Thursday, October 11, 2007

International Incident Provoked

I started a topic in the Trip Advisor Forums on travel to Israel that provoked quite a response.

Titling it "The Western Wall Experience - Be Prepared," I started off by saying that this happens at many religious sites in the holy land, but that my experience visiting the "Wailing" Wall, Judaism's holiest site in 2005 was pretty much ruined by being approached insistently by religious men wanting to take me up to the Wall to pray and expecting me to pay them for this. I would be happy to pay an entrance fee or make an obligatory donation that helps preserve the site, but this felt smarmy.

The first responder in the Forum questioned why Trip Advisor had allowed my posting, as he saw it as malicious, and several others posted rebuttals. But one brave soul, a Trip Advisor "Local Expert on Israel" defended me, verified that he had similar experiences at the Wall, and that the Forum should be a place for all to learn the good & bad of the travel adventure that is Israel.

Anyway, 18 postings later, I feel good about raising the topic. I think that anyone visiting the Wall who knows this in advance will be better prepared to enjoy their visit.

Causing an "international incident" runs in the family--but I'll leave that story for another day.

Until next time...

Rick

1 comment:

chris miller said...

Isn't this similar to the complaint filed 2,000 years ago by Jeshua Ben Joseph regarding money changing at the temple ?

No wonder they were sensitive about it!

Possibly they thought you had messianic intentions ?