16 June 2008
Highlights!
Great sailing
Flares sighted towards Gaza
We unexpectedly visit Jerusalem
Photos:
Goodbye Ibis II and friends we have made
David, Cath and Hasan - our Rally Leaders
We are the last yacht to leave the moorings at around 12.00 midday. We are very late and although supposed to get away around 9.00 am, it appears the authorities are on a go-slow in processing our passports. Richard and I are walking around making sure everyone gets their mooring lines away okay and assisting when Movimiento has its anchor fouled under three others laid at right angles. Already the local traffic is allowed into the area and there is a rising crescendo of traffic noise behind us, horns tooting, locals talking to us over the barrier etc. The heat and dust are building and it is a relief when the last boat moves away and we are free to go. Our skipper jumps on board and we throw off the mooring lines quickly as have everything ready to go. We motor out into the Suez Canal, accompanied by the Pilot boat and head the half mile back out into the Mediterranean. We can see the fleet some distance ahead in the brown water and it is some time and well clear of the entrance before we see a line of separation where the water changes colour from brown to ‘sort of’ blue. We have been promised a good sailing breeze and are not disappointed as the 18 knot SW breeze settles in and Ibis II is soon clipping along in good clear water and catching the stragglers in the 50 strong fleet of yachts. Our top speed for the day turns out to be 8.8 knots and we are close to this fairly quickly having amazing fun with the engine off for once and just the breeze and sound of the hull.
Hasan throws the Egyptian Pizza bread I have bought for lunch over the side, telling us that Egyptian Pizza made two of their sailors very sick one year and killed their parrot! We revert to our old favourite of tuna filled rolls. As the afternoon slips by we eat up the miles and soon we are preparing for our night watches. I try and make dinner but the boat is on an acute angle and the milk falls out of the fridge door and spills through the bilge. It is a bit of a marathon but we eventually feast on a white bean casserole with garlic, onions and tomatoes and fresh white aubergine and green beans.
I try and get some rest as am a little short on sleep, but there is a bit of drama unfolding just after dark and the chatter on the VHF keeps me listening. Flares have been sighted in the night sky off to starboard, spotted by Richard and also reported by several of our fleet. It may be a boat in trouble, so David on our lead boat Mashona pinpoints the approx location and calls on VHF and SSB to Haifa Radio. It is some time before he receives an acknowledgement and in the meantime puts out a Securite message to all shipping reporting the sighting. We are all very aware that we are approx 60 NM off Gaza and it may be military action, but we cannot ignore it. We have done all we can and sail on. We hear no more. The most probable scenario was diversionary flares for heat seeking missiles precluding military action/helicopters going in to Gaza.
An uneventful night follows – the wind dies out around 10 pm and the motor is on for the remainder of the passage until our arrival in Herzliya Marina around 12.00 midday in millpond calm seas.
Herzliya North of Tel Aviv is described in the Israel book as “haunt of the rich and beautiful” exclusive resort named after Theodore Herzl, founder of Zionism. Gorgeous beaches in opposite extremes nearby are – Shefayim Nudist Beach and Separate Beach which caters to the very religious. Alas we do not find the time in the 4 days we are here to check one of them out! The shopping mall on the marina is a mass of trendy designer stores with fabulous goods for sale and fabulous prices too, but we are more interested in the hot showers, washing machines and internet connection which all seem to work – touch wood.
It is hot – sooooo hot. We are all sweating profusely with rivulets running down our faces. We keep up the drinks, anything we can find goes down well. The local beer is a treat. There is a mad rush to get ready for the final gala dinner to be held outside on the marina. It turns out to be a great do and plenty of antics as we all let off steam! Yaaaaay! No more night passages, no more tours, no more pressure… but we are all secretely sad that so many goodbyes are coming up, that this wonderful experience is over and we are all moving on. Suddenly we all know each other and we party on into the night. Richard is not too good with a touch of Egyptian tummy but he is not the only one in this state.
Richard and I are due to travel to Slovenia tomorrow, to see a boat we have been discussing on the email for some time now. However we hear that the survey won’t be until next week so we change our flight bookings (a marathon to achieve in Israel) and plan an unscheduled overnight trip to Jerusalem instead.
