Pilrimage Day #9, February 10, 2009 Part 3

2-11-9 0845 Air France Flight 2221, Wednesday

The Pilgrim House was buzzing with pilgrims and others. I saw one of the International Teaching Committee members, and Joanie Lincoln, enter, and most folks failed to notice. I tried to rise and greet them but the crowd was too dense. Eventually we were called to order and walked up to the Shrines.

There was thunder and lightning, rain on and off as we approached the Shrines. The sky was purple with clouds and the Shrine's golden dome was lit up and glowing. In the Shrine of the Bab the Tablet of Visitation was read, then next door in the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Baha I could hear Joanie Lincoln's voice reciting His Tablet of Visitation. It was a sweet and peaceful farewell to the Shrines.

Back in the Pilgrim House Enayat found a heater and dried his shoes. We went to the PRC, then to the lobby of the Nof Hotel where we waited for the other parties. At midnight we took the Sherut to Ben Gurion Airport and departed Haifa. En route we watched the whitecaps of the ocean in the moonlight, and talked, hilariously, of toilets . . .