The Garden Tomb close to the Damascus Gate

 It was Monday - and we decided to take it easy all morning...so I did the wash - how nice to be able to use the appliances here in the house!  Very nice indeed!  It would be another hot day...so the wash was dry in just a short time!  Then around 2:30 - we headed out of the house...and decided today we would go to the Garden Tomb just outside the Old City wall at the Damascus Gate.  There was a market out on the sidewalk ~

 I love to see all the fresh fruits, veggies and fresh breads for sale!  I want to buy it all!  It looks so good! 

 ....And it smells so good too...my weakness....BREAD! 

 Oh gosh look how colorful....a candy store....with lots of different kinds of candies!  How hard for the kids to pass by! 

Oh yes it is Ramadan...too...that must also be hard for the people...to have to sell...and yet not to eat...till after 6 pm.

 We walked along the Damascus Gate to find the Garden Tomb sign???

 Ah...Look Nico...there it is....!

We turned a corner and took this alley into the Garden area.

Garden Tomb Read up on the Garden Tomb

 He is Risen....

.....He is Risen Indeed!

 May I introduce to you Riki....!

As I walked through the Garden area...I asked a question about What number of the tour I was on...(I had received a earphone)...and as I listened to this person talking - I thought to myself..."I recognize that accent!" and yes you guessed it....A Dutchie! 

Riki has been in Israel since 1978 - can you believe it?  Wow ...and she met "Martin" from Germany there!  Fell in love, married  & are serving here together!  And they have been living here ever since!  It was so nice to talk to Riki and I could of talked for a much longer time..."there was certainly a connection- yes in the Spirit!"   A very cute Dutch girl...here in Jerusalem! 

 Riki & Martin made a CD together and I can't wait to listen to it...I am sure it will be lovely & such a blessing! 

Of course she speaks fluent Hebrew ~  Wow pretty neat huh?!!!!

 

Nick & I were ready for some dinner...we go out for one meal a day.  A nice Greek salad with some really nice Wheat bread with a garlic dip....hmmmm....good!  

 It was Monday - and busy...and this was a really nice place to eat ~ Rincon.

 The restaurant overlooked the newer section of Jerusalem below. 

We are trying to fatten up Nick...he orders a ice coffee and received a coffee milkshake instead...but  NICK LIKES!  Good go for it Nico...gotta get that weight back on you! 

It was a short day today...just late afternoon...and early evening...now time to go back to the house!
We are still a bit tired....yes we are out and about everyday since we left Indonesia...and lots of fun mind you - but still..all is walking and riding trams and more walking!  The "gypsies"
are traveling-gypsies again....after 10 months of staying put in the same place.  Now we are seeing and experiencing new places and people again!  Nick & Ellen Likes! 

Today We Visited the Holocaust Museum - Yad Vashem Martyrs' & Heroes' Rememberance Memorial ~

 We knew it would be a hard place to go see...and yet we both felt we needed to!  The museum was on the other side of Jerusalem...and so it gave us a good over view of the City!

 We traveled over a uniquely built bridge.

 Then we came to an area that had pines everywhere...nice!  The smell was so  familiar!

Ah it smelled so good...certainly brought us back in mind...to Oregon!

The Museum was located on Mt Herzl...where there is a cemetery of the people involved in making Israel a State.  Here rests the Leaders of Zionist who worked together to make Israel what it is today....a Jewish State.  We did not enter into the cemetery but walked to the museum. 

 It was a beautiful building and memorial of the suffering that the Jews experienced!  It was shocking to see & hear what we did today!  We were not allowed to take pictures inside.  We rented a earphone and walked through the rooms and displays.

Oh Lord 6 Million people died...how shocking to read & see it...today!  The suffering...families being torn apart from one another!  Well first of all...can you imagine living in your house, working in your own town...and having soldiers line you up outside and herd you into a truck...train - like animals for days on end...squeezed into those trains...with no food, no toilets, no heat in the middle of winter...mothers, fathers, children, the elderly?  Then to be brought to horrible places to live...2-5 years...fathers torn away from their wives...children torn away from their mothers...oh it was a shocking reality what we saw today!

We MUST always  remember...we must not forget...that these things happened and that "mankind" can so easily be swayed into a certain direction....it happens...it happended...all over the world....oh we must be ever so careful! I think we all should visit a place like this...see names...see faces...see that this can happen ~ seeing the faces just like you & I ..people living their lives, wanting a better life for their children, living and earning a living...and then suddenly!  

I was brought up with stories from both my mother (born in Holland- who watched her neighbors being pulled out of their house & taken away in a truck) and my father...who lived in Indonesia, and invaded and taken into hard labor~ We all need to be aware...and pray for the nations - pray for respect for one another...show respect for one another... KNOW THAT WE ARE CREATED EQUAL - WE ARE CREATED IN GOD'S IMAGE...OH MAY WE NEVER FORGET....



We headed by tram rail to the Old City again...this time entering through the Damascus Gate!

 There was a lot of activity going on...there was a Sunday market  going on...many stands selling fruits & vegetables..and goods!

 Oh my this is the LARGEST CAULIFLOWER
... I have ever set my eyes on....BIG! 

 The fruits were delicious looking!

 We walked through the alley ways heading this time towards the Jaffa Gate entrance that we had entered into on the  first day!  Nick & I wanted to go to the Tower of David...but it was already closed at this time of the day. 

