thefouramigosblog

Relaxing in Dubai

After a very hectic and fast pace through Israel, we needed a little R&R. I booked three nights at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah. I booked this using my $200 credit for Fine Hotels and Resorts from Amex. I used 40,000 Amex points and the room for 3 nights was $265 total.

They upgraded me to a deluxe sea view. I also received free daily breakfast, $100 hotel credit and unlimited water. They left a fruit platter and chocolates in the room.

We were picked up at the airport by a private driver and it was an interesting ride to the hotel. So many tall buildings and very interesting architecture.

This is Dubai’s Museum of the Future.

For dinner tonight, we ate Pad Thai at the hotel. I forgot to take pictures of the food. This was the view at our table.

We caught a little sun behind the building.

After dinner we walked around the hotel and checked out the pool.

The hotel had a wonderful buffet breakfast. Omelets, crepes and many varieties of fruits and baked goods.

We spent a few hours on the beach. The water was divine.

We could see Atlantis from the beach. The new Atlantis looks like Legos.

We booked a driver to take us to several areas and we had tickets for the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building. Our first stop was Burj Al Arab, the world’s only 7 star hotel.

Across from the hotel is a water park.

Our next stop was the Jumeirah Mosque which was built in the 1970’s.

We spent a little time at the Souk market. I bought a scarf and hibiscus tea.

At last it was time to go to the tallest building, Burj Al Arab. We had VIP tickets so we didn’t have to wait in line. They also served cappuccino and dates and pastry.

We took the elevator up to floor 125 then switched to go to floor 148.

The buildings below looked as though they were photoshopped.

We watched the sun go down from the top of Burj

It was an amazing evening. Afterwards we had dinner at the Italian restaurant at the Waldorf, Social. We ordered hibiscus tea. I had cannelloni and Bruce had eggplant. They also gave us many other things to taste.

We spent the next day lounging at the beach and getting ready for the long flight home.

It was a grueling 20 hours and of course, I’m home sick. I always end my trips this way.

Here are a few random shots of Dubai, which we loved!

Home Sweet Home!

#dubai#waldorfastoria#burjalarab#burjkhalifa#atlantis

Our Last Day Touring Israel

We began our day at the Garden Tomb where some believe Christ was intombed.

It was a lovely place, peaceful and serene, but as our guide said maybe not his tomb.

The Garden surrounding the area was lovely.

The area by the cave is where they think Jesus was crucified. This was all within the area of the Garden Tomb.

We next traveled to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to The Cenacle, dining room in Latin, which is the upper room traditionally known to be the site of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus had with his disciples. According to our guide, this is very unlikely and what most likely took place was that Jesus said to look for a man who is carrying a pitcher of water. Since women usually carried the water, the most likely man who carried water would be a monk or Essene Jew like those in Qumran. A sect was within the old city of Jerusalem and that is probably where the last supper was held.

Zion Gate, a historic gate of the old city of Jerusalem was built in July 1540.

During the nineteenth century, a leper colony, slaughter house and livestock market were located in this vicinity until they were torn down under British rule.

For lunch we traveled to a Bedouin camp where some of our crew went for camel rides. Our friends, Sandy and Scott were up for a ride!

The story of Abraham unfolded as we ate at his table. I have to say the hummus in Israel is amazing.

In the afternoon we headed back to Jerusalem and walked the Via Delarosa, which was the path that Jesus walked toward his crucifixion.

Our final stop was at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which contains two holy sites- one where Jesus was crucified and one where he was intombed.

People were kneeling down and kissing a slab of marble on which they believe Jesus was readied for burial.

The cave in which Jesus was intombed was inside the church. Our tour guide went inside but would not allow us to go inside stating it wasn’t safe.

This is part of the church. It was very crowded with the exception of this section.

After our visit at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we headed back to the hotel. Tired but happy! Our tour is over but Bruce and I head to Dubai tomorrow!

#churchoftheholysepulchre#jerusalem#viadelarosa#mountzion#zionsgate#israel#gardentomb

The Western Wall and Bethlehem

We began our tour today in the Rabbinical Tunnels which led us through the construction of the Temple Mount and their water system and the inner side of the Western Wall.

