One of the places that I was really looking forward of coming to pending my maiden trip to Israel was the Galilee – sometimes referred to as Tiberias – which was mentioned so many times in the Bible that it actually came to my imagination more than any other place mentioned in the Holy Book.
We stayed at a hotel which was located very much near to the lake that I could even see it (the lake) from the bed of my hotel room. It was not difficult to see why Jesus picked this lake to do most of his ministerial works and did many of his miracles to be immortalized in the scriptures.
The Galilee is very beautiful – there is no doubt about it. Surrounded by beautiful mountains (or rather hills – tall ones) which are probably too green for a place located in the ever-dry Middle East – the lake captivated me with its breath-taking scenery the moment I set my eyes on it.
Looking at the mountains, which reminded me a lot of the Table Mountains in South Africa, I really wished I was there as a traveler – or rather a backpacker – instead of being in a group of tourists whose itinerary (and movements) were restricted by a rather tight schedule. I mean, I couldn’t stop imagining myself hiking up the hills and taking in from one of the high cliffs the views that had for so many times come to my imagination ever since I was baptized into Christianity. Continue reading
