Sonya visiting

Sonya and Don arrived Sunday, December 7^th. Don is one of the big wigs at Sandvine, and he frequently travels to Israel to coordinate things with Sandvine Israel. Sonya, his wife, has never been here, but has been bugging Don for a while to bring her along on one of his trips over. Sonya and I know each other socially from various Sandvine related events and are part of a smaller group of Sandvine wives that sometimes hang out together and see each other at weddings/baby showers etc. For Sonya, me moving here meant she would have someone to hang out with while Don spent long days in meeting at Sandvine. For me, Sonya visiting meant that I would have an official excuse to temporarily suspend further apartment cleaning efforts and explore more of Jerusalem, in the company of a friend no less! Furthermore, Sonya trusted me to plan most of the week out for us, such that I got to research and organize what we would do and see… Basically, I became her pseudo tour guide!

So on Monday, December 8^th, I dropped Gerrit off at Sandvine, picked Sonya up and with the GPS, schedule and guide in hand, Sonya and I set out on our adventure in our trusted little car. First order of business was to retrace the route Gerrit and I had previously discovered from Mount Scopus to the Mount of Olives. Unfortunately, there was a haze in the rift valley, and Sonya and I did not see the spectacular view towards the Dead Sea and Jordan from Mount Scopus. However, the Mount of Olives did not disappoint, and Sonya got her first overview of the city of Jerusalem. We also had our first of several attempted pick ups/come ons occur here. You see, Sonya exudes a sexy confidence and the local men found her quite irresistible. Two guys in their 30s approached us, asking if we’d like to go for coffee, or dinner… even after we said we were both married, they were not deterred… and somehow the conversation, whether through language barrier or their intentional doing, even veered off towards the topic of sex. For the most part they were polite, and before things got too far, we even posed with one of them while the other took our picture (see photo), but when they persisted, we just ended up saying goodbye and going on our way. Next, we descended down the Mount of Olives along the narrow and steep road that kept Gerrit and I in suspense a week earlier. I tried to play innocent, and scare Sonya a little, but I fear I’m not the best actress. At the bottom of the Mount of Olives, we visited an underground chapel that is the supposed Tomb of the Virgin Mary, and also the cave of Gethsemane, the traditional site of Jesus’ betrayal.

After the Mount of Olives, we finished the day off exploring the Old City, in particular we visited the Christian Quarter and the Holy Sepulchre, and took the time to line up for a visit inside Christ’s tomb, something I hadn’t yet done. It was small, cramped (Sonya bumped her head on the way, and received a “holy bump” in the process) and basically consisted of a stone slab upon which stood various icons, candles and a vase of flowers… a little disappointing on the whole. There was however a very beautiful beam of sunlight coming across one of the cupolas, the Catholikon Dome (see picture) and Sonya, who has a great eye for detail, was fascinated by the tiny Cruisader era crosses carved into the walls of St Helena’s chapel by pilgrims in the 10-11^th centuries (see photo). The souks (or market stalls) of the Old City were unfortunately ¾ closed, as the owners were off celebrating the muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha (this is the "Festival of Sacrifice", celebrated by Muslims to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God; this is essentially the same story as that of Abraham and his son Isaac as related by the Old Testament, only the muslimized version of it). At one of the vendors that was opened, Sonya did however find some beautiful opal earrings to compliment a bracelet Don had previously brought her here.

On Tuesday, we visited the Mahane Yehuda Market, an amazing food market with literally over a kilometer of vendor stalls lining two major avenues and all the small inter-connecting alleyways. Here we had the world’s freshest donuts for breakfast, with the jam still warm and oozy inside them (see photo of the next batch in the frier). We also explored the various famous hotels in West Jerusalem: the Citadel Hotel, modern, great view of Jaffa gate and the real Citadel (an ancient fortress in the walls of the Old City next to Jaffa gate)… great clean bathrooms; the King David Hotel, famous for all the dignitaries and politicians that have stayed there over time and are remember in the main corridor with signed tiles (Bush jr and senior, both Clintons, Jackie O, Gregory Peck, Elizabeth II etc)… wanting to soak up a little of the posh atmosphere for ourselves, we had lunch here, a delicious smoky eggplant soup followed by blintzes and latkes with loads of sour cream (a culinary salute to Yiddish cuisine).; and finally the YMCA, in a art deco building with a very atmospheric Arabian nights lobby. We decided to make the most of the remaining daylight and walk along the Old City walls in the afternoon. As we did so, the sky became increasingly ominous and dark, and soon we found ourselves in a full out rain shower (see picture of the Dome of the Rock in the distance, seen through the rain, from the walls of the city). We ended up having the back track a ways, as the exit at the gate where the rain caught us was closed! Soaked, we returned to our respective showers/bathtubs for a nice warm soak before going out to dinner with the boys (and Hussein, another visiting Sandviner from Canada – see photo).