Our tour guide explained how of the tunnel is in continuation of the Western Wall and is located under buildings of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. While the open-air portion of the Western Wall is approximately 60 metres (200 ft) long, the majority of its original length of 488 metres (1,601 ft) is hidden underground. The tunnel allows access to the remainder of the Wall in a northerly direction.

After we spent time in the tunnels we cleansed our hands and visited the Western Wall also known as the Wailing Wall. Woman went to the right and men to the left.

The Southern Wall is a wall at the southern end of the Temple Mount and the former southern side of the Second Temple (also called Herod’s Temple) in Jerusalem. It was built during King Herod’s expansion of the Temple Mount platform southward on to the Ophel. The Southern Wall is 922 feet (281 m) in length, and which the historian Josephus equates as being equal to the length of one furlong. These are the steps that Jesus walked to get to the Temple.

To get to Bethlehem, we had to cross over into Palestinian territory and Roman, our guide, turned us over to George.

As we sat in front of the shepherd’s fields, George told us about how this was where the angels told of Jesus birth.

This is what a cave that people lived in looked like in Jesus time.

After spending a little time here, we rode the short distance to where Jesus was born.

The Church of the Nativity is one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world since at least the 4^th century AD up to the present. The sanctity of the site is maintained by the three churches occupying it. The construction of the church in 339 AD above the grotto, and its reconstruction in 533 AD, commemorates the birth of Jesus and attests to seventeen hundred years-long tradition of belief that this grotto was indeed the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

The association of the place that was believed to be the birthplace of Jesus is documented from the 4^th century AD and from then on the buildings added to it have been constructed to enhance this religious significance. The majority of the existing church today dates back to the 6^th century AD, but retains part of the 4^th century floor and some parts of its walls and columns, and have 12^th century and later additions that are obvious in the icon painting on the columns of the church. The 12^thcentury additions reflect the Crusades that led to one of the upsurges in pilgrimage activity.

The star is supposedly the exact spot where Jesus was born.

This is the church that is televised from Bethlehem at Christmas.

Some random photos from the three churches.

Tomorrow we begin at the Garden Tomb!

Qumran Caves

After our visit to Masada, we headed to the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Qumran was established during the Hellenistic Period c.134-104BC and remained inhabited up until c.68BC. The Essenes Jewish sect lived here in isolation as a communal monastery-like community without owning any personal property. The sect is thought to have eaten communal meals, studied sacred scriptures for most of the night, taken a daily ritual bath, practice celibacy and they had their own calendar. From information found in the Dead Sea Scrolls scholars have managed to get a clear picture of the community’s way of life and beliefs. It is thought that about 200 people once lived here. In later periods of history there were Arab settlements here and during the Bar Kokhba Revolution the rebels may have taken refuge here.

They slept all in one room on a mat, which during the summer season must have been excruciatingly hot.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a Bedouin shepherd who sold them for approximately $3. Many of the scrolls were torn in pieces and sold piece by piece. Today they are worth hundreds of thousands.

This area is steeped in history; and the Dead Sea Scrolls that have been translated correlate with the Bible.

Our next stop was to head to Jerusalem to the Garden of Gethsemane, at the base of Mt. Olive. We stopped at the top of the Mount.

According to our guide, the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested, was not a garden but a farm. Today it is a lovely garden.

The Church of All Nations which stands next to the gardens was built supposedly over the rock where Jesus prayed the night before he was crucified.

It was a very busy day and we learned a lot about the life and times of Jesus.

#deadseascrolls#qumancaves#jerusalem#israel#christian#gardenofgethsemanee#churchofallnations

Masada

We woke to another beautiful day in Israel, overlooking the Dead Sea.

Our first stop today is Masada, a fortress on top of a mountain used by King Herod. From a distance we could see Masada, majestically against the wispy clouds.

As we approached Masada, the plateau and some structures were noticeable.

We took a cable car to the top.

Herod who had many enemies, built a palace on the mountain and fortified it between 37 and 31 BCE.

