![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Vacation Posts - Israel and Onward
Nov. 4th, 2011 03:16 pmI'm still having problems with my email here on the ship. Reading is fine but the satellite connection is so slow that I can't seem to send anything out. So Barb and Wanda - please forward again? Thanks.
Let's see, I left off after Egypt, correct? Well the 18th was a sea day as we made our way to Israel. Sea days are relaxation days and after Egypt I definitely need to recharge my batteries. There was basically a lot of hanging out, reading, etc.
Saturday 10/29 - Haifa Israel
Our tour today was an all day affair to Jerusalem. Before anyone makes any cracks, yes the city is still standing. My presence as the Dark Child of the Universe did not cause its destruction. Thank goodness - I would have felt really bad about it if it had. The trip from Haida was a little over two hours on the bus then we arrived in Jerusalem. our first 3 stops were observation spots for taking pictures. One of the stops was pretty much the closest we could get to The Temple Of The Rock. Great pictures but getting on and off the bus so much kind of sucked. Then a kosher lunch at a nice hotel followed by a stop at The Church of The Agony and the Gardens of Gethsemene. The gardens are really, really small, which I wasn't expecting. Just a tiny grove of olive trees, some hundreds of years old, with some nice paths and flowers. A monk was there with a small groups of kids and their parents harvesting the olives. Everyone was laughing, smiling, having fun. We couldn't go into the garden, of course, but it was nice to see that the monks let some people in.
The Church is beautiful and very serene. Several members or our group were moved to tears - not surprising since most of our group were really religious and saw the tour as a pilgrimage. I have some nice pictures of the inside of the Church. We not only were allowed to take pictures but there was no prohibition on using flash, which seemed odd since as a place of worship there were signs everywhere about being silent but not one about using flash.
Our next stop was the Old City. We were only about 10 minutes into the Old City when one or our group got lost. The rest of us had to stand around in the street (no cars in the old city) for about 20 minutes while our guide went off in search of the man. He found him. No explanation of where he'd been but everyone's guess was that he either looked into a shop or was pulled into one by the vendor and when he looked around we were gone. The same thing happened after our visit to The Church of the Holy Sepulchure. Our guide counted everyone and had a full group when we left, then about 10 minutes later got a phone call on his cell from another tour guide - seems two of our people were still back at the Church with another tour guide! When Eyal finally got back with them they had a new package from one of the stores. So we had to wait around for them because they were shopping and got separated from the group. Stupid people. And Rude!
Anyway, the Old City is pretty cool. I didn't get much our of The Church of the Holy Sepulchure, mostly because it was so crowded you could barely move. The walk through the Old City was nice though if a little nerve wracking. The streets are up and down, lots of steps, and the limestone has been worn over the centuries by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. It was slippery in some places. I mostly liked the Jewish Quarter. I think this was more because were were there on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, so that quarter of the city was quiet and uncrowded since everything was closed. Our walk through the Jewish Quarter took us to the Wailing Wall. I went to the women's side with the rest of the ladies in our group. Several prayed, touched the wall, etc. I stood back with one of the other women and just kind of watched. The place is holy to a lot of people and I just didn't feel right going up to touch the wall. Finally, after the Wailing Wall, it was back to the bus and the long drive back to Haifa.
Sunday 10/30 - Caesarea
Today we did a half day tour of the ruins of Caesarea, the city built by Kin Herod the Great. Only about 30 minutes from Haifa so the bus ride was tolerable. I'm really sick of buses, let me tell you. Whereas Jerusalem was ok but not really my thing the ruins of Caesarea were totally my thing! Our guide, Sharon, had previously worked there after getting her first degree so she knew every single nook and cranny plus all the good stories. Some in our group definitely weren't getting as much out of it - when we neared the end and had a choice to continue touring or shop they wanted to either shop or leave. Luckily the rest of us over ruled them and we continued on with the tour. I loved the place. The history, the stories of King Herod, the ruins. I have some great pictures, which I can't wait to post.
