Nov 7: We headed up to Mount Carmel where we got views of the Jezreel Valley and the Israel Air Force. The Armageddon in Revelation 16:16-17:14 took place here. Next up was a visit to Meggido, including a walk through the tunnel that Meggido residents used to get water from the springs. We then went to Nazareth the hometown of Jesus. In Nazareth we visited Nazareth Village was a re-enactment of life in a farm and Galilean village during Jesus’s time 2000 years ago.
Our hotel in the Sea of Galilee region is in Tiberias - the Gai Beach Hotel, a resort hotel along the Sea of Galilee. The pool area is a perfect spot to enjoy a sunrise or sunset. A couple blocks away there is a large outdoor mall with stores, restaurants, and music – great place to be for nightlife. Gai Beach is in an excellent location though the rooms could use an update.
Nov 8: We started with a morning boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and we had a worship session with another boat of visitors. Many of Jesus’s miracles occurred on the Sea of Galilee including walking on the water and calming a storm (Psalm 107:29-30; Luke 8:22-25). We then visited the Mount of Beautitudes where Jesus gave a sermon (Matthew 5-7). We had a fish lunch at St Peters Restaurant – we had their specialty which is St Peter’s fish. After lunch we went to Capernaum, the town where Jesus chose some of his first disciples. Here we also saw the remains of Peter’s house and an ancient synagogue whose foundations date back to the time of Jesus. Next we went to Tabgha, traditional site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes (Jn. 6, Mk. 6), followed by a visit to the Church of Peter’s Primacy.
Sea of Galilee Region
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Israel: Mediterranean Region (Nov 5-7)
Nov 5: We all met up in JFK airport and boarded our evening flight to Tel Aviv. After arriving Israel, at Tel Aviv airport and clearing immigration we met Zoharf (our tour guide and bus driver for the trip) and boarded our bus and then we headed for Joppa, a small town a few miles south of Tel Aviv. Here, Jonah attempted to flee from God. There is also a statue of the whale that swallowed Jonah to save him from drowning. Our hotel in the Mediterranean region is the Ramada Hotel and Suites in Netanya, just north of Tel Aviv. This is hotel has nice views of the Mediterranean Sea and lies along a trail for people to jog/run/walk along the sea. There is also a small area with cafes and restaurants.
Nov 6: We started the day with a drive to Gezer where the Gezer Calendar was discovered. Then we visited the Valley of Elah where the David vs Goliath battle took place as in 1 Samual 17. We then had lunch at Elvis diner, an American diner in Abu Gosh that has a statue of Elvis. Afterwords we headed to the Biblical gardens that is filled with wineries, tomb, a good luck tower, and ponds.
Nov 7: Today started with a drive to Caeserea, the main port into Israel during the time of Jesus. We got to see the Roman theater and port. After one last picture of the Mediterranean Sea, it was time for us to head inland towards the Galiliee Region.
Nov 6: We started the day with a drive to Gezer where the Gezer Calendar was discovered. Then we visited the Valley of Elah where the David vs Goliath battle took place as in 1 Samual 17. We then had lunch at Elvis diner, an American diner in Abu Gosh that has a statue of Elvis. Afterwords we headed to the Biblical gardens that is filled with wineries, tomb, a good luck tower, and ponds.
Nov 7: Today started with a drive to Caeserea, the main port into Israel during the time of Jesus. We got to see the Roman theater and port. After one last picture of the Mediterranean Sea, it was time for us to head inland towards the Galiliee Region.
Mediterranean Region Pictures
Sunday, September 2, 2012
San Francisco: Labor Day weekend 2012
My now annual summer trip to San Francisco.
1) San Francisco neighborhood walking tours: Japantown, Chinatown including a visit to a temple, and the Financial District including the site of the First US Branch Mint which has been converted to a small Asian art museum. Interesting fact: The east part of the bay used to come to Montgomery Street and then a seawall was built in the Embarcadero area and the space between Montgomery Street and Embarcadero was filled with dirt and sand expanding San Francisco. So San Francisco east of Montgomery street was once all water.
