Itinerary
11 May - Amman to Jerusalem via the Allenby Bridge Crossing returning on 13 May to Amman
Travel Time: 1¾ hrs. Clearance 1 hr.
Israel and occupied West Bank: Back in Amman, we decided it was a good opportunity to visit the occupied West Bank and Israel. We organised a tour with a driver and guide.
The tour included a taxi from Amman to the Allenby Bridge crossing, first built under Ottoman rule with subsequent rebuilds in 1918, 1927 and 1946 due to earthquakes and terrorism. Known as the King Hussein Bridge in Jordan and the Al-Karameh Bridge by Palestinians, the most recent bridge had been destroyed in the Six Day War, so we crossed a temporary truss-style bridge, We then had to transfer from our taxi to a public transport bus, which had as many chickens as human passengers, to cross from Jordan to the West Bank.
We were searched thoroughly and ordered to take photographs of ourselves with our cameras. These early selfies were for a more sinister reason - to prove our cameras were not bombs! Our permits to enter Israel were stamped on a separate piece of paper rather than in our passports, as most Arab countries would refuse entry if your passport contained an Israeli stamp.
Itinerary
11 – 13 May Jerusalem visiting the Old City, the West Bank and the Dead Sea
Accommodation: Jerusalem Hotel, East Jerusalem
We spent three days in Israel, staying in the Jerusalem Hotel in East Jerusalem and were fortunate to have hired an extremely knowledgeable guide and an excellent driver. They took us to the Old City and the famous Dome of the Rock (in Arabic Qubbat al-Sakhrah and Hebrew Kippat ha-Sela) on Temple Mount, first built in 691–92 CE, and then rebuilt in 1022-23, having been destroyed in 70 CE and collapsed in 1015. The site includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western or Wailing Wall.
We followed in the footsteps of Christ on the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) ending up at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where the last four stations of the Cross are located. It is the traditional site of the resurrection of Christ, thus its original Greek name Church of the Anastasis ('Resurrection'). Control of the church is shared among the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic churches, and to a lesser extent the Coptic, Syriac and Ethiopian Orthodox churches. It leads to complicated access arrangements.
Outside the walls, we walked in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives, visited the Tomb of Lazarus in Bethany, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the ancient ruins at Jericho (Tell -es-Sultan).
At Kalia, we floated in the Dead Sea. At 300+ meters below sea level, it is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean with a density of 1.24 kg/litre. There had been a kibbutz in Kalia since 1929. Today it runs the visitor's centre for the nearby Qumran Caves, part of the massive escarpment of the Qumran National Park where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
The Old City of Jerusalem and its walls were recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981, the Church of the Nativity 2012, and Ancient Jericho 2023.
Up Next - Syria and Turkey
The Travellers
Richard, Stan, Graham
© Words Richard Thom
Credits: Stan Peters and Graham Edgson
Images:
© Richard Thom
*Original article edited for cultural and geopolitical sensitivities.
About the Author
Richard Thom grew up in Ahmadi, Kuwait 1954 – 1969 where his dad was Chief Health Officer for the Kuwait Oil Co. He worked in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia between 1976 and 1980 for Aramco’s Internal Audit and Contract Cost Compliance departments. He undertook this journey halfway between two contracts.
When not working, playing rugby, squash or trying his hand at amateur dramatics, he used his organising skills on the Aramco Employees Association and was Treasurer 1976/77 - 1978/79 and Chairman 1979/80 for the Dhahran Rugby Union Football Club (DRUFC).
He continued with a varied finance career in shipping (Japan) automobiles (Guam) and dance education (UK), before finally retiring in 2015.
Richard has contributed a number of articles to AramcoExpats including a review of Not the May Ball 3 in September 2022; a 10-part serialization of the unofficial history of the Dhahran Rugby Union Football Club; a look back on life after Aramco “Dance in the Desert” and “Jimmy Abdul McGregor, and Other Stories: Tales from the Yemen”.
Richard published his book Dance into Business in 2018 a how-to guide for dance students, teachers and professionals wishing to start up a dance studio or go freelance. It contains helpful tips, practical examples, and points to consider whether just starting out or already in business. It is available from Amazon websites as a printed book, or an e-book priced locally.