Monday 10/31 - Haifa
This was the day we were supposed to go to Ashdod but stayed in Haifa due to the small issue of the Palestinians launching rocket attacks on Ashdod. Yeah, I'm glad we stayed in Haifa. Every other cruise ship was there as well since everyone that was going to Ashdod changed their plans and docked in Haifa instead. There were seven or eight ships in port all at one time. Dad and I stayed on board. We thought about going to the Ba'Hai gardens but I didn't think I was up to the walk. After Jerusalem and Caesarea I was pooped. So we went out on deck to read and sun for a while. It was a nice day, if a bit cool, but I still got sunburnt! Ooops!
Tuesday 11/1 was a sea day. I didn't do much other than read, and nap. :-)
Wednesday 11/2 - Rhodes
We didn't schedule anything for the day, no tours, but we went into the old town of Rhodes on our own. The main streets in the old town are all shops and restaurants, very touristy, but once you get off them onto the side streets it is a really cool place. Cobblestone streets, hills, lots of cats and dogs everywhere. We went up to the top of the hill to The Palace of The Grand Masters. Most of the fortress was destroyed in the mid 1800s in an explosion but was rebuilt and restored by the Italians as a palace for Mussolini (he never stayed there). The mosaics are just absolutely amazing. Lots of Roman era mosaics, many from the island of Cos. I hope my pictures do them justice.
After we went to the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes. Oh my goodness - I was in HEAVEN! It isn't a huge museum but it is done very nicely. The building is the old crusader Hospital so the building itself is a historical wonder. The collection is wonderful with lots and lots of pottery, including a lot of full pieces that have been put back together. I was like a kid in a candy store! I have lots of pictures - there was only one room with a sign that said photography was not allowed so I pushed my luck and took pics in the other rooms. Plus the museum has a lovely garden area too.
Thursday 11/3 - Kusadasi (Ephesus)
Our last scheduled shore excursion, today we went to The House of the Virgin Mary, The Church of Saint John, the Ephesus Museum and to the archaeological site of Ephesus itself. Lots of people everywhere as it is the end of the season and there were at least three ships in port. The House of The Virgin Mary is up a mountain and is really a wonderful site. The house has been lovingly restored and while the lines moves through it very fast the place feels holy. It doesn't hurt that this part of Turkey is absolutely beautiful. Next we went to the archaeological site of Ephesus. Again, I was in heaven! The site is huge - even more so when you realize that only a small part of it has been excavated. Many of the buildings have been lovingly restored by the Turkish and Austrian archaeologist working at the site. Our guide, Sybel, warned us before we got there that while the site is amazing it is also dangerous. There are lots of people starting and stopping, taking pictures, looking around - and the street you are walking on is marble! Marble that has seen the passage of thousands of feet so is very smooth and slippery. There are also steps in many places (also marble). And the place is subject to earthquakes so some of the marble slabs no longer lie flat but are tilted up. Sybel told us that there is an ambulance at the site every day and every day it gets used because someone isn't looking where they are going and takes a spill. We saw one young man near the Celsus Library that had done just that - the EMTs were with him and the ambulance took him away. There are stairs leading down to the courtyard of the Library - most likely he was looking around or taking pictures and took a step - and nothing was there. Luckily none of us lost our footing.
The Ephesus Museum was great as well. A really amazing collection of the sculpture from the site, some of it monumental. We saw the Ephesian Artemis, which I studied in school, so I was happy! And we were allowed to take picture! Again, I'll post those once I get home.
We had a nice lunch at a hotel, stopped by the Church of Saint John, and went back into Kusadasi where we had a carpet demonstration. I loved the carpets - such beautiful colors and patterns. There was a blue and white one that I wanted to see closer so the guys were trying really hard to sell it to me - normally $8000, for me only $4800! I said no, no, no, which got a lot of turkish in response. I'm sure they were laughing at me and calling me not so nice things in Turkish. But who cares? I'm on vacation and I'm not going to spend five grand on a carpet on a whim.
Friday 11/4 - Gythion
We are at anchor off the shore of Gythion Greece. Dad and I aren't going ashore today. We decided to take the day off and rest up today and tomorrow in preparation for Rome. So here I am blogging our trip. I'll likely spend the afternoon reading, then dinner in the Lido since tonight is a formal night. Tomorrow it is charging all our electronics, packing, etc. Then Sunday we dock and spend three days in Rome. I've already taken something like 500 pictures - and they let you take pictures in the Vatican Museum! I expect to have 750-800 pictures to go through when I get back. And that doesn't count Dads!
