1996 - Bonnie’s Journey to the Holy Land

1996 - Bonnie’s Journey to the Holy Land - Israel and Egypt

October 18, 2025

Day 1 - Thursday, July 25, 1996: Colorado to New York City

Note: I am publishing this blog from my trip journal of 25 years ago. We were living in Colorado then and I still had auburn hair! The Israel part of the trip was with a group from church. Following Israel, we went on to Egypt with a different tour.

At 5:20 AM David awakes ahead of the alarm eager with anticipation. We get ready, I finish packing, and our driver, Kathy, arrives as planned. I can’t find my luggage key though I hunted it up specifically a couple days ago. We close up the house and head out in Kathy’s car. She is excited for us, and we chatter all the way to Colorado Springs. She shares her plans for her family reunion to be held the next weekend.

We arrive at Colorado Springs airport ahead of schedule and Kathy has tears in her eyes as she hugs us and says farewell. I take a Marezine at 8:30 AM to ward off motion sickness.

Our flight is on TWA, the airline that just had a huge explosion and lost a whole plane out of JFK. We have some anxiety about flying out of JFK ourselves. Somehow, we thought this was a direct flight. Our first surprise is a landing in St. Louis with a one-hour layover. David wanted to walk to the end of the concourse to get outside and smoke, so we hustled down. He met the captain of our plane outside and they discussed the downed jet. This captain trained the copilot and knew 17 members of the crew. How sad.

I bought two St. Louis postcards, one of the arch and one of Busch Stadium. We headed back through security and down the concourse. I wanted popcorn and David stopped and bought me some for $1.75.

Back on the plane, we were headed to our next surprise, Washington National, landing there with a stop to stretch. We landed at DC National for a 30-minute layover before heading out to JFK. Our legs will be great, as long as we can stay on schedule to meet our El Al departure at JFK.

On the flight to JFK, seated next to me was a man reading a New Mexico newspaper. We chatted about his son who hopes to be a pro ball player.

When we picked up our bags at JFK, we walked outside and around a long circular area to the international terminal. Of course, El Al is at the very end. We wound up walking about four blocks. I sure appreciated the wheels on my bag. David suggested I use the bag strap to secure my carry-on to my rolling bag so I can pull it all together. That worked great.

We must be heading in the right direction for we meet a man in traditional Jewish dress, black hat and all. We entered the El Al waiting room after showing our tickets to a sour guard. He was deadpan with no eye contact. He said one word “tickets” and, after looking at them, another word, “Two?” and we see a huge line of people, most with the Jerusalem 3000 red tags on their bags. We started at the sign which said, "Enter here", greeting some folks we know. We learned they had been waiting nearly 2 hours while just two agents interviewed passengers.

About the time we arrived, several other agents joined the El-Al crew, and the line began moving. It was curious to see how long some people were interviewed while others were stopped only briefly. Family groups, not with our tour, were pulled out of the line altogether, and went directly to the counter to check their luggage, which was considerable.

Our own interview took about 20 minutes. Each of the agents, mostly female, were dressed in long-sleeved white shirts, and black or navy slacks. The questions were about why we were visiting Israel, what electronic devices we had, etc. We passed and went to check in our luggage then up the escalator to the second floor for the shop, restrooms, and a food court.

Many international flights were departing from this area. Access to the actual gates was limited until one hour before departure. David bought a small salad for each of us and a personal-size Pizza Hut pizza. We both were impressed at the international atmosphere, like we were already in a foreign country. We visited with people from our group, exchanging details of our various experiences flying there, and what our own encounter with the agents had been like. We had some frozen yogurt at TCBY.

Finally, it was time to board, which was done efficiently, and we got settled, which wasn’t. People struggled to put carry-ons into the overhead. We were relieved to be in the four-seat midsection on the aisle. We read the airline magazine and figured out how to work the controls for the audio. The flight would be nine hours and 45 minutes, and dinner will be served. I felt more and more like we were actually on vacation!

Dinner for me, vegetarian, was eggplant. The whole wheat roll was excellent. Other folks had chicken. We settled into sleep. David watched the video screen, but I was ready to crash. It was not possible to move around in the seats. We were really packed in. I got up to stand in line for the bathroom, and moving around felt good. Even so, the aisles were crowded, and the line was long. Back at my seat, I took my contacts out, laid my pillow against David, and nodded off. We slept intermittently, waking to pull the plastic covers off the small airplane blankets and cover up. We shifted positions once in a while but got through the night reasonably well.

Day 2 - Friday, July 26: Arrive Tel Aviv to Tiberias

We were awakened by the PA system, served a warm washcloth, and soon breakfast arrived. Mine was a salad, apple, and bagel. David had an omelet with potatoes. Lines formed at the restrooms. People began to pull their carry-ons from the overhead bins, a sure sign we would be landing soon.

The landing was uneventful, and people clapped when we touched down. We got off the plane and took a picture at the airport door, which said, “Welcome to Israel.” We claimed luggage after getting our passports checked and stamped. We went in the green express line through customs without stopping and hustled to our tour bus, number 308. We loaded our luggage, made a pitstop inside the terminal, and greeted our guide, Aline. It would be a two-hour bus ride to the Sea of Galilee.

Tel Aviv Airport

Welcome to Israel

Bus 308

Tour company information for day one.

My camera wasn’t working. I hoped it was just that the batteries were in wrong. I decided to work on it at the hotel.

Tour notes terms:

· Israeli means born here with Israeli citizenship.

· Jewish is a nationality, religion, and culture.

· Israeli and Jew means born in Israel.

· Arabs are from Arabia.

· Arabs born in Israel are Israeli.

· The total population of Israel is five million, with 1 million Arabs.

· 2% of Arabs are Christian.

Arab houses have flat roofs with 2 to 3 floors, and extended families live there. Israeli houses are small with red roofs. They are more Western-looking and largely single-family homes.

Map of the trip from Tel Aviv to Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee

On our two-hour trip, our guide gave some Biblical chronology from Abraham to Saul, David, and Solomon. Solomon was in the 10th century BC, followed by Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The 12 tribes of the Old Testament split and are now called the 10 tribes of Israel and two tribes of Judea. The guide was quite knowledgeable and pointed out geography while giving history. We later learned that Israel has extensive training for the tour guides, who are all Jewish, but must learn

about what Christian tourists want to see. They must pass an extensive test. She discussed money and told us the shekel is roughly three times the value of the dollar and Israel has coinage divisible by 10.

As for agriculture, they have much farming and crops of all kinds, including fruit, grain, and vegetables. There are no agricultural imports to Israel. McDonald’s wanted to import their potatoes, and there was an impasse for nearly a year until, finally, an Israeli kibbutz is growing potatoes exclusively for McDonald’s.

Map of Sea of Galilee area

We arrived at the hotel about 7:30 p.m. local time. Check-in was arranged and our names were called to hand us room keys and room number stickers for our bags. We chose to carry our own bags onto the tiny elevator up to room 549. It looks comfortable with two twin beds side-by-side. We went directly to dinner, which was served in a banquet hall with choices of appetizer, main course, soup, and ice cream for dessert.

Jordan River Hotel, Tiberias

Hotel Room

Taking hot showers, unpacking, and getting organized for tomorrow took up the evening. We went to bed about 10 PM.

Day 3 - Saturday, July 27: Christ's Ministry by the Sea of Galilee

David woke at about four, got up and dressed, and went out to find coffee and a paper - no luck. I dressed and joined him. We went to a nearby sidewalk restaurant to buy bottled juice and a small bread. We walked down to the Sea of Galilee. It’s beautiful if you can overlook the harbor filth, trash and bottles in the water. There’s a pedestrian promenade, closed in the early morning, but because so much is open air, we could see a lot.

There were street people sleeping and rummaging through the trash. We watched the sunrise over the lake and wandered slowly back to the hotel for breakfast, which was served in the hotel restaurant. The spread was magnificent: juices, rolls, vegetables, and fish, and many unidentified dishes. I had granola and yogurt, juice, and tea. Satisfied, we headed for the room to pick up our gear for the day.

Sea of Galilee

Resort at the Sea of Galilee

We walked to the bus to board early, but the door was still locked. Soon the driver appeared, and we climbed aboard selecting different seats than yesterday since that’s the rule.

Some folks were late, and we waited, but finally we got going. We were eager for the day. We drove around to the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, where Jesus lived as an adult. This is an ancient fishing village on the northern shore of the sea of Galilee, significant as the home of Jesus for much of his public ministry and hometown of several of His first disciples.

We drove north of Tiberius and saw the ruins of the city of Capernaum and the synagogue. We went to the nearby Mount of Beatitudes. We saw the lovely Italian Catholic Church of the Beatitudes there and then back to the seaside for the Church of the Two Fishes and Five Loaves, also known as the Church of the Multiplication. We walked down to the lake for a brief spiritual message and some private time. I bought a T-shirt to be baptized in.

NOTE: I was baptized when I was 12 but wanted the experience of being baptized in the Jordan River, which was an option on this trip. The baptismal site is commercialized and charges a fee which includes a white garment to wear into the water, but once it is wet, you can see through it, so I needed a long tee shirt under it.

I also took a private walk along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and sang, "I walked Today Where Jesus Walked." It was an emotional experience.

Bonnie Walking the shore of the Sea of Galilee

Symbol on Church of Loaves and Fishes

Church of the Beatitudes-Site of Sermon on the Mount

View from Church of the Beatitudes

Each beatitude (blessing) is written in Latin in the stained-glass windows

Church of the Beatitudes

Ruins of Capernaum

Capernaum Post Card

Capernaum

Wall motif at Capernaum

We saw the milestone of the Via Maris mentioned in the Bible as an ancient trade route passing through Capernaum linking Egypt along the Mediterranean coast of modern-day Israel. Dating back to 3,000 BCE and called by many different names across the centuries, it is now part of an international coastal highway.

