The Denver Jewish news., 1922-02-15
Tourists to Palestine
Easter Sunday Expected to See Many
More Americans In Jerusalem Than
Heretofore.
BY T. WALTER WILLIAMS.


1t has been estimated by travel ex-
perts on the Near East that fully 30
per cent. of the American tourists who
are going to Egypt this Winter will
make trip to Jerusalem after the
Nile season is over. Easter Sunday
occurs on April 16, when the climate
Of Palestine in the higher attitudes
is more agreeable than it is during the
Winter months The coast line from
Beirut to Jaffa is warmer. but the
pleasure of travelling there in January
and February is somewhat marred by
the heavy rains.
Jerusalem has passed thru n siege
and war without being damaged by
the invaders or the besieged, for the
first time in the history of the city.
The British airplanes flew over the
Holy City frequently to observe the
movements of the Turkish forces. but
no bombs were dropped on its hisfOri-
cal buildings, by order of General Al
lenby, the Commander-in-Chief. 1t
was the eighteenth time the place had
been captured since the city was built.
Formerly the tourists to Palestine
Travelled by train from Jaffa to Jeru-
salem and then went on horseback
thru the country and slept in tents or
in the converts and monasteries when
the weather was too wet and cold.
The trip from Jerusalem to Nazareth,
Sea of Galilee, Damascus and across
the Lebanon range of mountains to
Baalbec and Beirut occupied thirty
days and entailed n good deal of self
sacrifice on the part of the travellers
for them to agree with each other un.
til the end of the Journey.
In addition to the Hotel Allcnby,
outside the walls overlooking the rail-
road station, there is the Grand New
Hotel inside the Jaffa gate and the
French and Russian hospices. where
good lodging can be obtained in Jc-
rusalem. There are some Greek res
taurants on Hospital Street near the
Public Gardens which are clean and
serve good food for travellers who are
frightfully fond of oil. There are also
small clean hotels kept by Palestin-
ians of German descent at Jericho,
Nazareth, Halfa, Tiberias by the Sea
of Galilee. Mount Carmel and other
places where the pious tourists want
to stop.
Instead of travelling by Arab steeds
with sore backs all day long, the jour
neys are made in fiivvers which bump
over huge boulders, climb the rocky
sides of the Judean hills or plunge in
to deep holes at great speed while the
occupants hang on to the sides with
the tenacity of despair and try to
look interested in the scenery. When
man that the Prophet Moses looked
down on Palestine from the top of the
sand mountain by the Dead Sea and
then turned back, they are not sur
prised and express great respect for
his judgment
The main roads leading from Jeru-
salem to Jericho, TO Jaffa and Ramala
from Hafa to Mount Carmel and
Nazareth. and from there to Tiberias.
are fairly good when the damages done
to them during the heavy Winter rains
have been repaired General Allenby
built 200 miles of roads during the
campaign in Palestine against the
Turks, but the upkeep is very costly.
The best material for repairing them
used to come from east of the Jor-
dan. which is now known as Transfer
DANA, and is peopled by nice Bed
ouins who spend their time in watch
ing their wives work and planning
midnight raids upon the Zionist camps
across the sacred river.
Thanks to the war the high spots in
Palestine have been connected up by !