Emirates Orders More Boeing 777 Aircraft

Dubai-based airline expands its large Triple Seven fleet

Emirates Airlines, the Dubai-based, award-winning international carrier, has ordered 30 777-300ER aircraft to add to its 71 already on the books, of which 53 of this model are currently in service. The Triple Seven a long-range, wide-body airliner is the world's largest twinjet. Quite unsurprisingly, even before this latest $9.1 billion order, Emirates is the world’s largest operator of 777s. Plus, just last month, Emirates ordered 32 Airbus A380 planes.

The airline's strategy is to become a world-leading carrier and to establish Dubai as a central gateway to worldwide air travel. In all, Emirates already 86 777s (three 777-200s, six 777-200ERs, 10 7777-200LRs, 12 777-300s, 53-300ERs and two freighters, numbers that are mainly of interest to airline geeks. It operates the 777-300ER  in a three-class configuration with eight first class suites, 42 business class seats and 310 Economy class seats, plus offers an additional cargo payload of 20.1 tons. Oh yes, it also operates 79 Airbus A380s, 70 Airbus A350s and seven Boeing freighters.

I didn't do the math because I don't do math, but Emirates did and says that its fleet totals (or will total, I'm not sure which) 204 widebody aircraft worth more than $67 billion dollars. In a lousy year for world aviation and the global economy in general, Emirates Airline recently reported its 22nd year of profit, up 416 percent to close at $964 million dollars over its 2008-09 profits of $187 million dollars. I add this only because there has been so much whining among US and international legacy carriers that I find all this quite remarkable.  US gateways are New York, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Travel writer colleagues who flew Emirates not long ago to a meeting in Bangkok via Dubai reported favorably on the experience.

Mummies and Melodrama

"Reality" TV strikes again in creating a dreadful television series

I've been captivated by things Egyptian since I visited Egypt last year as part of a Society American Travel Writers Freelance Council meeting that included an audience with Dr. Zahi Hawass, the media-savvy, imperious and very gifted secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Dr. Hawass is an aggressive advocate for the protection of ancient Egyptian treasures. He has developed an ego the size of the Great Pyramid at Giza and has a high profile, personally escorting VIPs around the sites, personally announcing every significant discovery, whether or not he made it and appearing on numerous legitimate documentaries.

Against this background, I was looking forward to the History Channel's "Chasing Mummies" series that debuted last night. I have never written a television review-type post, but this misguided show merits a two thumbs down.

The plot was that a television crew was following Dr. Hawass and his team, including a comely intern, during the excavation of an early pyramid at Saqqara near Cairo. Comely intern Zoe, who unexpectedly showed up in place of intern Clare/Claire, but her papers were in order, so she was permitted to stay, often getting in the way. But Zoe is cute so she was invited to take her first look inside the pyramid. After a disjointed exploration, Zoe was improbably permitted, by one of Dr. Hawass's team, to stay in the labyrinthian corridors by herself "for five minutes" to take pictures, which she did with her little point-and-shoot while the chamber was brilliantly lit by television cameras.

Zoe's foot got jammed. Someone turned off the lights and locked the gates, and Zoe became reality TV's equivalent of the silent-film heroine tied to the railroad tracks. If this program were to be believed, only Dr. Hawass, who had to be called from Cairo where he was doing a book signing, had the ability to unlock the gate and turn on the lights. It was contrived, lame and added nothing to the body of knowledge about ancient Egypt.

And then, in the second part, Dr. Hawass and his team traveled to "an oasis near Cairo" to demolish villagers' homes that were built over ancient graves that contained mummies. Curious children watched homes being knocked down, and suddenly, the earth was pocked with holes that presumably led to underground burial chambers. An articulated loader, which was referred to as a bulldozer, broke through the surface of the ground, got stuck and then got unstuck.

Speaking of stuck, I stuck it out through the first episode, but I won't waste my time on another. New York Times television critic Neil Genzlinger didn't think any more of the program than I did. In his review, he called it "an annoying new show." The History Channel's website calls this a "documentary series." They sure have a wry sense of humor! In fact, this entire program was a joke.