This is probably my last post until I get home.
Let's see, I left off after Egypt, correct? Well the 18th was a sea day as we made our way to Israel. Sea days are relaxation days and after Egypt I definitely need to recharge my batteries. There was basically a lot of hanging out, reading, etc.
Saturday 10/29 - Haifa Israel
Our tour today was an all day affair to Jerusalem. Before anyone makes any cracks, yes the city is still standing. My presence as the Dark Child of the Universe did not cause its destruction. Thank goodness - I would have felt really bad about it if it had. The trip from Haida was a little over two hours on the bus then we arrived in Jerusalem. our first 3 stops were observation spots for taking pictures. One of the stops was pretty much the closest we could get to The Temple Of The Rock. Great pictures but getting on and off the bus so much kind of sucked. Then a kosher lunch at a nice hotel followed by a stop at The Church of The Agony and the Gardens of Gethsemene. The gardens are really, really small, which I wasn't expecting. Just a tiny grove of olive trees, some hundreds of years old, with some nice paths and flowers. A monk was there with a small groups of kids and their parents harvesting the olives. Everyone was laughing, smiling, having fun. We couldn't go into the garden, of course, but it was nice to see that the monks let some people in.
The Church is beautiful and very serene. Several members or our group were moved to tears - not surprising since most of our group were really religious and saw the tour as a pilgrimage. I have some nice pictures of the inside of the Church. We not only were allowed to take pictures but there was no prohibition on using flash, which seemed odd since as a place of worship there were signs everywhere about being silent but not one about using flash.
Our next stop was the Old City. We were only about 10 minutes into the Old City when one or our group got lost. The rest of us had to stand around in the street (no cars in the old city) for about 20 minutes while our guide went off in search of the man. He found him. No explanation of where he'd been but everyone's guess was that he either looked into a shop or was pulled into one by the vendor and when he looked around we were gone. The same thing happened after our visit to The Church of the Holy Sepulchure. Our guide counted everyone and had a full group when we left, then about 10 minutes later got a phone call on his cell from another tour guide - seems two of our people were still back at the Church with another tour guide! When Eyal finally got back with them they had a new package from one of the stores. So we had to wait around for them because they were shopping and got separated from the group. Stupid people. And Rude!
Anyway, the Old City is pretty cool. I didn't get much our of The Church of the Holy Sepulchure, mostly because it was so crowded you could barely move. The walk through the Old City was nice though if a little nerve wracking. The streets are up and down, lots of steps, and the limestone has been worn over the centuries by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. It was slippery in some places. I mostly liked the Jewish Quarter. I think this was more because were were there on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, so that quarter of the city was quiet and uncrowded since everything was closed. Our walk through the Jewish Quarter took us to the Wailing Wall. I went to the women's side with the rest of the ladies in our group. Several prayed, touched the wall, etc. I stood back with one of the other women and just kind of watched. The place is holy to a lot of people and I just didn't feel right going up to touch the wall. Finally, after the Wailing Wall, it was back to the bus and the long drive back to Haifa.
Sunday 10/30 - Caesarea
Today we did a half day tour of the ruins of Caesarea, the city built by Kin Herod the Great. Only about 30 minutes from Haifa so the bus ride was tolerable. I'm really sick of buses, let me tell you. Whereas Jerusalem was ok but not really my thing the ruins of Caesarea were totally my thing! Our guide, Sharon, had previously worked there after getting her first degree so she knew every single nook and cranny plus all the good stories. Some in our group definitely weren't getting as much out of it - when we neared the end and had a choice to continue touring or shop they wanted to either shop or leave. Luckily the rest of us over ruled them and we continued on with the tour. I loved the place. The history, the stories of King Herod, the ruins. I have some great pictures, which I can't wait to post.
Monday 10/31 - Haifa
This was the day we were supposed to go to Ashdod but stayed in Haifa due to the small issue of the Palestinians launching rocket attacks on Ashdod. Yeah, I'm glad we stayed in Haifa. Every other cruise ship was there as well since everyone that was going to Ashdod changed their plans and docked in Haifa instead. There were seven or eight ships in port all at one time. Dad and I stayed on board. We thought about going to the Ba'Hai gardens but I didn't think I was up to the walk. After Jerusalem and Caesarea I was pooped. So we went out on deck to read and sun for a while. It was a nice day, if a bit cool, but I still got sunburnt! Ooops!