Jerusalem!
We set off with a borrowed guide book the day after we have recovered from the final dinner, and spent some hours packing up ready to leave Israel. Our bags are taking up most of the saloon in Ibis II and Hasan is being incredibly tolerant.
It is an easy bus trip from Herzliya to Tel Aviv and then on to Jerusalem which is good because we are somewhat dazed by the extreme heat (must be 40 degrees plus each day) and a sense of unreality. We arrive around 2 pm and find wonderful lodgings at the Lutheran Guest House within the walls of the old city near to the Jaffa Gate. It has a large wooden arched door in a sandstone wall off an alley, but opens out into a cool green courtyard.
A quick freshen up and we immediately plunge into the narrow streets of the Christian Quarter and find our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Here in the courtyard the Roman Soldiers stripped Jesus and divided his clothes amongst themselves. Inside we walk around the XI to XIV Stations of the Cross where Jesus was crucified and died and was finally placed in his tomb. We find our way through several large chapels and down several flights of stairs to a tiny cavern probably 3 levels down underneath. This is where the 3 crosses were recovered around the time of 70 years AD. It is a serene and cool place and we quietly sit there and try to contemplate the antiquity and meaning of this incredibly holy site. The quietness is punctuated by several tourist guides bringing their groups through and we move on.
The Western Wall – Wailing Wall is our next stop and I make the mistake of walking towards it with Richard – but noooo – men only in this part and I have to go with the women to the segregated place for women only. When there is a space I walk up and touch the stone wall, saying my own private prayer but feeling like a bit of a fraud really, because I have no way of even imagining the depth of feeling being poured out all around me and the hands which have touched the same space. I am awed by it all.
The number of times this city has been built up and then razed to the ground through the ages is staggering. We read that this wall is the foundation of the original Temple Mount which was destroyed and this is all that remains.
The next morning we are up early to make the most of the day. It is our plan to see several sites but alas it is not to be as it is Saturday, the Sabath and everything stops. We walk through the Jewish quarter towards the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount but it is closed – reserved for Muslim worshippers only. We pass under the Dung Gate through to the outside of the Old City Wall. As we walk the perimeter in the blistering heat past a huge excavation site, we look across at the Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of all Nations and St Mary Magdalene with their gold topped spires. We cannot make it over there. Already we are struggling in the heat and slip back in through the Lion’s Gate into the shaded alleyways, slowly exploring the I – VII Stations of the Cross towards the Tower of David.
We are hoping to get on to an advertised bus tour of the city for the afternoon, but find that does not run on Saturdays either.
Our walk through the Muslim Quarter is through rowdy narrow streets crammed with fascinating colourful market stalls and produce and goods for sale. It is a struggle to make it through the crowds and we are exhausted by the time we arrive back to the Jaffa Gate and head into the Museum of Jerusalem’s History set in the Citadel and Tower of David. Unfortunately we soon have to give in to the heat and exhaustion and find ourselves a quiet place to go for some rest. We are flying out of Tel Aviv the next morning at 6am so need to pace ourselves. We can highly recommend the Christian Information Centre and Christ Church Guest House near the Jaffa Gate as an absolute oasis. We enjoy the lovely cool garden to sit in for some food and drink, followed by a rest in the day room they kindly let us hire, then back to Herzliya by 8.30 pm. Details of the miles we walk to find a shared taxi for the return trip shall remain unexplored! Sorry no buses until after 9 pm!
Our farewells extend past midnight and we climb into our berth on Ibis II for the last time for a couple of hours sleep. By 3.15 am we have said our final goodbyes to Hasan who is now and will always be Whanau to us. He makes sure we have coffee and cheese and biscuits before we leave. Hasan you are a legend and we will miss you. We don’t say goodbye, just see you later!
We must look a sight with the four adults and all of our luggage, (the Big Easy’s from Alicante - Dorothy and Jesus pronounced “Hezeuss” share the taxi with us) including the two huge sail bags strapped on to the roof!