Palestine: Reflections

Headlines provide signs of hope that Israeli-Palestinian tensions will ease and that peace will prevail

As I was recounting my Palestine/West Bank travel experiences and observations, I made notes to myself about how I wanted to wrap it all up. After all, this wasn't just a sightseeing trip featuring antiquities and sacred places. It was an experience that put me and my traveling companions on the cusp of "future history." Through my membership in the Society of American Travel Writers, I became aware of, but I am embarrassed to admit, not active in a not-for-profit group called the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism.

Originally, I intended wrap up my thoughts and observations unfiltered by politicians' spin and advocates for one side or another. I also was going to include links to IIPTT's site and to peace organizations working specifically in the Middle East and more specifically on the Palestinian-Israeli situation, because I believe that tourism can be a valuable tool for peace -- not just economically in troubled lands but also in allowing visitors to see a place and its people first-hand. This trip certainly was enlightening, even though we did not meet any overtly militant Palestinians or any Israeli Jews at all other than Army guards at checkpoints and security screeners at Tel Aviv Airport.

But today's headline in the New York Times, "U.S. and Israel Shift Attention to Peace Process," reports that "President Obama said Tuesday that he expected direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians to begin 'well before' a moratorium on settlement construction expired at the end of September, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel pledged to take 'concrete steps' in the coming weeks to get the talks moving."

Since I'm trying to restrain myself, perhaps I should not point out that in the past, Netanyahu's "concrete steps" have taken the form of pouring more concrete for more settlements in the Palestinian territory. 'Nuff said. I'd rather express a hope that it might be better this time, and that perhaps neither side will provoke the other into escalating retaliation measures. This eye-opening trip beyond the headlines and the rhetoric pointed out the social injustice of the current situation. I mentioned to some of my traveling companions that I am shocked that Israel, a nation established because millions of its people were the victims of such ruthless genocide, could treat other people so badly. One who is smarter than I pointed out that individual people who been abused often become abusers. The analogy was not lost on me or anyone else within earshot.
So I close this series with a wish that maybe, just maybe, the new talks will amount to something and the peace process will begin again -- and maybe, just maybe, it will be honored by all sides and be longer-lasting than in the past.

Palestine: Day 8, Jerusalem

Winding down at the Temple Mount and old city

Our group started our light Day 8 schedule with a tour of the Temple Mount (Haram ash-Sharif in Arabic), At the bottom is Western Wall (Wailing Wall), the last remnant of the Israelites' Second Temple and a sacred to Jews. Men and women, facing the wall, pray separately, and respectful visitors are welcome. The two key Muslim sites flanking a broad plaza built atop of the former temple, are the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Like so many other Holy Land sites, control of the Temple Mount has over time shifted from religion to religion, jurisdiction to jurisdiction and often at great cost of life and/or treasure. King Solomon built the First Temple there in 967 B.C. The Babylonians destroyed it in 586 B.C. Jews rebuilt it as the Second Temple six decades later, but the Romans under Herod first expanded the site and later destroyed the temple in 70 A.D. Emperor Constantine's mother, Helen, was a 4th-century Christian activist who established the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre. And did I mention earthquakes?

In the 7th century, Muslims conquered Jerusalem and built the al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. Over time, all or parts of the Temple Mount were under Byzantine, Persian, Jewish,  Crusader, Muslim, British Mandate, Israeli, Jewish and Muslim control. The timeline spans centuries. A visit to the compound in September 2000 by Ariel Sharon of Israel's rightwing Likud Party accompanied by  1with ,000 armed guards infuriated Palestinians. who started hurling stones at Israeli riot police, who in turn tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd. Sharon's visit set off a five-year Palestinian uprising often called the Second Infitada. The day after Sharon's provocative visit. On September 29, the Israeli government deployed 2,000 riot police to the complex. The prospect of peace hasn't been very encouraging since then.

Since then, it hasn't seemed to take much to set off a confrontation. Whenever archaeologists dig somewhere, they outrage some group. In the last five years alone, Jewish zealots' proposal to build a synagogue on the Temple Mountain infuriated Muslims, and Muslim proposals to add a fifth minaret ticked off Jews. Arabs protested a plan to rebuild an old earthen ramp leading to the Mugrabi gate. When a posse of right-wing Zionist rabbis entered the Temple Mount, provoking Palestinians and also both religious and secular Israelis who decried that particular provocation.,Also. some critics noted that Jews are not supposed to enter the Temple Mount but confine themselves to the Western Wall until the Messiah comes -- or something.

