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CANCELLED
TENTATIVE PLANS FOR THE 2002 TRIP
We are in the beginning stages of planning the trip so several things could change but this will give the latest information.
Lee Middle East Study Tour, June, 2003
Starts June 11, but this is flexible.
2 Possible itineraries.
One for 18 days, packed, that includes Israel
One for 9 days that is more leisurely and has other changes but excludes Israel.
OPTION ONE BELOW (PACKED INCLUDES ISRAEL):
JUNE 11, Tuesday (1) Fly out of the US, leaving from Lee by bus or vans to
the Knoxville airport for a flight to Atlanta (OR WE COULD LEAVE FROM ATLANTA
DIRECTLY -- whatever is cheapest)! then fly Air France to Damascus, Syria
(overnight on the plane).
JUNE 12, Wednesday (2) Arrive in Damascus in the evening, check in to the
Ebla Cham hotel (or another similar one), dinner at the hotel followed by a
swim or rest; Overnight Damascus (Syria).
JUNE 13, Thursday (3) Tour of Damascus: Umayyad Mosque, Suq, Street called
Straight, Museum, dinner at the hotel and evening free (swim, rest, journal);
Overnight Damascus (Syria).
JUNE 14, Friday (4) Leave Damascus by bus and go to the Krak-des-Chevaliers
Crusader castle, then on to Syria for a boarder crossing and VISIT TO
BAALBEK, LEBANON; Overnight Baalbek or nearby (Lebanon). [1 day in Lebanon;
this is one key difference in option 1]
JUNE 15, Saturday (5) Leave Baalbek and cross back into Syria and drive to
Palmyra, tour Temple of Bel, etc., check in and dinner at Palmyra Cham hotel,
evening free; Overnight Palmyra (Syria).
JUNE 16, Sunday (6) Morning tour of Greco-Roman Palmyra continued if
necessary, tombs, museum, then travel
by bus into Jordan with and a visit of the excellent Roman city of Jerash,
and then on to Amman (Roman Philadelphia) for dinner at the hotel; Overnight
Amman at the Radison Hotel (Jordan).
JUNE 17, Monday (6) Early morning check out and quick visit to the Amman
citadel excavations and museum, then into down to visit the Roman theater,
Odeon, and Nyphaeum; then a late morning or early afternoon bus trip to
Madaba and Mt. Nebo (lunch at one place or another on your own); and finally
travel on to Petra for check in at the Petra Forum luxury hotel (CUTS KARAK
AND MUJIB); evening buffet dinner and an optional evening swim in the hotel
pool; Overnight Petra (Jordan).
JUNE 18, Tuesday (8) Buffet breakfast at hotel and CHECK OUT before going to
visit Petra, all morning and early afternoon in Petra; return to bus for
drive on to WADI RUM; overnight CAMPING in Wadi Rum (Jordan).
JUNE 19, Wednesday (9) Leave Wadi Rum and drive north on desert highway and
then west to the border crossing; crossing into Israel at the King
Hussein/Allenby bridge (CUT JORDAN BAPTISM SITE); travel north to Tiberias;
boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and dinner and overnight at the Ron Beech
Hotel (or similar); overnight Tiberias (Israel).
JUNE 20, Thursday (10) Leave Tiberias for Jerusalem via Caperneum and
Caesarea; once in Jerusalem we will visit the Israel Museum before going to
our hotel for dinner and overnight in Jerusalem (Israel).
JUNE 21, Friday (11) Early morning visit the Western Wall and the first
century archaeological excavations on the southern wall; then walk or drive
to the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of All Nations and up into the old
city again city at St. Stephens gate; then visit the Pools of Bethesda (St.
Anne's Church) and walk on to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We will exit
at the New Gate or Jaffa Gate for a short bus ride to the Garden
tomb/Gordan=s Calvary where we will have a communion service. Finally,
dinner back at the hotel and an optional walk around the Crusader walls of
the old city; Overnight Jerusalem (Israel).
JUNE 22, Saturday (12) Leave Jerusalem early and visit Qumran and then visit
Masada, cross into Egypt at Elat and drive to Cairo for a late dinner at the
hotel; Overnight Cairo (Egypt).
JUNE 23, Sunday (13) Morning visit to Saqqara and the nearby tombs of the
nobles; then on to the Great Pyramid complex (including going into the Grand
Gallery and central chamber of the Great Pyramid), visit the Sphinx complex,
then an afternoon visit to Old Cairo and Saladin's castle (including the
Alabaster Mosque). Dinner at the hotel and then the evening "Sound and Light
Show" at the Pyramids; Overnight Cairo (Egypt).
JUNE 24, Monday (14) Check out of the hotel in Cairo and spend the morning
and early afternoon at the Cairo Egyptian museum; afternoon bus to the train
for night travel along the Nile to Luxor, dinner on the train; Overnight on
the train (Egypt).
JUNE 25, Tuesday (15) Early morning visit to visit to the Valley of the Kings
(including King Tut's
tomb) and the Valley of the Queens (including Queen Nefertari's tomb); Temple
of Medinet Habu; Colossus of Memnon; Karnak Temple complex; check in and
dinner at hotel; evening visit of Luxor temple complex; Overnight Luxor
(Egypt).
JUNE 26, Wednesday (16) Early morning BUS OR TRAIN ride to ABYDOS; visit
Abydos sites and return to hotel in Luxor, dinner at the hotel; Overnight
Luxor (Egypt).
