Israeli Adventure: Part 5

Monday, January 9, 2012 -Jerusalem & Tel Aviv

Jo and I stayed up late on Sunday night, trying to plan out the rest of our week. After hours of talking, reading guidebooks and searching online, we ultimately decided to stay right in Jerusalem and explore the Old City together on Monday.

Because we'd about run ourselves ragged touring all over the country all weekend, we used Monday morning to sleep in and relax a bit. By the time we finally rolled out the door and caught a bus to the Old City, it was about 11 a.m.

From where the bus dropped us off, we had to walk through a newly-constructed chic [totally Americanized] outdoor mall. Then suddenly, the mall ended and in front of us stood the walls of the Old City which are between 1600 and 2000 years old, depending on the section.

Since I had scheduled an official tour of the Old City for later in the week, we skipped most of the touristy landmarks and instead headed straight into the shuk to do some shopping.

Entering the shuk in the Old City. This is either the Jewish Quarter or the Muslim Quarter... I don't remember :-/

 The shuk consists of tons of connecting alleyways that are all lined with shop after shop, each employing eager (if slightly creepy) businessmen who announce, "I am here!" as if we were shopping for them. It took us a while to get our haggling skills down, but we definitely progressed throughout the day.
 

Jo and I were primarily in search of scarves, as we are both obsessed with these timeless accessories. Let me tell you - there were a lot of scarves in that shuk, but I think we found some of the most beautiful ones :) 

Jo trying on scarves at our favorite shop :)

 I bought several scarves from several different shops, where we worked with a range of salesmen: from the very mean (one who called us dirty names when we tried to haggle too low - yikes!) to the very sweet salesman (whose daughter liked all things pink), and several who just wanted to take advantage of the fact that we were clearly stupid Americans (120 shekels for that scarf buddy? No thanks, I'll go down a ways and pay 35.)

How much if I buy two THEM ALL?

We had several shop owners tell us they were trying to learn English, which I'm 100% sure was just their way of luring us into their shop to try to make a sale. (They wanted to know how to spell "Grand Opening Sale"... in the middle of a shuk in the Old City... umm, pretty sure you guys have been here for a while.) Some would creepily follow you down the street and ask questions, until you finally ignored them long enough and ducked into a different shop. But many were very nice, and when Jo and I had to stop and ask directions for the 18th time, we encountered some kind souls who graciously helped us along the way.

Oh hey, baby Jesus! In the Christian Quarter of the Old City.

As we wandered our way through the shuk, we eventually found ourselves in a courtyard in the Christian Quarter. Hungry for lunch, we ducked into a restaurant which boasted a rooftop patio, but after checking the menu, decided the prices and time commitment were both out of our range.. but not before we took advantage of the gorgeous view for some photo ops!

Gorgeous day in Jerusalem :)

I realize the sky looks like a painted backdrop in these pictures, but that's just how gorgeous it really is in Jerusalem.

Haha - Jo is going to kill me for posting this.... The sun was a tad bright for her sensitive eyes!!

 Instead of eating on the rooftop patio, we found a little falafel shop not far away, and had a delish lunch. 

I had the falafel pita and Jo had the shawarma pita. We both also got fresh-squeezed pom juice.. I think I got my antioxidants for the week!

Probably the best falafel I had all week.. mmm craving this right now!

 Educational Moment:  Falafel is a deep-fried ball of ground chickpeas.. so it's a lot of the same ingredients as hummus.. but fried. Om nom nom.  Shawarma is an Arab meat preparation where lamb, goat, turkey, chicken, beef or mixed meats are placed on a spit and grilled for as long as a day. Shavings are cut off the block of meat for serving, while the rest remains heated on the rotating spit.

Jo enjoying her shawarma pita! Yum!!

Next on our agenda was the Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum. After finishing our late lunch, we realized what a time crunch we were on, so we rushed to the brand new light rail station, where of course we missed the first train because we were standing on the side going the wrong direction.

I did not take this picture (original found here), but the light rail took us over this SWEET bridge!

We had been told that the last admittance to the museum was 4:00, so when our train (which can potentially get stuck in traffic and has to stop at red lights -- doesn't that defeat the purpose of a light rail?!) finally made its way to the entire opposite side of the city and to our stop at 4:05, I was convinced they wouldn't let us in. We ran from the station to the museum, where the kind souls took pity on the huffing-puffing Americans. 

