Tuesday 25 June 2013
Just had two days in Israel, one day in Haifa and one day in Ashdod.
Yesterday from Haifa port we took a taxi with a couple of lovely ladies from Chile, Veronica and Maria-Gloria. We had planned to take the local bus to Nazareth but as we were all waiting at the bus stop a taxi driver offered us a great deal which we accepted after the usual amount of haggling and it turned out he was a wonderful guide. We explored Nazareth, Tiberius, Tagbha, the River Jordan, the Sea of Galilee....amazing to see the Golan plateau with Jordon so close and Syria to the north. Wonderful day, amazing sights, incredible history, very, very hot though.
Everywhere you go you pass through security, on and off ship Israeli officials check your passport and landing card. Women and men pass through different queues, bags go through metal detectors....its amazing how quickly you get used to this. Lots of young people in army uniforms as they have national service here....some look so baby faced but they are packing the fire power.
Today in Ashdod we did made a deal with a lovely taxi driver who took us to Jerusalem. He took us through the old town and the Jewish, Muslim and Christian quarters, the Western (wailing) wall, Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Temple Mount. We placed wishes in the wailing wall. Our wishes were placed up high so they should stay there longer and have a better chance of fulfilment!
Then our driver whisked us off to the Dead Sea...the lowest sea in the world....1,276 feet below sea level. It was amazing to swim there and just float effortlessly. The water is full of salt and minerals and we covered ourselves with the mud and then you wash it off on the shore. The ground is so hot....you can burn your feet if you are not quick in your mad dash to your chair and shoes.....really its the hottest I have ever felt the ground...burning hot and we had no jandals...just our togs.
On our drive we passed the border wall with Palestine, nomadic Bedouin settlements, Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, camels, sparse desert and also lush plains with grape vines and date palms. Incredible country of contrasts. The people are friendly, its clean and there is no graffiti, our driver said " in Jerusalem all the people live more or less in harmony...Jew, Christian, Muslim and Bedouin...no trouble here....the trouble is caused by politicians and not the hard working people".
Just had two days in Israel, one day in Haifa and one day in Ashdod.
Yesterday from Haifa port we took a taxi with a couple of lovely ladies from Chile, Veronica and Maria-Gloria. We had planned to take the local bus to Nazareth but as we were all waiting at the bus stop a taxi driver offered us a great deal which we accepted after the usual amount of haggling and it turned out he was a wonderful guide. We explored Nazareth, Tiberius, Tagbha, the River Jordan, the Sea of Galilee....amazing to see the Golan plateau with Jordon so close and Syria to the north. Wonderful day, amazing sights, incredible history, very, very hot though.
Everywhere you go you pass through security, on and off ship Israeli officials check your passport and landing card. Women and men pass through different queues, bags go through metal detectors....its amazing how quickly you get used to this. Lots of young people in army uniforms as they have national service here....some look so baby faced but they are packing the fire power.
Today in Ashdod we did made a deal with a lovely taxi driver who took us to Jerusalem. He took us through the old town and the Jewish, Muslim and Christian quarters, the Western (wailing) wall, Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Temple Mount. We placed wishes in the wailing wall. Our wishes were placed up high so they should stay there longer and have a better chance of fulfilment!
Then our driver whisked us off to the Dead Sea...the lowest sea in the world....1,276 feet below sea level. It was amazing to swim there and just float effortlessly. The water is full of salt and minerals and we covered ourselves with the mud and then you wash it off on the shore. The ground is so hot....you can burn your feet if you are not quick in your mad dash to your chair and shoes.....really its the hottest I have ever felt the ground...burning hot and we had no jandals...just our togs.
On our drive we passed the border wall with Palestine, nomadic Bedouin settlements, Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, camels, sparse desert and also lush plains with grape vines and date palms. Incredible country of contrasts. The people are friendly, its clean and there is no graffiti, our driver said " in Jerusalem all the people live more or less in harmony...Jew, Christian, Muslim and Bedouin...no trouble here....the trouble is caused by politicians and not the hard working people".
