Humbled....

This weekend was experience that is hard to put into words! Some of things were of movies others made one feel insignificant in the scheme of things. Our plan was to take a guided tour of Jerusalem which we did. On the way the guide asked if we wanted to go to Bethlehem...Everyone said that we shouldn't do it, but we couldn't say no!

Going to Bethlehem is a little different that going to the Dead Sea or Jerusalem. Bethlehem is in the West Bank and under Palestinian control. Our tour guide could not go with us into Bethlehem because she was an Israeli citizen. She explained how things would work and I don't think it brought much comfort to any of us.

Since she could not go in...We would have to go with another person that we have not met, in a place we were told not to go! Hmmm...Not sounding like a real good idea so far.

We had to go through a security checkpoint and walk down this long caged in walkway to get in. Once in we were shuffled into cars and whisked off. As we were driving through Bethlehem we ran into a truck that was stopped in the middle of a hill by police. They were arguing about something in Arabic. We were told to get out the car and start walking. At this point the comfort level is zero or less. We finally got to the top of the hill and regrouped. Now we meeting another person that was going to give us a tour of Bethlehem.

Our first stop was the center of Bethlehem. Usually this is the area they show in the movies. In the center of town is the Church of the Nativity. This is where it is believed that Jesus was born. In the center of 3 churches is a grotto that has the birth place and manger location of Jesus.

We walked through the three churches and listened to the history of each. We walked around Bethlehem a bit and ended up at the guides shop where they sold items made out of olive wood. The whole situation was a little weird.

As we walked in the shop...They started talking and apparently told everyone to leave. The place cleared out and we all looked at each other trying to figure out what was going on. We got a pitch about the wood and were being persuaded into buying things. After the whole deal we were put back into cars and brought back to the boarder. We went back through security and met our original guide.

I don't think we were really prepared for the trip into Bethlehem. Everything was OK...I just think we were a little sensitive to things. We were now headed off to Jerusalem.

Our first stop with the top of Mt. Olive. It was amazing to here how each area was important to each religion and how each thing varied with each religion. It would take a lifetime to get everything on everything. A quick trip around Jerusalem and we headed for the "Old City". The city is surrounded by a wall and split into 4 quadrants and each argues about who is right.

We went though the stations of the cross and walked the Via Dolorosa, getting the history of each site. We got everything from the history of the wars to the current excavation going on near the western wall.

One day is not enough to get through everything thoroughly in the "Old City". If anyone is thinking about going over...Make sure you have a couple of days to spend. Also be sure to hit Bethlehem! Don't worry about crossing into the west bank it's not a big deal. I think we were a little on edge because everyone was telling us that we should not go. They welcome tourists...Their economy depends on it.

The trip was the most interesting of my life...Without a doubt! My biggest regret was not researching more about the history and ideas of the other religions before my trip. I found the disputes and arguments the most interesting. Building one thing on top of the other, to prove that the other was right, seemed to be the norm. Things are still being discovered proving how far each one went to prove their cause.

If you have a chance to go...Don't hesitate!

This coming weekend is our last in Israel. I'm not sure where it is going to take us.

Talk to you soon and be sure to check out all the pictures on my Picasa!