One Businessman's Exuberance, Excitement, and Appreciation - And it Was Only Day One of Our Tour

A successful and well-to-do building contractor came up to me at The Western Wall in Jerusalem, and told me that he was now ready to go home. His words were quite a shock to my system because it was only our first day in Jerusalem.

Waiting patiently for him to elaborate he began to pour out what he had been experiencing over these past eight or nine hours. He just could not believe what he had seen in one day.

This business man from the north of Scotland did not think we could cover in one day what we had managed to do.

We had left our very plain but very comfortable central Jerusalem hotel at eight o'clock that morning and we were driven right round the walls of the Old City.

Our hotel is situated opposite the Damascus Gate facing the ancient city walls, and right next to Golgotha and the Garden Tomb where the probable tomb of Jesus Christ was discovered over one hundred years ago.

We had driven up the Mount of Olives and enjoyed the panoramic view of the old and new city. It is exciting to point out the places where Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, and then put on trial, and then taken to the Gabatha before going to Calvary at Golgotha. These three words sum up the crux of these few hours: Gethsemane, the Gabatha, and finally Golgotha. Teaching these three words enable people to remember the significance of the final twenty hours in the life of Jesus.

After the Mount of Olives, we drove the six miles to Bethlehem and visited the place where it is said Jesus was born and having been given a special permit we were allowed to walk in the Shepherd's Fields where a sky full of angels announced the birth of Jesus to ordinary shepherds looking after their sheep.

Lunch in Bethlehem at a very special restaurant is simple but memorable.

And so, it is back to Jerusalem, and just before returning to the hotel I like to ask if anyone would wish to visit the Western Wall and walk back to the hotel. Most accept the invitation. It is only a forty minute walk through the narrow streets of Jerusalem from the Dung Gate to the Damascus Gate and across the road to our hotel.

It was at that point that my business man explained that he was ready to go home. He was not fed up or bored.

He just could not believe that he was seeing what he thought he would never see and touching things he thought he would never touch! It was moving to hear his account but when I said that each day would be better and better he refused to believe me.

Three or four days of adventure later, he quietly came up to me and said that I had been right. I would so love to take you on a very special tour of Jerusalem and Israel.

Speak about adventure! It would be difficult to improve upon twelve days there!