Bethlehem

I visited Bethlehem on the Greek Orthodox Christmas Eve and it was an amazing, poignant experience. I first met with Zoughbi Zoughbi at the Palestinian Conflict Resolution center, which is located next to the fence/wall separating the West Bank from the rest of Israel. There, I heard about separated families and financial struggles,but I came out to witness a gigantic Christmas parade in the streets. I was struck by the resiliency of the people. They were still able to celebrate despite their pain. After watching some of the parade, I visited the Church of the Nativity, which lies on the site where Jesus was born. It was a remarkable experience to be there on Christmas Eve.

Ein Gedi National Park

On my trip to Masada and the Dead Sea, I also visited the Ein Gedi National Park. It is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the Judean Desert. There are long waterfalls and gorgeous views of the Dead Sea. There is a lot of hiking available and there are a lot of deer everywhere. I only spent 1.5 hours there, but you could easily spend an entire day there exploring.

Dead Sea

I’ve dreamed of swimming in the Dead Sea for the last decade and thought many more decades would pass before I had the chance to do so. However, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit the Dead Sea ten days ago and it was as fantastic as I imagined it would be. It was 77 degrees outside and the Dead Sea was a great place to relax after a morning spent hiking. I really did float and the mud from the sea floor was great for my skin. It was also incredible to look across the Dead Sea and see the mountains of Jordan. It was also fun to be surrounded by people from so many different walks of life: Europeans of all ages, American college students on a birth rite trip, Israeli families, and my own eclectic group.

Masada

I arrived at Masada about a week ago at 5 a.m. to do a sunrise hike. I usually am not a fan of tours, but the one I took with Abraham Tours was fantastic. Hiking Masada was only the first part. I also hiked in the Ein Gedi nature reserve and swam in the Dead Sea. The hike to the top of Masada took about an hour, but it was a difficult hike. I took the cable car on the way back down. Masada is the site of the Jews’ last stand against the Romans and rather than be defeated, the Jews atop Masada committed mass suicide. It’s amazing how much you can still see of the ancient ruins, including King Herod’s palace.

Old City of Jerusalem

I loved all the history encompassing the Old City. It’s broken into four quarters: the Armenian, the Christian, the Jewish, and the Muslim. I spent time in all of the quarters except the Armenian. I shopped in the street markets, sampled food from vendors, people watched, walked along the top of the walls, and visited religious sites. I usually rode bus 17 or 19 to Jaffa Gate, which used to be a part of Jordan. I miss this beautiful city so much already.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher