Most of the pictures on the blog so far have been from Jim’s iPhone because we are just figuring out this whole “iCloud” and “Air Drop” thing to share pictures. We managed to do that during our 6 hour layover in the Johannesburg airport on our way to Zambia so we thought we would share an overview of Liz’s pictures as we transition from the Middle East to Africa. She has a fancy camera so the quality is much better especially for those pesky scenic shots. She also captured some unique memories and given Jim was behind the iPhone, there is more of him in Liz’s pictures (if you can bear that). We hope you enjoy this collage of our last two weeks.
First a few shots from the Israeli churches including Abby seeking a blessing at the birthsite in Bethlehem, Jim placing a candle at the crucifixion site (retroactively praying for a speedy recovery for Aunty Sharon Maher) and a picture from inside Jesus’ tomb (recall that Jim’s pciture mysteriously came out pure white).
Here are a few water shots including the children flocking to Abby on the beach (as usual) while David looks studly and a real action shot from that water slide just outside Syria (ugg).
Here are a number of family scenes including at beautiful waterfalls in Israel, sharing a laugh at the tomb bar in Petra, chilling out at the port in Tel Aviv, engaging in heavy negotiations at Petra and the whole herd off on our ride to Aaron’s tomb with a view from the top.
We look forward to Africa but Liz got a couple of decent animal shots here too includng wildlife at Ein Geddi and camels at Petra (which looked pretty underutilized – see discussion below).
Liz’s camera was much better at capturing the beautiful scenery including the Sea of Galilee, the rock formations in Petra, the views from Aaron’s tomb and the desert at little Petra (with the less than forthcoming shopkeeper while waiting for Abby and Jim to find their way!).
Finally, some memorable moments included bargaining for olives in Nazareth, the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, Liz driving a stick in the Wadi Rum and a picture of our little angel!
We’d also like to make a pitch for both Jordan and Israel. Everywhere we went in Israel and Jordan and in talking with almost all of our guides in the various places we visited (especially in Jordan), we found that tourism is down quite significantly after the “Arab Spring”. For example, in Petra, they said that there used to be 5,000 to 6,000 visitors on average in a day and now there is maybe 500-600. In the large open area around the Treasury, they said that you could hardly find a place to stand before but there were times for us now when we were just about the only people in there. See below.
Our guides believed it was because the entire Middle East is all basically painted with the same broad brush. It is clearly true that there are “hot spots” – the news in Iraq while we were here is testament to that. However, like most of this, it is actually quite far away from where we were and Jordan and Israel have been at peace for some time. They have a very long, safe border that we looked over many times and a really strong desire not to fight over it. The people were extremely friendly and welcoming as they recognize the importance of tourism in their country and the region. Both of our main guides, Yuval in Israel and Wally in Jordan, were open-minded and respectful and showed a passion for their country and a desire for peace. But also recognize that while there is conflict around their countries, they can provide a safe and fulfilling experience that we can attest to. As you may have read in the previous blog posts, there are fantastic sights, tremendous history and amazing scenery. Both countries are a testament to the ability for the many cultures in the region to get along and flourish. The simple message from Yuval, Wally, Zead and Sameer was to come and experience it all. We told them we would encourage that because it is truly an amazing experience. Sameer’s email is sameer_muamar@yahoo.com if you’d like to arrange a most excellent tour of Petra.
So, in closing, Wally and Zead at Wadi Rum say…
Sameer says “Come to Jordan and experience the beauty!”. In fact, you could meet a future love interest here…
These countries are full of helpful people with good food in breathtaking places….
where even former paratroopers have their lighter moments….
In short, we loved it! Here’s to the Dead Sea – one side Israel, the other Jordan.
We’ll be back to you from the Islands of Siankaba on the Zambezi River overlooking Victoria Falls!
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