Day 2 of our Grand Overland adventure, started bright and early. Our hotel was very nice and we enjoyed a traditional Israeli buffet. We weren’t sure what some of the food was, but it was good.

We had spent Day 1, exploring Jerusalem and Bethlehem and were now headed east toward the Judean desert. We entered the Palestine Authority for a second time.

The Judean Desert is very dry, receiving less than 2 inches of water per year. It gave us a whole new perspective on the New Testament, where it says, “Shepherds abiding in the fields”. There really were no fields, just small water holes. Shepherds led and still do lead a very difficult life. The closer we got to the Dead Sea, the drier it looked.

Our first destination for the day was the Dead Sea. There is a small resort at Kalia Beach. The resort is near the town of Jericho, famous for the walls tumbling down after ram horns were blown. (Cindy learned that song when she was younger)

The Dead Sea surface is currently 1413 feet below sea level. The water level is dropping due to the diverting of the Jordan River upstream.

At the suggestion of our aunt, who had been here before, we brought old swimming suits and an old towel. When we were done, due to the minerals, salts, and oils in the water, we threw everything away.

You do not swim in the Dead Sea, you float. We felt like fishing bobbers…lol

We tried not to splash, as the water tastes terrible. Even with that small inconvenience, we had an awesome time. There was lots of laughter and squeals of excitement from our group.

There is a nice beach area. It is a clay like mud, so abit slippery, but there were chairs to sit in. We only used the chairs for our towel and shoes. We were having too much fun in the water.

Both the salts and the mud from the sea are very good for your skin. The resort had a store that sells Dead Sea beauty products.

Our time at the Dead Sea was so much fun and we could have stayed all day, but there was so much yet to see. We quickly got dressed and we were back in the van. AS we drove north, we saw the agriculture in the area. The diversion of the water Jordan River has been bad for the Dead Sea, but good for farming in the Judean desert, mostly dates. Israel grows cotton but uses recycled water.

The actual spot on the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, is polluted by farm run-off particularly fertilizer. (And we just swam in the water from the run-off, no wonder it tasted bad). In the past it has also been the site of military conflicts, so up-stream on the Jordan River, an area called Yardenit, has been developed to allow visitors a Jordan River experience.

On the walls surrounding Yardenit, is the biblical passage about Jesus baptism. The Bible passage has been translated into most of the world’s languages.

We know a children’s song from church about Jesus’ baptism, so we stepped away from our group and quietly sang the song. It was a truly profound moment, that enhanced our Jordan River experience.

At Yardenit, the river is crystal clear much like it would have been when Jesus was baptized. It was pretty cool to walk in the Jordan River. The area also has many Eucalyptus trees, that were planted by the British, to eliminate swamp smell.

Small fish were swimming around our feet, which was a surprise to Cindy when they nibbled her toes.

The area around Yardenit is surrounded by date trees. They are yellow clumps found at the top of the tree.

After leaving Yardenit, we travelled on the western edge of the Sea of Galilee. This is a fresh water lake that sits approximately 700 feet below sea level. The main fish of the lake is the Tilapia Galilea. It is also known as Saint Peter’s Fish and was most likely what the apostles Peter, Andrew, James, and John fished for.

The Sea of Galilee is also where Jesus calmed the waters during a storm and also walked on the water.

We stopped for lunch and started with a traditional Israeli salad of greens and cilantro, corn, and pickled carrots. We were supposed to have Saint Peter’s Fish, but Carson luck….they ran out and we had to settle for chicken. We were served dried dates for dessert.

After lunch, we continued north…Jacob stopped to show us the Thorn Jujube tree, which is believed to be what Jesus’ crown of thorns was made from. This was a younger tree but the thorns were still sharp. We can’t imagine what the thorns look like on a mature tree. Due to it’s place in Christian history, the tree is also known as Ziziphus spina-christi.

Our final stop was in Nazareth. On the way from the Sea of Galilee, we drove through Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle turning water into wine.

In Nazareth, we went to the Church of Annunciation. The church is built on the site of the house, where the Virgin Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel. She was told that she would conceive and bear the son of God.

The original church was built in 570 AD. Numerous churches stood on this site, until the present basilica was built and dedicated by the Catholic Church in 1969.

The outside doors, tell the story of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus

The church is constructed with two levels. The upper level being for church services and the lower level dedicated to Mary.

The house that the Virgin Mary was believed to be in, at the time of the angel Gabriel’s visit.

A closer look of the house

The interior of the church is built over the remnants of the Virgin Mary’s neighborhood.

On the second floor of the church, is where the Catholic church services take place. There are murals from around the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is a beautiful basilica.

The dome in the center of the church was beautiful. It was very peaceful and patrons were very reverent.

Next to the Church of the Annunciation is the Church of St. Joseph.

The present day church was completed in 1914. The first known church at this site was in 670 AD. The church is dedicated to Joseph for his loving devotion to Mary and Jesus.

Under the church is the original church foundation, where people now throw money as an offering.

As we drove back to the port we snapped a few pictures of the cars. (Not the greatest pictures as the van was moving). There are no vehicles manufactured in Israel. Most are imported from factories in Europe. The license plates are different colors indicating whether it is is Israeli or Palestinian.

It had been two wonderful days in Israel, learning about the country, the conflicts, and seeing the Christian and Jewish sites. With the sun setting and time for the tour to end, it was sad to say good-bye to Mohammed our driver. He had taken good care of us. He is the father of 9 and lives in Nazareth. Jacob, our tour guide, is a high school geography teacher and is married with two children. He said he does the tours during school vacations, to pay for his children’s violin lessons. That sounds like a parent…lol We loved his knowledge and insight.

We were one of the last excursion to board the ship in Haifa. Jacob had squeezed in every possible moment he could and it had been a great experience.

Jim wanted a picture from the Port of Haifa…it was the best we could do. Even with all the ancient history, Haifa has only been a port for a short time and is part of a very modern and vibrant city.

We would sleep well…onto our next port in Cyprus.