africa blog: May 2013

AN ALOHA TOUR OF THE HOLY LAND

well, the pilgrimage is behind me. i went to the mountain... and to the lowest point on earth. we had an incredible tour group from kenya, UK, South Afrika, and the states. good group, right time of year, good weather, brilliant guide - doug brown from karen vineyard, and all in all a super time. wasn't too cheesy...you know... "Washington slept here...Jesus walked here". lots of buses and a few folks for sure, but another grand adventure for this SOTW. (sorry, my "see" key is out so i'm Sitizen Of The World this blog)

so many images and thoughts. too mutsh to get into in a blog, better over dinner. don't want to bog the blog down!

finished the trip and after a day in NBO flew bak to lamu. shela kinda feels more like home now. so more lamu piks next blog soon!

let's get to it! piks!

last day in jerusalem. ddm and his homies from india.

more airport obsession. ISTANBUL. IN TRANSIT.

QUIK SNAP DOWN THE ESKALATOR. LOVE THE LIGHTING AND STRUCTURE.

AIRPORT GREETING. IN TURKISH.

MORE AIRPORT ART.

HOLOCAUST MUSEUM IN JERUSALEM THE FIRST DAY. HITLER DIDN'T JUST KILL ALL THE JEWS IN GERMANY,
HE KILLED ALL THE JEWS IN EUROPE. COUNTRY BY COUNTRY, CONQUEST BY CONQUEST,

MINI CITY MODEL OF JERUSALEM WITH THE ORIGNAL KING SOLOMON TEMPLE MOUNT AND THE PORTICOES
AROUND IT WITH THE HOLY OF THE HOLIES IN THE CENTER.

ROOF OF DEAD SEA SCROLLS PLACES MATCHES THE CISTERN TOP THEY WERE FOUND IN WITH WATER
POURED ON IT TO PURIFY IT FOR HOLINESS.

D. BROWN OUR FEARLESS LEADER. WE KNEW OUR SHEPHERD'S VOICE.

KING DAVID'S TOWER.

MODERN ICONS IN AN OLD WORLD

INSIDE THE WALLS IN THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM. MAIN STREET SHOPS CALLING IT A DAY.

THEY STILL SELL SPICES BY THE BAG FULL.

EXT. CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. IN A SLOW PATCH. SMALL CROWD.

AN EATERY INSIDE THE OLD CITY. COOL GROTTO VIBE.

OUTDOOR MARKET.

MUSLIM WOMAN SELLING LETTUCE.

LEAVING DAMASCUS GATE...ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS.

MASSIVE DOORS!

OUTSIDE DAMASCUS GATE.

LOWER GATE ENTRANCE RECENTLY EXCAVATED. IT'S SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS OLDER. FILLED OVER WITH SILT.

INNER TUNNEL TAKES US CLOSER TO THE WESTERN WALL WHERE THE HOLY OF HOLIES WOULD BE OPPOSITE.

COOL EXCAVATION SITE.

THE WESTERN WALL...FKA THE WAILING WALL.

WESTERN WALL WITH PRAYER SHAWLS.

MASSIVE RUBBLE ON AN OLD HERODIAN STREET JESUS MAY HAVE WALKED.

THE HUGE SOUTHERN WALL ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT.

LOOKING BACK AT SOUTHERN WALL.

THE BEAUTIFUL GATE WAS THREE ARCHES. NOW COVERED OVER. BUT JESUS WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH
THOSE GATES. SEE WHAT I MEAN.

CURRENT DAY EXCAVATION.

SHOPS IN OLD CITY NEAR OUR LUNCH SPOT.

ARAB HILLSIDE COMMUNITY OPPOSITE CITY OF DAVID. WINDOWS REMIND ME OF A CARTOON BY BEK.

ADDED SECURITY, A FEW WROUGHT IRON BARS.

HARK!

SHEPHERD'S FIELD CHURCH. IF SOMETHING COOL HAPPENED, THEY BUILT A CHURCH OVER THE SPOT.

INSIDE. HAD A GREAT VIBE.

A CLOSE RENDERING TO THE REAL THING.

CLASSIC CHURCH ART.

STARBUCKS IN BETHLEHEM?? HEY, WAIT A MINUTE...

YES, IT'S CALLED "MANGER SQUARE". ENOUGH SAID.

NATIVITY CHURCH..INT...2 HOUR QUEUE TO SEE THE EXACT PLACE OF BIRTH.

FELT LIKE ROME OR FLORENCE. LOVE THIS LIGHTING.

X MARKS THE SPOT. TRIPPY STAINLESS STAR SHAPED COMPASS THINGY WITH A WINDOW. WE WERE ALLOWED 2 SEONDS TO SEE IT AFTER A 2 HOUR WAIT. LOOKED LIKE IT WAS IN A FIREPLACE.

INT. BETHLEHEM BIBLE COLLEGE FOR ARABS. INTERESTING LECTURER. NICE TIME.