It was against this background that we visited the Temple Mount, again passing airport-style metal detectors, X-rays and bag inspection stations. Day 7 was a Sunday, the Christian sabbath and a "weekday" for Jews and Muslims. The large plaza was largely empty, save for small groups of Muslims reading the Koran or something under shake trees and some sightseers like us. Neither the Dome of the Rock nor the mosque is open to non-Muslims these days, but I can recall which particular incident caused the closure. In the old city beyond the Temple Mount, Christian churches welcomed worshippers from all over the world, while Jewish and Muslim shopkeepers and vendors in the old city welcomed shoppers, also from all over the world.

I reveled in some unscheduled time, sharing some quiet conversation and coffee with a couple of my traveling companions in a shaded cafe. I wandered through the narrow, shop-lined streets for a while. But I bought nothing. In the end, the endless displays of Christianiana made of olive wood, glitzy yarmulkes, rosaries, pottery, T-shirts with slogans like "Guns and Moses," metalwork, religious and secular costume jewelry, keychains, scarves and shawls were oddly dispiriting. I normally love prowling around marketplaces, but I began preparing for re-entry by spending a quiet, somewhat contemplative afternoon in a day room thoughtfully booked for each of us at the Holy Land Hotel.

Security procedures at Tel Aviv Airport were lengthy, as expected, but not excessive or unpleasant. And then, we boarded our Continental plane for the first of our respective flights home.

Palestine Day 7: Ramallah and Ein Areek

Two more faces of Palestine: the capital and a small town with no major landmarks from antiquity

Much of the West Bank and Ramallah in particular remind me of every developing country I have ever visited: Roads in various states of disrepair. Incomplete buildings that are either under construction or abandoned and crumbling. Graffiti. Weed- and litter-choked empty lots. Wrecked cars. Busy markets with small shops open to the street that exemplify the most basic form of capitalism. No big-box stores here. Call it small-box retail.

Roadside repair businesses. Street vendors. Tailors and cobblers working out of impossibly small shops. Storefront doctors and dentists. In short, providers of goods and services that keep a community functioning, along with schools, houses of worship. There are also sparkling office buildings, banks, government buildings, good hotels, high-rise apartment buildings and prosperous residential neighborhoods, symbols of hope for better times to come.

Ramallah

Ramallah, the capital of the Palestinian territories north of Jerusalem, was often in the headlines during the two Infitadas. Originally an agricultural community and primarily a Christian town, its residents were early adopters of resistance, many joining frequent protests, strikes and demonstrations. It is currently the capital of the Palestinian Territories and, if and when Palestine gains independence, it will be the capital of the country.

We started with a lavish poolside buffet breakfast at the Grand Park Resort and Hotel, a pristine property catering largely to business travelers and those with business at consulates in the Palestinian capital. The hotel was built in 1997 as a two-story building and renovated and expanded with three additional floors last year. A large screen was put up in the pool area for World Cup games.

Also, a new Mövenpick Hotel is under construction. The project began in 1999, remained in limbo between 2003 and 2005, was restarted with an anticipated completion date of 2007 and finally seems on track to open fairly soon. The renovation and expansion of one find property and the projected open of another are positive signs that things are getting better in Ramallah, even if progress is sometimes slow.

To Westerners, the name Yasser Arafat is m most often associated with his early years of Palestine Liberation Organization violence. To Palestinians, he not unlike George Washington to Americans or, in fact, David Ben-Gurion to Israelis -- in short, a leader in the battles for their respective independence and the first head of government once it was achieved (or in Palestine's case, partially achieved). Arafat achieved world recognition as a terrorist and was co-laureate with Israel's Itzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. Peres is still alive and active in government, but Rabin was assassinated by an ultra-Orthodox Jew for his peace-making efforts. A decade later, Israel re-declared Arafat to be terrorist and kept him under house arrest for some two years, releasing him only to die in Paris. His simple mausoleum of Palestine stone and glass remains a pilgrimage place for Palestinians, many of whom are willing to overlook the corruption that the political movement he had started eventually deteriorated into.

