Jerusalem

Wednesday, October 04, 2023
Ashdod, South District, Israel
Update. We are fine and in Jordan./
We were off to a rocky start when our driver wasn’t there at the pre arranged time. We got it straightened out and Sivan, a young dad who grew up on a Kibutz, arrived.  The challenge was he was in a Traverse with the third row seat.  Our grand children sit back there, not Paul Colvin who was a center on the Syracuse football team. Entering and exiting were exercises in contortion circus skills.  Sivan admitted he doesn’t like to drive and it became apparent immediately. 
My grand mother was a better driver.  He also was very soft spoken and for Pauly, who can’t hear at all and Tim, who fried one of his hearing aids at the Turkish baths, required the use of an archaic microphone and speaker box.  The box went sailing when he nearly ran into a farm machine and every time he slowed it was a “slam the brakes” style.  His consistent coughing into a microphone was an added treat. You can’t make this $#%@ up! In spite of all this, he was a great guide. He grew on all of us, had a great sense of humor and his knowledge was amazing. 
 After heavy traffic and circling a parking garage twice to find a place to park arrived in the old city. When we finally parked, he went to grab his back pack which was what one would use for a 2 week trip in the mountains.  My first question was “where exactly are we going and will it be overnight??” As luck would have it, it was the Jewish Holiday of Sukkot and every variety of Jewish sects were there on holiday.  We attempted to go to the wailing wall, but it was a mosh pit of Jewish humanity. I’ll try another time.
One can’t process seeing the  room where the last supper was, the “way of the cross”, where Jesus was crucified and the tomb where he was buried. It is overwhelming.  We spent the night on the ship while it sailed to Haifa.

Comments

Be Safe!!!
2023-10-07

Be Safe over there!!

2025-02-07

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