THE WALL THE JEWS ARE BUILDING AROUND PALESTINIAN TOWNSHIPS. BERLIN-ESQUE FOR SURE.

FRIDAY NIGHT OLD CITY.

THE JEWS HAVE DIFFERENT HATS BASED ON FAMILY. THE FURRY SABLE GUYS WITH THE WHITE TIGHTS WERE MY FAVORITE. FRIDAY NIGHT IS THE BIG NIGHT OUT AT THE WESTERN WALL FOR PRAYER. LOTS OF BEARDS AND TESTOSTERONE. LIKE AN "IRON JOHN" GATHERING FROM THE OLD WORLD. ALSO FELT LIKE A WOODY ALLEN MOVIE.

OLD CITY AT NIGHT. THE SHOPS ARE ALL CLOSED.

DEAD SEA SCROLLS FOUND IN THESE CAVES. FAR RIGHT AND UPPER RIGHT. 11 CAVES IN ALL HID THE SCROLLS FOUND BY A SHEPHERD BOY IN 1947. TAKEN TO PRINCETON FOR DECIPHERING. AMAZING FND. GOOGLE IT!

MY DAVID HOCKNEY ATTEMPT. 'SHADE IN THE DESERT'. BY THE DEAD SEA.

THE DEAD SEA FROM THE BUS WINDOW.

MASADA IN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PALMS ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN.

CABLE CAR TO THE TOP OF MASADA. SNAKE PATH UP IN THE BACKGROUND IS HOW I CAME DOWN. WEARING FLIP FLOPS.

GOOGLE MASADA. AMAZING STORY.

VIEW FROM MASADA. DEAD SEA IN THE DISTANCE.

"MY KIND OF TOWN, CAESAREA" ON THE COAST. VERY COOL.

ROMAN AMPITHEATRE IN CAESAREA.

ALONG THE BEAUTIFUL MED. SO WANTED TO SWIM!

SEA FRONT IN THE OLD MAJOR HARBOR OF CAESAREA, RUINED IN A GIANT QUAKE.

LINE ART CHARIOT SCULTURE AT THE START OF THE HIPPODROME. 7 LAPS AROUND THE STADIUM.

THE HIPPODROME, IN PRISTINE CONDITION AFTER 2000 YEARS. IT WAS ONE FURLONG IN DISTANCE.

AND THEY HAD GLADIATORS AS WELL. ONE OF MY FAVORITE STOPS!

THE AQUADUCT BRINGING FRESH WATER TO CAESAREA. NAMED IN HONOR OF CAESAR.

25 LAYERS OF CITIES OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS OVER TIME IN MEGIDDO.

BELOW MEGIDDO IS THE VALLEY OF ARMAGEDDON. THE ULTIMATE BATTLE GROUND.

COMING OUT OF THE CISTERN WATER SYSTEM IN MEGIDDO.

NEXT STOP, BEIT SHE'AN NATIONAL PARK.

THESE RUINS WERE BARELY RUINED.

BEIT SHE'AN WAS COMPLETELY COVERED OVER WITH DIRT AND SILT 10 YEARS AGO.

A THESPIAN HITS THE BOARDS. LITERALLY. "FRIENDS, ROMANS, JEWS (?), LEND ME YOUR EARS".

MORE ROMAN-GRECO ARCHITECTURE. LOVED IT.

APPIAN WAY ISRAEL STYLE.

"PILLAR IN ARCH". MEDIUM: IPHONE 5.

OUR SWANKY BUS. SHORT WHEEL BASE HELPED IN THE SMALL STREETS AND ROUNDABOUTS.

ENGLISH OR HEBREW?

TEMPLE OF PAN AND OTHER ASSORTED PAGAN GODS.

HOLY PLACES HAVE A FEW "DON'TS". LIPSTICK APPEARS TO BE OKAY, JUST BE QUIET. SHHHH.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN. 50 BUSES AT EVERY STOP. AND THE GIFT SHOPS...OY VEY!

"CAST YOUR NETS OVER THE OTHER SIDE." AND THE NETS WERE FULL OF FISH, RIGHT HERE AT THE SEA OF GALILEE,
WHICH IS ACTUALLY A FRESH WATER LAKE. AND WE ALL KNOW FRESH WATER IS MUCH HARDER TO WALK ON THAN SALT WATER LIKE THE DEAD SEA! DEAD SEA YOU FLOAT LIKE A CORK!

SORRY YANKS, NO GUNS ALLOWED HERE. THEY SHOULD ADD CELL PHONE CALLS.

GOOD TO KNOW. THE LAKE/SEA OF GALILEE WAS SURPRISINGLY COLD.

CATFISH IN THE JORDAN RIVER.

MATTHEW 3:16...HAPPENED RIGHT HERE.

After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.

NO MENTION OF THE MUSKRAT THAT POPPED BY WHILE DEB IN OUR GROUP GOT BAPTIZED.

SEA OF GALILEE BOAT TIME.

"THE JESUS BOAT" FOUND IN THE MUD IN THE YEAR OF A DROUGHT. PRETTY COOL!

