Safe Arrival in Bethlehem

Arrived safetly in Beit Jala (just outside of Bethlehem) around 7:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. DST).

Don't let anyone tell you that sleeping on a full jetliner with 2 inches of knee room is fun.

Wasn't sure when to set my watch ahead to Israel time and got even more confused when shortly after midnight (DST) we were served a dinner meal and about 1:30 p.m. Israeli time (7:30 a.m. DST was served a breakfast meal. Confused??? Join the club.

We arrrived in the BEAUTIFUL Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, passed through passport control, retrieved our luggage, and boarded the bus. Bethlehem is little over an hour from Tel Aviv, but everyone was running down and the combination of the dark ride and the accented voice of our guide, Saad, did not give much honor to what Saad was telling us. Our driver, Mizpah, spoke English far better than we could speak Hebrew! Actually that wasn't much of a challenge since both guide and driver spoke multiple languages while we Americans rarely learn a second.

As we drove past the 15th century walls of the Old City of Jerusalem on our way to Bethlehem, just as we passed David's Tower and Mt. Zion, we were treated to the breathtaking site of a full moon rising over the city of Jerusalem. It was one of those times when you just had to take a moment... and soak in the awe.

Abraham's Guest House in Beit Jala was completed in 2003 and is a modern hotel-like guest house with impressive design and features. We enjoyed a late buffet dinner, got checked into our rooms, and experienced the fabled middle-eastern hospitality.

I had ordered an Israeli SIM card for my cell phone to be able to make cheaper calls back home to let family know we arrived safely. There are no wi-fi hotspots around but broadband internet service is available in the hotel (sort of a business center). Tomorrow I'll try to enable data access on the cell phone so we can stay connected.

Tomorrw we visit the Bethlehem Bible College, have lunch at the Arab League Society, and will spend the afternoon touring the area.

For now everyone's tired except for the few intrepid souls sitting on the patio under the full moon enjoying converstation and the spirits in which they are shared (!).