Tel Hazor is located in the Hula Valley, at the foot of the Galilee mountains. It is situated along the ancient road that turned northeast and linked the land of Israel through Lebanon’s Beka’a Valley to Babylon. Another road, to the northwest, led to Phoenicia. Hazor’s location, its fertile land and the springs in the nearby Hazor Stream, gave it the natural conditions to develop into the oft described greatest city in the land of Israel and one of the most important cities of the Canaanite period.

And then we move further North and West to a great Fortress in the sky. Nimrod Fortress named after the mythical hunter Nimrod. What a spectacular view, what effort required to build it, what a great place for ice cream!

And wrapping up this visit to the past, dropping back down South and East of Haifa, the great city of Bet She’an. Situated between two rivers, well one river and one stream, blessed with unlimited water in a desert country. Little wonder this was an important city. The beauty and opulence we can only imagine. At one time this was the greatest city in what we now know as Israel. This 400 acre site has had archaeological work ongoing since 1920. Only a small portion has been uncovered. What it must have looked like is presented in a substantial bronze model. Very impressive! And heck, for all of Lynn’s spinning friends out there, this was the linen capital of the Roman Empire.

A historic hub of activity spanning a millennium or two into the past. If I wasn’t paying attention in history class I might be given a second opportunity to hear some of what happened! Lawrie seemed to have kept what he learned and is thoroughly enjoying our explorations. I’m just enjoying the photography opportunities. If you want more information about these historic sites, just Google them. Not only will you find the official Israel National Park site, but many other travellers have posted photographs and observations.

And when you are finished poking around in the Wadi, you can make your way over to the Hadar, the main Jewish shopping area in Haifa. One long street, block after block of men & women’s fashion shops, shoe stores, Dollarama type stores, restaurants, fabric stores, oh well you get the idea. Don’t come down here on Saturday though, that is Shabbat, the Jewish “Sunday”, unless you want to just window shop. You won’t find much open, just Russian owned stores like this crazy supermarket in this office building.

But for real flavor, one must visit the Akka market in, where else, but Akka. Ancient is not an exaggeration. Butcher shops and fish mongers, juice vendors, and candy shops… hmmmm nougat!

But the “piece de resistance” is IKEA at 9:00 p.m. on a Saturday evening. We heard that the IKEA store opens on Saturday (Shabbat) from 9:00-11:00 p.m. and we were in the neighborhood around 8:25 p.m. so thought what the heck, who will be out at that time of day. A little leisurely shopping to finish off the day. 1,500 people by the time the doors opened, parking lot a mass of vehicles and not just “recreational shopping” but down and dirty, serious, tape measure out, calling the attendants over, shopping. Once again as I have been finding myself repeating lately, “only in Israel”.

Caesarea is an Israeli national park and is situated right on the Mediterranean coast, about half way between Haifa and Tel Aviv. It first started out as a Phoenician settlement named Straton’s Tower. From there the Romans wrestled control from the Hasmonean kingdom in 30 BC and awarded it to Herod, of Biblical fame. Herod had big plans for this tiny little port. Over a 12 year period he turned it into a large port city, complete with a man made harbor big enough to hold 100 ships, built up the town, built baths, water was provided via a huge aquaduct, sanitation facilities, palaces, temples, amphitheatre (still used to this day) and a hippodrome. And he changed the name to Caesarea in honour of his patron Octavian Augustas Caesar. It was a rather spiffy place to live, if you were Roman or had connections. Caesarea flourished during the Byzantine period, but during the Arab conquest of 640 fell into disrepair and settled back into a small rather insignificant village. A revival of sea trade in the 9th century breathed new life into this little port. So much so that when the crusaders arrived they rebuilt and fortified the town. It was re-taken by Mamelukes (Arabs again) in 1265 and destroyed! What we see today can only provide a glimpse of what this city must have looked like!

Next up will be Yahi’am Fortress!

Since March 23, 2014 we have called Haifa home. We will be calling Haifa home for the next five years as we are serving at the Baha’i World Centre. We got here by following our hearts. Lynn is in the library doing what she loves best there, cataloguing books. Lawrie is happy providing guidance to many young people, in the security department.

A bit about Haifa, for those of you who don’t know, Haifa is in northern Israel, a Mediterranean port city with a blend of old and new.

We would like to share with you some of the photos we have taken while out and about during the last four months. Comments are welcome, if you want to see more of something in particular, say so!