Tuesday 11/1 was a sea day. I didn't do much other than read, and nap. :-)
Wednesday 11/2 - Rhodes
We didn't schedule anything for the day, no tours, but we went into the old town of Rhodes on our own. The main streets in the old town are all shops and restaurants, very touristy, but once you get off them onto the side streets it is a really cool place. Cobblestone streets, hills, lots of cats and dogs everywhere. We went up to the top of the hill to The Palace of The Grand Masters. Most of the fortress was destroyed in the mid 1800s in an explosion but was rebuilt and restored by the Italians as a palace for Mussolini (he never stayed there). The mosaics are just absolutely amazing. Lots of Roman era mosaics, many from the island of Cos. I hope my pictures do them justice.
After we went to the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes. Oh my goodness - I was in HEAVEN! It isn't a huge museum but it is done very nicely. The building is the old crusader Hospital so the building itself is a historical wonder. The collection is wonderful with lots and lots of pottery, including a lot of full pieces that have been put back together. I was like a kid in a candy store! I have lots of pictures - there was only one room with a sign that said photography was not allowed so I pushed my luck and took pics in the other rooms. Plus the museum has a lovely garden area too.
Thursday 11/3 - Kusadasi (Ephesus)
Our last scheduled shore excursion, today we went to The House of the Virgin Mary, The Church of Saint John, the Ephesus Museum and to the archaeological site of Ephesus itself. Lots of people everywhere as it is the end of the season and there were at least three ships in port. The House of The Virgin Mary is up a mountain and is really a wonderful site. The house has been lovingly restored and while the lines moves through it very fast the place feels holy. It doesn't hurt that this part of Turkey is absolutely beautiful. Next we went to the archaeological site of Ephesus. Again, I was in heaven! The site is huge - even more so when you realize that only a small part of it has been excavated. Many of the buildings have been lovingly restored by the Turkish and Austrian archaeologist working at the site. Our guide, Sybel, warned us before we got there that while the site is amazing it is also dangerous. There are lots of people starting and stopping, taking pictures, looking around - and the street you are walking on is marble! Marble that has seen the passage of thousands of feet so is very smooth and slippery. There are also steps in many places (also marble). And the place is subject to earthquakes so some of the marble slabs no longer lie flat but are tilted up. Sybel told us that there is an ambulance at the site every day and every day it gets used because someone isn't looking where they are going and takes a spill. We saw one young man near the Celsus Library that had done just that - the EMTs were with him and the ambulance took him away. There are stairs leading down to the courtyard of the Library - most likely he was looking around or taking pictures and took a step - and nothing was there. Luckily none of us lost our footing.
The Ephesus Museum was great as well. A really amazing collection of the sculpture from the site, some of it monumental. We saw the Ephesian Artemis, which I studied in school, so I was happy! And we were allowed to take picture! Again, I'll post those once I get home.
We had a nice lunch at a hotel, stopped by the Church of Saint John, and went back into Kusadasi where we had a carpet demonstration. I loved the carpets - such beautiful colors and patterns. There was a blue and white one that I wanted to see closer so the guys were trying really hard to sell it to me - normally $8000, for me only $4800! I said no, no, no, which got a lot of turkish in response. I'm sure they were laughing at me and calling me not so nice things in Turkish. But who cares? I'm on vacation and I'm not going to spend five grand on a carpet on a whim.
Friday 11/4 - Gythion
We are at anchor off the shore of Gythion Greece. Dad and I aren't going ashore today. We decided to take the day off and rest up today and tomorrow in preparation for Rome. So here I am blogging our trip. I'll likely spend the afternoon reading, then dinner in the Lido since tonight is a formal night. Tomorrow it is charging all our electronics, packing, etc. Then Sunday we dock and spend three days in Rome. I've already taken something like 500 pictures - and they let you take pictures in the Vatican Museum! I expect to have 750-800 pictures to go through when I get back. And that doesn't count Dads!
This is probably my last post until I get home.
