Day 5
Kibbutz
Next morning we crossed the Sea of Galilee by boat. People on the boat were reading from the Bible and praying all the way across. We got off at a kibbutz and had to go through a gift shop first. Prices are very high. Walked through the kibbutz. They are now large towns with their own stores, schools, hospitals, etc. They also own huge farmlands with hundreds of greenhouses and are now one of the largest flower exporters in the world. Everyone works on the kibbutz for very low wages and all the profits go into the co-op. If anyone leaves they don’t get anything back.
Baptism
Caught the bus and drove to the river Jordan where Jacki had arranged for Karen to be baptized. She was very religious so it was important to her to be baptized at the same place that Jesus had been. She paid a priest $100.00 American and rented a child’s white robe to wear over her bathing suit. The priest walked with her into the river and said a prayer over her and then dunked her in the river. We all chipped in and gave her a card and a lovely religious book of biblical painting and she was thrilled.
Kibbutz
Next morning we crossed the Sea of Galilee by boat. People on the boat were reading from the Bible and praying all the way across. We got off at a kibbutz and had to go through a gift shop first. Prices are very high. Walked through the kibbutz. They are now large towns with their own stores, schools, hospitals, etc. They also own huge farmlands with hundreds of greenhouses and are now one of the largest flower exporters in the world. Everyone works on the kibbutz for very low wages and all the profits go into the co-op. If anyone leaves they don’t get anything back.
Baptism
Caught the bus and drove to the river Jordan where Jacki had arranged for Karen to be baptized. She was very religious so it was important to her to be baptized at the same place that Jesus had been. She paid a priest $100.00 American and rented a child’s white robe to wear over her bathing suit. The priest walked with her into the river and said a prayer over her and then dunked her in the river. We all chipped in and gave her a card and a lovely religious book of biblical painting and she was thrilled.
Golan Heights
We then drove to the Golan Heights where most of the trouble spots were. There were two rows of electric fences and bunkers all along the borders of Syria and Jordan. Signs everywhere saying “danger buried mines.” Those lands aren’t farmed but are sometimes used to graze cattle and they take the chance of losing some of them. The counties are so beautiful and it looks so peaceful until you see all the checkpoints with armed soldiers. In Israel all men have to serve in the military for three years and the women too.
Went back to Tiberius for the night. Six of us walked down to open-air cafes along the Sea of Galilee. Fun as we were the only customers as it was a rainy night and off-season so we had people at three large Arabian cafés trying to get our business. First one offered a bottle of free wine, the second 10% discount and guaranteed the freshest fish and third café offered two free bottles of wine. We decide to take the middle offer as wine was expensive, so figured either the food or wine would have to suffer if we chose the other two. The waiter brought out four whole fish and explained each one. Very enjoyable evening as we had a great dinner while watching the lit up restaurant boats go by playing dance music.
No comments:
Post a Comment