Wednesday was museum day. First, we visited the Israel Museum. This is the premier cultural museum in Jerusalem, with exhibits about history, archeology and art. Unfortunately, the main museum is closed till 2010 for a major renovation. We did however see the model of Jerusalem in the era of the Second Temple (aka around the time of Jesus Christ and King Herod – see photo). We also took a shuttle bus and visited the Rockefeller archeological museum in East Jerusalem, which house all the archeological artifacts found in Israel before 1948 (see photo of the inner courtyard and tower of the museum). And finally, back at the Israel Museum, we took in the Shrine of the Book (see photo of white building with water streaming onto it... this is part of the Shrine of the Book), the special exhibit built in the sixties to house the Dead Sea scrolls as well as the Aleppo Codex (an ancient Hebrew bible). In the evening, Sonya and I watched a light and sound show projected onto the walls of the Citadel of the Old City recounting the history of the city of Jerusalem… from the first and second temple eras to the Roman, Arab, Crusader and Ottoman eras. It was very well done, and was thoroughly enjoyable, our only regret was that our husbands were not able to make it (this was supposed to be one of the things they were supposed to be able to join us for, as it was later in the evening… but some meeting kept them away).

Thursday, we again immersed ourselves into the history of the city of Jerusalem, with a visit to the City of David museum. This is in effect an archeological dig and visitors’ centre in one, located in East Jerusalem below the temple mount (aka where the Dome of the Rock now stands, and the location of the 1^st and 2^nd Jewish Temples). It is an area that is currently outside of the Old City walls, but was in fact where the original city of Jerusalem once stood, in the time of the Jewish Kings David and Solomon. I had booked us on a guided tour, and our tour guide, a young Israeli woman, told us about the history of the area and archeological ruins we were looking at with such passion and in such an interesting way, she really made the rocks and ancient ruins come alive. Both myself, and especially Sonya, who recently confessed a budding interest in archeology, thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Afterwards, we again visited the Old City, concentrating on the Jewish and Armenian Quarters this time. We saw the Western Wall (see photo), and a piece of the old Cardo (the main street of Jerusalem in Byzantine times). We had lunch at a small Armenia café, and were served delicious Armenian flat bread with finely minced lamb and spices. Sonya also purchased an antique coin made into a pendant, from 68 AD (aka the second year of the Jewish revolt against the Romans, just a couple years before the destruction of the Second Temple). Next, we wandered out of Zion Gate, and explored the sites on Mount Zion (the Cruisader era hall that is on the site of the Last Supper, a tomb that’s been ascribed to King David, and the Church of Dormition, where the Virgin Mary is said to have gone into eternal sleep – see photo of mosaic in the church). At the end of the day, Sonya and Don headed to Tel Aviv to spend the weekend there (think sun, beach and beach promenade).

Upon her return on Sunday morning, we again headed out to the Old City, to see it back up and running as the Eid muslim holiday was over. We were able to walk around the Temple Mount and take in the Dome of the Rock, but on a much cloudier day than I had previously experienced it. I think the Dome shows itself off the best in the gleaming sunshine, but it was nevertheless beautiful and is worth seeing in any kind of weather! Afterwards, we decided to wander some of the busy shopping streets in the Muslim Quarter. Sonya was looking for a present for her two sisters, and besides, the Muslim Quarter is a feast for the sense when it’s fully alive! After a typical middle eastern lunch of shewarma, we happened upon a store with sexy boots and shoes (see photo). Sonya knew she was in the right place… after some trying on of boots, some negotiating and a detour to the bank machine for extra cash, we made off with 3 pairs of sexy shiny boots for the Latchman sister!! We also ventured onto the roof of the Austrian Hospice (a sort of hostel for pilgrims to the Holy Land) located on the Via Dolorosa (a road through the Old City towards the Holy Sepulchre which comprises the stations of the cross) and enjoyed yet another stunning view of the Old City roof tops and neighbourhoods. That evening, Gerrit and I joined Don and Sonya as well as Stefan (another ex-pat Canadian Sandviner living in Jerusalem) and family for dinner with Larry, the head of Sandvine Israel. We had a very enjoyable meal of local cuisine (kebabs, grilled meats, humus, Israeli chopped salad etc)… and I received a very flattering compliment from Larry, who was impressed by my tour guide abilities and pleased that we were immersing ourselves in the local culture, history and taking it all in.