JUNE 27, Thursday (17) Morning flight back to Cairo; free day in Cairo to
shop or visit any sites previously missed; evening dinner on a ship including
a brief Nile Cruise, Overnight Cairo (Egypt)
JUNE 28, Friday (18) Early check out and flight out of Cairo to the US,
Atlanta (and then Knoxville), late arrival back in Cleveland; Overnight in
the U.S.!
END OPTION ONE
OPTION TWO BELOW (CUTS ISRAEL):
JUNE 11, Tuesday (1) Fly out of the US, leaving from Lee by bus or vans to
the Knoxville airport for a flight to Atlanta (OR WE COULD LEAVE FROM ATLANTA
DIRECTLY -- whatever is cheapest!), then fly Air France to Damascus, Syria
(overnight on the plane).
JUNE 12, Wednesday (2) Arrive in Damascus in the evening, check in to the
Ebla Cham hotel (or another similar one), dinner at the hotel followed by a
swim or rest; Overnight Damascus (Syria).
JUNE 13, Thursday (3) Tour of Damascus: Umayyad Mosque, Suq, Street called
Straight, Museum, dinner at the hotel and evening free (swim, rest, journal);
Overnight Damascus (Syria).
JUNE 14, Friday (4) Leave Damascus by bus and go to the Krak-des-Chevaliers
Crusader castle, then on to Syria for a boarder crossing and VISIT TO
BAALBEK, LEBANON; Overnight Baalbek or nearby (Lebanon).
JUNE 15, Saturday (5) Leave Baalbek and visit the cedars of Lebanon and other
sites in Lebanon per Adnon (same sites that Jerry Mattingly visits);
overnight Lebanon (2 days total in Lebanon in option 2)
JUNE 16, Sunday (6) cross back into Syria and drive to Palmyra, tour Temple
of Bel, etc., check in and dinner at Palmyra Cham hotel, evening free;
Overnight Palmyra (Syria).
JUNE 17, Monday (7) Morning tour of Greco-Roman Palmyra continued if
necessary, tombs, museum, then travel
by bus into Jordan with and a visit of the excellent Roman city of Jerash,
and then on to Amman (Roman Philadelphia) for dinner at the hotel; Overnight
Amman at the Radison Hotel (Jordan).
JUNE 18, Tuesday (8) Morning visit to the Amman citadel excavations and
museum, then down to visit the Roman theater, Odeon, and Nyphaeum; then an
afternoon bus trip to Madaba and Mt. Nebo; and an evening group dinner at the
Khan Zaman or similar restaurant in Amman; Overnight at the Radison Hotel
(Jordan).
JUNE 19, Wednesday (9) Leave Amman on the King=s Highway, go through the Wadi
Mujib (the "Grand Canyon of Jordan" if possible) and on to Karak for lunch in
Karak, visit Karak Castle, then south to visit Shobak Castle (both Crusader
sites), and on to Petra for check in at the Petra Forum luxury hotel; evening
buffet dinner and an optional evening swim in the hotel pool; Overnight Petra
(Jordan).
June 20, Thursday (10) Buffet breakfast at hotel and CHECK OUT before going
to visit Petra, all morning and early afternoon in Petra; return to bus for
drive on to WADI RUM; overnight CAMPING in Wadi Rum (Jordan).
JUNE 21, Friday (11) Leave Wadi Rum and drive south to Aqaba for border
crossing to Egypt via hovercraft on the Red Sea; visit St Catherines
monastery and dinner at a hotel and overnight in Egypt.
JUNE 22, Saturday (12) Check out and cross the Sinai and Suez Canal and on to
Cairo; check in and dinner at the hotel followed by the evening "Sound and
Light Show" at the Pyramids; Overnight Cairo (Egypt).
JUNE 23, Sunday (13) Morning visit to Saqqara and the nearby tombs of the
nobles; then on to the Great Pyramid complex (including going into the Grand
Gallery and central chamber of the Great Pyramid), visit the Sphinx complex,
then an afternoon visit to Old Cairo and Saladin's castle (including the
Alabaster Mosque). Dinner at the hotel; Overnight Cairo (Egypt).
JUNE 24, Monday (14) Check out of the hotel in Cairo and spend the morning
and early afternoon at the Cairo Egyptian museum; afternoon bus to the train
for night travel along the Nile to Luxor, dinner on the train; Overnight on
the train (Egypt).
JUNE 25, Tuesday (15) Early morning visit to visit to the Valley of the Kings
(including King Tut's
tomb) and the Valley of the Queens (including Queen Nefertari's tomb); Temple
of Medinet Habu; Colossus of Memnon; Karnak Temple complex; check in and
dinner at hotel; evening visit of Luxor temple complex; Overnight Luxor
(Egypt).
JUNE 26, Wednesday (16) Early morning BUS OR TRAIN ride to ABYDOS; visit
Abydos sites and return to hotel in Luxor, dinner at the hotel; Overnight
Luxor (Egypt).
JUNE 27, Thursday (17) Morning flight back to Cairo; free day in Cairo to
shop or visit any sites previously missed; evening dinner on a ship including
a brief Nile Cruise, Overnight Cairo (Egypt)
JUNE 28, Friday (18) Early check out and flight out of Cairo to the US,
Atlanta (and then Knoxville), late arrival back in Cleveland; Overnight in
the U.S.!
END OPTION TWO
Total = Syria 3 nights, Lebanon 2 nights, Jordan 4 nights, Egypt 7 nights (2
nights in transit)
The Wadi Rum overnight can be replaced by two nights at the Petra Forum in
either option.
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