travel | Belinda Botzong

Gone to Carolina

James Taylor once sang…

In my mind I’m gone to Carolina
Can’t you see the sunshine?
Can’t you just feel the moonshine?
Ain’t it just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind?
Yes, I’m gone to Carolina in my mind

Now some of this post is going to seem a bit repetitious… deja vu almost.

I returned to North Carolina for a second time in a month. Since class doesn’t start until Tuesday, I got my flight for Saturday and planned a few days at the beach this time. I figure I have seen my relatives west of Raleigh, so now I’ll take a little extended vacation and see the Atlantic Ocean!

I tried to get an airbnb reserved a couple weeks ago but was turned down because Hurricane Dorian was bearing down and the host didn’t feel it was a good idea in case there was damage. So I waited until he passed on by and made a reservation at a little beach bungalow on Carolina Beach.

I flew into Raleigh-Durham and got my rental car, racing the setting sun on the two plus hour drive south and east. It’s so different here – no hills to climb, no curvy roads… just a nice straight shot to the beach.

The sunset beat me but I arrived in good time and got to my little place a block from the path to the ocean. I immediately headed down to greet the waves and hear the breath of heaven blow over my weary, hot and sticky face. I love, and I mean love, the ocean.

I have only seen the Atlantic once before when I did training in Florida and made a one day trip from Orlando to Cocoa Beach then to Clearwater/Tampa Bay! It seems much wilder than the Pacific somehow.

Since it was getting late I headed out to dinner – seafood of course! I love that my rental car is a 2020 model in 2019 and has all the features of being able to guide me wherever I want to go. It also has some crazy features like constantly correcting if you get too close to the line, beeping if someone is in your blind spot, and telling you to take a break by putting a little symbol of a coffee cup and a suggestion to pull over and get some rest! Nanny Car…

I sat next to an aquarium and the most beautiful shrimp was swimming around in there trying to make me feel bad for eating his family… but eat them I did and boy were they good!

I set my alarm for 6:30 a.m. for a 6:47 sunrise. I hopped out of bed and threw on a jacket … which I immediately regretted as it never got below 75 in the night! And the humidity never got below 90 percent I think… what’s the use in messing with your hair or makeup here?

What a glorious sunrise it was – slowly you could fee the sun peel off the layers of the night, lift its face above the horizon one slow inch at a time, and roll the waves closer and closer to the edge of the earth. It was beautiful as the waves pulled back leaving a palette for the sun’s reflection to paint itself upon. The ripples and crashes and foam all working to form a portrait of morning.

Suddenly I remembered that a lady I worked with 15-20 years ago in Tucson lives in North Carolina on a beach somewhere. I know the coast line is long so not much chance of finding her, but you know me if you’ve read any of these posts before… I’m going to look her up on google!

When I got back to my room I typed in her name and I almost fainted when I saw that not only is she listed in Carolina Beach, NC… but her address is listed on the very same street I’m staying! Oh my gosh I was amazed! I debated… it’s 9 a.m. and I’m heading out to breakfast on a Sunday morning. I remember that she is an early bird, but what if she is going to church or isn’t an early bird anymore since she retired?

Well, again, if you read my last post you’ll not be surprised to hear that I decided to knock on her door on my way to coffee, thinking maybe she would want to join me! I pulled into her parking area behind the car that was there – good sign, I thought! Now to find the place – it is kind of a funny building with many condos right on the canal, which was very lovely. I rang the bell. Again. I knocked. I waited. At this point you might expect me to just open the door and go in, right? Well, not this time! I started looking for a pen and paper. I had nothing in my tote bag, went to the car and looked but could find nothing to leave her a note. I sat there thinking what to do next. I decided to google her again and see if there was a phone number. It was a Tucson area code so not sure if that’s old, but what the heck – I can’t just leave and say, oh, well!

I dialed the number and she answered hesitantly, seeing an unknown number and it being Sunday morning expecting a solicitor. “Bonnie? It’s Belinda Botzong… do you remember me?”

It turns out Bonnie moved from the Seashore inland a few years ago. I told her I was heading to breakfast in Wilmington. She immediately suggested meeting me there and spending the afternoon with me! She just had to get ready and would drive the hour to meet up. I was so touched that she just dropped her plan or lack of a plan for the day and took time to drive over 70 miles to see me.

I stopped for coffee and breakfast sandwich at the nicest little cafe with these really sweet ladies. One thing I appreciate about the south is the accents and the sweetness of the people. I think even if they weren’t sweet, the accent makes them sound nice anyway! But these two were truly sweet and so happy I came in. They asked if I was visiting (I have no accent, so I assume that’s a dead giveaway). I told them I was meeting my friend and how it came to be and they loved it. So I also told them about my last adventure with Sheila and Junior… see prior post!

