Savannah Georgia U.S.A.
Summer 1992

As the plane approached from the Atlantic Ocean over the east coast of America our pilot pointed out the vast area below, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Centre, we were approaching Orlando Airport. I would be visiting my Daughter Ruth who lived in Savannah Georgia, but first there were other important matters on my mind. I had been in touch with our friends from the Orlando Fire Department whom I had first met in Bedford some two years before; they had offered me overnight accommodation before continuing my Journey by train the next day. They were good to their word and met me in the airport lounge in fact they had a staff car waiting for me. Bill and Natan were based at the same fire station in Orlando.

We were pleased to meet up, I had shown them around Kempston Fire Station in the U.K. and Headquarters the Previous year and they had enjoyed their visit. During the journey to Bill’s home they asked me if I would care to join them that evening, they would be attending Choir Practice. Well, this was something new and I have no singing voice, but always looking at a change from routine; my reply, “Yes I would be pleased to.”
My room was comfortable and quiet; the apartment was on a small private estate with its own outdoor swimming pool. “Mick if you fancy swims please use the pool or there is a lake over there, but be careful that may have gaiters swimming around,” I made my decision instantly it would be the pool. “Thanks I will have a swim in the morning.”
After changing we set off to attend choir practice, things were not quite as I had expected but much to my likening and a pleasant surprise. Choir Practice was an exclusive club for all emergency services, Police Fire and Ambulance.

This Club was for family use and well used. It was a very pleasant evening with very nice people; so good to meet others in the same profession.

After a good night’s sleep and a swim next morning Natan took me to the rail station. I was soon aboard the 1255 Silver Meteor to Savannah via Jacksonville, we arrived on time at 1853 and my daughter Ruth met me at the rail station. It was a pleasant journey and I enjoy train transport.

I arrived midweek, later in the evening John (Ruth’s Husband) arrived home he was a cook in a local hotel. After the usual small talk about the weather John had something to discuss. “Well, this black guy at work, he’s a very nice sort of chap and he keeps asking me to church, he wants us to go on Sunday.” “Fine by me” says Ruth, they both looked at me. “Yes I will give it a go, how long is the service?” “It goes on all day but we don’t have to stay that long.” “Fine, an hour and a half is about my limit” I replied. John smiled, “He will be pleased, I will tell him in the morning.”
Sunday soon arrived and John’s friend was at the door at 0950 with three cars one for John and one for Ruth and me plus an escort car. At the meeting room we were given a very warm welcome by everybody, we were the only three white persons in the congregation of about 150. It was a happy clappy service with everybody taking part; we were from time to time reassured about out safety by the man in charge.

The meeting had no set service and anybody that so wished could get to their feet and speak, during which there were many interjections, “Praise the lord, yes man, amen, hallelujah.” And not without the body swings to the many hymns and choruses, at one time the minister addressed us individually. Sir, have you anything you wish to share with us, have you a song in mind?” Ruth and John gave a polite, “No thank you.” I knew I would be next. “You Sir, do you wish to address us?” “I wish to thank you for the invitation, and the warm welcome you have given us, I have found this a very interesting meeting, I am pleased I came to meet you.” “God bless you sir.”

We had been at the meeting nearly two hours, I indicated to the man that had invited us and Ruth that I wished to leave. We quietly left the building, but so did many others, “don’t worry we will get you home safe.” I looked around it was an area of the town that was rather run down, and no white people. Then it dawned on me, we were being guarded and all these people they were our bodyguards. We had a safe return and said goodbye to our friends. Later in the day I learned we were the only white people ever to visit this church. The above, I thought worth recording.

Israel
Monday 22nd August 1994

Flying from London Gatwick to Tel Aviv, and then to see all the interesting sites that are recorded in the Bible. That was what I had in mind for this trip, In fact I only managed a fraction of what I intended to see but it was without a doubt an interesting holiday and some of my memories I thought worth recording.

