Haifa - 9 day Pilgrimage

How Blessed was I to have Shirin there with me for the first 3 and a half days of my 9 day pilgrimage?! Though we were not together the whole time given my more structured program, we had a chance to share our insights and our questions as well as comfortably sit in quiet contemplation of the overall experience together. It's hard to say what the experience was for me. Some words that come to mind are: space, opening, insights, having an opportunity to face myself, and refocusing.

I don't feel like I can really talk at length of the experience, so more for my own memory, as it will be over 10 years before I can go again, the itinerary below will be a reminder of where I was and when.

Dates: July 7th - 15th (arriving Sunday July 6th, in the afternoon and leaving July 16th at lunch time)
Weather: unbelievably hot
Hotel: The Nof (renovated floor 6) - great buffet breakfast especially the mini waffles.


Itinerary:

Day 1 (mon):
AM - registration and becoming acquainted with the new Pilgrim Reception Center (better known as PRC)
PM - Walk up to the International Teaching Center (ITC) for pilgrim welcome.
- Walk down to the old pilgrim house.
- Reciting of the Tablets of Visitation for the Shrine of the Bab and Abdul'Baha before circumambulating the shrines.
Evening - dinner with Madjzoub cousin Claudia and Shirin

Day 2:
AM - Bright an early 7:15am meet at the PRC to head to Bahji for our first visit to the shrine of Baha'ullah.
PM - later back at the PRC we met with our guide Dicy to go over the schedule.
- Reception with the Universal House of Justice members.
- Visit Hamed, Anisa and kids for a few hours before their flight back to Zambia
Evening - Talk by ITC member

Day 3:
AM - Another 7:15am start - visit to the prison in Akka and to the house of Abbud
- see the land gate
PM - return to hotel for a brief lie down
- walk down the upper terraces, visit the shrine of the Bab
Evening - Baha'i Cemetery with Claudia and Shirin
- Quick dinner downtown with Claudia and Shirin
- Meeting with the ITC

Day 4:
AM - 8:0am start - say goodbye to Shi
- Visit the Mansion of Mazra'ih
- Visit the Mansion of Bahji
PM - Stay on at Bahji for time in the shrine

Day 5: (free day)
AM - Gratefully a morning to sleep in, though I did go eat breakfast and then head back to bed!
PM - met Carrie Allen and her roommate for lunch at Greg's
- Headed down the terraces to the shrine of the Bab and hung out there for the afternoon
Evening - talk by UHJ member

Day 6: (free day)
AM - Slow start again! Met Nadim and Iman for brunch at Gregs - had some amazing french toast!
PM - shared a sherut to Bahji for the late afternoon and evening
- sat in the gardens and spent time in the shrine
Evening - grabbed a falafel with Corrin (from my group D)

Day 7:
AM - 9:15am start. Visit to the house of Abdu'llah Pasha
PM - get a ride from Akka to Bahji for the few hours in the afternoon
- return to PRC in Haifa - spend time in shrine of Bab
Evening - Talk by UHJ member Paul Lample
- Met up with Nadim, Iman, Carrie, Marjan and some other BWC folks for dessert at Caffe Caffe (waffles with ice cream baby!)

Day 8:
AM - 10am start - tour of the arc buildings
PM - Visit shrine of the Bab
- Walk down the lower terraces to the House of the Master
- Visit to the house of Abdul'Baha
Evening - Dinner down on Ben Gurion Ave at Fartoush's with Anna, Chelsea and Christy from group D, walk back up lower terraces
- Talk by ITC member

Day 9:
AM - visit to the Archives - currently being housed in the UHJ building do to renovations on the Archives building itself
PM - Last visit to Bahji
Evening - Pilgrim farewell in front of old pilgrim house

Day 10:
AM - dawn prayers at the shrine of the Bab
- time in the gardens and walk up the upper terraces
- leave Haifa for the airport at 11:30am
PM - flight back to London 5:30pm