The Riwaq Center (Center for Architectural Conservation) is an NGO that seeks to inventory, document, protect, rehabilitate and reuse Palestine's architectural heritage, with the additional benefit of job creation and community involvement. With 50,320 historic buildings in 422 towns and villages, it has already been a Herculean task but one that has already earned it a prestigious UNESCO World Habitat prize in 2006. According to Riwaq's Farahat Mihawee, the immediate priority is to protect 50 of those 422 identified centers and 50 percent of the the historic (i.e., pre-concrete) buildings within them. Sixteen protection plans for cultural heritage protection have been drawn up. Funding is currently available for three out of those 50 priority sites. For visitors interested in antiquities and community, Riwaq's concept of a mapped Cultural Tourism Trail linking traditional villages is in the works with help from a Swedish International Development Agency. 

Ein Areek

We drove to the village or Ein Areek (aka, Ain Arik), where we were welcomed by Father Giovanni Santee of the monastic community of St. Benedict. He has been in the Holy Land (here and in Jordan) for 30 years and is one of three brothers and five sisters who maintain this Catholic church as a "place of prayer and peace." Although they are all original from Italy, as part of their seven hours of daily devotion, they read the Old and New Testaments  pray, say the Rosary and celebrate Mass in Arabic. He says that they maintain good relations with the increasingly Muslim community and also with the local Imam and Orthodox priest. The clerics communicate on social issues, especially education, that affect the community but stay away from each others' theologies. He says there are "no fundamentalists" in the village and that neighbors have "lived together for centuries."

Back to Jerusalem

Even after short time in the gentle tranquility of Ein Areek, it was a shock to return to Jerusalem passing yet another choked checkpoint, aggressive graffiti on the wall, children who should be in school hawking CDs and occasionally throwing rocks, and a tattered United Nations flag flying over a World Food Program warehouse.

This was the last full day of touring the West Bank.

Palestine: Day 6: Wadi Qilt and Jerusalem

Wadi Qilt, a final desert drive and the last checkpoint into Jerusalem

At a Society of American Travel Writers' conference in Israel a quarter of a century ago, Wadi Qlt (or Wadi Qelt) was the first stop out of Jerusalem en route to several days of hiking and camping in the Judean and Negev Deserts. Back then, we drove to spot a spot directly below St. George's Monastery -- it might have been by van or by US Army surplus personnel carriers that made their way through the Israeli Army to an outfitter called Desert Safari that might no longer exist. 

I can't rememver how we reached the inner Wadi Qilt canyon to visit the Monastery of St. George of Koziba, a 5th-century Greek Orthodox structure built against the canyon walls -- much like Jericho's Mt. Temptation Monastery, but it was the first I had ever seen other than in a book or travelogue. Wadi Qilt is also the site of an ancient synagogue dating from the first century B.C. and part of a Maccabean winter palace. I don't recall the synagogue (I'm not even sure whether it had been excavated then), but we visited the monastery and took a short hike along a shaded trail. I was still living back East and was unfamiliar with deserts, deep canyons and oases where there is a source of water, so this was all new climatic territory for me.

Flickr photo

Wadi Qilt

Since then, there has been considerable road damage to the route into the canyon, and it is impassable by bus. The Israeli government, which enthusiastically builds fine highways to its settlements, hasn't repaired the road leading to this landmark monastery on land that is still in Palestinian hands -- and neither has the Palestinian Authority. This time, the bus could reach a pullout with a short trail leading to a Wadi Qlt overlook. A few Bedouins were selling jewelry (lots of camel bone), scarves and miscellaneous souvenirs. Business isn't too good these days. I bought camel-bone earrings and a white scarp, which our guide Wasim (below, bottom image) said that, judging by the label, probably came from Iran.

