. The Romans originally held this as a defence point – high rock in the middle of the desert next to the Dead Sea – using their ingenious arhctecture and use of aquaducts for running water. The Jews took it 73 AD n ary of 10000 Romans came for a siege, it took between 4 and 9 weeks. They brought a battering ram tp break through the wall after building a ramp to gain access to the wall. When the rebels were about to be defeated the story goes that the Rebel leader spoke to them about dying as free people and not allowing th Romans to kill, torture or enslave them. The soldiers killed their own families and they drew lots to see who were the last to fall on their swords. Only a handful were still alive when the Romans finally stormed inside the next morning. Some say it was an act of bravery and courage. I think I’d rather fight to the end (although I did just watch Braveheart a few weeks ago).

Another highlight at our lunch stop – swimming, well no, actually floating in the dead sea. Extremely salty, careful with your face, mouth, eyes and any cuts or sores on your body. It was a bizarre sensation to be able to float without any effort, just sit in the water and if you actually tried t oswim you would be flipped over and not actually get anywhere. The only stroke I had some mild success with was side stroke as I kept floating further and further out and didn’t know how to get back in. I picked a few rocks up to skim and to my surprise they were salt rocks. Some skimmed well, the others disintegrated.

We reached the border crossing where we  could see Jordan, Israel and Syria all at once. We said our goodbye to the bus driver Nermi and Deeb, Deeb thanked us for a great trip, he was even a little teary and I gave them a pin each, Nermi chose a flag and Deeb the Toowoomba violet.  Again I got held up at customs – maybe because I tave so many stamps in my passport? I was questioned about my name, middle name and religion. I just got through to the security hall when they closed it off to have some food for the day as it is Ramadan. Lucky for me as some of the others had to wait outside in the 40+ degree heat whilst we were in air conditioned comfort. Country number 15 for my trip ; ).

Finally we headed south to the top of the Red Sea and our accommodation for the night. On the bus we were given the run down of what to do and not to do in Egypt – no water, fresh fruit with soft skins, juice, cordials or toilet paper – lucky we have our own. If he says it is good – it is bad, very good – very bad, excellent – it is safe or they aren’t ripping us off. Be careful with water in the shower – don’t drink it at all- yikes!


 

Looking forward to a relaxing morning and sleep in tomorrow.

Passion

10/08/11

The Old City of Jerusalem visiting the rest of the places that make up the Easter story – Cenacle (room of the Last supper), Caiphas’ house where Jesus was held after his arrest,  Church of St Peter Gallicantu (remembering Jesus’ denial of Jesus), birthplace of mary, Bethesda, Ecce Homo Convent, via dolorosa and a mass in the Holy sepulchre.

First stop was the wailing wall, were thousands of people come to pray. This is where Abraham offered his son as a sacrifice to the Lord. Christians believe the second coming will happen around here and the Jewish people believe this is where the Messiah will appear. We even had to enter and split up into the women and men sections. Quite a cultural experience hearing and seeing those of different faiths say their prayers.

Room of the last supper – this area would have been where Jesus shared the last supper with the disciples and washed the disciples feet. We were in a crusader era room but it still adds to the mental picture I can now create.

The birthplace of Mary had amazing acoustics and we were reminded of the part Mary played in Jesus’ life – to see her son go through the passion must have been unbearable for her – not to try and protect her son, know the suffering he must endure.

Additionally we visited Caiphas’ house – where Jesus was imprisoned. This area may actually be the original area –we descended down into the pits below, seeing the hole Jesus may have been lowered down into and reading through psalm 122 which closely correlates what may have happened. Outside where the steps that connect the Kidron Valley to Jerusalem, the very steps Jesus would most likely have ascended and been scourged upon. These original sections really speak to me more clearly than some of the recreated sections.

We also visited the remains of the pools of Bethseda where Jesus healed the paralysed man.

Later in the afternoon we entered the Old City via the Lion’s Gate or St Stephen’s gate – the very place Stephen was stoned to death becoming the first martyr.

This led us to another pilgrimage highlight – completing the via dolorosa (way of sorrow) a similar route to which Jesus would have taken with his cross to Golgotha. This route is now some 5 metres above the Roman roads as the city has been built and rebuilt upon itself. One of the early station we were able to go underneath and see some the actual paths from 2000 years ago, inscribed with games the soldiers would have played and the road Jesus may have stumbled through.

 I was privileged to finally carry the pilgrim staff through 5 or 6 stations and was thinking this would have been more like what Jesus would have done – carry one part of his cross. I didn’t realise how closely the stations were located to each other. From station 9 onwards they are all contained in the Holy Sepulchre church – some very sacred places so close to each other – the stone Jesus’ body would have lain in preparation for burial, the very rock of Golgotha where Jesus was crucified, we even got to touch some of the rock. This was an especially moving few minutes spent on our knees, remembering the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for us at this very spot. Finally perhaps the very tomb Jesus was buried and rose again from, although it was only about a one minute stop off in this holy site. We then celebrated a very special mass in a chapel at the Sepulchre – such a special mass so close to these sites of Jesus’ crucifixion Burial and resurrection.

