I traveled to the Holy Lands (Israel and the Occupied Territories) and Jordan in late January and early February 2004. My trip was bookmarked by violence by Palestinians against Israelis and vice versa. The more than three-year-old al-Aqsa intifida was in full swing, and a terrible mood hung over historic lands I had wanted to see my entire life. Few people I saw, Israelis or Palestinians, expressed any joy. Virtually no tourists were to be seen in Jerusalem, the site sacred to the world’s three great monotheistic faiths: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. In fact, Israeli authorities had all but blocked all foreign visitors from going to Bethlehem or other areas in the West Bank. All these factors soured my visit. Still, I befriended good people from all sides: Jews, Christians, and Moslems. I also had some magical moments at the Mar Saba Monastery, at the Dead Sea, in the Negev desert, and in Jerusalem, particularly at sunrise and sundown. I only hope peace can come to the region.
On the trip, I crossed by land into the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It remains one of more moderate Arab nations. Led by King Abdullah, the royal house is distinctly Western looking, and the nation is almost entirely Muslim. The crazily-shaped kingdom was created by European imperialist powers, who carved up the old Ottoman Empire in the Middle East after World War I, to serve Western interests. I visited in 2004, entering from Elat, Israel, to al Aqabah, Jordan, by the Red Sea. In February 2004, such land crossings for U.S. citizens were possible. I had very positive interactions with nearly all Jordanians. When I told people I was an American, the universal reply was, “Welcome to Jordan.” I visited the amazing Nabatean ruins of Petra, near Wadi Musa, and the Wadi Rum, a region of rock cliff faces that rise like mighty islands in the desert. The area was the scene of Arab uprising in World War I, involving “Lawrence of Arabia” and Bedouin tribesmen. It ranks as one of the most breathtaking landscapes I have seen on the planet.
Keywords: Israel Photos, Israel Tourism, Israel Pictures, Jerusalem, Old City Jerusalem, Mar Saba, Occupied Territories, Palestine, Bethlehem, Advat, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Wadi Rum, Armenia Patriarch, Golgatha, Tomb of St. Mary, Jordan Photographs, Jordan Pictures