Via Maris Milestone

We went through another Catholic church, then to lunch at a nearby harbor café. We tried all the relishes and side dishes on the table. David and I had soup and salad bar. The salad bar was really a vegetable bar, with vegetables cooked and marinated in a variety of ways. Carrots were cooked and glazed. The potatoes were cut into small pieces. There were pickled beets, thinly sliced cucumbers in spiced vinegar, sliced tomatoes with bell peppers, pink slaw, lettuce, and onions. We had chicken and vegetable soup, which was quite tasty. The bill was $17, and the waiter wanted a tip.

Harborside cafe at Sea of Galilee

Fishermen with nets at Sea of Galilee

Fishermen on Sea of Galilee

We loaded up the bus again and went to see a kibbutz, walking among the houses in the heat of the day. It was so hot, we were literally all dripping wet. The tour guide has lived in a kibbutz and spoke quite interestingly about the changes over the years. She showed us the bomb shelters, which she said were unfortunately used quite often. The kibbutz operated a museum, and we went there to see a video about the recovery of a wooden boat from Jesus’ time. Then we got to see the boat. The museum is preserving it by some chemical process.

Kibbutz at Sea of Galilee

Kibbutz entry

Kibbutz from the air

Preserved boat from Biblical Times

We boarded another boat to cross the Sea of Galilee.

The second group to be on the boat with us was late, so we waited a while with folks complaining about the heat. They arrived and boarded, and we headed out. I was concerned because I hadn’t taken any Marezine. I didn’t know we would go directly from the kibbutz to the boat. Oh well, there was nothing I could do but give it a go.

Our tour boat on Sea of Galilee

A different tour boat loading up

Bonnie Heading for the Tour Boat

Our group boarding the tour boat

Bonnie and David had front row seats

Taking pictures from the boat

Our hotel from the water

We headed straight across the lake toward the Golan Heights. The lake was wonderful, the air clear, and the boat, speeding through the waves, created a nice breeze. I moved up to the small forward deck to take pictures. Others didn’t want to leave the shade. David came and joined me, and we visited with each other and with others briefly as they came to share the view. We stopped for a short message from Pastor Deral who spoke about Jesus walking on the water. The whole aura is breathtaking, full of wonder and awe. This is the land of the Bible.

We docked at another kibbutz across the sea, surrounded by dairy cattle and huge barns. We loaded up the bus quickly and drove toward the Jordan River. We made our way along Golan Heights and our guide told us about the conflicts and the possession of the land. We came to the Jordan River and parked at the baptismal site.

Jordan River

Baptismal Site

Jordan River Post Card

Waiting our Turn at the Baptismal Site

Bonnie goes first

Pastor Jim was set to baptize three of us, and we four entered the shop to pay five dollars for a Coke, a robe, and towel. Jim’s admission was free as he was working. We waded down the ramp into the cool water, shimmering and green as it flowed. Jim and Ruth and another person and I prayed and talked about what a wonderful blessing this would be for all of us. We waited while the minister ahead of us finished with his group.

I volunteered to go first. Jim and I discussed logistics. I requested that he not hold my nose and he agreed, but it was such a habit that he did it anyway. I arose wet and gave him a hug, then watched the others be baptized. David took pictures as I requested. Members of our tour and church greeted us and celebrated with us, trying not to get wet as they hugged us in our dripping robes.

Baptismal Certificate

I headed off to shower and dress, not noticing that Jim stayed behind. He had been asked to baptize a young man who testified that he has been drug-free for eight months. Jim was doubly blessed for not only did he baptize three women from his congregation, but he led a young man to the Lord. Praise the Lord! David told me the story as he greeted me coming out of the changing room.

He had a Jordan River plastic bag, full of river rocks and mud for Sharon Ford, a friend from work. We stepped back on the bus and traveled the short distance to the hotel. We were packing and repacking to head to Jerusalem the next day. After my new T-shirt was dry, and I put it in the suitcase with the rest of my clothes. We ate buffet dinner with three of the stewards for the trip. Dinner was rice, chicken, fish, lots of vegetables and assorted desserts. Back in our room we showered and packed yet again, planning for tomorrow and writing postcards.

Day 4 – Sunday, July 28: The Road to Jerusalem

We woke before the alarm, dressed, and stuffed our remaining items into David’s backpack. We went downstairs and David located our luggage outside while I bought postcards and stamps. After breakfast, I finished writing cards and stamped and mailed them. We boarded the bus, and I remembered I left my hat in the lobby restroom. I went back, but it was too late. Though the cleaning person had seen it, it was gone. Boo!

Back on the bus, we made the short ride to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where we had a worship service. Mark led us in songs, Darryl read scripture, and people spoke about what being here meant to them. We knew we were in the presence of the Holy Spirit and felt a special connection with this place and with the Lord.

Our Group after the worship service

Next, we headed to Nazareth. Aline kept a steady commentary about the area and Jesus’ life there. She quoted, “No good thing comes from Nazareth.” We stopped to see a spring, now inside a church where Greek Orthodox worship. This was the spring where Mary got water for her home and where the angel first appeared to her to tell her she was to have a son. The story says she fled home, where the angels spoke to her again.

Approaching Nazareth

Nazareth Post Card

We walked through the streets of Nazareth, past the carpenter’s shop, to the Church of the Annunciation which enshrines the house of Mary. This huge Franciscan church had lovely stained-glass windows, but the concrete walls were bare because the visiting pope ordered it to keep the church less ostentatious. Later, when we visited the dirty and smelly restrooms there, without paper either, a woman remarked, “The pope must not have visited here.”

Nazareth Post Card

Nazareth Market Post Card

Church of Annunciation

Stained glass windows

Church of Annunciation Interior

Back on the bus, we headed to Beit She’an, an archaeological dig of magnificent proportions. It encompassed a huge amphitheater, an entire Roman bath, and a long street with columns on the side. It was amazing! I wished we could have stayed longer, but we headed to lunch where I had the same vegetables I had been eating since arrival.

We drove down to Jordan Valley and learned about the conflicts in the West Bank and Jordan. We drove across the Judean Desert - dry and sandy - seeing the irrigation fields of the Jordan Valley to the east.

Irrigated Date Palm trees

Then we went to Jericho, the lowest city in the world, where we saw the only remaining part of the ancient city, a wall. The song says, “Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.” How ironic that a wall is the only evidence of the site!

Jerico Post Card

The driver let us out near this wall at a tourist stop to shop. We bought a soft drink, and Wilma, a friend from church, and I paid two dollars each to ride a camel. I used to love riding a horse swimming in a river and feeling his muscles and legs working. I compared that to feeling the camel stand up and then lay down with Wilma and me on board.

Pastor Deral has a turn

Bonnie Boards the kneeling camel

Wilma climbs in front

Off We Go!

Hooray! We Made it!

Ready to finish the ride

Afterward, we went to see a monastery high on the cliffs above Jericho, and from there across the winding, steep, and hairpin-turning road toward Jerusalem.

St. George Monastery in the Judean Desert Canyon

Another view of the Monastery

We saw Bedouin communities and the paths their goats take around the hills. We saw flocks of sheep and goats with children as shepherds, even in 110° heat. We stopped at another monastery in the Kilt River Valley. The water runs in a man-made trough along the side of the valley. The monastery, with its steep walls, sits at the bottom.

Bedouin Village

Two men on donkeys

Two boys selling camel rides

While we were there, several Bedouin approached us selling shawls, flutes, and camel and donkey rides. David chatted with a 12-year-old boy who was trying to sell sheepskin rugs. We drove into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives side, past the Hebrew University. We were delayed by a traffic jam caused by an unidentified object feared to be a bomb, a weekly occurrence in Jerusalem.

At the Holiday Inn, we found our room and, after the porters delivered our luggage, we unpacked, and I showered before dinner. Dinner at seven featured the same fare but better desserts. Our group gathered in a plant-filled atrium for communion to coincide with communion time at church at home. Folks drifted off talking about tomorrow.

We got a couple of maps of the city and chatted with Ruth, Wilma, and Anna Bell about the day. Ruth wanted to see the American settlement, but David and I opted to walk toward the Old Town just to get out for some exercise and to feel the city. We were encouraged to go outside to see that families were out despite the 9:30 PM hour. We headed back to the hotel to journal and crash, but first I had to launder one of my outfits. I wouldn’t want to get behind on the chores.

Jerusalem City Guide

Jerusalem Old city Map

Day 5 – Monday, July 29: Jerusalem and Bethlehem

David woke up at 3:30 AM but we both fell back to sleep. I woke up the next time at six. Since our wakeup call was for 6:30, I got up to get ready for the day. My laundry wasn’t dry, so I brought it inside the room, and hung it on the door to the balcony so the sun would warm it.

We dressed and went to breakfast before our visit to Bethlehem. Since I lost my hat yesterday, I decided to take my umbrella and went back to the room for it. This made us the last folks to get on the bus, but not late, since those ahead of us were still getting settled. Besides, our bus was wedged in so we couldn’t move until another bus left.

We headed out across town to Bethlehem, only a few minutes away. We crossed a checkpoint as we entered the West Bank and drove up to the traditional shepherd’s field. An archaeological dig there worked to uncover a Byzantine church and an ancient cave.

We recalled the story of the Nativity and sang Christmas carols. We were awestruck to know we were near the place where Jesus was born. We traveled to two churches, the Church of the Nativity, and the Church of Saint Catherine. Saint Catherine was a martyr killed in a wheel, so there are many wheels as symbols and decorations in the church. Helena, Constantine’s mother, commissioned the church, and some of the original mosaic floor was still visible beneath the current floor.

