Interesting...was there much troubles/hassles at the border? Like checkpoints etc.
What were some of the memorable biblical sites you saw? Did you feel closer to God while you were in Israel or Jerusalem?
Where there many trees...if so what were the most common ones you saw.
Checkpoints weren't really an issue. We are obviously Americans and tourists...the whole place seems to revolve around separating us from our money.
The biggest hassles were the taxi's. They kept trying to rob us for exorbitant prices for cab fare. Trying to get anywhere that didn't have the means to call one for a return was always the biggest hassle. Or they would drive around in circles to run the meter up.
Israel is really small. It's not as big as the state of TN. In the picture of sunrise above there are two separate towns mentioned in scripture...and one that is referred to but not really mentioned well and a fourth that we were using to take the picture. You can't see them because of the haze and time of day...but you could see them at midday or at night.
Trees and vegetation?
Israel uses "soaker hoses" that drip water directly at the base of plants.
Whenever there's water there's all kinds of plants and animals and stuff...where there's no water...just rocks. And in some places not even the rocks and dust.
There's a chain link fence separating Israel from Palestinians...it has gates in it every so many miles. There's nothing as lonely as an IDF soldier guarding a gate.
And a word about Palestinians. Their government is wholly corrupt. They don't have garbage trucks...so the landscape in Palestinian areas is full of trash. They barely have some water in some areas. They of course do not have any public works that sees to it that there's shrubs and trees along the roads...if you can really call them that. Hezbollah (the church and not the terrorists) actually does some community projects for children and adults. But from my understanding they have taught Americans how to abuse charitable giving. A million dollars raised for a $5,000 well is the norm...and likely the well will only be half dug.
There's not a lot in Palestinian areas that are of interest. There are a few. Caleb's Valley in Hebron (crappy mall). Bethlehem...
Cesarea Phillipi and the Pan Sanctuary/church...the spring that caused Jesus to say "upon this rock".
(Requires a hike)
Then there's where David was dodging Saul...the spring at the bottom of the crevice. (Names are driving me nuts this morning)
Palestinian areas are more where you need to be careful. Israel itself is fine...the taxi's are the worst of the lot there and IDF is on EVERY corner. (Police state) You are perfectly safe from everyone except salesmen.
Elijah's cave is going to be interesting. (North) the Jews have the bottom and it was closed for Purim while we were there. But the Catholics on top don't have Purim and actually this was an excellent location to buy souvenirs in their gift shop. They even took American dollars. I even ate a few ripe blackberries growing there...they were going to rot otherwise. But NOBODY argues about how fire came down and cooked that black basalt into white marble...the top of the cave shows that quite easily.
The location Where Jesus got baptized is a kibbutz... another excellent place to hang out. Gift shop was only moderately pricey. They got many Arc of the Covenant there. But the bottles of water are what you are after there. Maybe even getting wet yourself.
2
1
