April A to Z Challenge: R is for Red Sea and Ride in a boat on the Sea of Galilee

R is for the Red Sea

I didn’t visit the Red Sea but my roommate took one of the extension tours and she texted me this picture while we were sitting in the Chicago airport for our six hour lay-over! She was staying in a resort on the Red Sea and planned to soak up some sun. We were sitting in the Chicago airport where they were expecting a blizzard and were trying to get all of the planes up into the air and on their way before the storm hit.

R is for Ride on the Boat on the Sea of Galilee

In 2016 and again in 2018, we took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.  Did you know that the Sea of Galilee is not actually a “sea” -- The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret or Kinnereth, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias, is a freshwater lake in Israel.

If you are familiar with the Bible, you know that much happens around the Sea of Galilee. The following are just two examples.

And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

So this “sea” (lake) isn’t that big – According to Brittanica:

The lake has a surface area of 64 square miles (166 square km). Its maximum depth, measured in the northeast, is 157 feet (48 metres). Extending 13 miles (21 km) from north to south and 7 miles (11 km) from east to west, it is pear-shaped.

For those of you who know me, you know that I get seasick but I took a combo of Dramamine and Ativan (combo prescribed by our old ENT as
“motion sickness cocktail” and I did ok. Even if you have a tendency to get sick, it is an experience you don’t want to miss.

Here are some pictures from the two different years – our boats were different but journey was about the same . . .except in 2018, our fearless leader (senior pastor) was flying his drone from the boat for footage for a sermon series (he had received approval before we left the US) and his drone went down . . .and sank into the Sea of Galilee.

city of Tiberius in background

I'm not a good selfie taker but

was sitting by myself and 

decided to record the

experience!

Once again, folks were kind enough

to snap pictures with me!

Our boat in 2016 obviously had curtains??

Doesn't that look like a curtain?