2) Day trip to San Jose via Caltrain to visit my friend Angela. I visited her church, The Home church, which is the most diverse church I've attended. There are ministries for Americans, Chinese, Ethiopians/Africans, and Mexicans. I went with Angela and 2 of her friends to the Tech Museum - San Jose's crown jewel. Like the name implies, the museum is a hands-on display of technology and its uses. There are displays where you compose music via a touchscreen, see parts of your head mixed with those of other visitors, create a roller coaster, play with the San Jose sharks hockey goalie simulator, and feel an earthquake. We got to feel an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude which is the magnitude of the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco. We even got a group picture by an infrared camera. There is also a Farmer's Market near The Home Church with fresh fruit samples - the fruits tastes very sweet. Often overlooked in favor of San Francisco, downtown San Jose is a good place for groups of friends to hangout.
3) Segway tour of San Francisco's hills. I have done segway tours before but this was my first that involved hills. The tour started out with San Francisco Maritime where we had views of Alcatraz Island and the San Francisco skyline. The tour guide mentioned the temperature of the San Francisco Bay is around 55-60 F - makes Austin's Barton Springs pool look warm by comparison. And yes, people do swim in the bay. Then came the hills, including 2 rides down the crooked Lombard street. I have driven down Lombard, walked down it, and now Segway-ed down it. Many pedestrians took pictures of us - we were like celebrities. Segway-ing down Lombard is actually straight forward (notice the irony? haha). You just lean back slightly and turn the handlebar according to the curves. We visited some hidden neighborhoods where we had great views of Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, and the Transamerica Pyramid.
4) Walk across Golden Gate bridge, one of my San Francisco traditions. This time, there is a visitor's plaza with a gift shop, garden, information displays, and models of the bridge. One model demonstrates how the bridge responds in heavy winds, vehicle traffic, and earthquakes. Another demonstrates how cable tension affects the difficulty of raising the bridge. Lower cable tension means the bridge is easier to raise but require taller towers which cost more to build. Engineers had to balance the cost of building the towers with ease of raising the bridge. Several color patterns were considered for Golden Gate bridge - one display shows the bridge in a checkered pattern.
1) San Francisco neighborhood walking tours: Japantown, Chinatown including a visit to a temple, and the Financial District including the site of the First US Branch Mint which has been converted to a small Asian art museum. Interesting fact: The east part of the bay used to come to Montgomery Street and then a seawall was built in the Embarcadero area and the space between Montgomery Street and Embarcadero was filled with dirt and sand expanding San Francisco. So San Francisco east of Montgomery street was once all water.
2) Day trip to San Jose via Caltrain to visit my friend Angela. I visited her church, The Home church, which is the most diverse church I've attended. There are ministries for Americans, Chinese, Ethiopians/Africans, and Mexicans. I went with Angela and 2 of her friends to the Tech Museum - San Jose's crown jewel. Like the name implies, the museum is a hands-on display of technology and its uses. There are displays where you compose music via a touchscreen, see parts of your head mixed with those of other visitors, create a roller coaster, play with the San Jose sharks hockey goalie simulator, and feel an earthquake. We got to feel an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude which is the magnitude of the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco. We even got a group picture by an infrared camera. There is also a Farmer's Market near The Home Church with fresh fruit samples - the fruits tastes very sweet. Often overlooked in favor of San Francisco, downtown San Jose is a good place for groups of friends to hangout.
3) Segway tour of San Francisco's hills. I have done segway tours before but this was my first that involved hills. The tour started out with San Francisco Maritime where we had views of Alcatraz Island and the San Francisco skyline. The tour guide mentioned the temperature of the San Francisco Bay is around 55-60 F - makes Austin's Barton Springs pool look warm by comparison. And yes, people do swim in the bay. Then came the hills, including 2 rides down the crooked Lombard street. I have driven down Lombard, walked down it, and now Segway-ed down it. Many pedestrians took pictures of us - we were like celebrities. Segway-ing down Lombard is actually straight forward (notice the irony? haha). You just lean back slightly and turn the handlebar according to the curves. We visited some hidden neighborhoods where we had great views of Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, and the Transamerica Pyramid.