 We decided to have a bite to eat...and went to the very first place we had gone before...and had a great Greek salad...and some chicken skewers with grilled veggies!  Nice!  We enjoyed some fresh humus with hot pita bread....hmmmm good!  We had built up an appetite and realized it was close to dinner time anyway!



It gets dark later here in Israel...around 8 - 8:30 pm...we walked around a bit and found an area that we had not seen before...so we will have to return to that in the next few days! 

 So much history here in Jerusalem! Outside of the Old City is a much larger Jerusalem...but I think we are both drawn to seeing the old sights~

This young girl was playing the harp so peacefully up on a ledge - at the Jaffa Gate entrance!

What a sweet sight..she looks like an angel serenading us...Yes Peace ...Peace for Israel and Peace for Jerusalem and yes Peace for all Nations & mankind...may it be so!

2nd Day in Jerusalem / Masada & The Dead Sea

Catherina was covering Vadim while he was trying to fix a wire ~ Cute!

 On our 2nd Day we met the other guests who rented the 2nd bedroom...Vadim & Catherina from Ukraine ~ They came to Israel on a 4 day trip but both work in Czech Republic.   Vadim & Catherina invited us to join them and go see Masada and also the Dead Sea.

 "Oh that is so nice of you but you must spend time together on your 4 day vacation?"  They insisted it would be fine & to please join them!

Well we sure wanted to see both these places - so that was very very nice!

 Vadim had rented a little car...the cutest thing...it was a Peugeot - a France little thing!  AND it had 4 doors too - would you believe it?!!!!

 Well off we went going to the border of the Dead Sea and then south to Masada first!

 They were well prepared and off we went!  Catherina was the co-pilot and Vadim drove comfortably ~

 The back seat drivers enjoyed the day! 

 And what do we see along the way...at the gas station????

 We think the camel's might of been there so that people could take pictures or who knows maybe even take a ride?

 Here's a close-up of my friend...ohhhhh he said! 

                  
Got something to eat?

He had a itch....and was scratching his neck on the palm tree...ouch!

 He was ready for the ride...but we weren't....ha!

 These bushes grow well in Israel...beautiful isn't it?!!!!  So' vibrant!

 A place to get gas, get a snack, ride a camel, or drink a nice COLD drink!  Then off we go again - into the dessert! 

The Dead Sea is vast...and the border of Jordan and Israel is divide right down the middle of the Dead Sea.

 It is so dry out there....what a difference from Indonesia! 

Just look at these scenes!

 Along the Dead Sea there was groves & groves of Palm Trees ...water must be brought in to water them.     We came to Masada!

Masada ~ Read up on it! Click here!

 It was quite a beautiful place...a large parking area, a Educational Center, A Youth Hostel, and the cable - gondola (Swiss Made) was quite impressive!

We first had a 7 minute video on the screen...giving us an idea of what had happened here!

 The video was interesting and gave us a good over all idea of what we would be seeing & what happened when the Romans fought the resistor's and take over this area ~ 




There was a Hollywood movie made about it ...now that we have been here - we need watch it some day!

 We walked to the cable/gondola area~

 Are we going .....WAY UP THERE?????

 Vadim & Catherina are a very cute couple.  They have lived in Czech already for 7 years working in the ITech business. But both were born in Ukraine.  Vadim in Kiev (Kueb) and Catherina is from Sevastopol.  (Paul & Luba... I wanted to share this with you...this is your home country as well!)

Cute couple....!

 We were quite high...although the IDF soldiers reminded me that the Dead Sea is below sea level and so we are up high it seems from down below...but in actuality not so!

 Ca you imagine the people having had to climb up this way?  The narrow path was called The Snake Path....you can imagine why!!!

To escape persecution for their faith, to fight to save yourself from going back into slavery....the Jewish people are survivors! 

 It was hotter then HOT up here!  At least 45C+ or more!

 More groups coming continually...so many languages spoken...Masada was quite a place to visit...







...we were thankful to tag along with Vadim & Catherina! 

 Down we go again...back to the car!

There are IDF soldiers are everywhere protecting, guarding & keeping an eye out for things...so sad that there is always a continuous concern in Israel...

*************

Then we headed to the beach area to experience the Dead Sea "float" - Vadim said he was going in! 

 We had to walk a bit down the slope ~

 There was people rinsing off the residual of the salt - remember the sea is DEAD! No life in it - but loads of salt...and it WAS!

Do you read what I read???  Just had to take a picture of that....44C!  

HOT!

Nick & I would certainly get our feet wet! 







Ha!  Ouch Ouch...all rocks and very slippery!

Look at that salt build-up!!!

 Do you see the chain - covered in it!

 Vadim got in...hard to walk on the rocks...and ever so slippery with the slim...but he did it!  Catherina looks on...only one needs to go in right Catherina????  Yeah!  

You pull on a chain and the shower runs to rinse you off~

Vadim too rinsed himself off ...and then we headed back to the car.

Yes...I say "Amen" to that!  Peace - how we all need that!  
We had a really enjoyable day with our new friends!  It was sweet of them to invite us along!  

They head back to Czech Republic on Monday morning...catching their flight out of Tel aviv...
 .....and we were invited to come visit them there! How sweet is that?!

Thank you Vadim & Catherina - it was a pleasure to meet you here at Aliza's B&B...and share a few days with you! God Bless you!