Jerusalem
As we approached Jerusalem, traffic built up and finally crawled on the apporach to the city. We stopped at an overlook on the Mount of Olives for a view over the Old City of Jerusalem, which from a distance looks peaceful and harmonious. We then walked down a steep paved route. Partway down, we passed  through a tranquil garden to Dominus Flevit, a small, tear-drop-shaped church that represents Jesus' tears as he looked over the Kidron Valley toward the city and wept for the destroyed Second Temple. In the church, a nun was reading for a small group of worshippers, who than sang a gentle Hallelujah!

The lower slopes of the Mount of Olives is covered with shoulder-to-shoulder graves, because in Christian belief that Jesus will return to Jerusalem, and in Jewish belief when the Messiah comes, it will be to Jerusalem and the Kidron Valley. It seems that everyone wants a prime spot for event. While a sister conducted a service at Dominus Flevis, the only people at the nearby Jewish cemetery where black-clad men, praying at graves. There is also a Moslem cemetery on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives.

We continued down to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed following the Last Supper and where Judas betrayed him. Ancient olive trees and lovely flowers make this a tranquil spot. The Church of All Nations stands beside the garden. One can only wish that the reality of Jerusalem mirrored the implication of that church's name, but it is a city full of religious and political contention.

We entered the old city via the Arab Quarter and walked its narrow lanes, following the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, that today encompass the sites of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Writing in hindsight, this section of Arab Quarter is less congested than the Christian Quarter, and there appear to be proportionally more residents and fewer souvenir shops.

The original church that dates back to the fourth century was damaged in the seventh century, destroyed in the 11th century and soon reconstructed. The cavernous basilica was seriously damaged by fire in the early 19th century, though considering the amount of stone, it is difficult to understand how. It is a complicated place -- a church within a church built over other, older churches and small churches and chapels annexed to the main. Every one is presided over by a different denominations, and despite the obvious devotion shown by hordes of pilgrims from the world over, it is a contentious place rather than a place of peace.

  

In truth, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the focal point for unholy tussles among a number of Christian denominations. The Greek Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic churches each control large parts of the complex, and one order of Eastern Rite monks has been living on the roof for centuries. Competing denominations have even come to blows. In 2002, a Coptic monk assigned to a spot on roof to maintain some kind of ancient claim on Ethiopian place moved his chair from its official position into the shade, which the Ethiopians took as an affront. A monastic brawl broke out, and 11 were monks hospitalized.

As recently as 2008, there were two clashes that sank into violence. On Palm Sunday, a brawl erupted  when a Greek monk was kicked out of the building by religious rivals and the police called to control the disturbance were attacked by the brawlers. In November, Armenian and Greek monks fought over something during the Feast of the Holy Cross. If Jesus did return, I believe he'd send them all to bed without supper.

The Jews don't behave any better toward one another. On June 17, two days before our group's depature for this trip, literally thousands of Israeli police were deployed in Jerusalem in an ugly dispute about court-ordered "integration" of the Beit Yaakov girls’ school in a West Bank settlement. Ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi (Jews of European origin) parents defied the ruling forcing them to send their daughters to school with ultra-orthodox Sephardic girls (Middle East origin). The day we were traveling to Israel/Palestine, what was reported as hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews battled riot police, again in Jerusalem, to protest against the city's decision to open a municipal parking lot on the Jewish Sabbath, which they view as desecration of the day.

Discord aside, of course, there was food in Jerusalem. We enjoyed another abundant lunch buffet at the Golden Walls Hotel in East Jerusalem and a talk by Father Attala Hannah aarchbishop of the of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, and after checking in to the Ritz Hotel, walked over to the Jerusalem Hotel Garden Restaurant for dinner to the sounds traditional, though over-amplified, Middle Eastern music. It was our last night in the Holy Land, and thoughout the trip, I felt personally safe, even walking through the dimly lit streets of East Jersusalem to and from dinner. centuries of contention, conflict and violence continue to this day.

Palestine: Day 5, Part 2: Jericho and the Dead Sea

Jericho and the Dead Sea: Palestine's hot pocket

When it comes to records, an area of desert and water where the jurisdictions of the Palestinian Authority, Israel and Jordan meet, can lay claim to two impressive records. The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on earth, and Jericho claims to be the oldest city on the planet.