4) Walk across Golden Gate bridge, one of my San Francisco traditions. This time, there is a visitor's plaza with a gift shop, garden, information displays, and models of the bridge. One model demonstrates how the bridge responds in heavy winds, vehicle traffic, and earthquakes. Another demonstrates how cable tension affects the difficulty of raising the bridge. Lower cable tension means the bridge is easier to raise but require taller towers which cost more to build. Engineers had to balance the cost of building the towers with ease of raising the bridge. Several color patterns were considered for Golden Gate bridge - one display shows the bridge in a checkered pattern.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Russia - St Petersburg
Part 4 of 4
St Petersburg is often called the Venice of the North, very similar to Venice, Italy and Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was founded by Peter the Great and is Russia's second largest city. St Petersburg lies on 42 islands and has over 400 bridges and over 70 rivers and canals. Sunset is around 11:18pm and sunrise is around 4:48am. It doesn't become dark until around midnight, and even then there is still a little bit of light in the sky - this is called the white lights. Amazing it is still daylight at 11pm. Alesia served as our guide for St Petersburg.
After checking in to the Anabel Hotel at Nevskiy 88 we started our tour of St Petersburg. We visited the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood - very stunning inside and outside. The exterior design of this church was inspired by the St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. Crossing the Neva River, we visited the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Cathedral of Peter and Paul. We then had our welcome to St Petersburg dinner at Hunter's House where I was fortunate to be seated in front of a Russia-style guitar. Afterwords, we went on a boat cruise in the canals of St Petersburg and got a nice overview of the city. Around 11:30pm, 3 of us climbed over 260 steps to the dome of St Isaac's Cathedral to enjoy the sunset. It was a real workout - the key is to pace yourself and start slow. In the end, it was worth it for the views of St Petersburg, including the St Petersburg TV tower which looks like the Eiffel Tower.
The next day, we boarded a hydrofoil for an excursion across the Gulf of Finland to Peterhof. A hydrofoil is a boat with a ski-like structure on the bottom - this structure raises the boat above water and reduces drag, allowing the boat to go faster. It is basically a cruise ship that runs like a jet ski. Upon arrival at Peterhof, we visited the Grand Palace. The palace lies behind beautiful fountains. Afterwords, we went inside St Isaac's Cathedral to experience its beautiful interior including a mosaic of Jesus. Then, we visited the inside of Kazan Cathedral - another masterpiece.
The next morning, we traveled to the Imperial Winter Palace to visit the Hermitage Museum, a large gallery of paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from all over the world and from different eras. This museum has the world's largest vase (though it looks more like a bowl). In the afternoon, we traveled to Pushkin to visit the Catherine Palace. The palace was created by Catherine the Great, second wife of Peter the third, and is yet another example of exemplary design on exterior architecture and interior including a ball room and a chess game set. In the evening, we concluded our St Petersburg visit watching a Russian folk show, "Feel Yourself Russian" at Nikolayevsky Palace.
My favorite Russia pictures
St Petersburg is often called the Venice of the North, very similar to Venice, Italy and Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was founded by Peter the Great and is Russia's second largest city. St Petersburg lies on 42 islands and has over 400 bridges and over 70 rivers and canals. Sunset is around 11:18pm and sunrise is around 4:48am. It doesn't become dark until around midnight, and even then there is still a little bit of light in the sky - this is called the white lights. Amazing it is still daylight at 11pm. Alesia served as our guide for St Petersburg.