On the evening of arrival I had taken the necessary precaution of booking a moderately priced hotel, which would be convenient to explore my surrounds the next day, and give me time to find a suitable place for the next few days. I decided on the Hotel Ron situated at 44 Jaffa Road. This was an interesting hotel with some history, right opposite is Zion Square.

I had a room at the front with a balcony, it was from this balcony that Menachem Begin made his first speech after the establishment of the state of Israel; I also stood on that balcony.

The next morning I found a backpackers hostel in the old city which was cheap and a scruffy but I have been in worst places. Tuesday and Wednesday were most enjoyable exploring the city center. I met up with a pleasant American man his name was Jeff, we were on the roof together in the same hostel. Jeff was a Messianic Jew, they are a small group of Jews who differ from the majority in that they accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and all that he has said as written in the New Testament. Jeff was interesting and informative. He asked me if I would visit Bethlehem and Hebron with him on Thursday 25th, that sounded like a good idea and I agreed. I knew about Bethlehem, but nothing about Hebron.

Thursday 25th August

Come Thursday we set off on a bus and did the usual Tourist visits, then departed from Bethlehem in a Sherut Taxi service, a large white Stretch Mercedes. It is a shared service and puts down and takes on passengers as and when. Very convent and reasonably priced, however the taxi driver knew something we did not.

When we arrived, and on alighting from the taxi we asked the driver “which way to the tombs please?” He indicated by pointing his hand, I was not sure at the time if he understood us. The whole town seemed deserted and there appeared to be no directions. We were trying to locate and visit the resting place known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, a famous historical site revered by Jews and Muslims. It is the most famous site in Hebron. Over and around the cave itself churches, synagogues and
Mosques have been built throughout history.

After walking a few minutes Jeff decided to take a road to the left, we stepped over some barbed wire that had been laid across the street.

Suddenly and without warning two Israeli solders came out of a side alley, one pointed his gun at us, We both instinctively put our hands up, the other who appeared to be an officer spoke, I did not understand the language; Jeff said “American” both solders looked at me, “English.” “Ah, good I speak English, What are you doing hear?” Jeff replied, “We have come to see the caves” “Don’t you know, they are closed, it is to dangerous to be hear; you are under arrest.”

We were quickly taken to an army post were a few other solders were gathered. The Officer explained. “You are hear with us for your own protection, because today it is six months since a massacre took place, and there is a strike, nobody is working.”

“We will get you out safe but not yet, you will have to wait hear with us.” The officer went into a small hut, and the other solders stood around watching us. Jeff was muttering to himself, “What are you saying Jeff?” “Prayers,” “Better say one for me then.”

After about 15 minutes the officer returned, “Now in about 20 minutes an Army bus will come down this road the door will open and you will get on board, we the Israeli Army will take you to a place of safety” We were out in the open and it was blistering hot with no shelter, but I felt safe, I am not sure how Jeff felt he was very quiet.

Sure enough twenty minutes later an Army bus came down the road, the door opened, we thanked the solders and quickly got on the bus. We had an army escort with ten solders. They were to take us through the town and put us on the bus to Jerusalem. As we drove back through the town, I could sense the tension; I was seated next to an attractive young female solder, they were all armed. I kept my head down and a few missiles hit the bus, the young lady smiled saying, “don’t worry it is normal.” after some distance we pulled up in a residential area, there was another bus waiting to take us to Jerusalem. We both felt much relived, and we were grateful to the Israeli Army, Jeff was smiling again.

That was an interesting day out and I was not to disappointed we did not achieve our goal. The next day Jeff decided to visit Mt. Masada, I wanted to find the caves under Jerusalem and go on a guided tour of the city.

Background

On the 25th February 1994 Baruch Goldstein a Jewish settler, stepped through the green doors of the Mosque and opened fire on the Muslims as they knelt with their backs towards him in prayer; 29 were killed.

