Entries Tagged 'Israel' ↓

Bethlehem

Bethlehem is in a Palestinian controlled area.

We had to go through a checkpoint to get there:

And through a massive wall that sections of the Palestinian areas from the areas controlled by the state of Israel:

On the Palestinian side of the wall there is graffiti.  The slogan below “To exist is to resist” caught my eye.

Our first stop in Bethlehem was to shop:

Once our bus arrived at this shop,  street vendors started showing up.  They are VERY, VERY aggressive.   They hand you stuff to “look at” and refuse to take it back, expecting you to pay for anything you touch.  They will follow you, block your way, tell you anything to get you to buy.  If you do buy, they will push more.  They do not make change.

However, we were to meet more aggressive sales people around the church of the nativity.

(I’ll post some more tonight about yesterday and today… I have only a few minutes before the bus leaves)

Mount of Olives

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Pool of Bethesda

Leave Tiberius

As we drive through and around Israel we see farming everywhere.  There are very few places that are not put to use.   This is a common scene:

And a sight to make a Texan feel at home

Visit to the remains of a Roman City at Beit Shean.

Remains of a Roman Theater:

We are traveling with DayStar a Christian TV station.  There are the DayStar singers that perform at various stops.  When they were performing on the stage in the Roman Theater, it was easy to hear them clearly without amplification.

Can you guess what this is?

Maybe this will help:

It is the remains of a Roman toilet.  There is a channel underneath that water would run continuously through, taking away the waste.

In various spots throughout the ruins, the floor was decorated with beautiful mosaic tiles.

On the way to our next stop, we drove by a prison:

Visit to the ruins at Megiddo

On the way through our next stop. we drove by a Arab community.  It is great seeing a group of Muslims leaving in peace, and being accept enough to have a community within Israel.  Notice the minaret that stands above the mosque.

Caesarea by the Sea

remains of an aqueduct:

Something I saw on the Path to Jerusalem