We are the last yacht to leave the moorings at around 12.00 midday. We are very late and although supposed to get away around 9.00 am, it appears the authorities are on a go-slow in processing our passports. Richard and I are walking around making sure everyone gets their mooring lines away okay and assisting when Movimiento has its anchor fouled under three others laid at right angles. Already the local traffic is allowed into the area and there is a rising crescendo of traffic noise behind us, horns tooting, locals talking to us over the barrier etc. The heat and dust are building and it is a relief when the last boat moves away and we are free to go. Our skipper jumps on board and we throw off the mooring lines quickly as have everything ready to go. We motor out into the Suez Canal, accompanied by the Pilot boat and head the half mile back out into the Mediterranean. We can see the fleet some distance ahead in the brown water and it is some time and well clear of the entrance before we see a line of separation where the water changes colour from brown to ‘sort of’ blue. We have been promised a good sailing breeze and are not disappointed as the 18 knot SW breeze settles in and Ibis II is soon clipping along in good clear water and catching the stragglers in the 50 strong fleet of yachts. Our top speed for the day turns out to be 8.8 knots and we are close to this fairly quickly having amazing fun with the engine off for once and just the breeze and sound of the hull.
Hasan throws the Egyptian Pizza bread I have bought for lunch over the side, telling us that Egyptian Pizza made two of their sailors very sick one year and killed their parrot! We revert to our old favourite of tuna filled rolls. As the afternoon slips by we eat up the miles and soon we are preparing for our night watches. I try and make dinner but the boat is on an acute angle and the milk falls out of the fridge door and spills through the bilge. It is a bit of a marathon but we eventually feast on a white bean casserole with garlic, onions and tomatoes and fresh white aubergine and green beans.
I try and get some rest as am a little short on sleep, but there is a bit of drama unfolding just after dark and the chatter on the VHF keeps me listening. Flares have been sighted in the night sky off to starboard, spotted by Richard and also reported by several of our fleet. It may be a boat in trouble, so David on our lead boat Mashona pinpoints the approx location and calls on VHF and SSB to Haifa Radio. It is some time before he receives an acknowledgement and in the meantime puts out a Securite message to all shipping reporting the sighting. We are all very aware that we are approx 60 NM off Gaza and it may be military action, but we cannot ignore it. We have done all we can and sail on. We hear no more. The most probable scenario was diversionary flares for heat seeking missiles precluding military action/helicopters going in to Gaza.
An uneventful night follows – the wind dies out around 10 pm and the motor is on for the remainder of the passage until our arrival in Herzliya Marina around 12.00 midday in millpond calm seas.
Herzliya North of Tel Aviv is described in the Israel book as “haunt of the rich and beautiful” exclusive resort named after Theodore Herzl, founder of Zionism. Gorgeous beaches in opposite extremes nearby are – Shefayim Nudist Beach and Separate Beach which caters to the very religious. Alas we do not find the time in the 4 days we are here to check one of them out! The shopping mall on the marina is a mass of trendy designer stores with fabulous goods for sale and fabulous prices too, but we are more interested in the hot showers, washing machines and internet connection which all seem to work – touch wood.
It is hot – sooooo hot. We are all sweating profusely with rivulets running down our faces. We keep up the drinks, anything we can find goes down well. The local beer is a treat. There is a mad rush to get ready for the final gala dinner to be held outside on the marina. It turns out to be a great do and plenty of antics as we all let off steam! Yaaaaay! No more night passages, no more tours, no more pressure… but we are all secretely sad that so many goodbyes are coming up, that this wonderful experience is over and we are all moving on. Suddenly we all know each other and we party on into the night. Richard is not too good with a touch of Egyptian tummy but he is not the only one in this state.
Richard and I are due to travel to Slovenia tomorrow, to see a boat we have been discussing on the email for some time now. However we hear that the survey won’t be until next week so we change our flight bookings (a marathon to achieve in Israel) and plan an unscheduled overnight trip to Jerusalem instead.
Jerusalem!
