Dear Journal,
June 28
We got a little off track yesterday. We were supposed to arrive in Israel earlier in the day, but there was a holiday in Egypt, and the border crossing was closed until after sunset. So, we stopped at a very nice resort on the Red Sea.
Believe it or not, the Red Sea is not red. It’s clear and beautiful, and the water is warm. We had a buffet lunch and just hung out on the grounds until it was time to leave. They also had a pool, but no one had their bathing suits easily accessible, so we waded in the sea and that was it. Later in the day, the true business people started getting antsy, so we requested access to the bus so we could grab laptops and plug in at the lobby to be productive.
It was well into the evening before we got through customs and found our way onto the bus on the Israel side of the border. When we got to the hotel, we were a bunch of weary travelers, not really excited yet that we made it to Israel.
The breakfast buffet at the Ramada was just what we needed to put us in the right mood to venture out. We were on our way to see some religious sites. Time would not allow me to tell you about all the different sites. What shocked me was that Israel is quite desert-like, at least the old city where we stayed and traveled.
I was also surprised that so many of the sites had been overlaid by some orthodox church. The only way to see the “original” site was to go downstairs or peer into a darkened hole. What happened was that the church wanted to protect the location and built a structure on top of it to commemorate the spot. The tour guides provided brilliant information about each location. It was definitely crowded, with people from many ethnicities lining up to view the sites. Many took pictures in front of the buildings or next to the openings.
I particularly enjoyed going to Elisha’s Springs (2 Kings 2:19-22). It was a small area where people sat and took their shoes off to step into the fountain. The simplicity and serenity of the place were refreshing.
2 Kings 2:19-22 (NIV) describes a miracle performed by the prophet Elisha:
19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”
20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’”
22 And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
After this, we headed back to the hotel. It was a long day of walking, and tomorrow brings the excitement of the International Leadership Summit. I can’t wait to see what insights and experiences lie ahead.
This is part 4 of an 8 part series.
#RedSeaViews #JourneyToIsrael #UnexpectedAdventures #MiddleEastTravel #BiblicalSites #TravelChallenges #ExploringIsrael #CulturalDiscovery #SpiritualJourney #FaithInTravel #TravelJournal