I drove into Wilmington and walked around a bit taking photos of the ancient buildings, bricks, cobblestones, etc.

There was an art fair going on, which is what made me go there in the first place, so while I waited for Bonnie I did a little art shopping therapy. I bought a ceramic light switch cover for my bathroom. It has a sand dollar painted on it, which is my favorite. I asked the artist if there are sand dollars in North Carolina – she says she doesn’t know but that she rarely goes to the beach and prefers the mountains! I told her she is definitely misplaced – there isn’t even a hill for many many miles let alone a mountain! She agreed 🙂 I then bought from a lady who makes pull chains for ceiling fans, decorating them with ceramic pieces with sea life on them. She, too, prefers mountains apparently and thinks living in the Seattle area would be much more suited to her tastes.

Bonnie and I met up in a tea and spice shop. Reunion! The tea ladies loved that. I bought several teas for my daughter and Bonnie bought over half a pound of Decaf Earl Grey, which is not always easy to find. We walked around and saw a horse and buggy ride so we got on board for that!

While we waited for the horses, Prince and Jeff, to rest up for the journey, we started catching up on our lives. We worked together from 1999-2004. We rode the bus to the University of Arizona almost every day together during several of those years. We have both been through so many life events since we last saw one another. We did stay in touch for a few years after I left Tucson, but as it goes with much of life, we had not kept in touch over the past ten years.

Time for our journey. The carriage driver told the history of Prince and Jeff, work horses from Amish farmers. They are two of many rescued horses the owner has taken in over the years. When the horses can not work on the farms, they get sold at auction. Rather than letting them go to get butchered, he rescues them and trains them for carriage rides. They are truly magnificent animals.

The carriage ride was awesome. We went through the historic neighborhood and saw so many beautiful old homes and buildings. To think of the times of the Civil War and post-war, the plantations and Southern Belles dressed in their finest.. and to really imagine life before air conditioning!

We headed to lunch at a pizza place where I had a spinach salad and we reminisced about our time in Tucson working for the University of Arizona together, about our lives since then, families, loss, grief, and love. All the things that have transpired in the past 20 years.

We parted ways after lunch with hugs and promises to keep in touch. What an absolute blessing to get to meet up with her spontaneously, to have her give up her Sunday afternoon without a plan, and to know that there is someone who would do that for me besides my own mom. She would have loved this whole adventure I’m on and it makes me miss her, not being able to tell her about it.

After we parted ways I went around the town again taking more photos of bricks and cobbles and buildings. I saw a huge church steeple in the distance and drove to it and saw more mansions. I went to an art store and bought earrings and then drove randomly around a huge lake before setting the GPS to take me back to the beach.

I stopped at a local grocery store for fruit, coffee, and cream. Isn’t it always interesting to just see people out in their normal life while you are out traveling? Maybe I’m the only one who thinks that’s interesting? I then drove all the way down Pleasure Island from Wilmington Beach, Kure Beach and into Fort Fisher. I was tempted to stop at the aquarium but it’s just so hot and muggy I prefer being in the car with air conditioning!

After coming back to take a nap I headed out for dinner at Big Daddy’s where I was sold on the burnt ends/brisket as an appetizer, then they threw in a huge basket of hush puppies before bringing my actual dinner of flounder and chips. There were shark bites on the menu! My husband would love the logo for Big Daddy – so retro and cute. I was stuffed and wasted a lot of food before I headed over to the pier at Kure Beach.

Standing high above the waves on that pier was an adventure. I didn’t get out too far before I decided people should not tempt nature. This man made structure has been beat up by who knows how many hurricanes and all these people are on it walking far out over the surf. You can feel it rumble and shake as the waves crash high and mighty. In the darkness of the evening it is truly ominous, beautiful, dangerous, and powerful.

It has been a blessed day. Thank you, Bonnie Seashore, for making time for me today. Thank you, Lord, for the majesty of your voice in the waves and winds. Thank you family for supporting me in all my adventures.

Past Present Future – North Carolina

Backroad travel into North Carolina with historical sites – churches, cemeteries, visiting relatives, and seeing the sites

Wow, it’s been a long time since I posted here! So today I will catch up by starting with the present, take a visit to the past, and plans for the future.

I flew into Raleigh Durham Airport yesterday for my very first time in North Carolina. Well, I have deep roots here as my biological father was from here and I have lots of distant family from both my mom and dad’s side, along with the bio family. That’s all just a happenstance, though. I am actually here for work, thus the future.

