Israel the Beautiful

I have put off blogging about this vacation- not because I have been so busy or have not been thinking about it, but because I was able to see and do so much, that it is nearly impossible to condense the highlights into a blog post. Be warned… this will be a long one. It was difficult NOT to include all 642 pictures (I wish I was joking).

Our Israel adventures started off with Tracy and I being picked up at the Tel Aviv airport by one of my oldest and dearest friends, Kyler Kronmiller (and his ultra lovely wife Melyn). They immediately began playing the role of the hosts with the most by taking us on a driving tour of the area. Although Tracy and I were exhausted after nearly 28 hours of traveling, we were eager to see some stuff. That night found us at the Mount of Olives and then walking around the Jewish Quarter in Old Town Jerusalem. As it was Saturday evening (the Jewish Sabbath) we were unable to take any photos or stay long. We knew we would be back in Old Town later in the week and just enjoyed our first experiences in Jerusalem.

Knowing we only had 4 full days in Israel, we were determined to make the most of it. Our first morning started at 7:00am when Kyler and Melyn took us on a drive out of the city. We hit Masada (the site of King Herod’s Palace which was destroyed by Roman Soldiers), Qumran (Site of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the ruins of an ancient Hebrew Monastery), and a swim in The Dead Sea.




That night Kyler was giving a forum talk about the history of Christianity in Jerusalem at the BYU center. Fascinating discussion.

The next day Tracy and I had made arrangements to go on a tour of Northern Israel- Galilee area. We were picked up at 5:45am (WHAT?!?!) and enjoyed a full day of sightseeing in Nazareth, Capernaum, Sea of Galilee, and took a dip in the Jordan River.







By the time we returned from our long day, we were exhausted and went directly back to Kyler and Melyn’s where Kyler and I started talking about life, families, friends, etc… but quickly became involved in a shared pastime- playing brick breaker on our blackberry’s.

The next two days we were finally able to get back to Old Town Jerusalem. We walked the Via Delarosa and saw all 14 stations of the cross. This is traditionally believed to be the route taken by Jesus, on his way to the crucifixion. This included the Gardens of Bethesda and the ancient Pools of Bethesda.
We saw several groups (mostly Italians) reenacting this walk and carrying large crosses on their backs. Tracy commented that it seemed a bit ridiculous to recreate this experience and who would do something like that… until I pointed out the common Mormon practice of pulling handcarts and covered wagons across the Midwest plains. :)




That day we also went to several Christian sites, including: The Garden Tomb, The Garden of Gethsemane, and St. Peters Cathedral, and Tombs in Kidron Valley. We also found a plaque that looked very familiar (I am sure my Mormon friends would agree).





Thanks to Kyler, we were able to go on a guided tour of the underground tunnels beneath the Jewish Quarter in Old Town Jerusalem. This tour included the underground remains of the Western Wall- below the outside Western Wall- the holiest site of the Jewish faith.



Other sites of interest include:
The Dome of the Rock

Walk around the Ramparts on the Jerusalem City Wall



Kyler highly recommended the City of David underground tunnel tour. He was right, this was a great way to cool off from the killer heat, as well as experience these preserved tunnels. For most of the tour you are walking through about 18 inches of water in a very tight, enclosed space. The only thing keeping this from being 100% exhilarating, was the family behind us singing in full voice what sounded like an Eastern European version of 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall THE WHOLE TIME!



Since I am not one to go someplace new and NOT see everything, it seemed foolish to return from Israel without visiting Bethlehem. As Bethlehem is in the West Bank, Kyler was not permitted to go with us. However, as independent American tourists- the only thing between us and the city of Christ’s birth was the border patrol and, thankfully, a healthy sense of adventure.

Tracy and I took a bus (and our passports) to the West Bank border. We went through the border crossing station on foot and with very little delay, caught a cab on the other side. Our cabbie tried to double the cost of the trip upon arrival in Bethlehem, but thankfully we had met a lovely French couple who happened to speak Arabic and we able to escape being conned.




Tracy and I spent the afternoon exploring Bethlehem- The church of the Nativity, and the Milk Grotto (where apparently Mary spilt a drop of breast milk and the walls turned white). Like many of the sites we visited- this was one of the moments I found myself saying “Prove it.”




Overall, this was an amazing experience in a land that is so full of history and culture. Thank you to Kyler and Melyn for being the best hosts ever!