Jericho

Before this day, I had never heard of the Umayyad people, let alone of Caliph Hisham bin AbdulMalek, whose empire stretched from the Pyrenees to India some 14 centuries ago. His palace (actually, a hunting lodge) just north of Jericho was destroyed, not by a marching army like Jericho's city walls, but by an earthquake. Today, extensive palace ruins contain pillars, walls, mosaics and the stone frame of one lovely reassembled intricatedly carved hexagonal window that is said to have inspired rose windows in French cathedrals. A small museum holds artifacts unearthed at the site.

Jericho Resort Village, where we had lunch, is a luxury property by any standard -- at least judging from the immaculate lobby with.polished stone and gleaming woodwork. Simon Awad of the Environmental Education Centre gave a presentation about threats to wildlife in Palestine, where he said that 537 bird species, 110 mammals and 2,953 plant species have been recorded -- not really surprising  since it lies at the junction of Africa, Asia and Europe. It is a migration corridor for some 500 birds and habitat to indigenous species and winter visitors. Habitat is continually threatened by dwindling water flow in the Jordan River Valley and Israel's practice of burning bushes that provide food and protection for the birds in the name of security.

It is therefore not surprising that environmental awareness is not a Palestinian priority. EEC is seeking to correct that with awareness-raising among Palestinians, youth education, community activities and hopefully  a growth in eco-tourism. Symbolic of the political problems that impact the environment is that when Israel sought to designate the Palestine sunbird (Cinnyris osea) as its national bird, it had to be pointed out that it was already the official bird of Palestine.Both have issued stamps depicting this lovely little bird. It seems that Israel wants everything that would be Palestine's: as much of its land as it can pepper with settlements, control of its water, control of the Palestinian people to move about their land -- and now, their national bird.

Lunch was served in a large swimming-pool-view dining room, where a formal white-draped U-shaped table had been set up as if for a wedding party. The salads, as the regular array of dips, spreads and cold vegetables are called, were followed by two imposing pilafs, one with eggplant and one with cauliflower plus chicken or lamb.

In the afternoon, we toured the excavations of ancient Jericho (aka, Tell es-Sultan, below) located in a spring-fed oasis in the desert. Archeologists have found remains of 23 civilizations and date the original settlement to about 9,000 B.C., and the modern city has decided to celebrate its 10,000th anniversary this October -- specifically on 10/10/10. Plans are vague at best, but such calender symmetry won't come along for another century. Successive civilizations have inhabited this low-lying oasis 1,200 feet below sea level. Common references include the Biblical reference to its habitation by ancient Israelites after wandering around the desert for 40 years, Marc Antony gifting it to Cleopatra and modern Israel's capture of the city from Jordan during the Six-Day War of 1967. To the archeologically unschooled eye, the ruins don't tell much of a story, so the many interpretive signs are useful. I just wish I'd had time to read more of them -- despite the heat.

We went for a dip in the Dead Sea, stopping en route to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the winter of 1946-47 by two Bedouins. I can't tell you the name of the facility that we used for our dip into the saltiest, lowest-elevation lake on earth, but it included a shaded lawn, changing rooms, indoor and outdoor showers, snack bar and wooden pier leading out to the warm salty, mineral-laden water. It's a kick to just float in this remarkable sea, but I was mindful of the terrible degradation it has suffered.

With less Jordan River water to replenish it, the sea has shrunk. The water level has reportedly been dropping three feet  per year and also shrinking in surface area, causing sinkholes to appear along its banks. Mining and extractive uses, ssewage and effluent from fish farms further degrade the lake. While Dead Sea water and mud have therapeutic effects, there's nothing healthy about the crud now allowed to flow into it. Since it is located between Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian controlled land, there seem to be no immediate prospects for mitigating the environmental problems.
For dinner, we rode six-passenger gondola cars (here called a cable car) from a bottom station next to the old Jericho archaeological site to a stony shelf high on Mt. Temptation, where Jesus is said to have fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and been tempted by the Devil. We didn't fast but feasted on the terrace of a multi-level restaurant, cafe and row of small shops set into caves in the cliff. And did I mention the outstanding views of the valley below? A monastery also occupies the shelf, but it was not open when we arrived. We watched the sunset and the full or nearly-full moon rise.