I chose to arrive a few days before my training begins so I could explore and meet up with some people I haven’t seen since I was about 8 years old. My first night was spent in Cary. I was tired after a long day flying cross country so I limited my exploration to the hotel and spent time working on my other website, reading, and relaxing.

This morning I took off for a three hour meandering drive toward the central-west part of North Carolina. It looks surprisingly as green as Washington and I had actually arrived during a very big rainstorm yesterday. That was a welcome surprise since I expected my time here to be unbearably hot and humid, thus miserable in that sense, but I’ve been blessed with cloudy weather in the 70’s.

I set out on my drive telling the Mapquest app to avoid freeways and tollways. I like to explore and I had every expectation that I would see lots of churches and part of me really, really wanted to attend a “black church” service because I think the spirit moves those congregations in a very special way. By the time I got on the road and started seeing anything remotely like that, church was over. I actually expected to see mostly Baptist churches, and I did see several. I LOVE the names – Mt. Zion, Mt. of Olives, etc. All a nod to one of my favorite places on earth, Jerusalem.

I came to a community of absolutely giant houses – mansions – all built very recently. The architecture was amazing!

The first town I stopped in was a little cute place called Pittsboro. I actually stopped not for the church, but because there was the coolest antique store with an entire yard full of things made of metal.

Chickens, turtles, big foot… you name it. Well, of course it was closed being Sunday in the south, but I got out and took photos and walked around the little main street.

In an alleyway I found a beautiful mosaic on a wall- mirrored and tiled into a flower garden and birds; right up my alley, literally! There was a Presbyterian church getting underway but I passed it by and looked in all the shop windows. Nothing would open until after 12 so I got back in the car and kept heading west.

There are swamp lands, kind of a little reminder of Louisiana, and the cicada are so loud it is kind of overwhelming. I stopped at the next church I saw which had a few people standing outside. It was a cute white chapel and a gentleman was nice enough to invite me inside for photos of what he said was a Quaker church, built in 1907. I asked if he was the pastor. He said they don’t have pastors in Quaker churches. People gather and share “whatever the spirit moves them to share”. There is no set agenda. He says sometimes it is just silent and people share in the presence. “It cuts out the middle man; having a pastor can make people lazy,” he said. I agreed. It sounded like a good way to be held accountable for knowing what the Bible actually says and relying on God’s Holy Spirit to guide you to understanding. While leaders are not necessarily a bad thing, I see their point and I am going to study up on Quakers. All I ever knew about them was that they were the pilgrims who came to America due to the inability to worship freely in England. Who knows what all got left out of our schooling. The man said Quakers had been in this area since 1700’s, so it all makes sense.

So, I continued down the road and came upon a sign for Snow Camp. I had seen signs in peoples yards starting a few miles back saying NO Snow Camp Mine. I will have to look that up. I pulled off to head to Snow Camp and saw a sign, an historical marker, along the road which said

The Quakers Society of Friends were early anti-slavery supporters of the Underground Railroad. Once the war erupted and Alamance County residents chose sides, supporters of the Confederacy regarded the Friends as Unionists. Never attacked directly by their neighbors, the Quakers were subjected to various pressures to conform. The government, attempting to enforce conscription acts, not only tried to persuade Quaker conscripts to renounce their faith, but also inflicted physical and psychological violence on them.
Solomon Frazier, of neighboring Randolph County, endured an experience suffered by many others. Early in the war, Frazier paid a $500 fine to avoid conscription. By 1864 however, when Confederate manpower needs were acute, he was arrested and taken to prison in Salisbury. There, despite being beaten to make him renounce his beliefs, he refused on religious grounds to “take up the gun” or to serve as a prison guard. When the officer in charge became furious with him, Frazier said, “If is thy duty to inflict the punishment on me, do it cheerfully, don’t get angry about it”. When rifle barrels were leveled at his face, Frazier calmly added, “It is the Sabbath and as good a day to die as any”. Never broken, he survived his mistreatment and the war.
William Thomson, conscripted from this congregation was killed at Gettysburg, leaving a wife Martha and small children. At lease seven Confederate veterans are buried in the cemetery a mile west, a silent tribute to the Friends’ spirit of forgiveness of those who did take up the gun.

I drove for many more miles, stopping at graveyards, churches, and anything else that caught my eye. I’m always fascinated when traveling outside the great Pacific Northwest what kind of roadkill other places have. Texas has those dang armadillos, Florida had the baby alligators, and I’m sure each area has it’s specialty. Washington it’s bunnies, opossum, raccoon, and the occasional porcupine and deer. North Carolina has pretty much the same as us, only they have vultures that come along and pick them clean! That was a first for me!