According to Josephus, the siege of Masada led by Roman troops from 73 to 74 CE, at the end of the First Jewish–Roman War, ended in the mass suicide of the 960 rebels who were hiding there. There is no archeological evidence that this occurred so they are still seeking confirmation.

There are still frescos that have survived 2000 years. These are in the guard rooms.

The palace was 1300 feet above the Dead Sea and 100 feet below sea level.

We touched on only a small portion of Masada but it was an amazing place to visit.

Heading towards the Dead Sea

We woke to a beautiful sunrise over the Sea of Galilee.

We had a delicious breakfast. The fruit was fresh especially the melon.

At the buffet, they had a honeycomb to get fresh honey.

Our first stop today is the Jordan River where several of our travelers will be baptized.

It was a serene site along the Jordan River. Several horses grazed near the river’s edge.

It was a calm river with very little rippling.

A large number of our group were baptized today! Some have been here before and have been baptized in the past.

The pastor lead the way into the chilly water.

It was a beautiful stop and we left before the crowds arrived.

Our next stop is Beth Shean, located at the juncture of the Jezreel and Jordan valleys.

The tool they used to move huge square blocks.

This city dates back to 4000 BCE and was occupied by Philistines, Egyptians then Israelites. In 732 BCE Assyrians conquered and destroyed the city. In the 3rd century BCE, a large temple was constructed. By 63 BCE it was ruled by the Romans. 18 levels of civilization have been excavated. A Roman Theater with mostly original stones.

A Roman bathhouse with many sections of it still in tact including the steps into the pool, the mosaic and the heating area.

There was an Avenue where shops would have been.

Beautiful original mosaics lined rooms throughout the ruins.

The last section we visited was the bathroom, lavatory or whatever you would call it. Literally, elbow to elbow.

We had lunch in Jericho, a Palestinian city in the West Bank. The food was delicious. The shop had some wonderful handmade items but I just couldn’t find anything for anyone.

Bruce liked this chair!

After lunch we headed to Ein Gedi, “spring of the goat”which is an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea. Along the way their was stark beauty in the sandstone mountains.

We walked to a waterfall in the park which was quite amazing because the surrounding area was so arid.

Ein Gedi is where King David hid from Saul and God defeated the enemies of the Israelites by praise and worship led by King Jehoshaphat.

We also saw a few goats roaming around and a baby goat too!

Our lodging tonight is at the Dead Sea. We arrived around 4PM and had time to float in the Dead Sea.

I wasn’t a big fan. It kind of made me feel itchy but it was interesting how buoyant we were.

Dinner was delicious and I had a hibiscus tea!

After dinner we played another round of cards! We have been playing canasta in many countries.

#israel#tours#deadsea#jericho#jordanriver#baptismal

Beginning Our Journey Back in Time

We woke early this morning to begin our first day exploring Israel with Pilgrim Tours. This is really our first tour where we will be with a large group for 7 days. Our guide, Roman, is insightful but also humorous. There are 46 people on our tour so let’s see how this goes.

After breakfast we headed to Caesarea, a city on the coast of the Mediterranean. We visited Caesarea National Park where gentiles first heard the Good News from Peter and were baptized. Within the park we saw a Roman Amphitheater; much of it has been reconstructed but some of the slabs date back over 2000 years. .

We also saw the remains of King Herod’s palace, which he built on sand, so you can guess what happened to that.

A stone was found in the amphitheater with Pontus Pilatus inscription which was the only evidence that he existed.

The ocean looked lovely here!

Roman showed us what they used as a toilet, out in the open, elbow to elbow.

Then we entered the hippodrome, bringing back memories of watching Charleston Heston riding a chariot in Ben Hur.

This minaret is from a Mosque from the period when the Moslems ruled.

The aqueduct that brought water into the city and carried it 17 miles to Herod’s Palace.

The next stop was Megiddo, known as the Armagedfon Battlegield, where many people believe the end of days will be here. Battles have been fought here for over 3000 years with last time in the 1970’s.

We went down many steps into a tunnel that carried water .

Our last stop was Nazareth where we visited a replica of the Nazareth Village from Jesus time.