 We overnighted at the InterContinental Jericho, the best hotel of the entire trip -- including the InterContinental Bethlehem where we stayed at the beginning. Stunning woodwork, attractive public spaces and really nice guest rooms made this a traveler's oasis in a geographic oasis. Oh, to have a half-day of down-time there!

Next stop: Jerusalem.

Palestine: Day 5, Part 1: Galilee, Jordan River Valley and Jericho

From the lush Galilee to the parched Negev Desert

After the blinding light and barenness of the desert, Galilee green soothes the eyes and lifts the spirit. Much of the water that drains out of the south end of the lake and used to replendish the Jordan River's flow is now diverted for irrigation, causing the Dead Sea's level to drop.

Sea of Galilee
Galilee is the name of a huge lake and lush agricultural area in northern Israel and Palestine. It and the Jordan River Valley are the two nation's breadbaskets. Olive trees grow in dry, rocky soil, but just about everything else needs water and therefore grows in the Galilee. Christian pilgrims head for the Church of Beatitudes, an octagonal church set amid beautifully landscaped grounds on the north end of the lake. This enchanting locale was were Jesus is said to have given the Sermon on the Mount, Nearby, in the fishing village of Cana, he performed the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes.

The Jordan River Valley and Jericho

Continuing south and paralleling the river, we passed into territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The farms looked ever rougher and less sophisticated. Eventually we entered the desert (below) and later drove up and over a sandy hill and here was the oasis where Jericho is located. It lays claim to being the oldest city on earth. It intends to celebrate its 10,000th anniversary on 10/10/2010, a clever date. No plans are in place yet, however, so it might come off --- and maybe not. Jericho is the lowest city in elevation on the planet. We experienced searing desert heat at 1,200 feet below sea level on a sunny day in almost-July.

As always, stay tuned for more.

Palestine: Day 4, Part 2: Nazareth

Nazareth remains one of the world's major Christian pilgrimage centers, plus it's got a disco

As the site of Christ's birth and, equally important, a Palestinian town in Israel rather than in the Occupied Territories, Nazareth is set up for day-tripping tourists from Jerusalem, including the Nativity Village I wrote about previously.

Nazareth

As is so often the case in the Holy Land, Nazareth boasts a number of sites built and maintained by various denominations celebrating the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to Mary telling her that she would give birth to a very special child. Nazareth is also the city of Jesus' early years. Our group had time to visit only two -- and in the context of this land of old stones and ancient buildings, both are quite new.

The Basilica of the Annunciation, an enormous two-level Roman Catholic church on the site where Mary's home is believed to have been located. Consecrated in 1969, it is a contemporary structure with a large lower level built where many people can mill about. Small groups can reserve a sunken chapel-size area to hold their own services (below, top photo), and there is also an opening in the floor to reveal a beautiful mosaic floor from a fifth-century Byzantine church, one of several at that location. The nave of the upstairs church (middle photo) features depictions of the Madonna and Child that were given by Roman Catholics in countries from around the world -- each in the style of the country (bottom image, Japan). Outside, ruins of a Crusader church are also visible.

St. Gabriel's Church is an alternative site where the Angel Gabriel told her that she was pregnant with the Son of God. Work on this opulent Greek Orthodox church began, was stopped for decades, restarted and completed in the late 20th century. Visitors can sip water hand-drawn from a 125-foot deep well in a grotto under the church or buy items in the tiny gift shop.

My guidebooks indicate that Nazareth, the largest Palestinian town within Israel, is lively and has a great old market. But we were on a tight schedule, so we never saw it, but we did pass several other denominations' churches in the town where Joseph had his workshop and where Jesus grew up.

Another opulent dinner -- this time with whole St. Peter's fish from the Sea of Galilee as the entree -- was at La Fontana de Maria Restaurant, a large, attractive eatery. When we left, we heard blaring music from a disco down the street that demonstrates that not everything in the Holy Land is ancient or restrained.

Then, up up the mountain to the St. Gabriel Hotel, once a convent or monastery, with small, simple and dim guest rooms (below). The foot of the bed and the desk are so close that I had to lift the chair over the bed in order to work at the desk -- and I had to climb over the bed to sit on the chair. Who says travel writers always are accommodated in shameless luxury?