I started this post on the road, but was moving too fast to complete it. I'm home now, where I'm able to string my thoughts together.
~~~~~~~~~~
It has long been my desire to visit to the Holy Land, and thankfully, I was able to do that last week.
I visited Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Jericho.
First stop though - Amman, Jordan.
Amman is a quick three hour flight from Abu Dhabi, and a place I've been to before, a couple of years ago.
Jericho is Amman's closest Israeli neighbor, just inside the border, but each time I've inquired, I was told crossing the border into Israel is tricky at best. I tried when I was here before, but there was push back and hesitation, so I let it go and didn't pursue it.
This time, I was on a mission to get there, and gratefully, crossing the border was without incident, and when we finally reached the checkpoint for checking passports, getting processed through was quick, about fifteen minutes.
Side note - There was concern with making sure that my passport not be stamped going into or coming out of Israel. The UAE, as most other countries in the Middle East, does not recognize Israel as a country. I would not be allowed to re-enter the UAE with an Israeli stamp on my passport.
What was really interesting was the number of checkpoints along the way. There must have been at least a half dozen.
My taxi dropped me off at the the departure area in Amman, just east of the King Hussein Bridge, where tour busses were waiting to take us into Israel. The King Hussein Bridge crosses the Jordan River and connects the West Bank with Jordan.
I arrived early and had to wait a while, but while waiting, I met an American kid also doing what I was doing, taking a day trip to Jerusalem. We became fast friends.
Once on the bus, we rode for about half an hour, stopping at each checkpoint that was guarded by armed soldiers. They were checking passports of passengers in cars, looking in trunks, and checking for explosives under cars.
At all of the checkpoints, the process was the same. There was only one way into the country, so the cars, trucks, buses, etc., were the same at each stop. I'm not sure why there were so many checkpoints. Double, triple, quadruple checking to make sure everything was in order, maybe?
Anyway . . .
We were fortunate in that we were given a cursory look and a quick pass. The large 18-wheel trucks carrying cargo also passed through without incident.
Everything was nondescript and uninviting.
The roads were desolate except for the roadside sheds of the guys checking the traffic.
When we crossed over the King Hussein Bridge, we entered Israel.
The countryside was barren most of the way into Israel, with rolling hills, mountains really, of rugged, tan-colored terrain.
When we arrived at the main checkpoint, it was a bus station really. There were no welcome signs, nothing indicating we had crossed the border, except for Israeli flags flying.
After answering the usual questions (Why were we visiting? Where were we going? How long would we be staying?, etc.) we hired a taxi, now off on our adventure, headed first to Bethlehem, then Jerusalem, and finally Jericho.
Our driver was an Israeli Muslim. His car was registered in Israel, so he was free to drive in both Israel and Palestine. A Palestine driver would have been limited to driving in Palestine only.
Bethlehem and Jericho are in Palestine on the West Bank, while Jerusalem is in Israel. Jerusalem is a walled city.
When towns came into view, they were built in the hills/mountains. The buildings were all white, against the tan earth.
It is a beautiful sight, especially so because it was barren in between cities.
Next stop, Bethlehem.
~~~~~~~~~~
It has long been my desire to visit to the Holy Land, and thankfully, I was able to do that last week.
I visited Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Jericho.
First stop though - Amman, Jordan.
Amman is a quick three hour flight from Abu Dhabi, and a place I've been to before, a couple of years ago.
Jericho is Amman's closest Israeli neighbor, just inside the border, but each time I've inquired, I was told crossing the border into Israel is tricky at best. I tried when I was here before, but there was push back and hesitation, so I let it go and didn't pursue it.
This time, I was on a mission to get there, and gratefully, crossing the border was without incident, and when we finally reached the checkpoint for checking passports, getting processed through was quick, about fifteen minutes.
Side note - There was concern with making sure that my passport not be stamped going into or coming out of Israel. The UAE, as most other countries in the Middle East, does not recognize Israel as a country. I would not be allowed to re-enter the UAE with an Israeli stamp on my passport.
What was really interesting was the number of checkpoints along the way. There must have been at least a half dozen.
My taxi dropped me off at the the departure area in Amman, just east of the King Hussein Bridge, where tour busses were waiting to take us into Israel. The King Hussein Bridge crosses the Jordan River and connects the West Bank with Jordan.
 |
| I'm sitting in the cab at the border, waiting for it to open. This is a view of the area across the street from where I'm going. |
I arrived early and had to wait a while, but while waiting, I met an American kid also doing what I was doing, taking a day trip to Jerusalem. We became fast friends.
 |
| This is where we caught the bus. |
Once on the bus, we rode for about half an hour, stopping at each checkpoint that was guarded by armed soldiers. They were checking passports of passengers in cars, looking in trunks, and checking for explosives under cars.
 |
| The buses that make the trek over and back. |
At all of the checkpoints, the process was the same. There was only one way into the country, so the cars, trucks, buses, etc., were the same at each stop. I'm not sure why there were so many checkpoints. Double, triple, quadruple checking to make sure everything was in order, maybe?
 |
| A view from the bus along the way. |
Anyway . . .
We were fortunate in that we were given a cursory look and a quick pass. The large 18-wheel trucks carrying cargo also passed through without incident.
Everything was nondescript and uninviting.
The roads were desolate except for the roadside sheds of the guys checking the traffic.
When we crossed over the King Hussein Bridge, we entered Israel.
 |
| A picture of the bridge that I found online. |
The countryside was barren most of the way into Israel, with rolling hills, mountains really, of rugged, tan-colored terrain.
When we arrived at the main checkpoint, it was a bus station really. There were no welcome signs, nothing indicating we had crossed the border, except for Israeli flags flying.
 |
| Soldiers guarding the border. Online picture. |
 |
| Soldier guarding the entryway into the checkpoint. Another online picture. |
After answering the usual questions (Why were we visiting? Where were we going? How long would we be staying?, etc.) we hired a taxi, now off on our adventure, headed first to Bethlehem, then Jerusalem, and finally Jericho.
Our driver was an Israeli Muslim. His car was registered in Israel, so he was free to drive in both Israel and Palestine. A Palestine driver would have been limited to driving in Palestine only.
Bethlehem and Jericho are in Palestine on the West Bank, while Jerusalem is in Israel. Jerusalem is a walled city.
When towns came into view, they were built in the hills/mountains. The buildings were all white, against the tan earth.
 |
| Thank God for the folks who can capture what I saw so much better than me. Yes, it's another online picture. |
It is a beautiful sight, especially so because it was barren in between cities.
Next stop, Bethlehem.
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