Jo had just been the museum the week prior, so she waited in the bookstore while I ventured through by myself. The free museum is incredibly well-done, and the less-than-one-hour I had in there was certainly not enough. I'm not sure an entire day would have been enough. If I ever get the chance to go back to Israel, I will definitely go back. 

The museum is shaped like a long triangle (I'm sure there's a name for that which I have forgotten. My 7th-grade geometry teacher would be ashamed..), and the exhibits weave through in a zig-zag. There are artifacts (yellow stars of David, contraband books, family heirlooms, actual bunkbeds from concentration camps), written and videotaped survivor accounts, gruesome pictures, and so much more - and it all just rips your heart out.  

One of the last exhibits before you exit is the Hall of Names. Beneath its vaulted ceilings, the tall walls are lined with books that hold the names and accounts of people who were killed during the Holocaust, as well as photographs of the some of the deceased. There was something so powerful about that room that it brought me to tears.

Also a borrowed picture - original found here

Upon exiting the museum, you find yourself on a balcony of sorts, overlooking the Jerusalem National Forest. It offers a beautiful view - a view to serve as a reminder of how far the Jewish people and the state of Israel have come, and a view to inspire hope - but because it was dusk, the lighting was too poor for the pictures to fully do it justice.

As we hiked back to the train stop, I turned and snapped this picture, which I think is gorgeous. The triangular building on the right is the Holocaust Museum. Its architecture and symbolism is so interesting - I encourage you to learn more on their website.
 

I think I'll stop here for now.. but.. Up Next: Tel Aviv!

Israeli Adventure: Part 4

Sunday, January 8, 2012 - Joanne's Birthday & Akko!


Joanne and I woke up to a sunny Sunday morning in Haifa - a beautiful day to celebrate Jo's 25th birthday! We were a bit uncertain of what the day ahead would hold, but after chatting with the hostel's helpful front desk attendant, we decided we would take a bus to Akko and explore there.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JO! breakfast in Haifa

Before heading out the door, we filled up at the delish complimentary continental breakfast and then hopped in our rental car. Because our car was due back at 10 a.m., we didn't have much time to spend in Haifa, but before we left I wanted to see the Baha'i Gardens by day. They certainly did not disappoint.

I would have liked to take the tour of the gardens, but we had to prioritize! Our trip to Avis to drop off the car was the easiest and most successful navigation of the trip - primarily because it was right next to the bus station that we'd struggled so much to find the night before. However, keeping in line with the rest of the trip, things didn't go completely smoothly...


We rolled into the Avis lot 20 minutes before our deadline - only to be told that our gas tank "wasn't full enough." Though we had stopped to fill it just before reaching Haifa the night before, we must have driven around aimlessly enough to run the tank down just a tad. Grudgingly, we drove off in search of a gas station, which was not nearly as easy to locate as their directions implied. After more driving around aimlessly, the gas station attendant saying, "That's it??" after she squeezed in like 4 liters, potentially running a few stop signs (I didn't realize that's what they were at first!), and saying a lot of bad words, we made it back to Avis.

Educational Moment - Israeli Rules of the Road:  Above is an Israel stop sign. Since the English, Hebrew and Arabic alphabets are all completely different, they apparently decided to go the sign language route. It took me a minute to catch on. Also - gas is really expensive in Israel. Most stations had it around 7.23 shekels per liter... which we roughly converted to between $7 and $8/gallon. Ouch. Lastly, everyone honks their horn at everything all the time in Israel. 


From Avis, we could walk across the parking lot to the bus station, which was incredibly convenient. We didn't have to wait long to catch a bus due north to Akko, or in English - Acre. Akko is another beautiful port city along the Mediterranean Sea, and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Israel. The city's history can be traced back 4,000 years to when Akko was first mentioned in Egyptian writings.


Akko has fallen under the rule of many different groups throughout the years, as its location makes it a place worth fighting for. Joanne and I visited the Old City, which is home to ruins of many of these different groups; however, some of the most substantial sites we saw belonged to the Crusaders.

In 1104, King Baldwin I led the Crusaders into Akko, where they conquered the port city and made it their principal link to home. The Crusaders thrived there, at one point having 40 churches and monasteries and a population of 50,000. 

