Journal #14 (10/16).. Tel Aviv

Today after breakfast we boarded the bus to Jaffa on the coast in southern Tel Aviv. It is the oldest part of the city where there are a couple of Tells.  Those are these structures that are sometimes like gates but signify that there are many levels of building from earlier civilizations there.  I think that was it.   I was starting to feel a bit yucky and standing for long times was making me miss the important stuff.  

 

Church and  Tell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: This is a 'Tell'.  It signifies a gate or that historical ruis are below.   Right: A Catholic Church in Jaffa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: These pilgrims arrived at Jaffa in the early days and in 11 years they built their neighborhood. They used a lottery to decide what plot of land each family would own.   Right: In such a short time this is what they built.

 

View of Tel Aviv from Jaffa

 

We crossed "The Wishing Bridge". I got out a coin thinking I'd be crossing water but that wasn't the case.  All along the sides of the bridge were all the Zodiac Signs.  We were to find ours and make a wish...no coin, just a zodiac.  Several of us share Gemini and got our picture together, Michael got his taken with Scorpio and Gary got one with a pretty R rated.  We made our wishes,  pocketed our coins and walked to a museum.

 

Wishing Bridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                  Kathy's Capricorn                                                                     Aquarious

 

Gemini Trio

 

This was a home and museum of a famous artist Ilana Goor..   How do you spell bizarre?    She made cool belt buckles, which started her on her art career, but really got into making strange furniture and a table called "The Morning After" which is a huge table covered with incredibly gross bugs.  She began to collect eclectic art which is also in her gallery with her handmade furniture that sells for BIG price tags to people who like skulls and cow leather.  She had some beautiful jewelry with huge price tags.   Many thought it was a fabulous museum, but I found it a little to out there for my taste.  Besides I was beginning to get sick and really didn't give it a chance. .....missed a whole bunch.  I have felt awful running the  gambit and for the last three days have eaten very little,   And believe me they are trying to feed us constantly!

 

Iliana Goor Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right: Her furniture designs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right: I understand Michael Jackson bought a lot of her stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both Above: "The Morning After"... a table full of bugs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Her image done by another artist on the wall next to her apartment in the hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: These are the cool belt buckles that started the whole thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next part I had looked forward to as I had read we would be very near the TelAviv Flea Market.  The first part was antique shop stuff , somewhat overpriced and mixed with new stuff from China.  We bought the grandkids souvenirs but were excited to get to the " yard sale" area where I picked up a cool and unusual Menorah for 10 shekels....about five bucks.  I probably should have started there, but it was time  for lunch at a restaurant where we were lucky enough to meet Annie's husband.  

 

Oct 16/4...... Annie and her husband

 

 

We made it back to the hotel and up to the roof to get a glass of wine, And a good shot of the sunset over the beach, lights of the city and zzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Grovey

 

Journal #15 (10/17)... Last Day In Tel Aviv

Today was pretty much a blur.  We went on a walking tour of the city which felt like it turned into a marathon.  I was at my worse and just wanted to get back to the room, shower and sleep.  The tour was through an area the early settlers had built up from nothing making a type of architecture called Bauhous.  Over the years it had become slums, but people revamped it into a very wealthy neighborhood.  Many learned people and politicians had moved into the area.......notice I treat those two as two different folks.  It was a LOT of walking and not much.  One thing I thought was funny was a little character that held the shuts in place on the houses.  When the man of the house use was there it held the screen with a figure of a man; when he was gone and the woman expected company she dropped it to show a robust women.

 

Bauhouses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Men vs Women   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went to a mall to see a mosaic made by an influential artist.  His depictions show the different phases, or pieces of Tel Aviv and it's people.  Pretty colors, but my phone camera battery was as dead as my battery was.  If Michael has photos, I'll put them here.

