Scroll down for pictures
|
|
Arriving in Israel was quite intense. At least
Twenty five miles out Israeli navy takes note of every boat on their
surveillance and they call you on the radio demanding identification.
Then as you get within a couple of miles of the coast navy boats come
zipping past with large weapons mounted on the foredeck. At the marina
security comes by to ask you a slew of questions which all basically come
back to "are you carrying a bomb?". Once settled we found the marina very
comfortable, after we got used to the sound of big booms going off and
warplanes flying low overhead. In fact it took a couple of the busier
family members two days before they ventured beyond the marina. Showers
were great, and unlimited water at the dock was wonderful after five weeks
of battling up the red sea. The boat was incredibly salty and dirt
encrusted. Neill took a hose up with him in the bosun's chair and washed
the mast from the top down. It was a refreshing change to be in a
sophisticated town, although women's fashion did take a little getting
used to. After feeling like a slut for wearing a loose fitting dress that
didn't cover my calves sufficiently suddenly it was bare midriffs and skin
tight everything. Not to mention toplessness here and there. After all
those strict Muslim countries it seemed a little provocative at first,
although I don't think Neill, for one, minded.
We did take some time to explore a little. It felt
bizarre to be so close to all the places that have been in the news since
forever like Golan heights and West Bank, not to mention Jerusalem and
Nazareth etc. We rented a car and spent three days in Jerusalem, and
despite the hoards of tourists, we really enjoyed it. the best part was
just wandering the streets with our map, getting the hang of the old
city. The Wailing Wall we visited several times because we liked it
so much. The dome of the rock was incredibly beautiful, but
expensive to visit, and having paid admission, once inside Neill was told
to "Hurry up, look around, and GET OUT". This is getting to be a
theme. No leaning on any pillars to enjoy the artwork. The
Garden of Gethsemane was awe inspiring too, just looking at olive trees
that were standing there with Jesus. Some of the Christian sites
seemed a little gaudy and sensationalized and so some of the charm was
lost and we enjoyed the smaller, less visited churches more. A
couple of the shop keepers made us feel we were back in Egypt.
Any ploy to get you in the store "Just a moment madam, let me
measure this necklace on you as I am all by myself" as you are walking by.
And then when you don't fall for the ploys and refuse to stop they accuse
you of being rude. We were so tired of it by this point in our trip
that we turned back and confronted them instead of letting it roll off.
Everywhere there were soldiers, YOUNG men and women with automatic rifles
slung over their shoulders, and there were various security checks around
the city, particularly going from the Jewish quarter to the Muslim
quarter.
The Dead Sea was another interesting stop. There
are limited swimming areas along the west coast, usually with big hotels
surrounding them. The sea is supposed to have therapeutic effects, so
although the beaches are not that nice in fact, people come flocking. It
is a bizarre experience. The consistency feels a bit like heavy syrup -
it is 7 times saltier than regular sea, over 25% SALT (I'm getting these
figures from Douglas so they should be right) - and standing in it one
does not touch the bottom because it is too buoyant. In fact your legs
are likely to go shooting up out from under you if you lose your balance.
It is very difficult to swim because your lower legs at least lie
uselessly on the surface. Floating is great though. A fresh water shower
is essential afterwards and don't get it in your eyes!!!
We also visited Masada - a sheer mountain rising
over the dead sea with a flat top with ruins of a fortress on top. Herod
had made it a pretty nice place with baths, swimming pools and mosaics
and a huge cistern water system. Later it was taken over by a band of
Jews as a last stronghold against the Romans who laid siege to it for six
months, during which time the romans built a huge ramp, up to the
plateau, and made huge camps with 15,000 soldiers at the bottom. Just
before the Romans made it to the top the Jews drew lots and ten people
were chosen to kill all 900 plus others in a big suicide so that they
would not be taken as slaves, then one was elected to kill the other
nine. Quite a dramatic venue.
. |