After checking in to the Anabel Hotel at Nevskiy 88 we started our tour of St Petersburg. We visited the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood - very stunning inside and outside. The exterior design of this church was inspired by the St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. Crossing the Neva River, we visited the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Cathedral of Peter and Paul. We then had our welcome to St Petersburg dinner at Hunter's House where I was fortunate to be seated in front of a Russia-style guitar. Afterwords, we went on a boat cruise in the canals of St Petersburg and got a nice overview of the city. Around 11:30pm, 3 of us climbed over 260 steps to the dome of St Isaac's Cathedral to enjoy the sunset. It was a real workout - the key is to pace yourself and start slow. In the end, it was worth it for the views of St Petersburg, including the St Petersburg TV tower which looks like the Eiffel Tower.
The next day, we boarded a hydrofoil for an excursion across the Gulf of Finland to Peterhof. A hydrofoil is a boat with a ski-like structure on the bottom - this structure raises the boat above water and reduces drag, allowing the boat to go faster. It is basically a cruise ship that runs like a jet ski. Upon arrival at Peterhof, we visited the Grand Palace. The palace lies behind beautiful fountains. Afterwords, we went inside St Isaac's Cathedral to experience its beautiful interior including a mosaic of Jesus. Then, we visited the inside of Kazan Cathedral - another masterpiece.
The next morning, we traveled to the Imperial Winter Palace to visit the Hermitage Museum, a large gallery of paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from all over the world and from different eras. This museum has the world's largest vase (though it looks more like a bowl). In the afternoon, we traveled to Pushkin to visit the Catherine Palace. The palace was created by Catherine the Great, second wife of Peter the third, and is yet another example of exemplary design on exterior architecture and interior including a ball room and a chess game set. In the evening, we concluded our St Petersburg visit watching a Russian folk show, "Feel Yourself Russian" at Nikolayevsky Palace.
My favorite Russia pictures
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Russia - Novgorod
Part 3 of 4
Novgorod is a nice small town with culture. Dimitri (aka Mitri) served as our tour guide in Novgorod.
In the morning, we visited the Novgorod Kremlin which surrounds the St Sophia Cathedral. We also saw the Millennium Monument which symbolizes Russia's growth and power.
In the afternoon, we visited the Yuriev Monastery and then the open air Museum of Wooden Architeture, consisting of wooden izbas (village houses), chapels, and churches. These old buildings have been preserved, inside and outside. Going inside the izbas you get to know how Russians lived long time ago. We also saw a wedding march at the open air museum - wedding marches happen frequently during summer in Russia. We had dinner at Yurievskoe Podvorie, a charming country-style restaurant near the open air museum. The restaurant lies near a garden of wildflowers. During dinner, we got treated to a special surprise Russian folk dance.
After dinner, a group of us went to the beach inside the Kremlin. We walked in the river and people-watch. Though we were in Russia, I felt like it was my USA Independence Day celebration (we were in Novgorod on July 4). We overnighted at the Hotel Volkhov.
In the afternoon, we visited the Yuriev Monastery and then the open air Museum of Wooden Architeture, consisting of wooden izbas (village houses), chapels, and churches. These old buildings have been preserved, inside and outside. Going inside the izbas you get to know how Russians lived long time ago. We also saw a wedding march at the open air museum - wedding marches happen frequently during summer in Russia. We had dinner at Yurievskoe Podvorie, a charming country-style restaurant near the open air museum. The restaurant lies near a garden of wildflowers. During dinner, we got treated to a special surprise Russian folk dance.
After dinner, a group of us went to the beach inside the Kremlin. We walked in the river and people-watch. Though we were in Russia, I felt like it was my USA Independence Day celebration (we were in Novgorod on July 4). We overnighted at the Hotel Volkhov.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Russia - Golden Ring
Part 2 of 4
We departed Moscow in the morning and headed for the Golden Ring, a region of small cities (such as Sergiev Posad, Suzdal, and Vladimir) northeast of Moscow.
