PUSH into the Westbank - the jordan valley

Trip Start Nov 13, 2006
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Trip End Oct 21, 2008


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Flag of Israel  ,
Wednesday, November 21, 2007

A long haired Israeli soldier with an M16 boarded the bus. He walked up and down saying something in Ivrit that I couldnt understand. A second soldier boarded and a few minutes later everyone was getting off the bus. Considering the purpose of our trip this was a real shame. As we got off everyone started lighting up cigarrettes and phoning their friends. ..they knew the drill. 10 minutes later we were back on board and on our way - the passes had been approved. Security is a way of life in Israel and people just get on with it.

We headed north up the Jordan river towards the sea of Galilee. Out of nowhere oasises of green would spring up. Beautiful patches filled with bananna, avocado, and palm trees. flocks of birds on their migratory paths from Europe to Africa. this was the land of milk and honey ..well modern irrigation. and the water was coming from the Jordan river sunset in the desert
sunset in the desert
 . And with Jordanians, Palestinians, and Israelis all in need of water it is now not much more than a sewage canal, rather than the great river described in the bible.

Our first stop was Gesher, where we could see bridges built by the Turks and Romans. Further north and overlooking the sea of Galilee was castle Belvoir; On stategic high ground it had been occupied and laid seige to over the years by soldiers from all 3 of the monotheistic faiths. This was the point of this tour. To find places of interest where all 3 peoples had a history. Heading south we stopped at Nebi Masa - a shrine to Moses (who is recognised as a prophet to muslims as well as jews and christians).

As the sun set, it produced a magnificent array of colours against the sand dunes. we dropped some Palestinians off at the gates to Jericho and looking at city in distance I got a biblical sense of the history all around us ..well except for the big modern looking hotel jutting out.
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