Tips for Pilgrims

Just our two cents, our opinion only, your mileage may vary.

1. Bring a dressy outfit for your meeting with the beloved Universal House of Justice. We looked presentable enough, but we ended up wishing we'd brought a suit and tie (Gary) and something dressy (Mary Lou). I'm sure the members of the House don't care what we wear, but believe us when we tell you the occasion calls for Sunday best.

2. In general, plan to dress a little more formally than you would on a regular vacation. You'll want to show less skin than you normally would to tour a foreign country.

3. The pathways around many of the Shrines are made of fragments of red clay roof tiles. It's gorgeous but a little messy. The red dust gets on your shoes and, when you remove and replace your shoes, gets on your hands and feet. And thence (if you're not careful) on your clothes. Don't say we didn't warn you.

4. Don't wear black to the prison at Akka. The barracks where Baha'u'llah and his companions were interred has been restored beautifully but there is a lot of white dust on the surfaces. It shows up pretty badly on dark clothing.

5. A box lunch prepared by the Dan Carmel hotel contains more than enough food for two people. Get an extra bottle of water, and the two of you are good to go.

We'll post some photos when Gary wakes up from his nap!