Today we are crossing through the Palestinian Territories into Israel. It's a little unnerving with the history of this area, but we proceed in a taxi, not a public bus this time. Public buses have often been a target.
All the way from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, we see miles of sand dunes, interrupted by Bedouin tents here and there, but mostly just devoid of human life. It's not very far from eastern Israel/Palestine to the west coast, and we arrive very quickly to the city of Tel Aviv. We are deposited at our north town apartment and immediately find our way to the beach.
The beaches are like pocket beaches, not one long beach, and the sand is a golden color. The Mediterranean is beautiful, as always, and we enjoy the sun as we stroll the length of the first couple of beaches. Tel Aviv is a modern city with not as many historical sites as exotic Jerusalem, for instance, but the food here is superb and we enjoy winding down from the whirlwind that we felt in Jerusalem. There is a corner of the city called Jaffa that is actually older than Tel Aviv, and we enjoy walking around in the old port complex that is presently being renovated with new shops and restaurants. It is built of very large rock buildings and looks very southern European (Italian, Greek), at least in the part that has been completed.
We also want to go to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee, but when Terry wakes up feeling really bad the morning of our trip, we decide not to push it. We stick close to our second hotel on the south side of town. It's near Rothschild which is a broad boulevard with walking and biking sections that run through a lovely part of town. There are colorful restaurants and cafes on both sides, along with residential areas and leafy streets, mostly ficus trees, big and bushy-green.
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| Terry floating with his shoes on!! |
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| Gloria--can't believe it's so easy to float!! |
We decide to take a tour of Masada, the mountain top luxury retreat of King Herod where 900 Jews were cornered in 70 AD, and, rather than be taken into slavery, they all killed themselves. It's a serious monument, set in a severe part of the desert. Very interesting and old, and we were surprised that so much of it was stll intact, although archaeologists did do some rebuilding. Still, it's pretty fascinating.
We also get a second chance at the Dead Sea. The first time we were there on the Jordan side, the weather was really cold and rainy, and the wind wouldn't allow us to get in the water and float. I got in, but the waves were so high that floating was impossible, so I just got in because I didn't think I'd ever have a chance to do it again. But here is our second chance, and we enjoy every minute of it. We get in and float for about 45 minutes. It's eally fun, and we try to swim and turn over, and the water just flips us on our backs, and our feet won't go in the water so that kicking is pretty difficult. There is mud that is full of minerals, and it's supposed to be good for your skin. Of course I have to try it. Feels like regular mud, although it's pretty oily and slick. Looks funny, though, and I don't leave it on for very long. We know, sadly, that this is our last outing on our trip, and we prolong it when we return to Tel Aviv by going to the Carmel Market where I can buy some of that mud!!
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| top of Masada |
One last delicious dinner, one more night in our art-inspired hotel (Diaghilev Live Art Hotel), and we are on our way home. These 5 weeks went by so quickly, and we enjoyed seeing every bit of Egypt, Jordan and israel that we could. I don't think that weve had a trip that has been so packed with historical site after site, and we have marveled at every one. Exhausted, we board our plane.
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