We traveled to Sergiev Posad to visit the Holy Trinity Lavra. It consists of 3 cathedrals and is the center of Russian Orthodox Christianity. There is also a flea market place outside the Holy Trinity. We then traveled to Suzdal and had a special dinner with a Russian family. Their home functions as a lodge for visitors and it has a room for hosting large groups. The Russian dinner consisted of salad (with vegetables from their garden), cucumbers dipped in salt water (almost like pickles), mushroom soup, pork with potatoes, apple pastry, and tea. We spent the night in Vladimir, at Hotel Prince Vladimir. The shower unit looks like a spaceship and has several high tech features, though I couldn't figure out how to use them.
The next day we met our tour guide Elena for Suzdal and Vladimir. We explored churches and monsteries in Suzdal. Churches often have 5 domes, representing Jesus and the 4 Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Suzdal is a beautiful country town in Russia and lies along the Kamenka River. At St. Euthymius Monastery, we watched a bell performance. The bell performance consists of a one person orchestra. He uses his hands and feet to control cords connected to the 16 bells. Amazing he could pull it off.
In the afternoon, we went to Vladimir. We visited the Assumption Cathedral and the Golden Gate. The Golden Gate was constructed in the middle of the 12th century and remains the only preserved Russian city gate, though it was modified when reconstructed in the 18th century. Today, the Golden Gate functions as a museum. Visitors can climb 65 steps to enjoy the exhibits and a nice view of Vladimir.
Late afternoon, we traveled back to Moscow to board our overnight train to Novgorod.
We departed Moscow in the morning and headed for the Golden Ring, a region of small cities (such as Sergiev Posad, Suzdal, and Vladimir) northeast of Moscow.
We traveled to Sergiev Posad to visit the Holy Trinity Lavra. It consists of 3 cathedrals and is the center of Russian Orthodox Christianity. There is also a flea market place outside the Holy Trinity. We then traveled to Suzdal and had a special dinner with a Russian family. Their home functions as a lodge for visitors and it has a room for hosting large groups. The Russian dinner consisted of salad (with vegetables from their garden), cucumbers dipped in salt water (almost like pickles), mushroom soup, pork with potatoes, apple pastry, and tea. We spent the night in Vladimir, at Hotel Prince Vladimir. The shower unit looks like a spaceship and has several high tech features, though I couldn't figure out how to use them.
The next day we met our tour guide Elena for Suzdal and Vladimir. We explored churches and monsteries in Suzdal. Churches often have 5 domes, representing Jesus and the 4 Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Suzdal is a beautiful country town in Russia and lies along the Kamenka River. At St. Euthymius Monastery, we watched a bell performance. The bell performance consists of a one person orchestra. He uses his hands and feet to control cords connected to the 16 bells. Amazing he could pull it off.
In the afternoon, we went to Vladimir. We visited the Assumption Cathedral and the Golden Gate. The Golden Gate was constructed in the middle of the 12th century and remains the only preserved Russian city gate, though it was modified when reconstructed in the 18th century. Today, the Golden Gate functions as a museum. Visitors can climb 65 steps to enjoy the exhibits and a nice view of Vladimir.
Late afternoon, we traveled back to Moscow to board our overnight train to Novgorod.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Russia - Moscow
Part 1 of 4
I joined a group of 24 people, from Austin and San Antonio, on a trip to Russia.
We arrived at Moscow's Domodedovo airport in the afternoon. We met our tour guide Yulia (Julia in English) and transferred to Hotel Katerina Park. Katerina Park offers free breakfast, free wi-fi, and a free minibar. This is the first hotel I've stayed that offers a free minibar. We then had a welcome to Moscow dinner at a traditional Russian Restaurant and explored Old Arbat Street. In Moscow, sunset is around 10:17pm (which means it isn't dark until 11pm) and sunrise is around 4:47am. Made for some very long daylight. Moscow is the capital of Russia, and is Russia's largest city with 11.5 million inhabitants. Many people live in country towns outside of Moscow and commute into the city for work.
