We flew from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv in early March to spend about three weeks exploring Israel and Jordan. The difference in culture was quite a shock. That morning on our way to the airport outside of Addis I had seen several horse drawn carts and donkeys carrying goods and people to town and when we arrived I saw many electric bicycles and motorized scooters transporting people to and from. Very different transportation options.
Tel Aviv is a hustling, bustling city of activity. People jogging and exercising up and down the beach. The market was full of people like our Pike Place Market but with equal numbers of locals and tourists. The tall skyscrapers with people coming and going, it all felt very fast paced. We had seen the same types of activities in Ethiopia: markets, people going to work, traffic but this felt like a much faster pace to us. I saw many people with to-go cups in their hands as they moved about. We found great food and great coffee and enjoyed sitting and watching all the activity. After two days of exploring we took about an hour bus ride to Jerusalem, which is a very different type of city. The old city is divided into 4 quarters: the Arabic quarter, the Jewish quarter, the Armenian quarter and the Christian quarter. It is considered one of the holiest cities for Muslims, Jews and Christians and they share many of the holy sites in and around the city. There are mosques, temples and churches all within the ancient walls and many people of deep faith choose to live near theses holy sites. For three days we explored and walked and took in as much as we could of the history and story of these ancient roads and buildings. One of my favorite times was after dinner one night we walked through the old city and wandered the narrow pathways while there were no tourists and very few people out. It was quiet and the lights were dim and it felt very serene. We were there on the eve of a holiday called Purim, which commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in Persia from Haman (read book of Esther). It’s a celebratory holiday and the kids were very excited and lots dress up in costumes, like our Halloween.
We then took a bus up north to Tiberius to the Sea of Galilee. Another beautiful area filled with religious history. We happened to be there during a momentous occasion. Every year thousands even millions of butterflies, called Painted Ladies, migrate to their breeding grounds in Europe and pass through northern Israel searching for food. This year there was record breaking numbers recorded in the billions! It was quite something to see them in swarms, unfortunately some on the windshield as well.
After a few days in the northern district of Israel we crossed the border into Jordan. We rented a car at the border and spent 8 days driving the length of the country to the southern tip. Jordan felt very different from Israel even though they share about 300 km of borderline. One of the things that stood out to us is how traditional lifestyles have survived to the modern age. We started in a small city called Ajloun, where we met with an English teacher I was put in contact with. She took us around to various schools as well as the 12th century castle in town and brought us to her home for a meal. She introduced us to the culture, history and incredible warmth of the Jordanian people. We visited Jerash, the capital Amman, the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum (we stayed in the dessert) and Aqaba, where Jim claims he experienced the best snorkeling ever. The sights were incredible, the history of the country is fascinating and the landscape beautiful but what really stands out to me are the interactions with people. Everyone was very friendly, helpful, generous and took time to get to know us. This was true in the hotels, restaurants, and on the streets both in the city and countryside. One example was a man named Mohamed who we met at our last stop in Aqaba. We met him when we went to the beach to try out snorkeling. He grew up in Aqaba and loved the Red Sea. He knew all the best places to find coral and took time to show us and sat with me and visited while Jim went exploring. He was incredibly knowledgeable and also curious and asked deep questions about how things are in the US.
Before we went, I’m embarrassed to admit, I wouldn’t have been able to quickly find Jordan on the map and all I heard in the news about the area was about conflicts and air strikes. I still don’t claim to understand the politics but, having had the opportunity to visit these places I feel much more connected to what the news is reporting and the people who are living through these conflicts. I recently read what President Obama wrote on Holocaust Remembrance Day. “And today, in our world of encroaching division and calcifying bubbles, we’ve seen once again the swiftness with which that choice-that failure to recognize ourselves in one another- can accelerate into violence. So its up to us to make a different choice- to choose empathy over apathy; to sow seeds of hope rather than hate; to embrace our shared humanity, no matter how we worship, what we look like, who we love, or where our families came from.”
Our hope is that we can hold onto these lessons as we return home. That we can continue to recognize ourselves in each other and find our shared humanity together.
We hope all of you are enjoying spring wherever you are.
Peace
Michelle and Jim
Our Travels Abroad 
Thank you for sharing your adventures and discovery Mrs. Heiser. I enjoyed it.
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