In the basement of the Church of the Nativity, under the altar and commemorated by grotto lamps, is supposed to be the place of Jesus’ birth. The church itself was the only one standing from the Byzantine era, probably because Muslims regard Jesus as a prophet, so the church was not destroyed. This site, so completely commercialized, made the Savior’s birth seem trite.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Church of the Nativity

We then drove to the tourist shop, literally a tourist trap. They locked the door behind us so no one else could enter. The group shopped and got a 15% discount on olivewood and jewelry, things like nativity sets and carved camels. Again, it was too commercial. I walked out, but several folks found things to buy.

The toilets here were the worst so far. They didn’t flush, there was water on the floor, and things smelled bad. This was a unisex toilet. The stalls had doors, but men and women used the same toilet. We lingered nearby while people shopped. A boy on the street offered me a pack of 20 postcards for two dollars. They were superior quality, and I took them, pleased with my bargain.

We then went to lunch at a self-service deli. The bus driver went several blocks out of the way to find a place to turn around, so we could get off on the same side of the street as the restaurant. I had soup, pita bread, and watermelon. David had melon and a beer. We waited in a line for so long that David went across the street to check out another place to eat. We considered going there but stayed with our group.

We loaded up again and returned to the hotel where most of us debarked. About a dozen folks stayed for an afternoon tour of an archaeological site, but we went to the pool after talking with Ruth and Wilma about going to the American Center Hotel. The ladies had arranged to take a taxi there and back and invited us to go but we declined. David began checking on golf at Caesarea. The pool was great for a few minutes, but soon a DJ began blaring music, including Hebrew rap. We soon gave up and went to the room. David showered, and we abandoned our plans to go to the old city, hoping for a short nap instead.

We were amazed at the visible presence of the military. In Israel, both men and women are required to serve for two years. They are present everywhere, on the streets, the cafes, rooftops, even in the trees. All are dressed in military fatigues and carrying weapons.

Soldiers buying soft drinks

We dressed and went to dinner. Same old, same old. We boarded the bus after I returned to the room for David‘s comb. Traffic was heavy, but we finally got to the old city and went to the concert. David left early to go to the bathroom. The concert was over before he returned, so he waited outside. Meanwhile, I waited at the seats, so we had a delay exiting. Then the steward gave us the wrong directions to our bus, and we were late joining our group. I showered and did laundry, journaled, and crashed.

Day 6 – Tuesday, July 30: Masada and the Dead Sea

We were up and at’em this morning for a long day on the bus. We travelled east and south through the desert past the Bedouin communities, the herds, and the kibbutz toward the Dead Sea and finally Masada. It was getting hotter and hotter as we lost altitude. We passed the sea level sign with a camel saddled up for rides for tourists, or pilgrims, as we are called. (All tourists are called Pilgrims, regardless of their faith as many denominations come here to visit sacred sites.)

The story of Masada: Masada is an ancient mountaintop fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated on a natural plateau overlooking the Dead Sea, originally built by Herod the Great, and later used by Jewish Zealots during the first Jewish revolt against Rome. It is most famous as the site of a dramatic last stand by 960 Jewish rebels, who after withstanding a three-year siege, chose mass suicide in 73 CE rather than surrender to the Roman army, an event that became a powerful symbol of Jewish heroism and national identity.

Ruins atop Masada Plateau

Map of Masada Plateau with Roman camps at base

At Masada, Aline rushed us into the line to get into the cable car ahead of the other buses. She called it a war. She didn’t want us to wait for 30 or 45 minutes to get up the mountain. The cable car system was donated by two US couples and was efficient and modern. We loaded forty at a time for the quick ride up to a platform which had about 100 or so steps leading up to the top of the cliffs.

Cable car Round Trip ticket

Terminal Top End of Cable Car Ride

We met under a shelter for the shade and welcomed the light breeze, which helped to cool us a bit. Aline gave a long history of the place, including Herod’s palaces and the Roman occupation. The Jewish zealots held them off and finally killed themselves after the siege, after the Romans built a ramp to get to the top. We walked all over the top of the mountain looking at the ruins of the Romans and the zealots.

Ruins at Masada

Ramp at Masada

Bonnie with Umbrella

View of Dead Sea from Masada

David at Masada Lookout

Ruins at Masada

Dry cisterns at Masada

We took the cable car back down and bought ice cream and a Coke for seven dollars. We boarded the bus and headed north back to the Dead Sea, noticing caves in the limestone cliffs like the ones where the Dead Sea scrolls were found.

Restaurant at Dead Sea

We stopped at the Dead Sea for lunch. The Kibbutz operated the restaurant. We walked down the concrete path to the shore, curious about what we would find. We laid our things on the rocky beach and waded in. The water was comfortably tepid, not cool, not too warm. It was an adventure to float on our backs with all four appendages out of the water. It took more effort to stand up than to float. The water had swirls on top like oil would look. We splashed with others from the church, took pictures, and enjoyed ourselves for about half an hour.

Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is Earth's lowest land elevation, 14,440 feet below sea level

Camel Rides near the Dead Sea

Rocks covered with Salt

Bonnie and Garren in the Dead Sea

Deral in the Red Sea

David, Deral and Bonnie

Umbrellas at the Shore

We showered on the beach and then went to the new bath house to shower again, change and use the restroom. Three of us women took turns watching each other’s stuff while we showered. We hurried back to the bus.

We made a brief stop at the Ein Gedi Nature Preserve, a type of botanic gardens with animals. It has breath-taking views of the Dead Sea.

Ein Gedi

Ein Gedi Restaurant receipt

Landscape near where Dead Sea Scrolls were found

Post Card of Site Where Dead Sea Scrolls were Found

Qumran, Caves where Dead Sea Scrolls were Found

Dead Sea Scrolls

I was feeling the heat and, because it was so hot, the bus air conditioner didn’t help much. The rocking of the bus was also getting to me. I turned on the little handheld fan we bought and that helped, so I could stick it out until we stopped at Bethany. I hurried off the bus looking for a place to heave. I scooted across the highway behind a dumpster. David came behind me with a hanky and water to rinse my mouth.

Feeling better, we went up the hill behind the others to Lazarus’s tomb. We walked down inside and entered a tomb which could have been his. Outside, I stopped at the gift shop and bought a flute and olive wood beads. Aline loaned me two dollars for the beads since David had gone back to the bus. We boarded the bus after David and Deral talked to a man who was selling widows’ mites and Byzantine coins. I was glad it wasn’t too far back to Jerusalem, but the traffic was heavy, and the bus started and stopped again and again.

By the time we reached the hotel I went to the front of the bus to get out first. The doors opened just in time for me to find a spot to be sick again. We went to the room, and I showered and rested while David went searching for a cold Coke. No luck. We decided to go to dinner. I ate a thin soup and watermelon. We decided to go to the Jerusalem 3000 Young Messiah concert.

One of the reasons we chose the dates for this trip was that Israel is celebrating "Jerusalem 3000", a large-scale international celebration that commemorated the 3,000th anniversary of King David's capture of Jerusalem, a date chosen to mark the city's foundational role in Jewish history. The event featured cultural, artistic, and religious programming. The celebration included concerts, sound-and-light shows, art exhibitions and public parades.

The Citadel Tower in daylight

The Citadel close up

Harpist outside Citadel

David at the Citadel

Citadel at Night

The Citadel with the Light Show

Mark, our music director, attending the concert

Performance choir fills the stairs

Performance

Performance choir

Audience

The production was good, but long, and the stewards again sent people in the wrong direction for the bus. Most of us met Omar at the designated spot, but he wound up going back down the hill to pick up a few folks they sent downhill instead of up. Finally, back in the room I totally crashed. It was nearly midnight and I slept through until the alarm went off.

Day 7 - Wednesday, July 31: The Mount of Olives

I awoke with the alarm, feeling tired, but much improved. We dressed and packed for the day and went to breakfast. We were finding the church crowd to be a friendly group, with folks sitting together and chatting. Everyone was tired this morning, and the dining room was practically deserted when we arrived, but soon folks started coming in. A bug, maybe a roach, climbed up the tablecloth and startled Shirley who contained a yelp and shoved herself back from the table.

We talked golf and other stuff and headed for the bus. Today our agenda began at the Mount of Olives to view Jerusalem, and then walked down the Palm Sunday route to the Garden of Gethsemane, stopped at Dominus Flevit, the church commemorating the spot where Jesus wept over Jerusalem.

View toward Temple Mount from Mount of Olives

David at Mount of Olives

Kidron Valley between Mt. of Olives and Jerusalem

Bonnie and David at Mt of Olives with Jerusalem in background

Bonnie and David at Mount of Olives

Pastor Jim and his wife

Garen and Deral at Mt of Olives

Aline speaking on the Mount of Olives

View of the Old City Jerusalem from Mt of Olives

with Dome of the Rock in Center

View of the Old City Across Kidron Valley

Church of the Nations on the Mt of Olives

The Church where Jesus wept

Dominus Flevit Church

Jim led a brief service, very moving. We then walked down to the garden where olive trees were planted in a square beside the Church of the Nations. This church is also known as the Church of Gethsemane or the Basilica of the Agony. It is next to the Garden of Gethsemane and enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before His arrest.

We went to the spot where Jesus ascended into Heaven, then crossed over the Kidron Valley to Mount Zion, the upper room, the traditional tomb of King David, and the Gallicantu, or Crowing of the Cock Church commemorating Peter’s denial.

Church of the Ascension

Gallicantu "Crowing of the Cock" Church

We saw the house where Jesus was in prison then we went into a cistern and felt the closed space like it would’ve felt to be held there. We walked the road and steps of Jesus’ day. We ate lunch and then boarded the bus to go to the garden tomb, a sacred place operated by folks from England. It was quite moving and very convincing to see Golgotha and the tomb and hear the explanation about how it all could have been.