Where Jesus was prepared for burial

Calvary

the tomb

Afterwards a few of us ran through the streets to find our antique shops and buy a few more Jerusalem souvenirs – some jew ellery and ancient coins. They even opened up shop again for us as he remembered us from the day before and I was happy to buy another widow’s mite, a coin from Constantinople’s reign some 1600 years old with great clarity and detail and a silver ring with a coin from Felix’s time around 44AD.

In the evening we came together to reflect on some of our stories and highlights so far before heading up to the wine and cheese bar to see the city lights of Jerusalem one last time.

Although I didn’t want it to end, now it has I will always have these special memories of peoples and places that will shape and form me and become part of who I am.

A tourist comes and goes to many different places, a pilgrim becomes different from the many places and part of these places.  A tourist transfers to many different places, a pilgrim is transformed by the places.

Shared how special it was to be on Sea of galilee on day celebrate walking on the water, transfiguration .- on the feast day and in Bethlemhem on the day of the Australian census.

wow what a day

9/08/11

Making it count!

Today was an extraordinary day, one so memorable that it will be vivid in my mind for long to come – Bethlehem, Jesus’ birth place, Ein Karem, jesus’ cousins birthplace, Mount  of Olives, Church of Pater Noster, a photo over the city, the garden of Gethsemene and a holy hour in the grotto of Gethsemene.

In Bethlehem we went to St Catherine’s Church and celebrated a beautiful mass – it will definitely be a special memory for the songs Away in a manger, O come let us Adore Him and O Holy Night.

After mass we descended down into other parts of the church to actually see the a cave where Jesus may have lay and been born. The anticipation built as we crowded down the stairs and took some great group pics. It was a great to lay our hands upon the rock and be in the cave for several minutes contemplating the birth of our Lord.

We also did our bit to help Behtlehem by souvenir shopping. I bought an opal and silver Jerusalem cross that can transform into a necklace with the four parts of the cross extending into separate pieces.

Next Ein Karem the birthplace of Jesus’ cousin – John the Baptist and where Mary visited Elizabeth to exchange news of their babes.

Ascending to the Mount of Olives and the church of Pater Noster (where Jesus gave us the Our Father). We searched quite a while to find the Anglais (English version). We also went underneath into part of the original rock cave church. We also stopped up high above the city to get the classic Jerusalem photo with the Dome of the Rock a standout.

Once back to Notre Dame a small group of us headed back into the Old City- I was on a mission to find a piece of jewellery, either a necklace or ring that had an ancient coin attached. Our first antiquities dealer had many coins to show us ranging from the widow’s penny – a poor specimen at the bargain price of $20 US, to hundreds of dollars for better quality, framed in silver or gold. We wanted to see some other stores and products but I did want to have a coin from the Byzantine era, around 1700 years old or Jesus’ vintage around 2000 years old. We kept shopping around and after stumbling across the Holy Sepulchre and spending a few quite minutes inside found some more shops. The first one looked pricey and I overheard him sound a little pushy. That’s when Geoff saw and told me the store a few doors up had some coins. I started to think wouldn’t it be cool if you could get a Jerusalem cross with a coin in it. I searched through the store and was quite relieved not to be bothered by the shop owner and finally had to ask him for the price of what I had just imagined- the Jerusalem cross with a high quality coin – a widow’s penny to be exact. After looking at a few other coins and the gold and silver products I finally settled on my Jerusalem cross with a widow’s penny coin.

Garden of Gethsemene was next.  I’ll admit I was a little disappointed to find out we weren’t actually spending the hour in the garden but we got to go in for a few minutes to imagine Jesus in his time of anxiety and fear. We then relocated to the grotto where Jesus would have spent time with his disciples. I actually really enjoyed it – a simple rock cave – had an authentic feel to it. After some songs and prayers it was our time to reflect.  I planned on reading some passion accounts and then time in refection but I barely got through the Gospel readings. In my few minutes of reflection I did have some great visions. Now that I have seen and been in so many of these places I could actually picture the passion so clearly – Jesus in the garden praying, being arrested, walking the via dolorosa through the packed market and heckling crowd and being laid to rest on the rock. It was a magical lightbulb moment of wow, I can really understand and see these events take place – Christmas and Easter will never be the same – it isn’t just some story of a guy in a far off land. It is very real and I have seen these places from the ground and an aerial view, walked these paths, smelt the rich aromas of the market place and touched these rocks.

Tomorrow we complete the picture with a day visiting the rest of these sacred sites involving the passion and I am so excited and want the day to seem to last at least 48 hours.