ANYWAY. Back in Jerusalem, and things are not nice and quiet. Oh, I haven't seen any rioting or been disturbed by any rockets. Muslims are just so loud at all hours of the night during Ramadan! How is one to get a proper sleep!? And someone is doing some kind of construction work below me that consists of a screeching saw cutting through concrete or rock - at 6 am! Soon you may read about a red-head riot in east Jerusalem!
As you may have noticed, I have titled this post "The Way of the Unicorn." While I have often used the way of the unicorn as a method for exploring and getting around, I only learned the proper name two years ago from my friend Emily Fine. It generally refers to travel in which you do not have GPS or other specific means of getting to your destination (you may have consulted a map beforehand, but do not use it during the actual travel - at least, this is my interpretation; Emily, you may clarify as need be); but you do have a destination in mind, and you allow yourself the possibility of getting a little lost in the process, but have faith that you will arrive eventually. This was my mode of travel last week. It was quite an adventure! And sometimes, just an effective means of producing intense frustration!
I rented a car to go up north to the Galilee region last week. Renting a car in Israel is actually quite cheap (it's the gas prices that will kill you!), and I had quite a few places I needed to get to, including a visit up to Tzfat with my friend Keren, so I felt fine renting it for four days. However, when I asked about renting a GPS, they informed me that they no longer offer GPS - just an Ipad that acts as a wifi hotspot, from which you can use google maps. Well, that sounded all fine and well for me, but then she told me it was 80 shekels/day (that's approximately $27). I dithered about it for a few moments, then decided my budget couldn't take it. And I'm a competent driver/map-follower!
So, the way of the unicorn it was! Now, I had a meeting that afternoon with a professor at a little college just south of Lake Galilee called Kinneret College. I had taken down relatively good google map directions, and I knew which roads I needed to take (by name, and by their place on the map). I was set!
We-hell! Israel had some surprises for me! One of them is that, once you're out of the more populous areas (Jerusalem-Tel Aviv), road signs are a luxury not to be indulged often. I had already gotten behind in my trip up north, and then got twisted around in some Arab cities (in the northern part of Israel, 50% of the residents are Arab) that do NOT do much for road signs, and the beaten path does not look any more beaten than any other possible turn at the 500th round-about. I called the secretary of the professor, trying to assuage my severe stress by reminding myself that Israelis are really laid-back and often late. They would understand. She told me he had a meeting right after mine. I got off the phone with her, let a few choice words fly, repented immediately and prayed. What else could I do?
The final major city before heading off on Route 70 (I still remember!) down to Bet Shean and then the little Kibbutz where the college called home, was Afula. I think I will forever despise the name Afula after this day. Once you get in, it is like the Hotel California. No road signs, and certainly nothing pointing to Route 70! Well, I take that back. One sign pointed toward Bet Shean, which I knew I needed, but after following that road for a bit, I passed another sign that indicated Bet Shean, exactly the opposite direction. I drove up and down that strip looking for some sort of sign telling me to turn or something. Nope, it was a mystery. I drove all over that city looking for helpful signs. All I found was one "Welcome to Afula" sign after another - as if I kept entering it from different angles without knowing I'd left.
I called the secretary again, now over an hour late, and told her I was desperately sorry and would have to try to reschedule. We did, and I made it the next day (I pointed avoided Afula in my google maps preparations). But not before I shed a few tears and hurled a few nasty insults at this cursed town. Fortunately, it was much easier to make it to Nazareth, where I stayed at the Fauzi Azar again - and found the peace and quiet I needed that night.
The next day, after a good meeting with the professor, I decided to use the rest of the day to explore. I had driven past a road that led up to the Golan Heights, so I decided to see how that looked from up there. It was breathtaking! I drove all over, hiked along the Israel National Trail for a bit. Afterward, I stopped at a cafe and ordered a delightful meal of Asian Pad Thai, all in Hebrew. I was rather proud of myself. I spent some time visiting the Jordan River baptismal site, Yardenit, where, I will admit, I got a little carried away looking at souvenirs. I don't mean to be entirely academically cynical, but I do chuckle at some of the souvenirs. Scented anointing oil? Water from the Jordan River? I mean, water in a river is, by nature, transitory. And the likelihood of this being the actual site that the baptism of Jesus Christ took place is rather minimal. But, already I am exposing my cynicism. I have been chastised about this before.