Sign for Garden Tomb

Garden at the Tomb

Golgotha (Sign of the Skull)

Golgotha

Garden Tomb

Space for the body at the Tomb

Plan for the Tomb

Our Group at the Garden Tomb

On the way back to the hotel we got off at the old city and wandered around the market, stopping for a cold drink, and then, when things began to close, we left the old city and walked up Jaffa Street a few blocks, found a restaurant and ate Saint Peter’s fish for dinner. We walked back to the hotel at Ben-Yehuda Street, partly a pedestrian walkway with shops and bustling with activity here.

There were families about, a Chilean group playing strings, drums, and pipes. The trip up the hill to the hotel gave us the flavor of the neighborhood with families, busy streets, construction everywhere, and noise. We walked by a park with lots of children playing. By this time, it was dusk. We tried a shortcut but encountered menacing-looking dogs. So, we went a bit further before finding a road to take us up to the hotel. We got to the room to shower, do laundry, write postcards and journal. Finally, it was 11 o’clock and time for bed.

Market

Day 8 - Thursday, August 1: The Old City of Jerusalem

We were surprised to find breakfast in a new location at the hotel - down a level and outside. It was quite pleasant, but hard to find as there were no signs to tell us otherwise, so we all trooped down to the ballroom first. Oh well.

Map of Jerusalem Old City

Aboard the bus, we entered the old town by the Dung Gate to see the Western Wall. Thursday was bar mitzvah day, and the site was crowded with worshippers and visitors alike. The men went left to listen to Deral talk about this ritual. There was a clear dividing line between the men’s and women’s areas. People were videotaping everywhere. Women were standing on chairs on the women’s side to see over the wall to watch their male relatives participating in the ceremony. Afterwards, people passed out food and celebrated. I walked up and touched the wall, and Wilma handed me several small slips of paper which I wedged in the cracks in the wall. These contained prayers.

The crowd waiting for Bar Mitzvah to begin

Women straining to see into the men's side

Placing prayer slips into the cracks of the wailing wall

We congregated at the designated site to head up the hill to the Temple Mount and the mosque. The Temple Mount is a large area with much open space and several buildings. People who paid eight dollars’ admission entered two of the mosques.

The largest mosque is called the Dome on the Rock, and is the world's oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture. It is the3rd holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina.

Dome on the Rock

Bonnie wearing Olive wood beads at the Dome of the Rock

Dome interior with striped arches

Dome decor

Dome stained glass

Dome interior

Minaret near the Dome

Leaving the Dome

View from Dome to Mount of Olives

The guide pointed out more sites of interest. We took pictures of the Mount of Olives through some lovely arches.

We then went through the Jewish quarter of the old city to the Cardo, a street of shops where Aline showed us the remains of older Jerusalem.

The Cardo

David talking with locals

The Cardo in the Jewish Quarter

There were children playing in the water. Kids will be kids everywhere.

We saw a huge, wide wall, called the bread wall, with pillars and columns from Roman times. We then headed through the markets - first Jewish, then Armenian, then Christian - to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Today, cruise ships brought hundreds of tourists who all packed in to see the site believed to be the actual place where the cross stood. A Catholic altar sat above the hole where the cross had been, so one must get on hands and knees and crawl under the altar to reach down into the stone and feel an irregularly shaped hole about 8 to 10 inches deep. I did it but felt like such a tourist. I hated the commercial atmosphere.

There are many areas of this huge building, each claimed by different religions, with pilgrims from all the world coming to worship. In the same building, not far from the cross site, is Jesus’ tomb. Crouching to squeeze into a narrow opening, I entered a small cave, poorly lit, with a wall midway. The wall had two openings which led to the gravesite just on the other side. I stooped down and peered through to see the area where a body could have been laid. Again, the crowds diminished the site’s spiritual significance. Aline said she believed this to be the actual gravesite for Jesus, but most of us on the tour prefer the garden tomb theory. It was such a serene and lovely place. Thanks to the British for buying this spot from the Turks!

We stopped for lunch at a place Aline suggested, and many of our group clamored for felafel. Aline stopped there before we went into the church to tell them to expect 40 people in 30 minutes. They had sandwiches made up in little paper bags to serve us. A falafel and drink cost five dollars. Folks rested. This was a late lunch, and we were hungry. Some folks, including David, later reported some stomach upset, but I didn’t have a problem. After lunch, we went into the Christian Quarter toward the Damascus Gate to visit the Pools of Bethesda and Saint Ann’s Church. We marveled at the pools and their ancient water system and cistern. We sang in the church and listened to the echoes ring off the stone walls.

Our music director, Mark, Leading us in Hymns.

Mark said he would like to have his choir perform there. We walked back to the bus and to the hotel. We had dinner at 5:30 and took the bus with Aline for the gospel concert at Sultan’s Pool. Walking was tricky on the rocky path. I used my earplugs to dampen the loud music.

The congregants lit 3000 candles like a church Christmas Eve service, and the choir sang “Oh, Jerusalem.” Very moving!

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Jerusalem, I want to walk your streets that are all golden
And I want to run where the angels have trod
Jerusalem, I want to rest on the banks of your river
In that city, the city of God.
Sing, for the night is o’er!
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna for evermore!

David suggested leaving early and I was ready. We headed up the hill, deciding what to do. David found a nice restaurant at the Jaffa Gate, and we went in for dessert, appreciating the romantic interlude. Afterward, we decided to try the local bus to the hotel. David traded US bills for shekels, and we started out. After asking several people for bus numbers and directions, we got disoriented. It was nearly midnight, and we decided to take a taxi home. David negotiated the rate from $10 down to five dollars and we got zipped up the hill to the hotel. By then we were ready to crash.

Day 9 - Friday, August 2: The New City of Jerusalem

After breakfast outside, we boarded for the Israeli museum to see the Dead Sea scrolls which we found intriguing and significant. Too bad we didn’t have time to visit the actual Israeli museum, but we were headed off to the model of Jerusalem. This impressive array, several feet across and built to scale, showed a realistic view of the entire city of Jerusalem with its various walls and the buildings from the Herodian with palaces. In hindsight, it was disappointing to have seen this so far along in the trip. If I had seen it sooner, I would have had the map in my mind and be better able to orient.

Scale model of Jerusalem

We saw the layout including the temple, the Hezekiah tunnel, even Golgotha, and on and on -quite spectacular. Again, I would like to have spent more time, but we were off again this time to the Holocaust Museum.

David and I decided to go into the old city instead and teamed up with Ruth Hill to taxi to the Jaffa Gate. Our taxi driver was an interesting fellow and chatted with us, answering questions about Israeli-Arab relationships and the uneasy peace in Jerusalem. We arrived at the Jaffa Gate and made our way to the market. We headed first to the Christian Quarter then to the Jewish Quarter. Ruth was seriously shopping for several gifts. David and I were not although David decided he’d like to check the price of the Jerusalem crosses for sale there. We smelled something wonderful and found a little pizza shop where we ordered pizza and ate al fresco, getting acquainted with Ruth. She and her husband have no children.

We decided to separate for our shopping, but to meet an hour and a half later to get back to the hotel. We headed out of the market with David shopping twice more to bargain for crosses, buying one for each of us. We found a wonderful print of Jerusalem, although it’s just a copy, unframed is $140 so we passed it by. We headed back to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which today seemed deserted. We descended several stairs into the lower part of the church where we discovered captivating altars and icons. Back outside, we saw Ruth at the little restaurant where we planned to meet. We bought ice cream and soda to get refreshed.

Market

Outside the market, we discussed how to return to the hotel and it’s hot. We decide to walk so Ruth can see Ben Yehuda Street. We headed out, stopping at McDonald’s for a photo and a drink. Our trip is interesting but uneventful. We’re dripping with sweat and ready for a shower. David and I did laundry to get ready to pack and then headed down to dinner after a short rest. We ate dinner with Deral and Garen. Deral told of watching on TV the golf tournament at Caesarea. The men have been talking all weekend about trying to play golf at Caesarea. He has checked it out and found it cost $95 US +$20 for clubs +$33 for a cart. The cost and logistics have ruled it out, but they’re still talking. After dinner we went to the room and to bed.

Day 10 - Saturday, August 3: Samaria, The Coastal Plain and Caesarea

I was thinking of home and dad moving today. I hope that’s going okay. I’m sure it is. Things are busy at the hotel because of some Hamas demonstrations and a shooting at Samaria where we were planning to go today. This is internal Palestinian conflict between the two sides, one of whom supports Arafat and one which does not. Just the same, the activity in the area is concerning to tourists, and our guide is worried. The bus driver didn’t want to go because the insurance doesn’t cover the Westbank and if the bus was stoned or had other trouble, it would be uninsured. There was considerable discussion among the guides and the other folks acting as tour leaders. The decision was to stay out of Samaria and avoid any risks. We would go to Joppa. This decision takes a long time, more than an hour before we headed out. We traveled west down to the seashore to the port at Joppa (aka Joffa). We disembarked at a statue of the whale and walked through a small artists’ colony.

Jonah's Whale

Some Jaffa history

There are lovely flowers everywhere. The place looks expensive like Santa Fe, but it's closed because today is Saturday.

Home decorated with flowers

Another home--more flowers

We went to the house where Peter was on the roof when he had the vision of the sheet and unclean things. Our trip leader read from the Scriptures about this event.

A hole in the roof similar to what Peter would have visualized.

We admired the Mediterranean Sea and Tel Aviv, which borders Jappa. We boarded the bus and drove north through Tel Aviv and then east to view the Jezreel Valley in Mount Carmel National Park.

Tel Aviv

Ruth and Bonnie

David at Gate of Faith central Tel Aviv

Mount Carmel is where Elijah defeated by the prophets of Baal by calling down fire from heaven. The view is spectacular despite the haze.