 

 

October 17/3. Michael's mall photos

 

Back at the hotel we had a meeting to review our trip with Annie, and ready ourselves for a WALK!!!! to our Farewell dinner.  At first Michael thought I should attend but I said if I was going to be able to do anything in Palestine, I needed to get to bed.  I packed my stuff, took a shower and was asleep by 8:00pm. 

Michael told me the next morning that the walk was at least a mile or more.....food was more of the same. If I was going to miss anything.... I'm glad it was Tel Aviv!

 

Grovey

 

Journal #16 (10/18)... Bethlehem

We are now in Bethlehem which is fairly nice by Palestine standards, but everything we saw earlier was covered in garbage.  Mufassa  is really nice and gives a bad rep to the Israeli people. We went to visit a home in the settlements.  Such a difference...very clean.  One says it was always their land, others say it is illegal squatting.....all about  how each perceives it.  I don't ever see it being peaceful here.

 

 

Palestine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went to a  Bedouin village which was so crazy.  I can't even show you in pictures how bizarre as the crazy part they wouldn't let us photograph.  They invited us to the wedding the next day!  NO THANKS,!!  So much garbage everywhere!  They divided the girls from the guys.  At least the guys had someone to translate.  We set in a room on the floor with a bunch of women in black staring at us and saying stuff we didn't know and serving us disgusting coffee!  There were two darling girls who wore princess dresses over there pants and tee shirts.  One was 5 and one was 3.  They kept wanting to have gah five us.  I wish I had my puppet so I didn't have to just sit and smile!

 

The Home of the Bedouin 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Our hostess with her son    Right: On the floor in the other house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: In the lady's home with grandchildren  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Gary and  Friends   Right: The nice building to the right in the image is the school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wedding venu. Chairs line the walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: The Neighborhood

 

 

 

Tonight we are in a brand newly renovated hotel with a view of the city of Bethlehem.  Behind us is the spot of the stables where Jesus was born. Three churches are built together trying each to get on the very place where the crib was.  We hope to climb down in a hole tomorrow, but Mustafah says the lines are like long. And I don't do crowded underground hallways!

Tomorrow we must dress very conservative as we are visiting a mosque and the Catholic Church of the Birth of Christ

I'll try to send some photos. But I am still not feeling up to par!

Love anyway,

Grovey

...More For 10/18...

I am feeling better today...just a bit of sniffles.  I think that comes from hot weather outside then in to air conditioning all the time.  At least for the first time I have a little bit of appetite...the first in several days.  We will see if it continues when I get to breakfast.

I wanted to tell you about more of the bizarre meeting with the Bedouin.  The mother escorted a few of us women. into one of the bedrooms.  There was a young girl....maybe 18 or 20 in there who was so excited to show us something but I'm not for sure what.  She took off her black skull cap ( she was wearing a long plaid skirt and a blouse.) She let down her hair flowing to her waist which was lovely but very red.  She understood a few words in English as when Priscilla asked if she was going to curl it she ran to the cupboard and took out a hair straightening dealie.  She was very concerned that maybe one of the men would come and every time someone would open the door a little bit she would wind up her hair and try to cover it.  Then she would let it down .  She was flitting around the room as she had to show us something fast, but the door would worry her and she kept watching it and putting her hair up.  She had a pretty dress....orange with lots of glitz on it that she would put up to herself and we would admire. I asked if she was the one who was getting married and she shook her head no,  I guess she was showing us what she would wear at the party we were invited to.  She made it clear that pictures were not allowed.  

When we women went over to the neighboring house the lady showed us where the wedding would be.  Later I asked Mustafa what the wedding would be like.  He says he doesn't know as men are not invited and the husband only comes in once to write something in henna on her hand.  The women were making bread to serve the next day at the wedding and the lady we were visiting had red palms from kneeding  the bread.  She wanted to put a glob of henna mud on the palms of every woman but I passed.  I worried that it might seem rude but my stomach was feeling a bit queazy already and I didn't want to chance it.   She  had made bread.....very thin and not crispy that we were to dip in a green gooey concoction that some one told me later was butter....I passed again.  

