Herodian....I heard about this place many moons ago and wanted to go, and so when I realized that one could drive there, and not have to worry about finding a tour guide, I jumped at the chance.
Not much is left above ground except for some huge walls and towers, but the intricate tunnels and cisterns are quite cool. Literally cool, when it is 90+F outside!!
Herodian is right near Bethlehem, where I have become quite famous amongst my friends as someone to knows the ins and outs of Rachel's Crossing (the border into that portion of the West Bank).
So of course we had to go there too, leaving our rental car behind, as it is not allowed in Bethlehem.
The border crossing is like a weird, dream-like version of a prison Disneyland ride:
You buy your "ticket" from a person in a small stand (really, just checking your passport), then zig zag your way in, out, and through, until you reach a long walkway out to a grove of trees and a parking lot, where a dozen taxis wait for the moment to convince you that you REALLLLLLY need them to take you around, and that they have this cousin who is a good tour guide, and no it would be a pleasure to ask him to take you to the Church of the Nativity, for free, as a friend, but oh, you've already been there, well then how about we visit the Mar Saba Monastery instead...?
Ok, NOW we're talking!! Somewhere I haven't BEEN yet!
So like any good 'Turr-istas' we went for it!!
Here is the Kidron River Valley. It runs through Jerusalem too, between the Old City and the Mt of Olives. Way out here, even though there is still a river, there is not much else.
The Monastery hides behind some old walls, and looks out onto the canyon. Dozens of caves dot the cliffs on the other side.
Shade is at a premium here!
Whew! An austere location, but also beautiful in its ruggedness. I think I prefer the idea of joining a nunnery in Germany.
No comments:
Post a Comment