Statue of Elijah

Jezreel Valley View from Mt. Carmel

Jezreel Valley

We head further east to Mageddo, the site of the prophesied battle of Armageddon. There is an old Roman town here, with walls from the time of King Solomon and a water supply protected from siege by means of a long shaft down to spring level, and then a long tunnel from the spring to the shaft. Quite an engineering feat!

We load up again to drive to Caesarea, passing tombs from the time of Jesus right beside the road on the way.

Tombs by the highway

Caesarea today is even more important than ever. Among other things, this is the site of the only golf course in all of Israel. This is the one the guys have been talking about, and we find it is only about a mile from the ruins of the Roman town on the tour. So while the tour group visits that site, Darel, David and I walked to the golf course for a look and wind up eating at the golf course restaurant. It's a great golf course and great food!

Caesarea Sign

Golf course flyer

We walked back to join the group at the amphitheater and enjoyed a wonderful concert in a beautiful atmosphere with the sun setting over the Mediterranean Sea. The speaker is great and then we head for the airport to drop off the folks who are heading for home. We arrived back at the hotel about 11:30 PM.

Aline, our guide, spoke French, Spanish, Hebrew, and English. She frequently said things like let’s go take a look, just next, two seconds (when she really meant two minutes), let’s go, don’t you trust me?, standing on queue, and “Children, I leave you for one afternoon and see what happens?” She also used “them” instead of “their” as in “them house.” Generally, she put the accent on the wrong syllable. She would also ask why is that?

On another note, she pointed out the Egyptian pound was worth 100 peisters. She explained that Egypt has 27 governates. There are 400,000 people on the Sinai, mostly Bedouins, which is an Arabic word. Albertin means desert; Sahara means desert. Egyptian citizens’ main language is Arabic. From 1967 to 1985, the Sinai was under Israeli rule. Some Bedouins speak Hebrew, some Arabic and some are native Bedouin. There are 17 tribes. “Galibea” means dress and “higup” means a veil. Islam is the state religion, and most Bedouins are Muslim. NML means no military forces.

David's Certificate of Completion

Bonnie's Certificate of Completion

Our group that traveled to Israel

Day 11 – Sunday, August 4: Jerusalem to Cairo

Today we are leaving Israel, crossing Gaza, and heading into Egypt. We woke before the alarm and started packing, then went to breakfast and returned to finish packing and checking out. We were supposed to owe 60 K for a phone call we didn’t make, but we paid the bill just to be done with it. We got our bags out to the bus for loading. We were delayed getting started because of a missing couple who apparently left early and didn’t tell anyone.

We got on the road at 9 AM heading west and south, down to sea level and the coast. Observing the kibbutz and farmlands along the way and when we arrived at the Taba Border Crossing, we passed through passport control on the Israeli side and then went through to the Egyptian side. David had his bag searched.

Overall, crossing the border took two hours, but then we sat on the bus for nearly another hour while other busses came through, since the Egyptians want a convoy of buses to travel together under armed guard.

International Border between Israel (Gaza) and Egypt

Sign for civilian traffic

Waiting for other buses to join our convoy

Finally, the bus convoy headed out, and we noticed the soil turning sandier all the time. This is the Negev Desert. The tour guide shared a lot about the country. The Sinai Peninsula, Suez Canal, and the Bedouins were frequent topics. They are nomads, much like Native Americans at home. Egypt insisted the children attend school to learn to read and write.

We saw soldiers all around, even though our guide said this is a demilitarized zone and the checkpoints are peacekeepers. We saw lots of agriculture, but it was harsh life in the desert and many plants looked distressed. We saw Bedouins everywhere, lots of herds of sheep and goats and camels and donkeys, pulling carts.

Sandy soil

Distressed plants

Deserted Highway

Bedouin Camp

We headed across the Sinai to the Suez Canal, ferrying across on a big barge. The activity at the port and huge ocean liners were compelling to watch.

Ships on the Suez Canal

Trucks waiting to board the barge

Vehicles boarding barge at Suez

Bus boarding the barge to cross the Suez Canal

Leaving the bus to use the toilet at Suez

The Egyptian public toilet was the worst nightmare. It was filthy, reeking, and full of flies with standing water on the floor. At least there was running water to wash your hands-but who knows how clean it is? Then we boarded the bus again to ride the barge across the canal.

Leaving the Sinai Peninsula side of the Suez

Crossing the Suez Canal on the barge

David chatting while we cross

Approaching the Egyptian side of Suez

After we crossed the canal, we headed out again, armed guards in vehicles all around the bus and a guy with an Uzi on our bus. Troops were forbidden in the Sinai as it was a demilitarized zone, but after we crossed the Suez, the military presence was quite visible.

Military presence

They had multiple operations, encampments and vehicles. We got an enlightening tour from our Egyptian guide, a very handsome young man whose job it was to get tourists across the border quickly and safely. He was full of information about the land and people, the culture and climate.

Armed guard with uzi pointed directly at David on our bus

The setting sun was spectacular, bright red in the polluted air from Cairo. The city had 17 million people and was polluted, crowded, and filthy. The people were friendly, and children waved at the tour bus. We took forever crossing the heavy Cairo traffic. Once the police escort got out and stopped traffic to get us through. Finally, we arrived at 10 pm and had dinner with an ugly American companion making a scene about service. We got to our rooms about 11 o’clock only to find no luggage. We know it was at the hotel, we saw it being unloaded, but now who knows. David spent plenty of time with the bell captain looking and finally got insistent. Staff came to our room to look because they were sure the luggage was there. At 11:45 it arrived due to some magic brought about by pressure from David. I could now shower and get to bed at 12:30, really ready to crash.

Day 12 - Monday, August 5: Cairo, Giza

The alarm went off at seven and we stirred trying to wake up. Ruth Hill and David and I were in a suite that is a two-bedroom unit with a kitchen and living room. We share two baths, but only one is upstairs with the bedrooms and it had only showers. We volunteered for it when invited by the bus driver, and we in turn volunteered Ruth Hill on the other bus for the downstairs unit. So, David got in the shower. I bathed late last night, remember. We dressed and headed down to breakfast.

Our tour group is called the Travelers because that’s the name of the Cairo agency handling the land package. Our group here was about 60 folks divided between two buses. One is for the 40 folks who are staying only two days, and the other is for the 20 going on the Nile cruise. Our bus driver Magdy was a pleasant fellow and an excellent driver. He used to be a PE teacher but changed 12 years ago to driving. He says he likes meeting people. He has questions about America like, do people in different states speak different languages? Our Egyptian tour guide, Hanna, is good, but no match for Aline, the guide in Israel. Hanna would be with us for the rest of the trip. The man who met us at the border is Quran, a handsome young man, most tactful and pleasant. These folks were responsible for our safety and keeping us on schedule.

Hanna, the guide

The hotel breakfast featured a variety of foods. We met folks who will be on our bus. After breakfast, we again headed for the buses. David is out the door first, intercepted by the hotel security about where he was going. They backed off when he says he’s with the tour. On the bus, David and I head up front, sharing the guide seat with Hanna.

We headed out along Cairo streets, first to visit Memphis, then to the alabaster sphinx and three colossal statues of Ramseys II. We paid the 5-pound fee to take our camera in and snapped photos. Back on the bus we headed to Saqqara. Along the way, we passed through small villages. It was interesting to see the daily life, lots of walking animals, donkeys, camels, horses, and water buffalo. We saw children swimming in the Nile, which was not clean. We also saw dead cows floating in it. People carry burdens on their heads. One inventive man has a huge umbrella over his head. He couldn’t wait for shade.

Statue of Ramses II at Memphis

Ramses II at Mit Rahini Museum, Memphis

Ramses II

Replica of the bust of Nefertiti

Children in the Nile

Water Buffalo

Donkey cart

Street scene

Street Scene

Street scene

Street scene near hotel

Receipt for the camera fee

Sign to the Alabaster Sphinx near Memphis

The Alabaster Sphinx is smaller than the Great Sphynx at Gisa

Bonnie and David at the Alabaster Sphinx

Ramses II

We followed an old truck full of crates of chickens and topped with several small children. David was in the guide seat in the front of the bus and photographed the children as they smiled and waved at him.

The effect of the British Empire is everywhere, from the roundabouts at intersections, readily available tea, actual teapots everywhere, just saying “standing on queue”, to the term pounds for dollars and calling cookies biscuits. The uniforms of police and other guards and the military are British in styling.

At Saqqara, we see the Step Pyramid, the first building constructed of stone rather than wood. The stone building was reinforced with buttresses, later proved to be unnecessary. This structure is very important historically because it represents the first effort to move from flat-roofed wooden tombs to a colossal stone pyramid structure.

Saqqarah postcard

Stele at Saqqarah

Step pyramid

We had lunch at a restaurant in Cairo with the pyramids in the distance. The restaurant, called Peace, had a band outside. Tourists could put on a fez and stand with them to have their picture taken for a one U S dollar fee.

Souvenirs from Peace Restaurant

Our group at lunch

Me in the Fez with the band

Driving to the pyramids

Pyramids in the distance

The pyramids are huge. There are three, one for granddad, one for dad and one for son. They are nearly solid and built over the tombs which are below ground level. We viewed them from a distance to take pictures. Ruth rode a camel halfway there after the bus driver helped negotiate the cost and the distance. We drove up to the pyramids and took pictures.

Three giant pyramids

The Great Sphynx at Gisa Pyramids

Postcard cartoon

Pyramids ticket

David and I went down the long, narrow ramp sloping down to a lengthy tunnel into the tombs. The steep, flat wooden ramp is crossed every 18 inches or so with a wooden slat nailed across perpendicularly to give footing. The tunnel is not high, so we bend over while descending. At one point, the ceiling dropped even lower, and I bumped my head. As we went down, there was a whole line of people coming up, so there were two lines of folks, one descending and one ascending, confined in this tiny tunnel. People with claustrophobia were advised not to go, but David and I were brave. The temperature increased 25° as we went down. There may have been 100 cross-slats or more, so we probably went about 100 feet down. Inside, the rooms opened up to quite a height.

