A day of customs,immigration and security check formalities. We packed our bags and checked out of Hotel Belle Vue in Amman and boarded the bus for the 2hr long drive to Israel. First we passed through the busy streets of Amman and then reached the empth outskirts. Then it was a downhill drive with a lot of bends. Either side of the road was dry valleys and olive trees here & there.
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| Towards the border of Amman |
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| Sheik Hussein bridge |
Once we reached the plains, there was vegetation. Saw greenhouses and a lot of tomatoes. After 120 mins, we reached Jordan border. We had to get off the bus, take our bags and go into a room. the bags went through a scaner and then we could take them and get out and board the bus. The bus drove down a few meters and reached another building. We filled out our Jordan exit forms and stood in queue. An eye scan was done and some people had to give a digital fingerprint too. Got our exit papers signed and boarded our bus. We then crossed into Israel via the Sheik Hussein bridge-a small one.
More immigration and checking formalities. We were 'welcomed'by Israeli women who can scare men and women equally with their voice and looks. Smart, able men and women officials ordered to send our bags through the scanner.Most of us were forced to open our bags for inspection. It was interesting to note that atleast 30% of the people were stopping over in the Gulf to meet their children or relatives on the way back. So they had big bags full of rice flour and masalas and it was quite an effort explaining to the airport officials. After 4 solid hours, at the Israeli immigration, we got our paper visas and crossed into the country and boarded the buses waiting for us.
We were in Bus no.2 and were welcomed by our driver Obrahim and guide Hakeem-both Arab Christians. We drove down the highways of Israel into Nazareth. We were treated with greenery all around after the brown wastelands of Jordan. on either side of the road were huge pockets of lovely yellow mustard flowers-growing in the wild. They grew like weeds but they were a marvellous treat to the eyes. There were different unique methods of farming of other vegetation crops. We drovethrough Tiberias valley which is the most fertile plain in Israel.
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| Mustard along the wayside |
A lot of history is required to make your knowledge of the trip complete. For starters, the Byzantine period was from 326-638 AD and the Crusaders ruled from 1099 onwards. The period in between was ruled by the Muslims.
We stopped for lunch in Nazareth at a restaurant name El Majana Nazareth is a hilly area with an Arabic settlement. Modern part of Nazareth,called Nazareth Illit is an European settlement with a good majority of new comers. Lunch was salads and Kubus and the likes. I enjoyed it probably cause I was very hungry. But the best part of it all was the really sweet oranges we got at the end of the meal.
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| Nazareth orange |
We barely had an hour left and 2 churches to visit in the locality. We first hurried to the Orthodox church of the Annunciation. This is where Mary was supposed to have been when Gabriel first appeared to her. She was near a spring and ran from their to her house which is now the Basilica of Annunciation. The later is a few streets away. The spring that she was drawing water from is still supposed to be flowing.
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| The Orthodox church of Annunciation |
We then walked to the basilica. This is supposed to be the house of Mary and that is where the 'Good News'was revealed to her. It is a really lovely church built on 2 floors.
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| The Basilica of Annunciation |
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| top of the Basillica of Annunciation |
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| Outside St.Joseph church |
Next to this church is the workshop of Joseph which is now St.Joseph's church. It is a smaller one but with the remains of the older one and of the workshop. We were literally driven out of these churches cause it was way past their closing time.
We then headed straight to Cana.Since the church there had closed, we shopped (esp for wine) and checked into hotel King Solomon in Tiberias. A beautiful town situated on the banks of the Sea of Galilee/Lake Tiberias. This town is quieter than Nazareth. We stayed on the 7th floor. Our room had a balcony that overlooked the lake.
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