The next day we started with a panoramic tour of Moscow, visiting the Moscow State University (one of the 7 sisters in Moscow - they have the same exterior shape), World War II Memorial, the Red Square, and the Moscow Kremlin. At the Red Square, we visited the St Basil's Cathedral and then had lunch at the GUM - Russia's largest department store. The exterior design of St Basil's Cathedral fits my initial image of Russia with colorful onion shaped domes. Russians hold their cathedrals in high regard. The main reason for the onion shaped domes is it would allow the snow to roll off instead of becoming stuck on the roofs. Too much snow can damage the roofs due to excess weight. We also got treated to a choir performance at St Basils. It was interesting, if a bit unsettling, to be standing in the middle of the site of many Russia military marchings. We also got to see the changing of the guards. In the afternoon, we visited the Moscow Kremlin including the Czar Cannon (world's largest cannon) and Czar Bell (world's largest bell). Before the bell could be cast, a large hole developed as a result of a fire in 1737, and the bell never rang. We concluded the afternoon at Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In the evening, a group of us had dinner at a nice restaurant/bar/dance place near the river. After dinner we danced a couple of songs. We weren't the best but we enjoyed ourselves. And at least we had the courage to go out on the dance floor.
The next morning we visited the Tretiakov State Gallery, with a large collection of Russian art and artifacts. We then had lunch at My My (pronounced Moo Moo), a cafeteria style Russian restaurant that Yulia recommended. We did a tour of the Moscow subway. Some of the stations, especially the ones built between the 1930's and 1950's, are like art museums with statues, mosaics, and marble floors. Russians are proud of their subway system. Afterwords, we checked out the Izmailovsky Flea Market featuring Russian souvenirs.
My favorite Russia pictures
I joined a group of 24 people, from Austin and San Antonio, on a trip to Russia.
We arrived at Moscow's Domodedovo airport in the afternoon. We met our tour guide Yulia (Julia in English) and transferred to Hotel Katerina Park. Katerina Park offers free breakfast, free wi-fi, and a free minibar. This is the first hotel I've stayed that offers a free minibar. We then had a welcome to Moscow dinner at a traditional Russian Restaurant and explored Old Arbat Street. In Moscow, sunset is around 10:17pm (which means it isn't dark until 11pm) and sunrise is around 4:47am. Made for some very long daylight. Moscow is the capital of Russia, and is Russia's largest city with 11.5 million inhabitants. Many people live in country towns outside of Moscow and commute into the city for work.
The next day we started with a panoramic tour of Moscow, visiting the Moscow State University (one of the 7 sisters in Moscow - they have the same exterior shape), World War II Memorial, the Red Square, and the Moscow Kremlin. At the Red Square, we visited the St Basil's Cathedral and then had lunch at the GUM - Russia's largest department store. The exterior design of St Basil's Cathedral fits my initial image of Russia with colorful onion shaped domes. Russians hold their cathedrals in high regard. The main reason for the onion shaped domes is it would allow the snow to roll off instead of becoming stuck on the roofs. Too much snow can damage the roofs due to excess weight. We also got treated to a choir performance at St Basils. It was interesting, if a bit unsettling, to be standing in the middle of the site of many Russia military marchings. We also got to see the changing of the guards. In the afternoon, we visited the Moscow Kremlin including the Czar Cannon (world's largest cannon) and Czar Bell (world's largest bell). Before the bell could be cast, a large hole developed as a result of a fire in 1737, and the bell never rang. We concluded the afternoon at Cathedral of Christ the Savior. In the evening, a group of us had dinner at a nice restaurant/bar/dance place near the river. After dinner we danced a couple of songs. We weren't the best but we enjoyed ourselves. And at least we had the courage to go out on the dance floor.
The next morning we visited the Tretiakov State Gallery, with a large collection of Russian art and artifacts. We then had lunch at My My (pronounced Moo Moo), a cafeteria style Russian restaurant that Yulia recommended. We did a tour of the Moscow subway. Some of the stations, especially the ones built between the 1930's and 1950's, are like art museums with statues, mosaics, and marble floors. Russians are proud of their subway system. Afterwords, we checked out the Izmailovsky Flea Market featuring Russian souvenirs.
My favorite Russia pictures
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