Sea of Galilee Day 6

So....after the nun incident, we headed up to the Sea of Galilee, where we visited the ancient cities of Korazim and Capernaum, now in ruins. We made our way to the area of the loaves and the fishes, as well as the spot where Jesus said to Peter, "feed my sheep." It's a beautiful, quiet, green space, shaded by sycamore trees, along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The sea is quite clear, and it's beautiful.

From there, we went to a fish restaurant, and the fish was delicious. I wasn't brave enough to eat the whole fish, and settled with the fish filets. I've noticed more and more during the tour, our tour guide, Johnny, is somewhat of a disappointment.

I haven't figured out as to whether or not he has other things on his mind, or if he's annoyed by the people, or if he's disgusted with the fact that people aren't answering his questions. He doesn't really check in with anyone about how they're doing, or if we're having a good time, or anything. From what he was propped up to be, I'm still waiting for that moment where he's actually going to look concerned about how we, his group, are doing...

I wish we had Ace......at least he actually knew people's names without their name tags. And, periodically he would talk with individuals on a one on one basis to see how they were doing or how they were liking everything. Johnny on the other hand, is more concerned about talking to the bus driver, or 3 people on the trip...and no one else.1

We went near Tiberias and were able to enjoy a boat ride on the Galilean Sea. The sea was pretty calm, and the weather was perfect. You could see the Golan Heights off in the distance. From there, we went to a kibbutz where we learned about and saw a fishing. We got an early start this morning, and what boat that was taken in the 1960's and preserved. IT WAS AMAZING!

After the boat ride and kibbutz visit we then went to the Jordan River to a spot where everyone could be baptized. I didn't think that I was going to do it. But then I have to thank Diane for putting things into perspective, and encouraging me to do it.

It was a very emotional thing for me. It was a beautiful grotto, and everyone is so supportive of everyone else. I have a hard time keeping a dry eye every time we do a baptism in church, let alone my own. Again, I felt my soul fill with the Holy Spirit and felt alive again. It was another one of those moments where I heard my mom and dad's voices saying, "you HAVE to do this."

I still have a hard time talking about the experience without feeling a lump in my throat. But, it was the right thing, and the experience was what it ought to be.

After that, we headed back into Tiberius to visit some diamond broker, as Israel's number one source of income is diamonds. After sitting through the presentation and being descended upon by a bunch of harpy eagles dancing around their prey, we were led through the showroom. Fortunately for me, I know nothing about jewelry and therefore know enough not to engage in eye contact or a conversation with anyone. And then....I realized my fly was down the whole time we were in this jewelry gallery....

Oh well...

I think I'm ready for a glass of booze right about now.....