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Testimonials
Creative Travel Partners, Inc. Dear Friends, I just returned from a twelve day tour of Jordan and Israel, under the direction of Mr. Larry Marcus and his incredible staff at Creative Travel Partners in Prospect Heights, Illinois. This was my fourth Holy Land trip working with Larry and his staff, but my first since 2001. I returned to the Middle East with seventeen passengers from three churches, including my own mother! Our ground operators and guides at NET Tours in Amman and in Jerusalem could not have been more hospitable, professional, and thorough: Fuad Ammar (ground operator) and Najeh Al-Daher (guide) in Jordan, and Steve Ustin (ground operator) and Raouf Karborani (guide) in Israel.
First Congregational Church of Wilmette (12-Day Tour of Jordan and Israel) We found our tour of Gerash and Petra absolutely breath-taking, and our accommodations in Amman were luxurious and friendly. We crossed the Allenby Bridge with ease and spent a delightful time in the Galilee and in Jerusalem. Since my last visit in February 2001, when tourism was at a low point and Jerusalem’s Old City was practically deserted, I was heartened to see so many tour buses and traffic jams around the Temple Mount and throughout both countries. Tourists are back, and our presence there is a huge vote of confidence for all the residents of Jordan and Israel, who depend on our tourist dollars to stabilize their economies and propel them toward even more progress and stability. Sadly, while we were staying in Jerusalem on Wednesday November
9, we turned on CNN and learned of the breaking news of the Amman
hotel bombings. Our Amman hotel was not among them. Our
first reaction was not concern for our own safety, but for the
welfare of our guide and ground operator in Amman, and all of the
incredibly welcoming Jordanians whom we had just met. I spoke with Larry Marcus on the phone that night—about 3 p.m. Chicago time, and he could not have been more calm, reassuring and caring. The next morning our NET Tours ground operator from Jerusalem was there at our hotel to meet me for breakfast and to communicate to our group. We decided that the best thing to do was stay calm and not allow the terrorism in Amman, which was then over, to terrorize us. Throughout the day our ground operator stayed in contact with our guide, and we crossed back into Jordan safely on November 11, relieved to see our Jordanian guide and learn that he and his family and colleagues were safe. The fact that we returned to Jordan (instead of plotting another path home) was in fact reassuring for him and for all of those who work in the Jordanian tourist industry. Our guide did not leave our sides until he delivered us to the airport the next day and left us in the capable hands of our Amman ground operator. We spent a final night at the outstanding and luxurious Movenpick Dead Sea Hotel. Security there was blatant and thorough, which made us feel better, not worse. We watched the sunset over the Dead Sea, and spent a lovely time in conversation with our guide, speaking honestly and hopefully about religion, interfaith understanding, politics, education and economics. We returned home thankful that we’d gone and honored to have met so many hospitable and friendly people on the way. It is sometimes hard to consider undertaking an international trip in our current global circumstances, whether to the Middle East, to Europe, or anywhere else. But terrorism succeeds only if we allow ourselves to be terrorized. Terrorism will fail when people of faith and conscience continue to go about their daily lives and reach out to their neighbors at home and abroad. If you are planning or considering a trip to Jordan and Israel, rest assured that you will return home with your faith and understanding transformed, and you will travel safely and comfortably in the hands of Larry Marcus and his staff at Creative Travel Partners. Sincerely,
Rev. Stephanie Perdew |