I stopped for lunch in Greensboro. I had tried to call and meet up with the cute couple we met last year on our Israel trip – Sheila Ann and Junior. So far I have had no luck getting in touch to make a plan, so tomorrow I will just pop in on them! Lunch was at a Steak and Seafood place called NOLA – all inspired by New Orleans style cuisine. My waiter was awesome. He is from Iran, studying civil engineering at the University here, and he sat right down in my booth and talked to me for awhile. Very outgoing and when I left he even decided I should have an iced tea to go since I had a lot of driving to do. Isn’t that just the best?

I finally arrived at my Aunt and Uncle’s house in King. I have not seen them since late 1960’s! My cousin, Laura, who I don’t even remember, came right outside to greet me and welcome me. It was so absolutely lovely to spend several hours out on the deck listening to Aunt Ruth’s childhood memories, good and bad and ugly, and to learn all about her life. She and Henry have been married 61 years and she was my dad’s twin sister, the last of 16 children.

Aunt Ruth will turn 80 years old in just a few days. Trying to imagine my dad, who died when he was only 41, is hard to do. She described her spiritual connection to him, told me her testimony of faith, and how God’s love has brought her through so much loss in life. We went to dinner and celebrated her birthday and had a wonderful time.

Tomorrow I’m going to head out for some Civil War history lessons here in Winston Salem, then go back to Greensboro to see if I can get one more good visit in before my business trip begins.

Past, present, or future – My life is blessed with so many people and experiences. I am thankful for each one.

Spa Day, etc.

We checked into the amazing Spa at JW Marriott in North Las Vegas this morning. Very attentive and nice people took care of us. Nicki headed off to her “Sampler” massage – a variety of treatments and aromatherapy that left her feeling good. In the meantime I headed to the outdoor hydrotherapy pools and jacuzzi. There were multiple stations in the pool with various levels of jetted, roiling water. One was strong like a firehose, nearly pulling my swimsuit off! While they may be optional, I opt to keep mine on! Others focused on different areas – legs, back, or shoulders– and one was pouring overhead with great force. Made my scalp all tingly! It was all so good.

There was a float pool as well as a hot-cold jacuzzi- get in the hot one then move to the cold one, and back again. There was a sauna and a steam room. That was great for relaxation. And there was a waterfall shower that was AMAZING. It poured down with such force I think it may have released the boulders in my shoulders!

It was then time for my treatment – a holistic massage. I was covered in eucalyptus and spearmint oils then scrubbed with salt. It felt and smelled so good! Then I was sent to the shower and returned for an all over rub down with lavender and Epsom salts in little bags. Then a deep massage into my gnarly muscles. Oh my goodness it was so good! 80 blissful minutes of health and healing!

In the meantime Nicki was steaming and using the jacuzzi and we met up for a round in hydrotherapy again. And more steam room. And citrus water and tea, oranges and lots of water. We decided to spend the day there so we ordered lunch from the hotel and they brought us soup, salad and sandwiches to the spa. We laid outside in the cool but sunny deck and fell asleep, got a little sunburned even! The palm trees and ponderosa pines made a beautiful backdrop.

We showered and used blow dryers and all kinds of lotions and shampoos and even mouthwash. They thought of everything and we enjoyed several hours of relaxation, rest, and renewal.

We left and went out for coffee in a mall in Summerlin. We shopped and walked around Living Spaces where Nicki works. So much to see there!

We came back to the apartment to rest up before dinner. I got a call from Whatcom Art Market that two of my creations sold! That was exciting!

We decided to Uber to the strip for dinner. Such a nice guy drove us. We got out at the Venetian walked into Palazzo. We had one of the best dinners ever at The Lux Cafe. Beef Wellington melts in your mouth! And our waiter was a Brazilian man, so that made Nicki happy! He was a good waiter too! Definitely going to eat there again!

We wandered through the shops and found a stunning Art Gallery at the Venetian Hotel. Some of the most truly beautiful photography in the world. Wis I could post it here but no cameras allowed. Here are a few of mine, though! .

Going to bed with a full tummy, happy spirits and rejuvenated bodies! We are so blessed. Thank you Lord.

©Belindabotzong2019

Day 11-12 Israel 2018

Here I am in the shuttle from SeaTac to Bellingham- the final frontier on what seemed like a never-ending-story!

Days 11-12 all happened in one long continuous adventure!

We basically had Monday to explore on our own and we definitely did! We walked to the Cat Corner again for a cup of coffee and tea. We did a little money exchange to make sure we had exact payment for the shuttle then headed back to the hotel to check out and store our luggage for our eight hours wait. We also checked in on Charlie and Madeline. They had both been sick with this cold or upper respiratory thing some of us were suffering from. We made sure the shuttle was reserved for us and them.

