Still with me. Good. A visit to the Dead Sea meant it was imperative to ‘swim’ in it. Not as gungy as I thought it would be; I just laid in the water. My main concern was walking on the stones; my feet aren’t made for stones.
Having seen where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found at Qumran we then visited the Israel Museum and saw the actual scrolls. Fascinating and brilliant museum.
Bethlehem was our next stop. Oh dear, I didn’t like it at all. The Church of the Nativity was very ornate (though I had expected that) and the supposed place of birth was marked with a star where people were kneeling and kissing it. I didn’t feel any sense of wonder (though fortunately my friends did) ( I think I need to concentrate on what actually did take place, Jesus was indeed born for me and you)
A 15 ft high concrete wall is being built around the city to cope with the sucidal bombers (and this is working) Unfortunately, it is also affecting the economy of the place, especially for those living in Bethlehem and working in Jerusalem. The check points can be impenitratable barriers.
Stay with me for more.
Carol, the by now quite tired traveller.