Today (Sunday) was another long day. We checked out of the hotel in Haifa after breakfast and headed to the bus. The first stop was only 10 minutes away… the Baha’i Gardens. We saw it from the bus when we arrived on Friday. It was beautiful with all the lights, but it’s actually prettier in the daylight. This time we saw it from above.
After the panoramic view, we drove to the middle terrace where you could actually go into the Shrine. We didn’t go as shoes had to come off and Peter just didn’t want to mess with it. We waited in the garden, which was beautiful.
After we were finished at the Shrine, we headed to the Trappist Monastery of Latrun. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you why. Because it was Sunday, the church was closed as the monks are in prayer all day. We sat in a garden that wasn’t that pretty while Tzachi told us about the monks. It was interesting but we could have heard that while on the bus. Peter said the reason we went was because it was on the list. I think he’s right.
The next stop was also a little underwhelming, a field where David may have killed Goliath. Historians know that the incident occurred somewhere in the vicinity, but no one is exactly sure where. We picked up a souvenir stone and got back on the bus.
After a stop for lunch, we got to the main attraction of the day, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The church is the oldest church in the Holy Land (built in 4th century) as it’s never been destroyed by war, unlike other churches in the region.
The grotto in the basement of the church holds special significance in Christianity as all scholars agree that it the birthplace of Christ. It’s a very simple church on the outside but, from the little I saw, quite ornate on the inside.
This photo shows you the only part of the church we saw, other than the actual grotto. Everyplace we have visited in the Holy Land has been crazy crowded, but this was insanity. There were literally, thousands of people waiting in line to see to the grotto. Luckily, Peter and I were taken to a spot near the exit of the grotto to wait for our group to get to move through the line. He sat in his wheelchair, and I sat on a stone wall. That’s when I snuck in the exit door to get the picture.
While we were waiting, I went out to the courtyard to get a few pics. The statue is of St. Hieronymus, a 4th century theologian known for translating the bible from the original Hebrew to several other languages.
After waiting a little over 2 hours, the guard finally came to get us for our visit to the grotto. There were about 10 stone stairs into the grotto that were very scary for Peter. There was nothing for him to hold on to and the stairs were uneven and steep. With the guard’s help we were able to get him into the grotto where we were told to sit on the stone bench and wait about another 20 minutes for our group.
Inside the grotto was organized chaos. People had waited hours to get in and the guards were rushing them through in about 60 seconds. Here’s a short video that shows what it was like.
The actual birthplace of Jesus is what looks like a hole in the floor (it wasn’t, it was actually a 2–3-inch indentation in the floor) in the center of the star.
There was another small section of the grotto that held the manger. It was so dark, that it was really difficult to actually see anything.
On the way back to the bus I asked a woman in the group if she thought the grotto visit was worth the miserable 2-hour wait in line. She said she would have waited all day. I’ve very glad we saw it but I’m even more glad that we were comfortable during the wait.
Our last stop of the day (by this time it was night), was a store that specializes in products made of olive tree wood. They have lots of other things as well including silver and gold carvings and jewelry, but their main focus are the wood products. Peter stayed on the bus while I did a little shopping. I picked up a few things but didn’t do too much damage to the wallet.
It took about 20 minutes to get back across the border out of the West Bank, but once we did, we were only about 15 minutes away from the hotel. We have a large room with a walk-in shower. Tzachi called them this morning to tell them of our special needs and they kindly accommodated us. Of course, the shower doors only open a little way as they are blocked by the toilet and the toilet paper holder, but at least it’s not a tub.
Now it’s almost midnight (internet connection is terrible and it took FOREVER to upload the 27 second video) and I’m exhausted. So, it’s good night from Jerusalem.
I loved the photos of the gorgeous gardens, which would be something that I would want to see. The rest of your story…………….I would not have waited two hours in any line! Glad you saw it all, but sounds exhausting!
The days are really very long and tiring. While I’ve never done a multi-day guided tour, I’ve done quite a few all-day tours, and they tend to over schedule the day. I’m not sure if they want you to think you’re getting your money’s worth or what, but it is tiring.