Pyramids in the distance

Closer to Pyramids

Walkway to pyramids

Bonnie and David at the Great Sphynx

The Great Sphynx

Entering the tunnel

Entrance to the second-largest pyramid

There were five rooms, and the one with the rounded ceiling is the burial chamber. All were empty and there were no hieroglyphics. We headed back up the ramp and, despite the heat outside, welcomed the fresh air and a little breeze. I walked around the outside of the pyramid and a camel who was wandering around with his lead rope dangling bumped into the back of my head. There were lots of camels nearby. I had ridden a camel before, so did not ride this time.

Camel drivers recruiting riders

Ruth on a camel

Reluctant camel

Camel postcard

We boarded the bus again and went to the cartouche shop where we bought a solid 18-karat gold one for Ann for her birthday and cut-out earrings for me. I was pleased with these items when they were delivered later that night. We also went by the papyrus shop to watch papyrus being made, and drove past the Cairo Communications Tower.

Market area

David at the market

Camels at the market

Tickets to Papyrus Institute

Papyrus Shop

Cairo Tower for Communications

Before lunch today, we stopped at the carpet school. We saw ten children seated among three looms, pulling the colored thread through the carpet strands, and twisting it under and cutting the thread with a razor blade knife. They followed a printed pattern hanging on the wall, much like counted cross-stitch. They were adept and moved quickly. They are especially suitable for the work because their hands are so small. The child-workers went to school half a day and worked half a day, with two shifts, one that works in the morning and one in the afternoon. They motioned for the tourists to sit beside them and have their picture taken. Of course they wanted money for this.

Girls at the carpet school

Bonnie with the students

Student showing Bonnie how the work is done.

David watching an adult student

We went up to the showroom to look at the finished carpet for a gift for Brian and Ann. Finally, David gave up and walked outside. The salesman chased him down and they bargained some more. The carpet, originally priced at $1300, was now $500, but they didn’t want to ship it so we couldn’t come to terms.

David in the carpet shop

Back at the hotel we spent time at the pool writing postcards. David went in for an occasional dip. He ordered tea delivered to me poolside, a romantic gesture. Lots of people have commented on how nice he is and what a great husband I have. I know I’m lucky.

We had dinner and then boarded the bus again to go to the sound and light show at the pyramids. It was a lovely night, and the show was informative and fun. When we got back, we invited Ruth to dessert with us. We had Baskin Robbins ice cream sundaes, which were delicious. Then we were all off to bed.

Schedule for Sound and Light Show

Sound and Light show at the Pyramids

Sound and light show at the pyramids

Day 13 – Tuesday, August 6: King Tut

We began the day by touring the Muhammad Ali Mosque. Guides are quick to point out this wasn’t the boxer. The mosque, lovely and immense, took 10 years to build. It sat at the top of the hill overlooking the city. David borrowed one of the green robes they have for tourists in shorts. He looked hilarious. Our guide told us about Islam, and we looked around, barefooted in the mosque.

Muhammad Ali Mosque

Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo, with Ali Mosque in background

Muhammad Ali Mosque

Ali Mosque

David putting on a robe to go inside

Stained glass inside mosque

Mosque interior lighting

Mosque interior

Bonnie sitting with other tourists

Finished with the tour

Mosque at night

We took pictures of the polluted city. We then stopped at the market bazaar, a rich cultural experience. David bargained for two lapis necklaces for our moms. It was quite a protracted process, yet we weren’t the last ones on the bus.

Cairo pollution

Cairo Pollution

Sign for Bazaar

David bargaining at the bazaar

From the Bazaar, we drove across town to the Egyptian Museum, passing important buildings, mosques, another market and a construction site on the Nile.

Mosque of Sultan Hassan (L) and Al-Rifai Mosque

Market

Meat market

Meat Market

McDonald's delivery

McDonald's

Shepherd with sheep and goats

Boat on the Nile

Construction site

Bonnie and Hanna on the bus

Taxi drivers

October War Panama Museum

Al-Azhar Conference Center

We arrived at the Egyptian museum, where it was hot, dark and full of Egyptology. We admired the exhibits, including multiple rooms full of artifacts from tombs, including King Tut’s mask.

Museum tickets

Egyptian Museum

Museum sign

Inside the museum

King Tut's death mask

Then, in the gift shop, because we collect masks, we had a stroke of luck and found a mask to purchase. Next, we headed to lunch at a restaurant on the Nile. We had a pleasant view, but the awful odor of petroleum was like sitting in a gas station. I watched a young man fishing near the restaurant and tossed him a pen and pencils as souvenirs. Pens and pencils were treasured by the locals. We learned here about the 3 AM wake-up we would face the next morning.

Lunch on the Nile, David with red hair sitting by the rail

After lunch, we toured the Coptic Egyptian Christian Catholic church, called the Hanging Church because it sits on beams from the Roman ruins below.

Sign for Coptic Museum

Coptic "Hanging" Church

Icons in the Church

The perfume factory was our last stop before the hotel. We learned about essences and oils. It was fun, but we didn’t buy anything. We talked with Magdy for a long time on the bus about his family and culture. We enjoyed his account of Egyptian life, especially concerning morality.

Because we are leaving so early, we checked out of the hotel tonight.

Coffee shop receipt

Hotel receipt

Dinner was scheduled for 8:00, which was late with an early call coming, so I took a poll, and everyone wanted to eat earlier. The kitchen staff agreed to serve us early, which worked great. We showered and packed and were ready for bed by 10.

Day 14 – Wednesday, August 7: Aswan and the Nile, Abu Simbel

Three AM was early! We got up and took our bags to the bellboy. We grabbed breakfast at 3:30 and were on the bus by 4:00 for a trip across Cairo to the airport. We mostly slept on the way, surprised that Cairo streets were emptier at this time of day. At the airport, we stayed on the bus while the luggage was unloaded and checked, then waited longer until Hanaa returned with our boarding passes.

Boarding passes

Finally, we alighted, passed through security, and looked for the restrooms. There was a line at the women’s, of course, then someone yelled that we were boarding. I was on the way out, and Paul, another traveler, directed folks to the gate to board the bus. Hanaa was nowhere around, and we weren’t sure this was the right plane, but Lindy led us on, and we found our seats near the rear.

We got instructions to fasten seat belts, and after a long takeoff roll because of the heat, we headed out over the desert to Abu Simbel. This is a one-day round-trip by air. We are flying to this site because it is remote in southern Egypt. Abu Simbel is known for the two ancient rock-cut temples built by Pharaoh Ramses II. The most famous feature is the Great Temple, fronted by four colossal statues of the pharaoh himself, while the smaller temple is dedicated to his queen.

This is the site where colossal statues and the massive temple were relocated 260 meters uphill to move them out of the lake created by the high Aswan Dam. Several countries directly funded the project. The temples were meticulously dismantled and reassembled on higher ground to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, a reservoir created by the Aswan Dam.

The first and largest of the temples is dedicated to the sun God Ra-Harakhte, while the second smaller temple, and a few meters to the north, was dedicated by Ramses II to his beautiful and most beloved wife Nefertari to be worshiped together with other deities.

These two temples attracted worldwide attention when they were threatened by inundation by the waters resulting from the erection of the high Aswan dam. In response to an appeal by the Arab Republic of Egypt in 1959, UNESCO initiated an international donations campaign to save the monuments of Nubia, the relics of the oldest human civilization. The salvage of the Abu Simbel temples began in 1963 and cost some $36 million. As a result, once again, the Abu Simbel temples, because of being relocated on the plateau, were able to greet the sunrise every morning.

Sign commemorating the event

We viewed the massive temple and, boy, was it hot inside! We looked at the other temple nearby, then we went through the huge, arched, concrete dome erected to provide support to the relocated temple.

Tickets for Abu-Simbel

Abu Simbel Temple

Abu Simbel

David and Bonnie put it in perspective

A closeup

Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel from a distance

Elegant carvings at Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel interior

Battle Scene Abu Simbel interior

Abu Simbel interior

Abu Simbel

Battle scene Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel

Concrete dome supporting relocated temple

Concrete dome

Lake Nasser

We also had a tour of the High Aswan Dam itself. There is an old Aswan Dam built by the British in 1902. The newer High Aswan Dam was built by the Egyptians with Soviet support from 1960-1970. It controls the Nile's floods, enabling year-round irrigation, supplying electricity and improving navigation, but it also had negative effects, including loss of fertile silt, soil salinization, and damage to ancient sites. We couldn’t go inside because of security, but we could walk on top, taking pictures of both the dam face side and the lake side.

Welcome sign

View from the top of the dam

View of hydroelectric power plant

Power lines

Hydroelectric plant

Lake Nasser

David sitting on the edge of the dam

Bonnie on the dam

After the tour, I bought postcards from the street vendor, and we boarded the bus back to the airline departure area. We waited there for about 20 minutes then boarded for the return flight back to Aswan

Egypt Air departure area

Boarding passes to Aswan

Lake Nasser went on forever. It’s the largest man-made lake in the world. We could see it from the air, but never located the dam.

We are now returning to Aswan to board a ship for a Nile cruise as the next leg of our trip. Landing at Aswan was fast and required lots of maneuvering to get us over the thermals. On the plane, I educated Lindy about flying. She seemed interested and we had fun. We deplaned and got on a small van. Hanna told us some about Aswan as we drove through town.

We climbed out of the van when we reached our ship called the Voyager. We checked in and found our cabin which smelled badly of petroleum from the engines or the Nile. David unpacked and the phone rang. It was Hanna who offered to trade rooms with us. We gladly accepted and moved up a floor to a nicer room with no odor and a bathtub, which was handy for our laundry.

