Arriving on Tel Aviv
A lot of expectation comes into play when you are traveling to Israel. First, the conflict. Second, the Jewish stereotype. Third, the personal dilemma about Palestine. Fourth, you will be stepping into Holy Land.
Certainly, a lot of mixed feelings. However, we were not worried about the conflict or even the border. We were not haunted by fear and although we might have been were biased, we were not judgmental.
Fortunately, I can say with no doubt it was en eye opening experience. As it turns out, the reality is not as described. It is definitely not black and white. There is not a good and a bad side. There are no heroes. No villains. There is certainly a lack of hope. A lack of disposition. Denial. What you can feel is the bitter flavor of a missed opportunity. The reminiscence of a nostalgic past that is not coming back.
No side admits its faults, but it can get so obvious in between the lines when each side is trying to tell you their own version of the story. There is no one to blame. It has been an unresolved historical tragedy. An open wound that is rottening dry and old.
No ones wants to admit it. People seem going every day through an exhausting resistance. Fighting the little battles, poisoning themselves a little more. As if anything would be accomplished out of broken dreams.
We felt lucky to have been to Israel. Our experience overall was magnificent. We were surprised since day one and I will tell you why.
The first battle tourists usually have to fight when entering Israel is Immigration. You can’t get a visa in advance because the country demands to screen every single person that enters their land. We read that the process can take a long time and that the officers are usually trained hound dogs waiting for lies. Everything you say could be used against you and don’t even get me started if you are actually thinking about crossing to the West Bank. Not surprising at all.
Well our experience was the complete opposite. It was actually kind of funny and also kind of sad. We came into the country mid-morning, around 11 am. The Immigration line was probably ones of the fastest and the officer couldn’t be nicer. I am native from Colombia (I recently became a US citizen) and my husband is from the US. When we were called by the officer we handed him my Colombian and my American Passport. He looked at both and asked me which I wanted to use to enter the country. I laughed and told him there was no difference. Well his response was that the Colombian was going to take some time while the American was going to be quick. I picked the US. The officer face brighten up, he started laughing and we welcomed me into the country. Smart!
Once out of the airport we decided to go and get to know Tel Aviv. We did visit Old Jaffa and walked along the Promenade. The beaches seem to be private for the most part. There is a lot of night time activities including restaurants and bars.
On Our way to Nazareth
The next day we visited the Roman ruins of Caesarea Maritima. It was an ancient city on the coast of the Mediterranean. The city and harbour were built by Herod The Great built during c. 22–10 or 9 BCE. The city was populated throughout the 1st to 6th centuries AD and was destroyed during the Muslim conquest of 640. It was conquered by the Crusaders, and was finally slighted by the Mamluks in 1265.
The location was all but abandoned. It was re-developed into a fishing village after 1884, and into a modern town after 1940, incorporated in 1977 as the municipality of Caesarea within Israel’s Haifa District.
The site is pretty impressive as the Hippodrome and the Roman Theater are pretty much intact. The floors also seem to be in very good shape. The only con is that they rent the place for events (for example the day we visited they were setting everything for a wedding) so it seems like it can get really crowded. On the plus side, they do have informational plaques all around the site. It is really good to know what you are looking at!
Our next stop was on and out of the way: Mahmood Mosque . It was like a total 30 min detour for this site. To be honest, it is not very impressive. Getting there is all the way up hill and in a maze looking neighborhood with no parking available.
After, we tried to go into Cave of Elijah but it was closed for no reason. Even the hours at the door confirmed that it was supposed to be open, but it wasn’t. Lesson learned: Israel has a LOT of holidays and resting days that are not even accounted in a calendar. We knew everything was closed on Friday and Saturday and we planned around it. Unfortunately, you can’t get it all right!
Next on the list were the Bahai Gardens. We got to the viewpoint and definitely wanted to go down and explore. The problem was that you can ONLY go down with a tour. They do schedule free groups every half an hour and have different language options available. Most of them are Hebrew, but they also offered English and Russian.
We decided to take one of the Hebrew tours as we didn’t have time to sit around and wait. The guide almost didn’t allow us to take it (because we didn’t speak the language) so I told her my native language was Spanish. It saved us an hour, but at the end it costs us way more! It turns out that yes, you walk all the way down through the gardens, but later they don’t let you go back up to exit.
The problem is that the Gardens are enclosed all around so getting back up is a real odyssey. Taxis were not in service (as apparently it was kind of a holiday), very few people spoke English, and we didn’t know how to navigate the bus system. We were not carrying mall bills either!
Guided by Google Maps, we ended walking up hill all the way up and around. We were not the only ones. Almost jogging our way up we came back up after 30 minutes! Total regret!
After this visit, we had to eat lunch in the car and head straight into the Church of the Annunciation. Quick visit but fully charged with spiritual mysticism. It just seemed surreal to be looking at a tiny cave in which it is believed that Angel Gabriel appeared to Virgin Mary and announced that she would conceive the son of God, Jesus. Don’t miss it!
Then we continued our journey to Cana and visited the Wedding Church. Its name commemorates an event from the Christian Gospel of John, known as The Wedding at Cana, during which Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine. It ‘s tiny and cozy. It doesn’t take a lot of time.
Next was Mount Beatitudes, a hill in northern Israel, where Jesus is believed to have delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Nothing much, rather than a small chapel to commemorate the religious episode. Very close was the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, shortened to the Church of the Multiplication. Again, not very impressive or time consuming.
Last but not least was Capernaum and the undercovered the remnants of the humble house of Peter that Jesus called home while in town. Jesus performed many miracles and taught extensively. This is where the healing of the Centurion’s servant, the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, the bread of life sermon, and many other recorded instances of miracles and teachings happened.
The Church of the Twelve Apostles is right next door. It is a small, cross-shaped building with with two central domes surrounded by six smaller ones, each topped by a cross. It stands close to the shore-next to Galilei Sea, in a secluded haven of lush trees and gardens. Inside, the walls and ceilings are covered with impressive frescoes depicting biblical themes. A must see!
Wookitu 