I got back and decided, instead of going up to my hostel, I'd wander and find some dinner in Nazareth. My cheap chicken kebab and salad lived up to their price, so I left most of it on the plate and went in search of the gelato place I had seen the night before (when I splurged on a delicious "Italian" meal that also lived up to its steep price). The Arab Israeli guy who owned the shop invited me to sit and enjoy the ice cream out in the cool evening air with him and his friends. They spoke English quite well and we chatted for an hour or so before I thought it best to get back to the hostel - and the bathroom. I realized I hadn't visited the facilities for over 5 hours. As I walked back in mild discomfort, I pondered on the benefits of perspiring like the wicked witch of the west doused in water: you don't have to pee much, and can go eat dinner, then an ice cream cone, sit with your new Arab friends and talk for an hour, all on a bladder that had to go from the outset, and hadn't seen a welcoming round porcelain bowl for 5 hours. This, with a historically weak bladder - but we won't go into that.
The conversation with my friends in Nazareth was very interesting. They were all Christians, but from three different faiths. One was Catholic, one Orthodox, and one Anglican. They spoke of the religious tensions with the Muslims, but also within the Christian denominations. Nazareth has historically been a Christian city, until recently. The reason for the Muslim takeover is simply one of family size. Christians (who are some of the best educated and most financially successful people in Israel) tend to have smaller families, with 2-3 children. Muslims, they complained, just kept having children, without any concern about whether they could care for them. This issue is epitomized in the recent controversy over the Muslim plan to build a huge mosque, with a tall minaret to overshadow the crown jewel of Nazareth, the Basilica of the Annunciation, next to which it was supposed to stand. The State of Israel prevented the mosque from being built.
The inter-denominational Christian battles are no less rancorous. Although they do not reach the level of stalemate that you find in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where a ladder has remained under the same window for 150 years, since anyone moving it would constitute changing or fixing something, which would constitute "ownership," and the other denominations would never permit that; still, I understand some tensions continue. "Why can't we all just remember that we believe in the same Jesus?" one of them asked me. Indeed. But the history of Christianity clearly illustrates the inability to do so.
The next day I drove up to Haifa, where I met my friend Keren. I had pored exhaustively over the google maps to ensure that there was no possibility of my getting lost - but it was to no avail. Lack of street signs again. However, truly the force of the unicorn was with me (in reality, I'm pretty sure that it was my deep and sincere morning prayer begging not to get lost in Haifa). I never found the street I was supposed to turn on to find the Bahai Gardens, but when I turned on a street that said it had a tourist information booth, I found myself looking directly at the very gardens I was looking for! After that, it was a matter of keeping that as my goal and driving around and up the hill until I found the entrance I was looking for.
Keren and I then drove up to Tzfat (Safed, near Lebanon) without too much difficulty. Our hotel was lovely - an old home renovated and made into a hotel. The city was a lot of fun - I loved the artist district, where I splurged and bought a small painting and several post cards of other paintings. And now, the unicorn has returned me safe and sound to the noise and chaos of Jerusalem. I do, however, think I have a cold. Not loving that.
Well, friends, until next time.
The view from the Ecce Homo at dusk. (Note how close it is to the minaret and the Dome of the Rock. Prayer calls kept me up half the night, as did the cannon every morning at 4 am to announce breakfast!)
The view from my hostel, the Ecce Homo (highly recommended!).
The view of the Via Dolorosa, looking down from the Ecce Homo Convent during Ramadan. Of course, my camera phone could not capture it, but I love the lighting!
I love this picture. It was at a Turkish restaurant in Jaffa where we stopped for lunch during the SIIS tour. They had made use of all the old Ottoman-style pots. It was awesome!
The view of Tel Aviv from Jaffa.
The rocket I saw get shot out of the air.
Some Jewish boys making use of a hot, dull Shabbat.
My friend showed me some ancient Roman glass in his shop. They take this and make it into unique jewelry.
The anointing oil I spoke of.
An old canon on the Golan Heights, from a war in the not-so-distant past.
Some kind of military shelter or backpacker hut - not sure which. There were several of these along the trial I briefly hiked.
The view of the Sea of Galilee from the Golan.
The fishies in the Jordan River. Really, it was crazy! And they do come and nibble on your toes! One of them, although I couldn't seem to capture it on camera, was a huge orange cat fish!
This is the Jordanian side of the river. I couldn't help but chuckle - a horse stable?
I saw dozens of people getting baptized. They have several little gated areas for groups to do baptisms. Clever. I understand that many of them have been baptized before, but want to do it where Jesus was baptized. I won't comment.
I always find it so interesting how Israel promotes itself. Little Israeli flags among the souvenirs.
Does anyone know why they have rocks in the sink? I have seen it in a couple of restrooms.
Tzfvaat was awesome. Lived there for a while!
ReplyDeleteStay safe, Amber!!