in Palestine (2nd try)

What do I say? Where do I start?
This really is a trip into Palestine. Jericho and the Mountain of Temptation on Tuesday; I was sensible and stayed in the car park drinking ornge juice freshly squeezed and eating ice cream. The view of the monastery was good from there anyway! It was just like Rocamadour; a monastery just perched on a cliff... but no touristy pilgrim things to play with. The climb up for the others was not rewarded either. The gates were locked.

So I guess I felt a little smug even if I was feeling a bit hot.

I later learned the temperature was forty two! As bad as it had been in the Kimberley four years ago.

We returned to Jericho and there it was: The tell, the walls, the trenches. I had to see this archaeology! I went up onto Kathleen Kenyon's trench. but it was getting hot; legs were starting to go. I moved over to an explanatory board; the others were leaning over, looking at Kathleen's excavation. I could not go over... I started the return journey. The group overtook me. Doug's shoulder came to my aid; then Chris'; John took the double walking stick; Erica already had my bag. I was fortunate, my friends somehow got me down. At the end I bumped down the steps on my bum and was wheeled across the car park on an office chair!

so I stayed in the airconditioned mini bus at the Dead Sea resort and also at Qumran...
I should have written about brokenness in a retreat; about The Wall and Bethlehem; about Ramallah, today; and Sabeel... but my mind is confused, exhilarated and in turmoil. The best blog will probably be written at home.

later: Saturday night... it really was the heat; things are going a lot smoother now. it is getting close to the end and we are all tired. We were in Galilee today and returning to Jerusalem for Yom Kippur.