Visiting the Holy Land

I've just returned from a trip to the land that is considered holiest for several religions, Israel. Israel is another interesting destination that I never would have thought that my work would take me to and not necessarily a place I would have thought to ever visit on my own. It's a beautiful country with very kind and hospitable people. Similar to Cape Town, the climate and culture reminded me very much of my beloved California. My hotel was right on the beach so every morning I was able to wake up to a beautiful sunrise and crashing waves. I was also very glad to be back in warm weather again where I could wear short sleeve shirts and not worry about whether or not I had brought a hat with me. I spent most of my time in Tel Aviv but was able to get out to see Haifa, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. I arrived late in the evening in Haifa so wasn't able to do much except see the view of the city and have a very satisfying dinner. I'd like to visit Haifa again some time and actually walk through the Baha'i Shrine and Gardens.

Although I was raised Roman Catholic, I have never considered myself to be a very religious person. Being raised Roman Catholic did mean that I spent many a Saturday and Sunday at church studying the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, therefore I was keen to see the places where all of the strange and miraculous events had occured. I decided to take a day off (considering I had to work on a Sunday) to visit the religious/historical sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

On my visit to Jerusalem we first stopped at the Mount of Olives to get a panaromic view of the entire city of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives is said to be the place where God will redeem the dead at the end of days so many Jewish people pay big money to be buried there. This gives them the benefit of proximity to be one of the first to raise from the dead and re-enter the gates of Jerusalem. From the Mount of Olives we headed to the old city which is the center of Jerusalem. The old city is divided into 4 quarters: Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. Jerusalem has great significance to all these religions considering it is where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son to God, Muhammed ascended to heaven, and where Christ lived, taught, and was crucified. The most amazing thing to me was how all these religions/cultures co-exist in such small proximity to each other and all share rights to the same religious sites. As a Catholic, I was blown away to be walking the same path that Jesus walked, touch the place where he was crucified and buried, and to see all the stories of the Bible come to life.

After spending most of the day wandering around Jerusalem we headed to Bethlehem. Here I have to admit that I didn't do very much research before coming to Israel. Bethlehem is a Palestinian controlled state where Israeli's are not allowed to visit. There is a huge border between Jerusalem and Bethlehem where our Israeli guide had to drop us off to be picked up by a Palestinian guide on the other side. Bethlehem is the only Palestinian state in Israel where tourists are allowed to visit because of its religious significance and pressure from the Vatican. Crossing over to Bethlehem was a surreal experience as you could easily see that there was a state of military activity and chaos that I didn't observe at all in the rest of Israel. Apparently the day before I arrived Israeli troops had kidnapped 2 men and the day after I left Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian policeman. It was inspiring to visit the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born in a manger but I'm not sure if I'll be finding my way to Bethlehem again.

Finally I do have to comment on the cuisine in Israel. I was given fair warning that I would probably come back to London weighing more than when I'd left and I did my best to ensure that with 3 courses at almost every meal. Israel has a wealth of food options and I ate everything from Italian pasta to Asian noodles. I also had the freshest and most delicious hummus and falafels that I've ever tasted. I definitely hope I'll have another trip back to see more of Jerusalem and Haifa and to eat some more.