The Journey begins...

Brian (Schultz) and I arrived at Tel Aviv at about 2:30 Wednesday. (We left for the airport at 8 Tuesday morning.) We flew from Fresno to Phoenix, then Phoenix to Philadelphia, and then Philly to Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion Airport). The plane form Philly was supposed to be full, but due to very bad weather there, many people missed our plane so we were able to spread out a bit. Nonetheless, it's almost impossible for me to sleep on a plane.

If you go to Israel, having someone who knows Israel like the proverbial back of his hand is a real asset! As we left Tel Aviv in our rented car, Brian was able to show me everything from the new railroad line, to the characteristic white building stone with which virtually all buildings are constructed, to the bombed-out shells of armored cars used to move supplies into the beleaguered city during the blockade of Jerusalem in the 1948 War.

We drove from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem (gaining some 800 meters in elevation!) and were able to see much of the city. The parks were crammed full of families on holiday, barbecuing and enjoying the great weather.





The traffic was, how shall we say, entertaining and terrifying. Luckily Brian could drive with the best (or worst?) of them. After a short stop in Jerusalem, we started the drive to the Sea of Galilee. As we left the city, I was able to catch a brief glimpse of the Dome of the Rock. It's always truly amazing to see a site that you've previously only seen in photographs. (It was so brief I could not capture it on film)

We passed several Palestinian settlements and the huts of the Bedouins whose water tanks are
the only supply of water in what appears to be an uncompromising landscape, but which Brian informs me are actually the "green pastures" of Psalm 23!

In fact, we saw several shepherds with their flocks of sheep or goats, and their lifestyle cannot have changed very much since the time of David.

These people eke out a very bare existence. Just looking at the hot sheets of metal covering the makeshift shelters made me thirsty.

After a while we began the long descent into the valley of the Dead Sea, passing numerous hitchhikers of both sexes along the way. (To hitch a ride in Israel, you don't stick out your thumb, but point your index finger toward the road.) Brian says that hitchhiking in Israel is safe and ubiquitous.

The Dead Sea

Down, down, down we went, to the lowest point on earth. Brian's water bottle shriveled to half its size from the loss of pressure and our ears popped.


The landscape around the lake was moon-like in its barrenness, but once we passed the lake we came across several Palestinian tourist stops, with everything from sheepskins to junk food to pots to camel rides.


This mournful camel knelt on the hot pavement and no doubt dreamed of retirement--or at least taking a healthy bite out of its human burden!

Shortly after the Dead Sea we turned north and followed Route 90 to the Galilee. Traffic diminished rapidly as we turned west towards Tiberias. This area is heavily Palestinian. It was dark when we reached Tiberias (we were stopped at a security check point and had to bring all our bags out of the car, where they were x-rayed and our car meticulously searched.) Brian said that if I hadn't spoken to them in English, they probably would not have stopped us. Now I know.... They seemed especially preoccupied with Brian's back-up hard drive. Soon, however, were back on the road.

Tiberias is a popular tourist town on the shores of the Galilee, and it was jam-packed with people enjoying the Passover holiday. Traffic was inching along for most of the town, and I was able to people-watch. Just past the town, one campground after another was crammed full of small dome tents, hundreds, pitched right on top on one another...just one great big party.

We turned off the main road at Migdal (Ancient Magdala, the home town of Mary Magdalene) and drove up the hill a ways to our guest house, Beit Bracha ("House of Blessing").

Brian at Beit Bracha