Friday 26th

Today my interest was drawn to what is known as Zedekiah’s Cave or Solomon’s Quarries, a deep underground walk and quite well lit. A good tour, I also walked over the old city wall and some of the rooftops. On arrival back at the hostel I met up with Jeff, he had been on a trip into the Judean Desert. He described the trip as well worth seeing; I decided to go on a tour the next day. I have placed description and short history below.

Masada

Masada: (Hebrew for fortress), is situated at the top an isolated mountain at the western end of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. It is a place of gaunt and majestic beauty. On the east side of the mountain there is a sheer drop of about 450 meters to the Dead Sea (the lowest point on earth, some 400 m. below sea level) and in the west it stands about 100 meters above the surrounding terrain. The natural approaches to the mountain top are very difficult.
King Herod in 40 B.C. fled from Jerusalem to Masada with his family in at a time of danger. Later he fortified and furnished the citadel as a refuge fearing” an attack from Jewish people” and one “more serious from Cleopatra of Egypt”. Most of Herodian buildings and fortifications were erected apparently between 37 and 31 B.C. A Roman garrison was probably stationed here from 6 to 66 A.D, when, at the outbreak of the Jewish War, Menahem, son of Judah the Galilean captured Masada at the head of a band of Zealots. After Menahem was murdered in Jerusalem by Jewish rivals, his nephew Eleazar ben Yair escaped to Masada where he became its “tyrant” until its fall in 73 A.D. During these years Masada served as a place of refuge for all who were in danger of capture.

After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Masada remained the only point of Jewish resistance. Few surviving Jewish fighters that managed to travel across the Judean Mountains joined the defenders of Masada, and it became the rebels’ base for raiding operations.
In 72 A.D. The Roman governor Flavius Silva resolved to suppress this outpost of resistance. He marched against Masada at the head of the Tenth Legion, its auxiliary troops, and thousands of Jewish war prisoners, a total ten to fifteen thousand people. The troops prepared for a long siege; they established eight camps at the base of the Masada rock and surrounded it with a high wall, leaving no escape for rebels.
Then the Romans started to build an assault ramp to the top; thousands of slaves, many of them Jewish, completed the task in nine months. After the ramp was complete the Romans moved a battering ram up to direct it against the wall.

They broke the stone wall, but the defenders managed to build a wall of earth and wood that was flexible and hard to break. Eventually Romans managed to destroy it by fire, and decided to enter the fortress the next day.
At night Eleazar gathered all the defenders and persuaded them to kill themselves rather than fall into the hands of the Romans. The people set fire to their personal belongings, and then ten people chosen by a lottery killed everyone else and then committed suicide. In the morning the Romans entered a silent fortress and found only dead bodies. Two women and five children survived the mass suicide by hiding in a cave.

Saturday 27th

I decided to take the early morning start therefore I would see the sunrise over the Dead Sea and Jordanian Coast. I arose early at 0300, I had been instructed to go to the Jaffa gate and meet the mini bus at 0400. I made my way to the front door of the hostel, let myself out, it was as black as Nooketts knocker (as my mother used to say) pitch black darkness. I knew the general direction so I felt my way along the buildings and eventually made it, the bus was waiting. The journey to the start point was uneventful. We were to climb the snake path up to the summit. There were a total of about 50 in our party and we all arrived in mini busses.

The gates were opened and we set off, I noticed at the front of the column and at the rear the two guides were armed with rifles, I asked one “Why are you armed?” “Bandits may be in the area.” was his short reply, I am not sure whether that was the real reason. I had a good supply of water as instructed and took up a position near the middle of the column, progress was slow due to the darkness and the climb was steep. It was still dark when we arrived at the summit. We were in for a magnificent view as the sun rose over the Jordanian Hills and the Dead Sea there was a slight haze, it soon cleared what a glorious sight.

Mount Masada

 

Moscow

Berlin late in 1989 getting my bit of the Wall