When we were over on the other house I noticed some problems....may come from in breeding, but one woman had a huge tumor on one eye and another was unable to walk and crawled as though she had spina biffada.  Before we went, Mustafa had us stop at a little store and said there were many children ( I think the one we visited had nine plus some grandchildren) asked us it we would want to buy candy to take to them....I think this is the norm.  I asked if they had dentists and he said no so I bought chips and crackers and others followed suit.  I think the kids were disappointed and still unwilling to share so the mother got more little bags of chips she had to give to those who didn't get any.  When we drove up kids came from everywhere...probably expecting candy.

That night we had another dinner at our hotel from OAT.  We had just had a huge feast with "upside down," ( which I will explain at another time) at one o'clock and dinner was at 6.  It was an enormous buffet on six tables and I had some green salad, a few french fries, a broth with mushroom pieces and a small piece of baklava.  They had fruit and I took a sickly pear that winded up being very good.  I'm sure all the food was tasty, but my stomach kept saying no.  We had a special treat as Mufasa brought his two girls, 9'and 7.  They are adorable and we enjoyed them.  They go to a private Catholic School (although he is Muslim) and are learning English and French.  Because Mufasa is Muslim it restricts him from going with us in any Jewish thing whether it is to visit a synagogue or enter the area of the Jewish settlements.  In fact we had to get out of the bus and move to the man's three cars to get driven to his house in the settlement.

The people are so afraid that the Muslims will blow them up although they know only a crazy one would try. It is not that way with the Muslims however they feel more and more disgusted the way they feel they are treated and set apart.  Still we were able to go to a synagogue here and we did not visit the mosque .  We will be doing that Oct. 19th.

Well that says it.  I have to shower and get ready for breakfast. I hope I can eat!

 

 Grovey

 

 

...And Even More for 10/18...

 

The last few days seemed to blend into one, but now I feel better and have some extra time in the room to tell something about yesterday, besides the visit to the Bedouins.  

On our trips around Judea we saw a huge man-made mount or hill.  We found that it was made by..no other than that same old guy Herod.  It is believed that he died in Masada, but wished to be buried in Judea by Bethlehem.  This mount was believed to be his resting place.  When it was finally excavated by professionals what did they find?  Herod's tomb.......but totally empty!  I guess he got the last laugh.  I'm sure he was so paranoid he feared people would dig him up and he didn't want that.  Good trick!  The place is referred to as Herodion.

For lunch we stopped at Petra.....not the one in Jordan, but the restaurant by that name.  They had a feast waiting for us:   Olives. Purple slaw, vegetables, beets( my favorite), peppers, hummus and pita bread.  I had a small piece with a bit of hummus but mostly I ate beets until the main event came....and it was pretty amazing!   It was called" UPSIDE-DOWN". and was prepared...rather served... right in front of us.  There was an enormous pot like the have at the school cafeterias.  Two men took it by the handles, and BAM!!! Turned it upside down on a platter in front of us.  As we watched one guy lifted the pot and out tumbled many pieces of chicken rice with curry and saffron, and red peppers.  The tried to give me a plate piled high but I asked for "little,little" and I got a fair amount of rice with a leg and thigh.  It was cooked perfectly and for the first time in days I ate.

 

Petra Restaurant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

All that was at around 1:30 and we were expected to eat AGAIN at 6:00!  I am so sorry to be writing all the time about food, but it is mostly what this trip revolves around!  I am hoping that the last few days of small plates will erase some of the glutinous days I had in Jerusalem so I can go back to wait group with not too much regret!

