Our second day (Monday) we had a tour in the South part of the country. Our first stop was in the Judaean desert. We saw Jericho from a far and I spent the rest of my day with the children's song about this city stuck in my head. We also saw the mountain where Jesus was tempted by Satan. This was followed by a quick visit to the site where Jesus was baptized.
Once we were done with these historical sites it was time for a longer walk. In Ein Gedi (where David hid from King Saul) we were able to hike, and roam around for a short while. There were gorgeous views of the Dead Sea.
The next views came in Masada, where King Herod built his castle. This is also the famous site where the Jews rebelled against the Romans. Of course their rebellion consisted of killing themselves, but it is still an important historical site.
After looking at far too many rocks it was time to head to the Dead Sea to float and rub ourselves in mud. This was an excellent way to relax at the end of the day, but was not complete without having a beer at the lowest geographical point on earth.
On the way back we were told their were some protests going on in the city so the roads were all closed. The only way to get back was to walk through the crowds, which consisted of a certain sect of Jews who are paid by the government to study religion. However this is not enough for them. They also want to be given the right to skip the mandatory service in the army. It was a little unnerving as we walked through the crowds of chanting men.
Tuesday was our tour around Jerusalem and Bethlehem. I won't say much about it because mostly it was just a lot of crowds. We started out viewing over the whole city in order to see all the famous places such as the Tower of Ascension, the place where Jesus wept, the place where he was crucified, and the place where he rose again. Our guide also pointed out the interesting points of the current religious and political situation.
We then progressed through Jerusalem to the church that was built on top of where Jesus was crucified. I touched the stone he was washed on. I was also shoved up a set of stairs by a crowd to see both the catholic and orthodox alters that were build for him. Next we walked along the Via Delroso stopping at the stations of the cross, before we reached the Wailing Wall. The things that interested me the most was that along the way, in the Christian quarter of the city I saw several stalls selling plastic guns, which was totally appalling to me. I wrote my prayer on a slip of paper and placed it within the wall.
After a quick lunch we got back on the bus to head to Bethlehem. The best part of the whole day was passing the West Wall and looking at all the graffiti along it. Once in Bethlehem we had to switch guides and drivers and I was lucky enough to be placed in the front seat right next to the driver, which allowed me a better view. Bethlehem isn't even worth discussing. 3 hours line to see the place Jesus was born *eyeroll* so we skipped it and headed instead to the churches that were built next to it.
The other very impressive thing about Bethlehem is how insanely attractive the men are. I caught myself sending flirtatious smiles in countless directions, especially to those who were in uniform. While leaving Palestine I was asked by our tour guide "Hey America! Want to take a Palestinian guard home with you? He's looking for a wife." It was a good thing I couldn't see him.
We stopped after the boarder and I ran into a shop to get some snacks for the ride to Tel Aviv.