It was a busy day and we ended at our hotel in Tiberias, the Ron Beach Hotel. We had a great view of the Sea of Galilee.

#israel#ronbeachhotel#nazareth#seaofgalilee#pilgrimtours

Our Travels Continue

We woke early for breakfast and we were on the road by 7:45, but I was able to photograph the morning as the sun was rising!

We traveled for about an hour to Dan which was up near the northern border. We could see Lebanon from an outlook. It was only about two miles away.

Dan is an ancient city dating back 4500 years and is mentioned in the old testament. We entered the park where the headwaters of the Jordan River are located. This was once Arab territory but has been under Israeli rule since 1967.

The Gates from the days of Abraham lie within Tel Dan. This existed during the time of Jesus.

Our next stop was Caesarea Philippi, and the Grotto of Pan, a pagan center of worship.

Our next stop was lunch. By this time, we had walked a few miles, over rocks and rivers and up and down. It was nice to have a break.

I had a fried fish – head and all!

We went for a cruise on the Sea of Galilee where we read scripture then sang and danced an Israeli dance! It was lively and fun! And such a beautiful day!

We visited Capernaum, where Peter lived.

Our last stop today was Magdala, hometown of Mary Magdalene. It was only recently excavated and they found coins from 29 AD during the dig!

The Boat Chapel and four side chapels are next to the Sea of Galilee.

It was a long day with much exploring the biblical times from the old and new testaments. Tomorrow we travel to the Dead Sea! Pilgrim Tours covers a lot of territory!

#magdala#caesareaphilippi#dan#pilgrimtours

A Beautiful Day in Netanya

We had reservations for two days at the Vert Lagoon before our tour was to begin this evening. We started off with a delicious breakfast – Mediterranean style.

After breakfast we took a two mile walk along the promenade by the beach stopping to take in the beautiful coastline.

My foot is much better but it still smarts if I step on it wrong. However, two weeks ago I couldn’t do this walk.

More spectacular views of the sea!

An exercise course was set up along the way where Bruce did a few tricep dips and Scott did some sit ups.

An interesting sun dial was erected on the promenade. It actually kept good time!

The elevator to the beach was off limits due to landslides. it looked like a elaborate set up so I hope eventually they get it fixed up. Apparently landslides are a problem all along the coastline.

What do you see in this picture?

Rabbits everywhere! All except the white rabbit!

And I wasn’t sure what this was but it was a mosaic.

Our hotel, Vert Lagoon, was a wonderful place to stay.

We spent a few hours by the pool; I stayed mostly in the shade.

Lovely down at the adult pool!

The rest of the day we played some cards and then met with our tour group, Pilgrim Tours, after dinner. There will be 45 of us! Yikes!

To bed early because we have a wake up call at 6 am. Then on to Galilee!

#israel#netanya#pilgrimtours#vertlagoon#Mediterranean

Off the Ship and Onto Dry Land

Our last day at sea was relaxing, as we played card’s with Sandy and Scott and had coffee with some new friends. It was time to say goodbye to our waiters and cabin steward. Ketut, our cabin steward, was the best we ever had. Everyday in the morning and evening he filled the ice bucket so I could tend to my foot.

We saw a great show called art in motion performed by a young couple from the Ukraine.

The ship’s crew had a flag presentation in the Centrum, which was the center court of the ship.

I woke really early to see a crescent moon over Haifa.

Afterwards I went back to sleep for a few more hours because we weren’t getting off the ship until almost 9 am.

A few pictures from the port in Haifa.

I have to say the disembarking was almost as bad as the embarking. We were delayed an hour but luckily we stayed up at the buffet for most of it. The walk off the ship and through customs was long. We did get to take a golf cart for part of the distance because of my cane.

We walked to the train station dragging our luggage. Again, luckily it wasn’t too far! All aboard!

We had to change trains and we looked like the four stooges! Four of us on a 4×4 elevator with all our luggage! It was hysterical! Then trying to get a cab and haggling over price. And finally we arrived at our hotel, Vert Lagoon.

The view from our balcony was stunning!