Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
After just a couple of days in Palestine, I was really impressed by how much fun it was to
simply be there. I sensed a resilience, a welcoming spirit, and a warmth that was striking.
While I rarely saw fellow Americans, everywhere I went, I heard over and over, “Wel-
come to Palestine!” It's as if people were just thrilled that they have a name for their coun-
try…and someone from the outside world was there to see their flags flapping in the West
Bank breeze.
Driving through the Palestinian countryside, the vistas feel timeless—I couldn't help
but imagine Abraham, Jesus, or Muhammad traversing these same valleys. One place that
stole my heart was a natural preserve for hiking near the village of Battir, west of Beth-
lehem. A fine trail snaked along terraces that defined this terrain in ancient times. These
3,000-year-old “Biblical Terraces” were lined with stately and graceful olive trees.
Here in the Holy Land, the land itself is holy to its inhabitants. For Palestinians, the
olive tree—a symbol of steadfastness and faith in the future—is a kind of lifeblood for the
culture. The tree of poor people, it gives without taking. As they say, “It was planted by
our grandfathers for us to eat, and we plant it for our grandchildren to eat.”