We found a grocery store near the hotel where Savannah was able to find packaged halva – when we got halva at the market it’s much fresher but can’t be stored well. I got dates for Mark and some halva for everyone to try. And black dried plums like we had at breakfast every day. We took all these treasures back to the hotel to store with our luggage then hit the road on foot.

We headed back to Mahane Yahuda Market. I love that place! So much color and food and things to see and smell. I had an açaí bowl I’d been craving since our first day in Tel Aviv. It is so so so delicious. 29 shekels is expensive but it’s so worth it! We walked around trying to find something for lunch and I was very glad to find a fish&chips place!! The market had a lot of soldiers this day. They look way too young to be carrying around rifles but they were having fun eating and enjoying everything together.

We then headed across town to the Israel Museum. We passed some beautiful passionflower bushes along the way and picked a couple blossoms to add to my petals as paint on Refind Creations. Also some beautiful purple blossoms we collected in a bag.

The walk to the museum took us up a very steep hill and around the Knesset building.

We had about three hours to spend at the museum so we split up and covered as much as we could. The Dead Sea scrolls would take a lot more time but it was cool to see exhibits on many of the places we had visited on our tour and to remember things Yonatan had told us about. Could spend many hours there.

We walked back to the hotel and climbed about a hundred stairs that led up through a neighborhood. It’s fun walking everywhere — you get a whole different feel for the community.

At the hotel we went into the spa area and laid in the lounge chairs. Since the Ukraine lady wasn’t there we just made ourselves at home. Made tea and talked to a guy who came to use the steam room – and it was actually working! A couple from Russia or Ukraine came as well to steam then they used the showers in the ladies locker room together! Then they went back in the steam room and then back to the shower. They ignored us laying there on the loungers! We made tea and Savannah took a shower and I changed into my travel clothes– yoga pants and baggy shirt 😉 and bushed our teeth.

We then went to catch the shuttle and meet up with Charlie and Madeline. Glad they were able to extend for a late checkout to rest up.

The drivers in Jerusalem are crazy and the shuttle driver was crazy too! Holy moly!

We had a couple hours in the airport then we were taking off at 11:30 pm heading to New York. I took a crumb of melatonin which knocked me out for half an hour. Then a couple of hours feeling unsettled as they weirdly served meals and turned on lights rather than just letting people sleep. Super annoying! The flight was 11 1/2 hours but we coped well– better than our trip over.

We had a two hour layover in New York which was spent jumping through hoops at customs. Such a goofy process. But we didn’t have to open our bags. Savannah got a little extra grilling at check in as her passport is stamped for Indonesia, Mali and other countries.

And now to home we go! I’m craving Mexican food and a hot bath — can’t wait!

Thanks to all who followed our adventure. We have been blessed!!

©Belindabotzong2018

Day 10 -Israel 2018

Bittersweet freedom!

Today we woke up without a schedule for the first time since we left home. A much needed break from the routine of hurrying through breakfast to get on the bus. Bittersweet as we lose our daily dose of Yonatan’s teaching and the fellowship we’ve shared with the group.

At breakfast today we sat with Anna’s cousin Virginia- Anna was the lady who fell in Nazareth at the beginning of our journey. She told us how amazing America Israel Tours has been throughout this ordeal – sending an AIT representative to be with Anna at the hospital and how they have truly been there every step of the way. This is a huge thing to be grateful for and a good witness to the people who want to do a tour in the future. And a good reminder that buying trip insurance is an excellent investment!

So for our first day of freedom we decided to walk to the Mahane Yahuda Market. It was row after row of beautiful spices and fruits and candies and nuts and halva. Endless colors and textures and smells. We tried samples and ordered juice and walked and walked.

Then we decided to head over to Old Jerusalem. Along the way we got exasperated by our attempt to purchase a train ticket for our ride to the airport tomorrow. Multiple attempts to locate the holy grail of a Rav card left us a bit frustrated. We ended up talking to a guy who said the new fast train isn’t reliable enough yet and that we should ask our hotel to book us in a “special taxi” –a shuttle. We are planning to share a ride with our new friends Charlie and Madeline Burns. More about that later.

We entered the old city through the “New Gate” — we came upon a nice man who said he would like us to see his wife’s gallery. She is the only female shopkeeper. And he has a jewelry shop. Well you know we are a little leery of being hustled but sure enough he took us to meet his wife, a lovely British lady who sells art from local artists. She was so nice and she wanted to see my art which I have in the Art Market back home. She has a cat that hangs out at her shop and of course that got her and Savannah talking about feeding every stray cat in Israel that we encountered. The best part was that there was a watercolor print of that cat overlooking Jerusalem! Savannah is now the proud owner of her first piece of art!