First off working on about four hours of sleep is not smart! But wake up in good time we did. By 5:05 we were out the door of the Molada Guesthouse (our home while in Haifa) and up to where we asked Abboud to have a taxi for us at 5:15. But of course we had to call again and finally by about 5:25 we were on our way. Not to the train station in town though, rather one that was further south. The taxi fare that was supposed to be 30 NIS turned into 49 NIS and we were too late to catch the train that was sitting there. Oh well, next train will have to do. But the next one we were told by a conductor who noticed our suitcases, was not the one to Ben Gurion Airport so we ignored it and got on the next train to come in. However, this time there wasn’t a friendly conductor, just one who came to tell us we couldn’t sit in the reserved seating cars unless we paid an extra 5 shekels each. Not happy, why was there nothing anywhere to say this? Another oh well, what can you do? We watch the scenery and the stations go by and don’t see a Ben Gurion Airport sign anywhere. So as we are sitting in the station called LOD (don’t ask, I don’t know) I asked Lawrie if he would ask if this was the right train for the airport. The fellow he asked said no, we needed to get off, return to a different station and then transfer!!! Off we get, dashing for a gate and someone to confirm this information. We produce our tickets and they are waved back into our pockets and the station manager then takes us to the train sitting on the other side of the platform and repeats where we need to get off. I repeat the name back to him and then ask for directions for the Ben Gurion train. At this point a bystander says a sentence or two to the manager and then gathers us up to get on the train. This woman is sent by God I’m sure. She very carefully stays with us on the train and then at the right station gets off with us and shows us the direction the train is going to come from and which way it will leave for the airport, she then dashes back to the train we came on and re-boards with a wave to us. I finally smile and wave back. We are soon back on track (pun intended) and find the final hurdles are not too onerous to overcome. After clearing a preliminary security with our suitcases and then getting our boarding cards, we in fact have time to sit with the best coffee I’ve had in a while and some lovely pastries! There are very good reasons to add at least an hour or two to travel plans. It was a very good thing we had the extra two today!

We met a Baha’i family that were on pilgrimage with us, as we were going through the boarding process. They also have some days here in Istanbul and have plans for a trip to Baha’u’llah’s house in Edirne too. We received some better instructions for our visit there as well. We hope to meet up and spend some more time in their company. Lovely to encounter friends when travelling.

Our hotel, the Aruna Hotel in fact, were good with their promise to have us picked up at the airport. The drive to the hotel was uneventful and we could feel a decompression happening. There was a very long stretch of ruined wall along the way. I’m sure we’ll know what that is about before many days go by. The manager is very friendly and casual. He fed us Turkish delight and we helped him with his English. Our room is as delightful as the sweet was, and I’m sure we will manage a good rest. The call to prayer at 3 (I think) in the afternoon was interesting as I think we are in range of at least two mosques. This could be a very instructional time! Lawrie is currently napping so I think I will just plunge into fixing the last weeks postings. I’m also thinking we will be out for a walk in a while as it seems to have quit raining. Good time to get lost in the dark perhaps? We are so close to the Mediterranean that I expect we can manage not getting lost. Dinner might be a challenge though as the manager’s choice for us looks like a bank account busting sort of place!

Today, our final full day in Haifa will be spent doing some errands (lunch contribution, picking up laundry, shopping for some items only found here and then packing up to leave early tomorrow morning) and then we are off to Bahji for the afternoon with a sherut full of new friends. We will have a potluck lunch and then spend time in the gardens and the shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. After returning to Haifa we will see about supper and then attend the Pilgrims Farewell. I’m sure I will be able to add photos from today and also catch up on the last several days once we are ‘on holiday’ in Istanbul. We hope everyone at home is doing well?

Many more photos, professionally taken, and beautiful are found here.

Saturday was a free day, or should we say it is was unscheduled. We went to Dawn Prayers at the Shrine of the Bab at 6:30.

Then by 10 we were at the Beth Shalom in the hopes of hiring a sherut to take 10 of us to Akka and then Bahji. However, children were still ill, and the other family were not feeling ready to go. In fact Renee said it was like trying to herd cats!

In the end there were just Lawrie & I and Angela walking back to our place for some extra lunch ingredients and then down to the Hadar area to pick up a sherut to take us to Akka. A very pleasant time was enjoyed by the three of us. An attempt to stay on the suggested route still took us through the bazaar and past ever so many interesting areas as you may see through the photos I took.

