An amazing trip, our experiences ran into each other. Walking down the Jerusalem sidewalk to the Tower of David Museum for the Night Spectacular Light Show was much like walking in any city. The Spectacular, using 3-D technology with a name that means "deceiving the eye," projected onto the Tower's walks, walls and turrets the history--Greek, Roman, Crusader, Ottoman--with life-like soldiers on horses, with armor, people hiding, and then breaking into song. Our guide said that she had been a member of the children's choir whose voices were used in the drama. Walking back through the old city, I stopped with other women in a couple of shops--art and skin care, different only in that Dead Sea skin care products were featured and prayer shawls and Jewish art was on display.
We were reminded by Dena, our guide, and anyone else who had an opportunity that Israel wasn't an aggressor, but was protecting herself. Their neighbors didn't want them to exist so self-protection was essential. She told of two narrow escapes, barely missing buses that were blown to bits a few blocks later. No buses had been bombed since the wall was built. She was sorry that some Palestinians had difficulties, but Israel needed the wall for protection. With her experiences, it wasn't hard to understand her point of view. I mentioned the second guide in the tunnel and his more extreme view. Our driver was the most even in his attitude. Members of the family who hosted the Shabbat dinner who had or were serving in the military were proud of their service, but didn't speak so stridently of Israel's choices of protection. The two speakers at Independence Hall were not only proud of their country and its heritage, but vehement about Israel's need for protection and the prejudice of the international press. Our Druze host was proud that their Arabic-speaking young people serve in the Israeli military in greater numbers than most other groups. I was struck by the pride of Israeli Military service. Our former Californian guide at the Bio Bee Kibbutz was proud of her military service too. It echoed the feelings of those Americans who fought in our World Wars I and II--fighting as righteous warriors against evil aggressors.
I visited with my massage therapist in the Mizpe Ha-Yamim Hotel. She, too, expressed vexation with the news media. From Detroit, she was an Israeli citizen but visited relatives in the US. She was more sympathetic with the difficulties of the Palestinians but like others, felt that what Israel was doing was self-preservation.
The bus drove us from one interesting spot to another, often stopping only long enough for a vignette. There are a few more stops that merit mention. Before our arrival at the International Dance Village, I wondered why it was on our agenda--and learned, after expressing my delight at the inspiring dance performance we saw, that it was one of the several stops on our agenda that had been a guess--this a lucky one. First we observed a class session where some of the movements we saw in performance were taught. Instead of eating lunch in their cafeteria, Simone and I walked through the village, enjoying the park-like spaces and walking down through an area of cottages where it appeared that students lived. We were told that the dancers come from all over the world.
Had we needed to hire a driver to take us to the Sea of Galilee, we might have missed one of the most inspiring of our stops--the Rebecca Sieff Hospital in Safed, also known as the Ziv Hospital, treating patients from the Upper Galilee and the northern Golan. The tour agenda said "Emergency Medical Services in Times of War." The folks above were sitting in the hospital's courtyard. One of few Israeli hospitals that treats patients from other nearby countries--Syria in this case, the area served is multi-cultural, and the hospital staff reflects that diversity. The Christian social worker who does intake spoke to us. He acknowledged that talking to Syrian young men who were likely soldiers after atrocities focused on Christians was hard at first, but their mission was medical care. The Syrians are brought to the border by their soldiers and transferred to the hospital by Israeli military ambulances. Some they treat are children and women, but the majority are young men of fighting age from the rebel armies. An Israeli surgeon, when questioned about whether the caring medical treatment received changed any minds and hearts, told of a young girl--nine or so years old, who after thanking him for her care, told him she would be back to kill him. He also told of a mother who managed to get her daughter back for a follow-up visit and was very grateful. He said the Syrians were taught to hate Israelis from birth and receiving good medical care at their hands didn't necessarily make a difference. (Recently I read of a Druze mob forcing a military ambulance to stop, attacking the Syrian occupants, after a Druze community in nearby Syria had been attacked by rebel fighters.) The hospital staff wanted their stories told, as they, like other Israelis we heard or met, believe the international press is prejudiced against them. Hospital lobby below:
The town of Safed was was filled with artists and art galleries of all varieties. We also heard a lecture/sales pitch from a Kabbalah rabbi (whom those of Jewish faith thought was bunk!). In the ancient city part of Safed, we visited a prison museum--a foreboding place.
Leaving Tel Aviv, after a delayed start with bus trouble, for our long ride to Eilat, we were fortunate to keep our planned stop at the Bedouin town of Lakiya. There we learned about the weaving that the women in that village were doing to earn a little money. They work in their homes as they aren't allowed to work outside. Our vivacious guide was new to her task and more friendly than expected. Others served us small cups of tea and/or coffee while we watched a demonstration of their weaving process. We hoped that in their homes with small looms, the women wouldn't be down on their knees while weaving!
Our bus continued to have problems so we were delighted when a new bus arrived driven by our regular driver. We still had a long drive ahead!
Our next stop was at the Mitzpe Ramon natural crater's visitors' center. This is not a crater as we think of it but a sizable area of erosion in the desert. From the edge of the visitors' center, we had an expansive view of the desert crater--sculpture-like formations and a vast area with a tiny bit of green here and there, a view of the highway we would be taking and distant hiking trails. We enjoyed our brief stop, moving quickly to board the bus for the rest of our drive through the desert to Eilat. 
Playing for money, he wasn't shy about asking!
I was fascinated by the desert and took many photos from the bus as we drove through. It was unlike any desert I had seen with so little vegetation. If I didn't say so in my Petra blog, we drove two hours through the Jordan desert to reach Petra and saw traditional Bedouin tent communities in the distance. Our Jordanian guide said that the Bedouins are committed to educating their children so more and more, they are abandoning their nomadic ways.
Eilat is a tourist city with many huge hotels. All our rooms had a Red Sea view. It was for those who wished, a shopping mecca. We arrived in time to unload suitcases and do a quick sea walk or shopping (both for some) before eating. We were in Eilat one full day before we left for Jordan and Petra.
My foray into snorkeling in the Red Sea wasn't the best, as the sea was rough, the life "booster" minimal, and my mask never quite fit. The underwater photo is from the Underwater Observatory Marine Park--a delightful place. I did see beautiful coral in the sea, but not in the comfort I experienced other times.
Petra was a fitting ending to a marvelous trip--so much to see and take in, and such a varied and fascinating country! We flew back to Tel Aviv to spend the final afternoon and evening, with a 4 am bus to the airport. My final afternoon wasn't one I had planned. Simone and I agreed to go for a walk and a little shopping with a small woman doctor with more shopping energy than either of us had imagined. We shopped at an Israeli Mall--not one known for catering to tourists. We were certain of the customer base as our companion who wanted to do a "little" shopping bought several items for which she needed the VAT forms. After she seriously considered a briefcase in one high-end shop, the shop borrowed forms from another store to be ready when we returned. Our sushi lunch was at a bar-type place in the middle of the mall where we communicated by pointing and a few words.
No comments:
Post a Comment