As we left the gallery we forgot to turn left to go see her husband’s jewelry store but he caught us and turned us back toward his shop. He fuses ancient glass into beautiful jewelry and I bought a set for a Christmas gift. I am fairly sure it’s all authentic.

We had a good discussion with this couple about the concept of a “tourism mafia”. This is the thing where tour guides get a percentage of sales from prearranged visits by tour groups. This goes for restaurants and gift shops. There is a whole system designed to provide “discounts” to tourists. These coupons are tracked so the tour guides get a cut of the business it brings in. I think for restaurants this makes sense because of keeping to a fairly tight and rigorous schedule. The group sticks together and the food is done quickly. For shopping, though, it seems like a rigged system. Shop after shop sells the same exact items -/ very “cookie-cutter” souvenirs of low quality and lacking originality. Of course we bought some trinkets and gifts as any tourist does. It’s just a bit manipulated. And from what we heard it seems the little shop in Bethlehem is owned by some extravagantly wealthy families. I don’t know if it’s true but that’s what we were told.

Anyway, after shopping til we were ready to drop, time to eat. I have Schwarma and falafel coming out my pores so I really wanted something different. We sat down at one restaurant that’s upstairs over the market in the old city. We were not there but a few minutes when the guy told us if we weren’t part of a group we would need to move to another table. Grrr. So we left. We ended up going to a place Savannah ate at yesterday when she was rebelling against the tour system. They had shrimp and fries with a salad. Super expensive but again I could not think of eating schwarma or falafel.

We found our way to Jaffa gate and walked to “Cat Square” to sit and have tea and coffee. It was lovely. But then I realized I didn’t have enough shekels and they didn’t take dollars!! So I had to go find a change place and exchange a few dollars. Grrr.

Savannah fed multiple cats with the fish she took from the breakfast this morning. She has quite a routine of keeping scraps from our meals to feed the strays.

We made it back to the hotel and weary as we were thought it would be lovely to go to the pool and sauna to relax and revive. So we got our swim suits and robes and headed down to the pool. Closed. Ok let’s try the sauna. Can’t find it. No one is around in the spa area so we explored. We came out and a Ukrainian lady was at the front desk. She didn’t understand English. Sign language worked well enough and she took us to the sauna. A cold cold room with no controls and no steam. We went to find her and she was watching tv! So we just left and headed back to our room. Apparently Leonardo does not open the pool in the fall and apparently the spa is only an idea.

Another frustrating thing we encountered today was mentioned earlier — trying to get an affordable and reliable trip to the airport! Everyone we ask has a different idea. I had asked AIT what to do before we came on the tour and they said the hotel would get us taken care of. Well the hotel does not have a concierge and the guy Savannah talked to yesterday said it would be 350 Israeli Shekels for a taxi! That’s about a hundred bucks. Heck no. Yonatan said to ask for a special taxi (shuttle) and that it should be no more than 30 IS each. .. and so did the guys at the info place we talked to today. We really wanted to take that new fast train as it’s free but no one trusts the service time on that. So we went back to the hotel front desk and told the guy we need to arrange a shuttle for us and two others from our group. He says it’ll be 67 IS each! He tried calling to make the reservation but couldn’t get through. He said to check back in a couple hours and we were then told it’s confirmed! Goodness. Makes me wish we had just gone home when everyone else did tonight and it would have been all taken care of!

So here we are. Our last night in Jerusalem is underway! We have met so many lovely people. We have been blessed with such great care. Having Yonatan as our guide was such a blessing-/ we always felt safe and cared for. We never had to worry about anything because he knew exactly what to do in each situation. It’s bittersweet for sure. So thankful that we had this opportunity and I will always pray for the peace of Jerusalem and blessings on the Christians who are bound to live separated from the rest of the world in Palestine.

©Belindabotzong2018

Day 8 – Israel 2018

O Little Town if Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie..

Today was very interesting, humbling, educational and enlightening.

Our world view is so easily shaped by the news, politicians, the internet, and prejudice.

Today at least we can say that 35 Americans along with their brilliant and fearless Jewish guide were able to have our world views impacted by a beautiful, precious, and amazing Palestinian Christian named Barbara. I can almost promise that when you hear the word Palestinian most Americans do not envision such a lovely thing as meeting one who is Christian.

And I’ll go as far as to say that most of us have no clue that Bethlehem is in what is now Palestinian territory. And I know for certain most have no idea that there even are Christian Palestinians.