Well , put this together with the visit to the Bedouin family, the guy at the illegal settlements and you know what we did this day.   Mix all of that with bumpy roads, with garbage everywhere you look and you've got Palestine. There is a lot of" I can't go there!, They can't go there , and You can't go there!"  Garbage is such a problem ....as bad or worse than any place I have seen and this suppose to be the "holy land". There are so many people out of work they just need to pick up a rake, as Mom would say!   People from all over the world send money here but the government is so corrupt it never gets down to the people...the roads, garbage service, etc.  Mustafa says they teach the children to be clean and not litter, bit as soon as they get out of school, they follow the culture and throw their garbage anywhere!  Bethlehem is by far the cleanest we have seen, but don't walk too far out of town.

Now to remember what we did today!

Grovey

 

Michael's remembering.....and some of mine

 

Since I don't climb up far places or descend in low places  because I know I will lose air, I will have him talk about what he saw when I wasn't there,

In Palestine we left Mufasa and entered the checkpoint so we could go to a synagogue where Abraham was buried.  He is not allowed to go there even though Abraham is a big deal in his religion.  Sarah , Jacob, Rebecca and Leah are all buried there under the synagogue.  I saw Leona  take a photo. Maybe there was a sign.  I'll see later.

Here is what he saw in the Synagogue I didn't visit:

After climbing up many flights of stairs we entered the synagogue which was full of people. This was a much larger synagogue than we have visited before. There were many rooms with a library sand people reading. The tomb of Abraham was in the hallway with a steel grate in front which you will see in the pictures. As we rounded the corner you could hear loud singing and in a large room off to the side you could see women and men singing and dancing in a divided room with women on the left and men on the right. They were very joyful uplifting songs and dance. The people there and all around us just ignored us watching and taking pictures. I have a short video of both groups. After that we just made our way back through the crowd to the plaza below with multitudes of people coming and going. And to think on the other side of this same building was a mosque that we were not allowed to enter.

 

Now, Back To My Remembering...

It is still Sukkot so people were carrying the unopened palm, myrtle and willow. During their time in the synagogue they will swish those in the air...one of the many commandments of the Jewish religion.  Now I remember the day when we were in Italy....I think even Rome ....and we went to the Jewish quarter people were buying handfuls of those three plants. Now I get it!  Sukkot!  Here they keep them in a long plastic bag. Maybe Michael will have a photo of one.  When we went to visit in the occupied areas had us meet in his Sukkot building. It was made of palms with cloth to keep the heat out.  For eight days they must " live" in it.  He did not bring his bed there but they eat and visit there and when we leave he soul bring his laptop there for "work".  Sukkot ends on Monday evening. Then they won't have to do that again.   They are told to do it from verses in the Old Testament to remind them f the generations of people moved from their homes and traveled the dessert putting up these temporary houses during Exodus. 

 

Journal #17 (10/19).. Last Day In Bethlehem

 

This morning after breakfast Mustafa picked us up to take us to a very special monastery called St. Saba.  This country is small....the size of New Jersey and a fourth of it is desert where nobody lives. The West Bank is down the middle like our California Central Valley, but the Israelis have made so many settlements in that area, there is very little left for the Palestinians.  We visited a wonderful monastery of St Saba. It started hundreds ago in the grottos across the way and then the Monastery was built.  No women allowed. Even the mothers of the monks meet their son in the tower far from The monastery. 

 

 

St Saba. Monastery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Looking down to the monastery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Where moms met their sons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Young Bedouin with his sheep on the way to St. Saba.  Right: Others walk to view the monastery before us. 

 

 

Grottos that were the first monasteries.

 

We then drove to The Shepherds Field where The Canadians have built to mark where the angel appeared to tell shepherds to follow the star.   There was a middle altar under a pierced dome with a walkway around it show Sing the story of the birth of Jesus, particularly the part with the shepherds.