Our ship for the Nile cruise

We had lunch and then had the afternoon to ourselves. We had great plans to go to town, but after showers, a nap sounded better. After all, we had been up since 3 AM. After our rest, we looked around the ship to get the lay of it, but the heat chased us back to the cabin to do laundry and journal. David had a touch of Abdul’s revenge, so he was ready to rest again. We eventually went back up to the top deck. It was cooler by then, and we visited until dinner time at eight. Our group sat together at every meal. After dinner, we went back to the top deck at 10 and I was ready to turn in. David, who slept much of the afternoon, sat up until midnight talking with Lindy. They discussed how David and I could lead another tour. We tried to call Tammi, but the international line would not accept our phone card.

Bonnie resting on deck

David Resting on deck

Upper deck area

Buffet line

Dining Area

Day 15 – Thursday, August 8: Aswan Dam, Temple of Isis, Edfu

We were up at seven with breakfast at 7:30 and off at eight for our morning tour of Aswan. The word comes from “swand,” meaning trade center. This is the southern gate of Egypt, and the summer temperatures reach 120 to 130 Fahrenheit. Here in Egypt’s fourth-largest city, the population is 30,000. Egypt’s population increases by one million every nine months, with one baby born every 18 seconds.

Our first sight was the Temple of Philae, dedicated to Isis. The Aswan high dam displaced these temples, which were moved to an island, as well as 44 villages of the Nubians, once known as the Kush. Hanna told us about the Nubian people, dark and fine featured, who live in the area. The government helped build new housing to relocate them, and Hanaa insisted the residents are content in the new villages.

We passed by the Coptic Monastery of Saint Simeon along the shore near Aswan.

Ruins of the Coptic Monastery of Saint Simeon

Locals, who were hard-selling Nubian products, including an interesting musical stringed instrument, greeted us at the dock where we boarded a motorboat to go to Agilkia, the Philae temple island. We landed at the temple site and Hanna gave us a tour. It was arresting in the morning light with its stone walls and petroglyphs. The Coptics have defaced many of the inscriptions.

Locals selling souvenirs

Entrance to Philae Temple site

Post card of the Temples

Temple of Philae

Island where the Temples of Philae were relocated

Temples of Philae

David at the Temples

David at the Temple site

We re-boarded the motorboat, crossed back to the bus, and moved to the Nile, where we boarded a felucca, a small sailing boat, and sailed leisurely upstream around an island in the river and disembarked to walk through a botanic garden built by the English for one of their campaigns. The garden had a lovely design and great plants, with huge old trees. We found it serene and elegant. At the far end of the garden, we re-boarded the felucca to move back downstream to the cruise ship. The trip took about an hour, making it a very pleasant part of the day.

David ready to board the motorboat

On the motorboat back to the bus

Feluccas on the Nile

David waiting to board felucca

Felucca

Local boatman

David enjoying the sail

Botanic Gardens sign

David and Bonnie at the gardens

Bonnie at the gardens

A pavilion in the gardens

Palms in the gardens

Reboarding the felucca

Sailing back to shore

Passing by the Mausoleum of Aga Khan

Mausoleum of Aga Khan

Feluccas on the Nile near the Mausoleum

We passed by the Mausoleum of Aga Khan on the west bank of the Nile. It is no longer open to the public. After we landed and disembarked, we walked a short distance back to the ship for lunch.

Two cruise ships on the Nile

After lunch, we decided to spend the afternoon separately. David wanted sun and pool time while I opted to walk into Aswan with a group from the ship - six of us including the Bolts, Lindy, me, Ruthie, and Ruth. The walk was longer than we imagined, more than a mile, and well over 100°. By the time we arrived, we were really dripping. The taxis and the horse buggy drivers besieged us trying to get a fare, but we resisted. One followed us for some way thinking we would collapse from the heat, but we were a sturdy lot and kept on.

Horse and buggy

Street full of horses and buggies

Woman with bundle on her head

Man with bundle on his head

We looked for a bank where Ruth could get money. One young man appointed himself our “tour guide” and showed us the bank, which seemed closed against the heat. We all went inside the air-conditioned building. I saw one computer, but most employees were working manually. Ruth got some cash, and we headed back to the street. Ruth offered the man a tip, which he refused.

We passed the spice shop where we stopped to buy peanuts and spices. I also bought hibiscus flowers to make karkaden, a tea which relaxes and helps lower blood pressure. Hanaa says to wash the leaves and steep or boil them and add sugar. We stopped this morning to buy presents and spices. Hanna told us to go one block east on the main street to the next street paralleling it to reach the bazaar. We stopped at another spice shop where the local owner spoke a bit of English. He showed us many spices and I bought a few more for Mom. We enjoyed the excursion.

Spice shop

Fast food shop. Hanaa in black hair

Same shop. Bonnie behind Hanaa

Out in the market, I photographed a corner store selling tinware. The local tinsmith was working inside on an anvil. We walked along looking for bargains. I bought a carry-on sized bag to hold our souvenirs and gifts since we had bought too much to fit in the suitcase by now. I kept looking for a T-shirt for David but couldn’t find the color and design he wanted. Ruth was excited to find a belt made of coins for her friend back home who is a belly dancer, and some indigo dye for a friend who quilts.

Market

We walked back to the ship, at first harassed by the self-appointed guide who now wanted money for his time. Ruth had offered him a tip at the bank which he refused, and now she didn’t want to tip him. He accompanied us through the market, offering advice on purchases. The taxis and horse cabs also pressed us to use them, but we walked. On the ship some folks waited to go to tea at the old Cataract Hotel. We wanted to go but instead showered and changed first and then the five of us hired a taxi. We bargained for a fare of two Egyptian pounds (about $.60) each.

Walking back to the ship.

The Cataract (which means waterfall) Hotel, built in the south end of town, was the old British Hotel where Agatha Christie stayed while her archaeologist husband worked here. We toured her suite after a tip to the bellman. We were too late for formal high tea but decided to sit on the terrace for tea and dessert and watch the sunset. An Eastern band played Arab-Egyptian music and it felt for all the world like the set of a movie, which it is - Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie. What a lovely setting with wicker furniture and waiters in dark green vests with golden embroidery. The food was delicious.

Cataract Hotel

Bonnie is in the dark floral

Music on the hotel terrace

Having tea on the terrace

Tea on the terrace

Terrace

Christie's Suite

Christie's suite

Hotel steps

We left again by taxi as we were now late for our 7:30 dinner on the ship. We arrived and excitedly shared with everyone about our adventure. After dinner, we sat on the top deck and chatted and journaled and planned for tomorrow. A belly dance show was scheduled for 11 PM but that was too late for us tonight, though in the morning, I felt pangs of disappointment to have missed it. At 3 AM, the ship headed out to dock at Kom Ombo.

Day 16 – Friday, August 9: Temple of Horus, Esna, Luxor

We woke up at 6 AM for coffee, tea, and a 7 AM departure to walk to the Kom Ombo temple. This one had mummies of crocodiles and was dedicated jointly to two gods: Horace the falcon-headed god and to Sobek, the crocodile-headed deity. It's perfectly symmetrical, double-sided design reflects this dual purpose, featuring two entrances, halls, courtyards and sanctuaries, reflecting its function as a temple to two opposing divine powers.

Some of the paintings were well preserved. The site had inscriptions of medical instruments, including scalpels and bone saws and pictures of procedures. Game boards etched into the floor allowed ancient folks to play while waiting their turn at the clinic. As we finished our tour, crowds from the cruise ships began to flood the place and we appreciated Hanaa for the early wakeup call.

Kom Ombo Temple sign

Kom Ombo Temple

Crocodile head mummy

Crocodile tail mummy

Kom Ombo Temple

Horace, the falcon-headed deity

David at the Entrance

Preserved paintings

Inscriptions

Preserved paintings

Hanaa giving a lecture

As soon as we boarded the ship, we headed out to cruise all day. We lingered and talked over breakfast. The day was free to read, rest, journal, and watch the banks of the Nile, where we saw local people fishing, plowing, and tending animals. We could see vehicles from time to time on the road paralleling the river, but out on the edge of the fertile green belt. All sorts of produce grew here, including rice, bananas, corn, and many other vegetables. Children called out to us and waved as we passed. We heard the chugging sound of pumps pulling water from the Nile into the irrigation ditches. We saw many animals including water buffalo, some working and some resting, tethered so they could lay down in the Nile.

The ship headed out.

David and Bonnie pose for a photo

Relaxing on the ship

Playing in the pool

Donkey in the field

Donkey grazing

Small boats at the edge of the Nile

Palm trees along the Nile

Crops in the fields along the Nile

Working the land

Sugar cane fields

Air drying laundry

We docked about noon at Esna to see the Temple of Khnum, the most complex and well preserved of the local temples, where Hanaa told us the rest of the story about the gods’ ongoing battle. This structure is renowned for its massive, well-preserved hall with 24 decorated columns. It is well-preserved because of being covered with sand for years and now is below the surrounding land surface. I touched the beak of the falcon statue guarding the temple for good fortune with money.

Coming through town by horse carriage, we stopped to barter for galabias (long dresses worn by men and women). We found a nice one for Janet. David tried to convince the vendor to throw in a baseball cap, but the young man still wanted money, too. We paid for the cap and got back on the horse cart through the town to the ship.

Temple of Khnum

Bonnie at the temple

Falcon headed god for good luck

Street merchants were on the bank next to the boat selling souvenirs. One had galabias and David bargained and bought a green one for me.

The horse pulling our cart

Riding the cart

Back on the boat, we passed small towns and villages, farms, caves in the cliffs, and lots of sights. We passed through a bridge and a lock created by damming the Nile for hydroelectric power. David and I found lots of reasons to take pictures. We had dinner and afterward a galabia party. The crew organized games like freeze when the music stops and don't laugh at the crew teasing you. There was a mummy-wrapping contest and because I ran around and around David, I got dizzy and was ready for an early evening. We went to bed around 10:30.