We took the bus into this territory so that we could visit the birthplace of Jesus. It was miraculous that we did not have to wait long as it is usually very crowded.

First stop was at a beautiful gift shop operated by a Christian artist cooperative, Handmade items carved from olive tree wood —nativities so elaborate and ornaments, jewelry, trinkets, and so many beautiful things.

We were a bit taken aback by the people selling on the streets — very aggressively — and its hard not to hand all your money to a little boy holding onto his sheep as you enter the town. Adorable little gig he had going there. Poverty is obvious and a bit overwhelming.

Barbara was delightful and answered all our curiosities graciously. She cannot travel freely. She cannot come to Jerusalem. She has lived in Bethlehem all her life and says there is little to do — no entertainment. Basically except for her tour guide position she dabbles in learning to paint and hangs out with her friends. She lives with her entire extended family – parents, married brothers and their children. She has been to America once to visit a relative in Sacramento. To fly anywhere they must travel to Amman Jordan.

When we arrived at the church where the manger is, Barbara navigated us all through a crowded scene. We had to go down into the area under the church and there is a 14point Star where it is believed Jesus was born and an area where the manger would have been. This church is separated into sections based on three sects that have claim on it. Orthodox Greek and Russian if I remember right and one other. It is very ornate and unusual. It was too hot and crowded for me to fully experience what I was seeing. But I’m glad we got to go.

Next stop was Shepard’s Field — the area where flocks would have been kept and where the angels would have appeared to announce “Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men”.

After this we walked to a restaurant. A lady named Ruth, another Palestinian Christian, owns this place and did a lovely job of feeding our massive group– schwarma and falafel, as usual. We bid Barbara a fond farewell and gave her a freewill offering into Yonatan’s hat.

This was all so valuable in helping us grasp even a tiny bit of reality.

We then headed to Mt. Zion and went to the place where Peter denied Jesus. A beautiful church. Then to the place where Jesus was held for trial. And to King David’s tomb, and to one place where Mary may have been buried.

We had to rush through as Shabbat was about to begin but there was so much beauty in the mosaics and paintings I’m glad we got to see it even briefly.

We have been blessed to get to know some of the people in our group, to know Barbara, Jonatan, and most of all to learn more about the roots of our faith!

Day 7 – Israel 2018

Today started very early with a 5am walk into the Dead Sea. We were the only ones out there as the sun rose slowly. To go into the Dead Sea is like nothing else on earth. It was a little cool but as we gradually made our way in up to our knees we adapted. When we got waist deep Savannah said “It’s happening!” As you lift your feet you quickly go right into your back and start floating! It’s the craziest sensation – almost like wearing a life vest– you can easily turn over and over and be careful not to flail! It was so amazing! Like an ocean of lotion! So smooth and silky. We picked up hands full of salt and exfoliated. We gathered some salt and rocks to keep as souvenirs. It was magical.

After 45 minutes we headed in for showers then another breakfast buffet. We met our group and headed north to Masada. This is where Herod had a palace high above and the ruins are amazing. You should google it to learn the miraculous story!

It was very hot – in the 90s. We took a gondola up over the ruins then toured the vast walls and buildings with the most beautiful view of the Dead Sea.

We had lunch there and continued on toward Jerusalem. As we came out of the tunnel Yonathan played an old song about the city. It was powerful to see that city on a hill. We drove up to the mount of olives and toured the church at the garden of gethsemane. That too was very emotional to see the olive trees and the rock where it’s said Jesus prayed so hard that his forehead was bleeding.

We then walked down a very steep street to where it is said Jesus wept for Jerusalem. To see all the churches and the Temple Mount from the mount of olives was very moving.

Our bus then took us up to the Dung Gate. We passed through a security check point and went to the Wailing Wall. So many people and so many prayers pour out if that Wall daily. It’s very spiritual.

And now I’m exhausted and looking forward to a deep sleep before we head out tomorrow for Bethlehem!!

Once again no photos as the internet is soooo sllllooowwww

Day 6 cont. Israel 2018

After another generous buffet breakfast we headed out – me with a runny nose and beginnings of a cold. That’s when it’s good to be traveling with Savannah, who has tinctures and remedies! Double dosed on elderberry tincture and lozenges.

We left the Sea of Galilee behind and headed to the River Jordan. Several people in our group of 35 decided to get baptized. As our fearless leader Yonathon is Jewish he found a pastor from one of the many groups and he did the dunking. A majority were catholic so I think they have never had an immersion. Next to us was a group of Brazilians who were very vocal and singing and shouting with each of their baptisms. It was quite a joyous occasion. The river was a beautiful emerald green and quite beautiful.

