Egypt and Mubarak

Mubarak didn't step down last night but we missed it. We were too tired to stay up watching it on the TV in the lobby. We have consistently been meeting fellow travelers who were stuck in the airport in Cairo. They all have stories of running out of food and water and they also say that the Egyptians were so good to them. Last night we met a young American from Michigan who never made it to the Pyramids. She was stuck in the airport at the beginning of the their trip. Supplies were running low. It was hard for everyone but especially for the airport employees who just worked endlessly and had no flight out possibility. When her flight finally came through, she felt sorry leaving them there without food and water.
One question I do not ask Israelis is what they think of the present situation. I would make an awful news reporter, because I am reluctant to ask questions which could make someone feel uncomfortable. I notice soldiers walking in the streets carrying automatic weapons. Army camps in the desolate Golan heights were very active, airplanes of course seem to be up there patrolling the border areas and we have seen a number of busloads of soldiers off to God knows where. However, this may be the norm here. I need to pick another copy of Jerusalem Post (Eng ed) In any event I sure hope peace comes soon to this whole area.

Brush Up on Your Hebrew

People say you don't need Hebrew to travel in Israel, but it would be handy. Sure every Israeli you meet in the USA or on the road speaks English very well, but in Israel many residents speak little or no English. There are monuments and road signs in Hebrew only, or in Hebrew and Arabic. You miss out on the opportunity to chat with many people you meet. However, as a bare minimum pleasanteries, like Shalom and Todah, will elicit smiles from the Israelis who seem to appreciate visitors' attempts to speak Hebrew. They undoubtedly respect anyone who is willing to take on a language that reads backwards and assigns gender to its verbs.

You Won't Get Skinny Here

We went back again to our favorite Kosher eatery, Cusina, in downtown Tiberias, not too far from the candy shop.
This is only the accompaniments! We had the schnitzel and grilled kebabs again.
This morning Bruce was swimming in a hot spring next to the Sea of Galilee. It was super warm until he swam away a bit. Then it suddenly turned cold.

Eating Kosher in Israel

Tiberias on the Galilee Sea is a Jewish city, in contrast to Nazareth which is Arab (Muslim) and Christian (Arab), but in both cities dinner seems to be the same as it would be in East Watertown: kebab, schnitzel, salads, pickles and pita bread. The difference is that you will not be offered shellfish nor meat mixed with dairy in the Kosher restaurants of Tiberias. Your fellow diners will include Hasidic Jews. The man next to us (pictured with his wife right) got into a lively conversation with the men at another table. He was standing up calling out comments and the men were laughing. One of the few words I think I understood was "politi". Does "politi" mean politician?

Galilee - Beautiful and Tranquil, not so Golan

We just finished a hardy Middle Eastern breakfast of tomatoes, cucumbers, hummus, cheeses and much more, served on a balcony at the Peniel-by-Galilee overlooking Tiberius Lake, better known as the Sea of Galilee. The day was sunny and bright and we soon left for the Golan Heights.
Golan Heights
Rocky, with cow pastures, bullet-pocked old abandoned buildings, army camps, goats, fruit farms and vineyards, the Golan Heights seemed cold and desolate. However, parts of it reminded me of California in the land of the happy cows. Instead of oil wells in the pastures there was the occasional broken tank from the 1948 war. In the distance were snow-covered mountains. The old road to Syria is blocked with large boulders.

Tiberius - More Churches

Tiberius on Sea of Galilee includes churches marking the house of Peter, the Sermon on the Mount, and the locations where Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fishes and where He handed the keys over to Saint Peter.
The Sea of Galilee has many birds so Bruce did some birding. Along the shoreline hyraxes sit on the rocks. They scamper and run away when I get too close in an attempt to photograph.
We had dinner at Tanoreen.

Nazareth: Churches, Churches, Churches

Nazareth is filled with churches all commemorating an event in the life of Jesus. Sometimes there is more than one church in separate locations to mark an event because different groups of Christians recognize a different location.
We stayed in the Fazi Azar Inn, a joint venture between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arab Christians to revitalize the old city center of Nazareth.

Here we met more volunteers.


More about Fazi Azar In at their site www.fauziazarinn.com/