DAVID THE SHEPHERD AT NAZARETH VILLAGE. A LITTLE CORNY BUT FUN TO SEE NONETHELESS.

MODERN NAZARETH HOVERS ABOVE THE VILLAGE BELOW.

OIL PRESS.

JOSPEH THE CARPENTER SAWING THE OLD SCHOOL WAY. PRETTY COOL DRILL AS WELL.

GIFT SHOP AT JERICHO. MY THING WAS SNOW GLOBES.

"3 HOUR DRIVE TO SEE THIS?" THE OLDEST INHABITED CITY IN THE WORLD...JERICHO. SO DANG HOT WE WERE ALL A LITTLE GRUMPY.

BUT THE SKY CARS AT JERICHO THAT WENT UP TO THE MONASTERY WAS TRES CHIC!

NOW THAT'S OLD SCHOOL.

CAMEL RIDE AT A REMOTE BUS STOP IN THE DESERT REGION.

OLD "ROMAN ROAD" LEADING TO...JERUSALEM.

DAMASCUS GATE. SUNSET.

NEW CITY MALL IN JERUSALEM. THINK RODEO COLLECTION IN BEVERLY HILLS. POSH!

OLD CITY WALL. WALKING HOME AT NIGHT.

DOME OF THE ROCK MOSQUE. THE ARABS BUILT A MUSLIM MOSQUE WHERE THE HOLY OF HOLIES USED TO BE. THE EXACT SAME SPOT....OVER A ROCK. THE JEWS CLAIM THE ROCK WAS WHERE ABRAHAM OFFERED UP ISAAC. THE MUSLIMS SAY IT'S THE VERY ROCK MUHAMMAD ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN FROM ON A WHITE HORSE. THAT'S WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT.

OLD SIDE STREET

THERE ARE 14 STATIONS OF THE CROSS. THIS WAS NUMBER 7.

HOLY SEPULCHRE CHURCH THE DAY WE WENT INSIDE. ORTHODOX EASTER WEEK.

GIANT DOORS. PERIOD LIGHTING.

THE LATIN SIDE NEXT TO THE CRUCIFIXION SPOT.

THE VIRGIN MARY ON THE ORTHODOX SIDE. ICON HEAVY.

THE GREEK ORTHODOX SHRINE WHERE CHRIST WAS KILLED.

REAL DEAL MURAL.

INT. CHURCH...VERY ESCHER-ESQUE

THE CROWD OF TOURISTS. THE PILGRIMAGE FINDS HOME.

GOD BEAMS HOVER OVER THE TOMB. 3 HOUR QUEUE TO SEE THE EMPTY
TOMB OF CHRIST. I PREFERED THE GARDEN TOMB THEORY. HE WAS BURIED THERE.

MUSLIM WOMEN SELLING HER WARES ON THE SIDEWALK EVERY DAY.

JERUSALEM HAS A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM. VERY MODERN.

THE RUMOUR WAS TRUE. MICKY-D IN THE HOLY LAND.

THESE ARE OSSUARIES. THEY HOLD THE FOLDED BONES OF A CORPSE AFTER A YEAR OF DECAY IN A TOMB. BACK IN THE DAY PEOPLE WEREN'T BURIED IF YOU HAD MONEY. YOU HAD A TOMB. AND THEN YOUR BONES WERE PLACED IN AN OSSUARY.

TEAR-DROP CHURCH NEAR THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.

UKRAINIAN PILGRIM WITH OLIVE TREES IN GETHSEMANE.

WHERE JESUS SWEATED DROPS OF BLOOD. BEFORE THE PASSION BEGAN.

CHURCH OF THE NATIONS IN GETHSEMANE.

BEAUTIFUL INSIDE.

YES THERE ARE REINDEER IN ISRAEL, ON TOP OF THE SHURKH OF THE NATIONS.

OKAY, THERE WAS A SLIGHT CHEESE FAKTOR TO IT ALL.

MADONNA IN THE UPPER ROOM. AND THEY BROKE BREAD. AND ATE.

THE 3-D DOOR WHERE JESUS WAS ARRESTED BY THE HIGH PRIEST.

OUR LAST DAY. AND HIS.

GOLGOTHA OR "THE PLACE OF THE SKULL" IS NOW HOME TO AN ARAB BUS STATION WHISH KOVERS THE MOUTH PART.

THE GARDEN TOMB. EMPTY. HE IS RISEN INDEED.

EXT. JESUS' TOMB. ALL THE FOUND WERE HIS BURIAL KLOTHES.

OH YEAH.

IF YOU'RE POSH ENOUGH YOU GET WIFI ON YOUR BUS.

SNOW GLOBES AT TEL AVIV AIRPORT. DID IT TRIGGER MY SUDDEN INTEREST IN SNOW GLOBES ON MY TRIP?
DOES SUBLIMINAL ADVERTISING WORK? DOES SUBLIMINAL ADVERTISING WORK? SNOW GLOBE SNOW GLOBE
SNOW GLOBE...