 After the Crusaders were driven out of town, what remained of their vaults and halls fell by the wayside, and when the Ottomans later seized Akko and decided to build a citadel in the 18th century, they did so upon the rubble-filled Crusader ruins. Archaeologists are still working to uncover all of the ruins from the Crusader heyday. Thus far, six vaulted Crusader Vaults and Knights Halls have been discovered.

 After we'd finished roaming through the Knights Halls, we headed into the Arab shuk (market). I wasn't there to buy anything -- and without the rental car, Joanne and I were backpacking, so we didn't want anymore to carry anyway! -- just taking in the sights, smells, sounds.. the whole experience.. was enough. 

 
After "window shopping" our way through the shuk, we set out in search of lunch. One particular shop in Akko - Humus Said - is said to have "the best hummus in all the land." Obviously Jo & I couldn't leave without trying it!

The line was long at the bustling little hummus shop, but the employees of Humus Said have it down to an art. In no time, we were seated and our hummus was on its way.  

I regret to inform you, this was not the best hummus in all the land. At least not according to this American hummus critic. But hey - it's the experience that counts, right?

 From there, we ventured back through the shuk and to the Akko Port along the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea. The sun was shining on the blue water, and the gusty winds made the water rough, causing the waves to crash against the city walls and make my heart melt. Mark my words: Someday I will live near the water. Preferably a sea or ocean as beautiful as this...

  
After taking in the view and the salty sea breeze, we headed back to the shuk to pick up some fresh persimmons and strawberries, and then plopped our tired, achy bodies in a cab to go to the bus station. Note to self: PACK LIGHTER if planning to backpack around a city all day!

The first bus took us back to Haifa, where we caught another bus back to Jerusalem. I used the nearly-three hours on the buses to catch up on my travel journal and nap.

Back in Jerusalem, we met up with a group of Joanne's closest friends to go to a nearby sushi restaurant to celebrate her birthday! Jo has a great group of friends, and we all had a wonderful time hanging out and celebrating the lady we all so dearly love :)

Birthday ice cream with birthday candle SPARKLER! Genius idea. Happy Birthday Joanne!

 Up Next:  Haggling in the shuk of Jerusalem's Old City. Holocaust Museum. Tel Aviv!
 

Israeli Adventure: Part 3.2

Saturday, January 7, 2012 - Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus

First of all, my apologies for the delay between posts! I am in the process of moving to St. Louis and starting a new job, and life just hasn't slowed down since the new year began! Now - back to Israel!

After our delightful lunch on the Sea of Galilee, we ventured back toward Nazareth. On the way, we drove through Cana, which is where Jesus performed his first miracle: turning water into wine at the wedding feast. There is a church commemorating that miracle, but we didn't take the time to stop there.

Back in Nazareth, we had hopes of returning to Nazareth Village for a tour, but it wasn't meant to be. As our guidebook had warned, Saturday traffic in Nazareth is terrible, and we determined there would be no way to make it to the other side of town in time for the last tour. Driving through town, I got a kick out of all the Santa Claus paraphernalia scattered throughout the shops and plastered on billboards around town. 

Merry Christmas from Arabia!

 After the prior day's debacle, we now knew exactly how to find the Basilica of the Annunciation, so we headed straight there instead -- this time to actually go inside!

As you can probably tell, this is a very new church. While churches have been built on this site since the 4th century, the current church was actually built in the 1960's.

The Basilica of the Annunciation is built over the home of Mary -- the cave where she lived and where the angel Gabriel appeared to her to announce that she would bear a son and call Him JESUS! The huge church is really beautiful and quite unique. The first floor houses the "lower church," and its altar sits in front of the ruins of Mary's home.

Altar of the lower church. Behind the altar is Mary's grotto. Looking above, you can peek up into the upper church.

 
When we first arrived, there was a service going on in the lower church, but once they cleared out, I was able to go down to the altar and peer through the Crusader-era gates into the home of Mary.   

Think about this:
This is the home where Luke tells us the angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her God had greatly blessed her. Where he proceeded to scare the heck out of Mary by telling her she would become pregnant.. That she would bear the Son of God.. That God would make this son a king.. And where Mary obediently agreed, "I am the Lord's servant. May it happen to me as you have said."