The former Ottoman prison city of Akka is significant to Bahá’ís for many reasons. Akka (or Acre, or Akko) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country and historically, was regarded as a strategic coastal link to the Levant. First and foremost, it was here that Bahá’u’lláh was exiled. It was here that Mirza Mihidi, called the Purest Branch, the second son of Bahá’u’lláh, died. And, though not right in Akka, but in the general vicinity, is the final resting spot of Bahá’u’lláh. At that time Akka was considered one of the most pestilent cities in the world. It was said that should a bird fly over Akka, it would die due to the odor. One cannot begin to imagine the suffering and anguish this small group of Bahá’ís must have endured then.

But today we are just tourists…

It was “interesting” finding a sherut (multi passenger taxi) to return to Hafai. Especially when you are not 100% sure where you are going. And we had been advised to not be in Akka after dark as there aren’t many ways to get back home! But find a sherut we did! We finished off the day with a visit to the Shrine of the Bab and `Abdu’l-Bahá and then a nice supper.

I said to Lawrie on our walk home this evening that I keep forgetting we are half way around the world in Haifa, Israel. That means I’m feeling very comfortable here and nothing is terribly strange. Maybe we will look at applying for service here again? Or maybe a pioneer post? Or maybe we will just stay home and finish the Ruhi books for now?

Haifa and Akka aren’t particularly clean, in fact if I was being as honest as I should, I would say there is a very lot of garbage everywhere except on Baha’i property. I think it might be a case of many people caring very much that we attempt to be the best stewards we can be of everything we have a hand in. This is what it seems to me at this point. Whereas the population that isn’t firmly gathered around a cause is also not taking responsibility for anything that isn’t his, maybe not even his own property. Of course this is a huge generalization and I should know better!

We’ve met 8 of 9 International House of Justice members, spent hours in Bahá’u’lláh’s shrine, listened to our guide Marsha (who has the most charming methods of directing the Pilgrims in what to do and not do) tell us fascinating historical things to do with the three central figures of the faith, attended several evening talks, walked many miles and made so many friends. All this in four days. God is good … all the time. Tomorrow we are off to visit the Archives. Then the rest of the day is ours to organize, as is Saturday. I know we won’t have trouble filling the time, but I expect there will be some push and pull as to which of the many places we want to go to spend time at. The memorial garden, the temple lands and another visit to the Shrine of the Bab will probably win out for tomorrow. Then likely we are back to Akka on Saturday with a sherut full of friends. I’ll report back in a day or two. As well, I’ll add some photos … too late tonight I’m sorry to say. And if you have questions about any of this … well there are many answers here.

Tired we were, but unpack we did. Good way to get organized and see if we made any packing mistakes. Had a very nice sleep too.

Today, after meeting up with our new friends who are Americans living in Finland with grandnephew in tow from California, and going for breakfast we then walked down to the Pilgrim’s Reception Centre. There we proceeded to make more friends and also to meet up with the 6 Columbian Baha’is we shared a sherut with from Tel Aviv to Haifa. So much to take in today, but so well organized and orchestrated. At lunch time we are off to Ben Gurion Avenue and the Haifa Information Centre. Then lunch at a place that escapes me now … well the name of it escapes me, not lunch, nor the memory of the place either.

My only disappointment is that the Shrine of the Bab is draped while restoration work is happening. Guess we really will have to apply for pilgrimage as soon as we are eligible to once we get home. Listen to me, looking into the future instead of enjoying the present! The walk to the Shrine and the prayers offered inside will stay with me always. We do not understand what an absolute blessing this time is, but I’ll keep trying. Lawrie is wondering if there is a way to organize a gospel choir workshop at the World Centre with the performance happening on the stage of the International Teaching Centre!

Well, I’m sort of dropping off to sleep as I sit here wondering what I should be saying … maybe I should just leave you with a first batch of photos. I shan’t try to title them all as they are mostly Baha’i Garden shots. We are off to Baha’u’allah’s Shrine tomorrow and it is a 5:30 am start to our day. If you are reading this and wondering what I’m talking about, well seeing you are already on the Internet to read this, here is where you can find a much better explanation than anything I could write.

Okay, I’ve just spent half an hour and only managed to upload these two photos out of the prepared 31. Must be a very limited bandwidth here. Will try again sometime tomorrow at the Pilgrim Centre where there is an internet connection too. Just new there, so don’t really know if it will be faster or not. I’ll just promise that the rest of the photos will come, the when I’m not sure of!

Well two very busy days later and I figured a way around the uploading problem, I think! And so here are the rest of the intended photos from Day 1. I’m not spending a lot of time with the camera in hand as that isn’t the focus of these 9 days. But I will spend lots of time camera time in Istanbul and maybe even a bit more when we are on our own time here.