For Monday, Sonya’s last day in Jerusalem, we had saved some of the best for last: we again commandeered the mini bread box car and went for a day trip to the Dead Sea! This was my first trip there (and Sonya’s too of course), but Gerrit had already seen it on a previous business trip to Israel. As we zoomed down the highway from Jerusalem towards the bottom of the Jordan rift valley (remember we had about 1200m to descend, to some 400m below sea level, the lowest place on earth), we were taken with the beautiful barren landscape of rocky cliffs and sand. It was the first time in a true desert for both of us, and we were amazed by just how dry and austere it, yet stunningly beautiful it was! The only people we saw along the way where some Bedouin nomads who seem to live in small clusters in lean-to camps along the road. Their camels and goats were out grazing, but on goodness knows what, all we could see was sand, there was no obvious vegetation anywhere!

Once we made it to the bottom of the valley, the road took us along the western shore of the Dead Sea (aka the Israeli side of it… the Eastern shore is in Jordan). Although we were fortunate that the weather had improved since the previous day and it was nice and sunny, there was a haze, or perhaps some smog over the Dead Sea and the Jordan hills beyond. This just added to the mystique of the place… the blue to turquoise waters, the sandy cliffs, the barren landscape… As the made our way along the lake shore (the Dead Sea is actually a large salty lake fed by the Jordan River, rather than a real sea), we first passed an area called Qumran. This is where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered by a Bedouin Sheppard boy in a cave, high up on the cliffs over looking the sea. Next, we passed several palm plantations… perhaps these were oases, or perhaps they were irrigated from stored water, I’m not sure. Nor do I know what the palms are for (dates? wood? other?)… but it gives me something to investigate next Dead Sea trip. At some point, the surrounding cliffs which had been a ways back from the road and shore crowded onto the sea such that our little road had to wind its way up and down part of them. In places where the road hit a low spot, there was signage warning of potential flooding across the road. This struck me as rather bizarre… flooding in the middle of the desert? But I quickly remember Gerrit relaying this fact to me after his visit here: when it rains up in Jerusalem, the run off waters rush down the mountains towards the Dead Sea, such that a couple days after rain in Jerusalem, the roads here can become suddenly flooded! After about 25km or so of travel along the sea, we came across the large oasis of Ein Gedi, up on a plateau over looking the Dead Sea. It is centered around a number of natural springs, and currently includes a small kibbutz resort, a desert Botanical garden and the Ein Gedi Nature reserve, a sort of national nature and wildlife park. The resort has also built a spa facility down by the actual sea for guests to enjoy… we were due here in the afternoon for some R&R, but for now, kept heading along the road.

Another 18km or so brought us to Masada, an ancient fortress and palace built in the 1^st or 2^nd centuries BC, perched on a plateau some 440m above the Dead Sea. From the visitor centre at the foot of the hills, we took a cable car up to the fortress and explored the various ruins and archeological digs. We were impressed by the size, sophistication and opulence of the complex: it included several palaces, a large set of storerooms for food and weapons, a synagogue, a bathhouse with hot and cold plunge pools and a steam room, a complex series of cisterns for water collection and storage, and even an outdoor swimming pool! Also impressive were the views of the Dead Sea from this mountain perch (see photo), and the remains on the Roman camps surrounding the fortress, dating back to 70-73AD when the fortress was under a Roman siege (you can see one of these camps on the left side of the photo from the cable car). To Sonya’s delight, we even came across a local archeologist who we immediately both dubbed Indy, since his hat, khakis and strong quiet demeanour were very reminiscent of a certain Harrison Ford character. By early afternoon, it was time to make our way back to the Ein Gedi spa. Here, we took full advantage of what they had to offer: we started off by riding their shuttle down to the Dead Sea itself (the Dead Sea is shrinking at an alarming rate due to drought and overuse of the Jordan River and its shores have receded some 500m in the last 20 years, so that the spa is no longer right on the sea, hence the need for a shuttle). I will never again forget sandals or flip flips when visiting there in the future, the “beach” was one large expanse of crystallized prickly salt! The water was a little on the refreshing side, but by no means cold. We both got in and were soon happily floating along. Due to the 26% contents of salt, a human being floats without effort in the waters of the Dead Sea! It was really cool… too bad we left the cameras back in our spa lockers. Next, we rode the shuttle back up to a large vat of the Dead Sea mud. We got ourselves covered in mud and proceeded to try and take sexy mud photos with Sonya’s cell phone, the only camera we had with us… Finally, after a rinse under sulfur spring shower to get the mud off, and a rinse in fresh water to get all the salt off, we ended our stay with a relaxing Sweddish massage (see picture of us in our bathrobes – very mellow and relaxed after the whole experience). By 5pm when we were done at the spa, it was getting quite dark outside, so we hopped back in the car for the hour and a half drive up hill to Jerusalem. Our poor little bread box had to work hard, but we made it in the end… By 6:30pm we were at Sandvine Israel, where our week of adventures came to a close! We said our goodbyes, and Sonya promised to visit again, perhaps with her sister… What a fun time =)