 

Shepherds Field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right: Pierced roof 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By then it was time to backtrack to Bethlehem.  Mustafa had showed us the three hour line large groups must stand in to see the star where Christ was born and the place where the crib was.  We all knew we couldn't stand that long but Mustafa had a plan.  He took four of us: Linda, Gary and Michael and I through another doorway through the Armenian Church. He had Michael hold my hand like I couldn't walk easily.  That ended up to be the Royal truth as each step down to the star was at least twenty inches deep, and dark, and I nearly toppled.  The star is down in a small under ground grotto.  We think of Jesus being born in a barn, but the barns in those times were a lower level, beneath the inns or homes, where the animals were kept.  I put my hand on the star and crawled over to where the crib was situated.  At one time the actual star that marked the place was stolen, but it has been returned.  There is plenty of security now and besides it would be hard to take with all the pilgrims lined up waiting.  We then went inside each of the three churches that share equally that part of the grounds: a Russian Orthodox Church where the line is and the entry from outside, the Armenian Catholic Church where the back way there is located and the Roman  Catholic Church which is the biggest and somehow wraps around with no exact entry.  When we entered the Orthodox Church we could see the huge lines of Pilgrims lined up circling the church and even going outside the church into Manger Square.  That small square is where Christmas is celebrated on TV every year.  Each Church celebrates at a different time.  I know that the Catholic Church celebrates on December 24th.  Another's is January 8th and one on the 17th I think.  There is a much larger square beside it with the shops, The Orthodox Church, and a Mosque circle it.  

 

Star - Manger - Churches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Going back in the churches from the door from the outside manger square   Right: Ancient doors to the Orthodox Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right: Orthodox Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right: Armenian Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right: When after an earthquake they dug under the floor to check if the ancient pillar were safe. They found this beautiful ancient  mosaic floor which is the entire size of the church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Way to the star and manger in the Armenian Church

 

 

Catholic Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: The star marks theplace where Christ was born.   Right: Backway through the Armenian Church

 

Place where the manger was placed

 

 

We went back to the hotel to first take the whole group up a steep hill with Market on all sides.  The actual grocery part is at the top.  Ladies do their shopping there and the items are put in Grocery Carts like Safeway.  Then they tip young men to push them down the back way down a very steep paved ramp to the flat ground.  They don't really push ,rather hold on so the cart doesn't get away and skid down trying to not run over someone, then push the empty one back up the steep hill for tips of another shopper.  I walked down the steep hill and it about killed my hips.  I now know what people must feel who need new hips.  Ouch!  

 

 

 

Market Hill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this time we went to a restaurant for lunch.  We were on our own, and Mustafa was going to one he knew where the plated lunch was $ 20.  Most of us didn't want the meal, and only two ordered it.  It was a scrawny half of chicken and a big scoop of rice....very underwhelming.  I had a Diet Coke and a bowl of ice cream which ended being three scoops of very cold delicious ----------, most of those we tried were soft.  Michael had a beer and french fries.  I think Mustafa has a buddy there he was trying to get some customers for, but it was the one recommended in the book Michael had....and besides Mustafa wanted to smoke the Hookah....a very popular man-thing in Palestine.  When we finished, Mustafa took the other four: Vic, Leona, Patricia, and Linda.  ( we have two Lindas).  Leona had decided at the last not to go but we talked her into it and she was so very glad....this has got to be the highlight of our trip in Palestine.

We had heard that the Pope had been the Catholic Church here so we walked down another ramp toward the hotel to see the Pope Mobile.  It was cute, with no markings as to the maker.

 

Pope Mobile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By then I was ready to go back through the room.  Michael decided to go back up

The market to the top where he had seen a European phone charger for sale.  It was a mistake because when he got back it wasn't what the picture showed on the outside of the box.  Disgusted, he went up AGAIN but the guy had closed and taking a shortcut got him lost!  He had to backtrack and by the time he got to the hotel late before dinner he had walked 6 miles and 10 floors!!!  He was spent and though not hungry ate a little bit of dinner without washing and was sicker than a dog all night and the next day!  I really worried about him as I never see him sick and he was pale and old looking.  He didn't look at all like my hubby and it was alarming.  By the next day, though, he was back to his ole self, hiking and happy. 

 

Until another day,

Grove and gang

 

 

 

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