This is not the same place where John baptized Jesus. The river in that area is more like a ditch and full of sediment so the place we stopped is an organized place where there is a place to rent a white robe and towel and they issue certificates. Savannah and I washed our feet in the river.

At a gift shop I got honey for Nicki and date palm syrup for me and a bag of coffee for my hubby.

After this was all finished we headed to an area with Roman ruins dating back to BC. It was only uncovered in the 1980s and has the public bath house, amphitheater and bathrooms.

It was really hot today- up around 90. The air is dry and it gets quite difficult for some of our older travelers to walk around. But they are hanging in there!

We then traveled south along the border with Jordan and into the West Bank. You cross checkpoints going out but not coming in. We were waved through without any issues. We stopped in a place where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. We watched a brief film and went out to see the caves where they were first found by a 14 year old boy.

We continued south and the change in terrain became stunning. Huge, massive piles of rock mountains that look like they could crumble with just a sneeze. Miles and miles along the Dead Sea with the only real vegetation being acres of date palms. We saw the mount of temptation where Jesus was tested by Satan. We saw the caves in the mountains where David and Saul hid from one another.

We finally arrived at Herrods resort right on the Dead Sea. Just in time to get to our spa service we had ordered. Mine was a full body salt scrub and Massage followed by a jacuzzi tub soak. It was amazing. Savannah had a mud wrap and Massage.

It got too late to go float in the sea so we will arise at 5 tomorrow and go straight down to the beach before we take off for Jerusalem at 8.

Now we have eaten from another stunning buffet dinner with a huge population from Ukraine and Europe staying here as well. Our hotel is beautiful and luxurious and now I’m so sleepy I can’t say any more today!

I can’t add pics as WiFi is slow but trust me // it’s all amazing!!

Day 6- Israel 2018

It’s morning on the Sea of Galilee

We kept the door open all night to have that gentle breeze wafting over our room. It’s warm and there are so many birds singing it sounds like a symphony with the ripples on the lake playing in the background.

I woke up suddenly at 2:30am from a dream I don’t remember but the reality of my mom being gone from this earth shook my soul. Though I know she is in the presence of the savior, who spent his life in the surrounding hills and water, I can’t fathom that I cannot tell her about this trip we are on.

I sat out on the balcony under that bright shiny moon and twinkling stars looking down in this famous body of water, trying to imagine Jesus going from this very spot. He preached, selected his disciples and lived his earthly life right here. Right where I am. It’s powerful.

I read half the book of Matthew while I was feeling restless. Seeing those ancient writings with this perspective is powerful.

Today we are heading to the Dead Sea. We are booked for Massage services later in the day. Some in our group are going to be baptized in the River Jordan today. That will be powerful stuff too! And of course I plan to float in the Dead Sea and experience the refreshing minerals.

Tomorrow we leave for Jerusalem. We found a shofar in Caperneum but decided to wait for Jerusalem to buy one!

Day 5- Israel 2018

Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee started our day. The waters so peaceful and the breeze so refreshing. We are staying at the Leonardo hotel which has perfect views from our deck.

After a huge buffet breakfast we took the bus to the opposite side of the lake and went on board a wooden fishing boat. We were welcomed aboard with The Star Spangled Banner as the hung the American flag beside the Israeli flag. Then they played some contemporary Christian music as we were steered around the lake. It’s beauty is so much like Lake Roosevelt in Eastern Washington that I had to remind myself where we are! This is the place where Jesus walked in water. Where he called his disciples and where he spent so much of his earthly life. It was warm and sunny and pretty much perfect!

My eyes were filled with tears at the thought that my mom died two weeks ago and she would have loved knowing we were experiencing history live!

No photos to share due to super slow internet.

Sunny and high 70s

When we returned to shore we rode up to Caesarea Philippi where we could see ancient ruins of caves dedicated to the different Greek Gods. This is also the place where Peter and Jesus spoke about building the church.

We traveled along the Lebanese border to the Golan Heights and stopped in Tabgha at the site where Jesus fed 5000

After lunch consisting of falafel and salad we went to Capernaum which is the town of Jesus-/ where his ministry is centered.

We went to a museum with a fishing boat in display that dates to the first century.

We headed to the Mount of Beatitudes where a beautiful church has been erected. Our guide. Yonathan has done a good job keeping the scriptures relevant to what we are seeing.

And our final stop was Magdala – the city of Mary Magdalene. This was really touching to see first century ruins and a brand new church that has amazing paintings depicting several moments — the woman who touched jesus’ robe and was healed. Jesus walking on Water.

It has been a long day with lots of stops and starts. So absolutely beautiful

Tag: travel