We set off with a borrowed guide book the day after we have recovered from the final dinner, and spent some hours packing up ready to leave Israel. Our bags are taking up most of the saloon in Ibis II and Hasan is being incredibly tolerant.
It is an easy bus trip from Herzliya to Tel Aviv and then on to Jerusalem which is good because we are somewhat dazed by the extreme heat (must be 40 degrees plus each day) and a sense of unreality. We arrive around 2 pm and find wonderful lodgings at the Lutheran Guest House within the walls of the old city near to the Jaffa Gate. It has a large wooden arched door in a sandstone wall off an alley, but opens out into a cool green courtyard.
A quick freshen up and we immediately plunge into the narrow streets of the Christian Quarter and find our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Here in the courtyard the Roman Soldiers stripped Jesus and divided his clothes amongst themselves. Inside we walk around the XI to XIV Stations of the Cross where Jesus was crucified and died and was finally placed in his tomb. We find our way through several large chapels and down several flights of stairs to a tiny cavern probably 3 levels down underneath. This is where the 3 crosses were recovered around the time of 70 years AD. It is a serene and cool place and we quietly sit there and try to contemplate the antiquity and meaning of this incredibly holy site. The quietness is punctuated by several tourist guides bringing their groups through and we move on.
The Western Wall – Wailing Wall is our next stop and I make the mistake of walking towards it with Richard – but noooo – men only in this part and I have to go with the women to the segregated place for women only. When there is a space I walk up and touch the stone wall, saying my own private prayer but feeling like a bit of a fraud really, because I have no way of even imagining the depth of feeling being poured out all around me and the hands which have touched the same space. I am awed by it all.
The number of times this city has been built up and then razed to the ground through the ages is staggering. We read that this wall is the foundation of the original Temple Mount which was destroyed and this is all that remains.
The next morning we are up early to make the most of the day. It is our plan to see several sites but alas it is not to be as it is Saturday, the Sabath and everything stops. We walk through the Jewish quarter towards the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount but it is closed – reserved for Muslim worshippers only. We pass under the Dung Gate through to the outside of the Old City Wall. As we walk the perimeter in the blistering heat past a huge excavation site, we look across at the Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of all Nations and St Mary Magdalene with their gold topped spires. We cannot make it over there. Already we are struggling in the heat and slip back in through the Lion’s Gate into the shaded alleyways, slowly exploring the I – VII Stations of the Cross towards the Tower of David.
We are hoping to get on to an advertised bus tour of the city for the afternoon, but find that does not run on Saturdays either.
Our walk through the Muslim Quarter is through rowdy narrow streets crammed with fascinating colourful market stalls and produce and goods for sale. It is a struggle to make it through the crowds and we are exhausted by the time we arrive back to the Jaffa Gate and head into the Museum of Jerusalem’s History set in the Citadel and Tower of David. Unfortunately we soon have to give in to the heat and exhaustion and find ourselves a quiet place to go for some rest. We are flying out of Tel Aviv the next morning at 6am so need to pace ourselves. We can highly recommend the Christian Information Centre and Christ Church Guest House near the Jaffa Gate as an absolute oasis. We enjoy the lovely cool garden to sit in for some food and drink, followed by a rest in the day room they kindly let us hire, then back to Herzliya by 8.30 pm. Details of the miles we walk to find a shared taxi for the return trip shall remain unexplored! Sorry no buses until after 9 pm!
Our farewells extend past midnight and we climb into our berth on Ibis II for the last time for a couple of hours sleep. By 3.15 am we have said our final goodbyes to Hasan who is now and will always be Whanau to us. He makes sure we have coffee and cheese and biscuits before we leave. Hasan you are a legend and we will miss you. We don’t say goodbye, just see you later!
We must look a sight with the four adults and all of our luggage, (the Big Easy’s from Alicante - Dorothy and Jesus pronounced “Hezeuss” share the taxi with us) including the two huge sail bags strapped on to the roof!
1 comment:
What an incredible time you have had participating in the rally. You both clearly will need a holiday after such a hectic time. Good luck with your offer. Hope all goes as you would like it to.
Cheers Noel and Kerrin
Post a Comment