(Part 2 of 3)
If you thought the first three days of our pilgrimage were exhaustingly draining enough, think again… for the following days were earmarked for much challenging trudges, energy-consuming treks, and breath-catching rumbles underneath the scourging heat of the sun. But there never was any sort of grumble and protest from among our group since we were already conditioned to such venture beforehand.
The fourth day, Thursday, September 22, provided us to experience Jerusalem’s old city. We entered through Herod’s Gate that directly led us to the Via Dolorosa after passing along guarded narrow passage ways densely occupied by Muslims.
We started the “Way of the Cross” at the Chapel of Flagellation, built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, purchased by the Franciscans in 1838, and restored by Antonio Barluzzi in 1929.
It was disheartening to see the main location of the 14 stations of the “Way of the Cross”, a Catholic devotion that commemorates Christ’s last day on earth as a man, so congested… surrounded by a multitude of vendors selling religious articles and souvenir items and within a filthy neighborhood. The Station signs were deplorably unnoticeable, (store signages and commercial billboards are even larger and prominent), that one could miss them if not keen and observant.
The demoralizing situation seemed to test our Christian faith and devotion that defied the intimidating scenario. While the 9th station was located inside St. Helen Coptic Church, the 10th to 14th stations were at the open courtyard before the Byzantine church’s excavated dome.
The lofty mount was a quarry site before where a huge stone shaped like a skull was unearthed —thus the name Golgotha. This was the exact place where Jesus was crucified, died, buried, and resurrected. To commemorate the sanctified occurrences, Queen Helen built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is also known as the Church of the Resurrection and “Anastasis” to Eastern Orthodox Christians.
We were lucky enough to have touched the venerated rock where the Holy Cross was planted, the wooden bench where the dead body of Christ was laid after being brought down from the cross, and the piece of pillar where He was scourged and flagellated. A special mass was celebrated for us by Fr. David, a visiting priest, before the altar of the Holy Sacrament.
Later we continued our journey down to Al Buraq Road to visit the Western Wall, better known as the Wailing Wall…an ancient limestone wall remnant of the Herodian era where Orthodox Jews gathered to lament the loss of their temple. Currently all faithfuls join the Jews by stuffing their written petitions in between the crevices of the stone wall.
Our next timetable brought us to the Dormition Church at the crest of Mount Zion where the Blessed Virgin Mary was believed to have dormented and died. The current church and Monastery is owned by the German Benediction Order.
We drove back to Jerusalem for another venerated site—the Upper Room, a place where Jesus gathered his disciples for the Last Supper and where the Holy Spirit came down upon them. St. Peter’s notable denial also took place here.
Two more biblical spots to see came successively: the Church of St. Anne (Mother of the Virgin Mary) in Bethesda, the birthplace of the Blessed Virgin, and where Jesus performed miracle on a lame man who had been crippled for 38 years; then finally, the House of the High Priest Caiphas where an underground cave served as prison cell. Jesus, before being tried, was thrown into the dungeon overnight.
Our fully-loaded day ended with an early hotel retreat, a revitalizing shower, and rewardingly capped with a hearty dinner buffet.
The following morning, our 5th day, premeditatedly infused an unprecedented excitement for us since we were in for a different experience…this time, Jordan, an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River and home to the famed archeological site of Petra, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
Unnoticeably it took us 35 minutes to reach the Jordan border since we enjoyed the marvelous sight of the Israeli desert. It took another 10 minutes or so for us to be cleared by Jordan border authorities and another checkpoint upon passing through King Hossein Borders. The strict custom procedures took us an hour for passport and miscellaneous paper processing.
Although our new bus driver (Mazdi) and tourist guide (Emad) seemed friendly and approachable we still felt edgy upon our entry to the City of Shuna where our baggage and passports were checked and inspected again. Being provided with a military escort (Abdullah) gave us even heightened fear instead of security. But the dreadful sensitivity diminished gradually as we travelled along.
Jordan is closely similar to Israel’s geographical set-up but with steeper macadamized roads and grander rolling hills. It is bordered on the west by Israel and the Dead Sea, on the north by Syria, on the east by Iraq, and on the south by Saudi Arabia. Currently ruled by King Abdullah II, Jordanians speak Arabic and English, Islam as religion, and Jordanian dinar as monetary unit (although they accept US dollars) with US$1=1.4 JD conversion.
Jordan has 5 religious sites declared by St. Pope John Paul II: Bethany beyond Jordan (the baptismal site), Mt. Nebo (where Moses stood and saw the Promise Land), Machaerus (where St. John lived), Thesbe (where Elijah was born), and Our Lady of the Mount in Anjara (where a statue of the Virgin wept tears of blood).
The authentic Baptismal Site of Jesus Christ in Bethany beyond Jordan was the first ever venerated place we visited in Jordan. The valley is 400 meters below sea level like the Dead Sea. Alhough the Jordan River, patrolled and guarded by uniformed military men, has tremendously loss its voluminous water content, the strong faith of Christian believers remained undiminished and unyielding.
Later we drove up long zigzag roads with breaths held due to open deserts, deep ravines, dreadful gorges, and abysmal gullies on our way to Madaba, an ancient town known for its 6th-century Byzantine-era mosaic map of the Holy Land.
Had early lunch at Talet Nebo Restaurant atop the mountain ridge where fresh organic vegetable salad was always a prime choice in the area.
Our next destination was just a couple of minutes drive down the road: Mount Nebo, a holy site for both Muslims and Christians on an elevated ridge, approximately 817 meters above sea level, where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land and where he died at the age of 120 years old. The Serpentine Cross is one of the most photographed sculptures in Mt. Nebo that represents the serpent taken by Moses into the desert and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
Toward mid-afternoon our guide took us to Nebo’s Pearl, Jordan’s best manufacturer of mosaic tiles, before driving for 3 hours south to Al Hasa, Jordan. After a light snack midway, we finally reached our new home: the Petra Marriott Hotel along Queen Rania Al Abdullah St., in Wadi, Mousa. Our dinner was made even more enticingly appetizing by the generous view of colossal rock formations and breathtaking panoramic scenery.
The cold but sunny morning greeted us on our 6th day. After having been equipped with the highest spirit and mustered enough vigor, our group was ready for the best escapade Jordan has to offer: Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction.
Originally known to the Nabataeans as Raqmu, Petra (from Greek word “petros” meaning rock) is famous for its tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs earning its alter-moniker, the Rose City. A fitting movie set for “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” Petra is a vastly unique city carved into sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, a breed of industrious Arabs, more than 2000 years ago. A huge edifice with columns akin to a palace, The Treasury, has a massive façade believed to have been carved during the early 1st century. In 1982 the Jordanian government built housing projects for Petra’s original cave settlers and opened the amazing archeological site for the world to see.
By noon we were back to the bus for lunch at Petra Super Restaurant where we couldn’t get enough of Petra and its wonders while feasting on sumptuous Shawarma (a Levantine Arab meat preparation where grilled lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, or veal serve as fillings of pita bread) and Falafel (Middle Eastern food served in a pita with deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas or fava beans).
After lunch, we had a long 2-hour drive to Amman, Jordan’s capital. Our eyes got the much-needed relief upon sight of a modern day metropolis after being familiar with barren deserts, archeological sites, and antiquities.
We checked in at Amman International Hotel (Al Habbab lbn Al Mundhir St.) and had a hearty dinner after a brief respite and cold shower.
More on next issue: our last days in the Holy Land.
For comments and suggestions, please email to: [email protected].