The lock is ahead of us

Approaching the locks

Guiding the ship into the lock

Entering the lock

The barrier begins to open

Now we can pass through

A workman watches us pass

The ship lounge before the party

David at the ship bar

Dressed for the galabia party

David dancing at the party

Bonnie in her galabia

Our group in galabias

Bonnie in the green galabia

Bonnie and David sharing secrets

Mummy-wrapping contest

Day 17 - Saturday, August 10: West Bank of the Nile: Valley of the Kings

Luxor, originally called Thebes, was the capital of the new kingdom. We docked there at about 6 AM. The deckhands shouted to each other and hauled rope and other equipment, making a din that characterized this two-hour trip.

We left at seven by bus, then crossed the Nile ferry to the West Bank to see the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh, then on to the Valley of the Kings to see the tombs of Ramses VII and Ramses IV. Egyptians brightly painted and decorated these sculptures and the other drawings here to represent the afterlife, not everyday life.

These are the two tombs, ordered by the Kings and Queens of the new kingdom to be carved in the rock faces of the valley so as to be safeguarded against graverobbers. The tomb is composed of several rooms and corridors leading to the burial chamber. The most important of these tombs are those of Ramsey‘s III, Ramsey‘s VI and King Tut. The chief tomb in the Valley of the Queens is queen Nefertiti, wife of Ramses II.

Deckhands loading the ship

Long ramps descended to the burial chambers. We also entered King Tut’s (Tutankhamun) tomb, discovered only in 1922. In Denver, we had seen an exhibition of treasures from this tomb. The mummy was still here in the sarcophagus in the tomb, covered with plexiglass for visitors to see. This is the only unlooted royal tomb ever found, with over 5,000 pristine artifacts sealed for 3,245 years.

Colossi of Memnon

We visited the Temple of Hatshepsut, one of the few female pharaohs. This temple is one of Egypt's most majestic and historically significant monuments. Queen Hatshepsut had a prosperous reign of 20 years and adopted the full regalia of a king, including a false beard and royal headdress.

Temple of Hatshepsut

Temple of Hapshepsut

Post card for Queen Nefertari

Tomb of Nefertari

Temple of goddess Hathor

Goddess Hathor

It was very hot. This was the first time I had been in 120-degree heat. We fanned ourselves and carried umbrellas. As we walked back to the bus, to the ferry, then to the bus again and finally to the ship, we watched workmen manually loading the ship with supplies - hot and heavy work. David and I chatted over cold drinks then went to lunch. After that, it was time to begin packing. We lamented that the trip was ending. The other folks are ready to go home. I itemized our purchases for customs. We did well buying souvenirs. We showered and napped, waking up to noises the deckhands made outside.

We got up about five to go to the little shops near the boat, inviting Lindy to join us. Mostly we window-shopped, but David bought a gold bracelet, and I bought a silver cartouche made for Tammi. We headed back to dinner and then out to the sound and light show at Karnak complex, an enjoyable program with excellent narration. Back on the ship we picked up the T-shirt I ordered for David. We bought the galabia party pictures and paid our ship bill, about $60.

Karnak sound and light show

Karnak Sound and Light show

Karnak sound and light show

Day 18 - Sunday, August 11: East Bank of the Nile: Luxor, Karnak, Board flight to US

We got to sleep in this morning. The wake-up call was at eight, breakfast at 8:30, then a tour of the East Bank of the Nile and its famous temples, Karnak and Luxor. Karnak, a huge complex built by many kings across 2000 years, had huge columns and an obelisk monolith made by queen Hatshepsut. Karnak is one of the world's largest religious complexes, and features towering colonnades, an Avenue of Sphinxes, and a sacred lake. The temple of Luxor had two huge statues of Ramses at the gates. It is known for its open courts and the remnants of the Avenue of Sphinxes that connect it to Karnak. Luxor and Karnak once were connected by a half-mile column of ram-headed and lion-bodied sphynxes.

When I say huge or colossal, you must think gigantic! Look for people in these photos to give perspective.

The East Bank temples represent the ancient Egyptian focus on living and worship, in contrast to the West Bank's ancient cemeteries and mortuary temples.

Ticket to Valley of the Kings and King Tut

Ram-headed and lion-bodied sphinxes at Karnak

These sphinxes are a symbol of the god Amun

The half-mile column of sphinxes

Great Hypostle Hall, Karnak (see the people?) and statues of Ramses II

Ramses II with daughter between his feet

The Karnak complex and sacred lake

Entrance to Luxor Temple

Offering table at Karnak

Wall art in Luxor

Bonnie and David at Luxor

A close up of the travelers

We went back to the ship and then to the Sheraton hotel next-door to get more Egyptian pounds for pocket money on the way home. We walked around the Sheraton and looked at the outdoor pool, cages of parrots and cockatoos and a large covered and terraced patio. We walked back to the ship to go to lunch then headed for showers which felt so good, I couldn't make myself get out. Then we did final packing and went to the lobby to board the bus for the airport. The porters were annoyed for not getting a big enough tip.

Ruthie panicked when she couldn’t find her passport. She rushed back to the room but it wasn’t there. When she got back to the bus, we had to head out. She was distressed and kept looking. At the Luxor airport, David helped her mentally step-by-step when she last had it and she found it in the jeans shorts pocket in her checked luggage. Hanaa helps her retrieve the bag and – Eureka - the lost is found. We moved to the boarding area and finally got on the plane. The flight was uneventful despite the heat. We thought the fully loaded plane must not have full tanks of fuel to be able to take off.

We landed in Cairo and were met by Tamar, a Cairo land agent with an air-conditioned bus. We were supposed to go into town to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Because the flight was late, there wasn’t time and Tamar brought us box lunches. There are two submarine type sandwiches, one meat and one cheese, yogurt, a banana and an apple and a small can of juice. We sat in the bus to eat and Hanaa said goodbye. and collected her tips.

With dinner finished, we drove to the terminal to check in at El Al. The flight was scheduled for 10:30. David and I were the first to go through interrogation. The young lady thought my name was wrong and I showed her the name change on the passport. She began asking lots of questions about the tour group and, when David challenged her, she said it was procedure. This was a confrontive encounter and she asked what different sub-groups on the tour had done, we had limited knowledge of that. She asked us to look at our own luggage by opening it and making sure no one has tampered with it. We said OK and moved to check in.

The baggage tagged our luggage only to Tel Aviv, but fortunately I noticed that and pointed out that it should go through to New York. The supervisor scolded them for the mistake. We went to passport control to get our passports stamped to exit Egypt. Then we waited in the El Al secured area for departure and exchanged Egyptian pounds for US cash, buying some water for the flight.

We showed passports again to move to the boarding area, waited another hour or so, then presented passports yet again to board the bus to the plane. The outside air is much cooler with a breeze. Except for the pollution odor, it was a relief to breathe fresher air. We were on the plane and with our late departure, are already worried about the Tel Aviv connection especially the folks transferring to TWA. The flight went well and at Tel Aviv we were greeted by a ground staff supervisor who stopped us before we entered the immigration line. The eight of us flying to New York follow her through some back hallways around the terminal to the departure area at our gate.

There were hordes of adolescents on our flight- we later found out they numbered 350. We hope to have time for a pitstop, even though there’s a line we had nothing to worry about because boarding the plane took at least 20 more minutes, and then we sat on the ground for nearly another hour before finally taking off

The group of kids has been touring for six weeks Poland and Israel. They were excited and noisy, but polite enough. They just had so much energy, they couldn’t settle down. Consequently, our 11-hour flight left us a bit short on sleep. The flight attendant could hardly get through the aisles so there is limited service. David and I slept off and on and watched individual TV sets in our seat backs.

Day 19 - Monday, August 12: Arrive New York City, Home

We were on our final day of travel, having left the boat at 3 PM on Sunday. We would have about 36 hours of continuous travel to get home.

The adolescents woke up early so the whole flight was awake well before breakfast. We were really thirsty, and I finally got up and worked my way through the crowded aisles to the galley for water and juice. Breakfast came and the hot tea was just what I needed. The noise level continued to rise and by the time we reached New York at 6 AM it was a din. Kids were hugging and taking pictures and saying goodbye. We deplaned hurriedly and moved through immigration to the baggage claim.

A flight from Mexico arrived at the same time as ours, and the very crowded and busy place was suddenly hushed by a PA announcement: due to a malfunction at the baggage handling equipment in Tel Aviv many folks wouldn’t find their luggage from this flight. Rather, it would come on the afternoon flight. Our hearts sank at the thought of how our luggage would get home if we changed airlines without it. I whispered a prayer. After about 15-20 minutes, one of our bags came up on the conveyor, encouraging us for the appearance of the second. Sure enough, in a few more minutes the second bag slid down the ramp. I said another prayer of thanks!

We carried our bags to customs, and after glancing at our forms, the agent waved us through. Next, it was time to find out how to get to the correct terminal for our TWA connection. Signs over the exit door directed us to the bus stop for free inter-terminal transportation. After about 15 minutes, a bus showed up. We struggled to get our luggage aboard and once loaded, rode around to terminal six for TWA domestic departures. We deplaned and learned from the sky cap that our flight, number 399, had been canceled. Oy vey!

We waited in line at TWA and finally got to an agent who rerouted us to United. But now we had to go to LaGuardia airport to catch the flight. TWA gave us a taxi voucher and we caught a cab for LaGuardia. We got in another line, this one at United, and finally there the agent quickly issued us United tickets and boarding passes. He checked our bags and credited our frequent flyer miles. He suggested we try the new food court nearby before heading down the concourse - a welcome offer since we were ready for a break.

It felt so good to be back in the USA. People speak English, and there is paper for the toilets. Automatic flushing and hand drying is high tech. Welcome home!

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