This altar stands in the ruins of Mary's home. To the right of the altar stands an ancient column, likely from the 4th century, marking the spot where the angel Gabriel appeared. Behind the altar to the right are stairs leading up to what is known as "Mary's kitchen," the ruins of which can be viewed from the courtyard of the upper church. 

Above all this is built the upper church, the active Roman Catholic parish of Nazareth. The walls of the upper church are lined with images of Mary contributed by countries around the world, as in the courtyard below. This was the United States' interesting contribution...

In the center of the church, you can look down onto the altar of the lower church and Mary's grotto, or up into the stunning 170-ft. cupola through which natural sunlight pours down. The cupola's unique form represents an upside-down lily, rooted in Heaven - a symbol of Mary's purity. The edges are shaped in repeating letter M's, obviously standing for Mary. 

The cupola as viewed from the upper church. The circular opening in the middle of the upper church also allows this to be viewed from the altar of the lower church. No matter the viewpoint, this is absolutely stunning.

Outside the upper church is a gorgeous courtyard, which is built over the ruins of ancient villages. Mary's Kitchen can be viewed underneath the little covering seen in the picture below.

Not far away from the Basilica of the Annunciation stands the Church of St. Joseph. 

View from the lower courtyard of Basilica of the Annunciation, with the steeple of the Church of St. Joseph in the background.

 This small church is built over ruins of caves, granaries and wells that were used by the early cave dwellers of Nazareth. Tradition tells that these ruins include the house of St. Joseph and/or the carpentry workshop of St. Joseph - so this is potentially the place where Jesus learned some carpentry skills growing up!

From there, we ventured into the Arab shuk (market), which was - of course - closing just as we got there because the sun was beginning to set. We quickly browsed through, seeing everything from fresh olives and spices to electronics, toys and more Santa gear. Esther and I stopped to buy a bag of fresh dates - yum!

Entering the shuk in Nazareth

Fresh olives!

I don't know what the obsession with Santa is all about?

By then, it was dusk and we decided it was time to leave hit the road. On the way to the car, we stopped for a cup of fresh-squeezed pomegranate and orange juices, and said our farewells to Nazareth.

Ignore the griminess of his hands...

Ignore the bluriness of this picture...

The next stop on our roadtrip: Haifa! A port city located on the Mediterranean Sea, Haifa is the third largest city in Israel. When we arrived, it was too dark to take in the full beauty of the city, but we still saw some pretty incredible sights.

Our first task was to check into our hostel - The Port Inn - where Joanne and I had reserved a room for the night. Being the dumb Americans we are, we of course got lost once again, but thankfully the lady at the front desk was able to help us navigate by giving us instructions over the phone - even when we described buildings as "the one that looks like a rocket."

From the Port Inn, we headed to the German Colony, an adorable neighborhood lined with restaurants, bars and shops. The two things I loved most about the German Colony: 

1) The streets were decked. out. for Christmas. And we all know I am a sucker for Christmas decorations.

Christmas trees, angels and reindeer galore!!

  2) The g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. view of the Baha'i Gardens.

The Baha'i Gardens - pictures can't do it justice

Educational Moment:  Per Wikipedia - The Baha'i Faith is a monotheistic religion founded in 19th-century Persia which emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind. The Baha'i Faith teaches that religious history has unfolded through a series of divine messengers, each of whom established a religion that was suited to the needs of the time and the capacity of the people. These messengers have included Abraham, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and others - most recently the Bab.    

The Baha'i Gardens consist of 18 circular terraces, each immaculately landscaped and groomed, with the very center terrace housing the Shrine of the Bab. Even without being able to see the actual landscaping of the gardens, the well-lit terraces climbing Mount Carmel make a beautiful landmark.

After grabbing frozen yogurt and enjoying the view, it was time to take Esther to the bus station to catch a ride back to Jerusalem. What should have been a 15-minute max trip turned into 20.. 30.. 45+ minutes of us frantically driving around, stressing that Esther would miss her bus. We pulled into the station at the last possible second, sent Esther on her way, and headed back toward the hostel to grab dinner at a nearby pub. By then, it was bedtime! Saturday was quite the amazing day.. :)

Up Next: and I promise it will be soon!! Akko. Crusader ruins. More Mediterranean Sea!