When my husband first announced that his business ventures would involve traveling to Israel, my first reaction was that of dread.
I worried for his safety while he was away. Let's face it….the media does a great job of reporting alarming news when it comes to this part of the world.
After his second business visit without any issues, my husband was intent on my traveling with him on the next trip.
Now I'll admit…..many people would say that this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
How could I refuse? Other than my close friends and family, most people couldn't understand my hesitancy. What could be so terrible? Visiting the Holy Land would be an awesome opportunity!
In retrospect, I can easily split these enthusiastic advisors into two groups:
First: Those who had never even ventured out of the state, much less than the country………...going just about anywhere would probably be an exciting prospect for them.
Second: the seasoned traveler who's family lives in a distant land, and they think nothing of venturing into worlds where I would never consider stepping foot into.
Travel to India? No problem.
Take an African Safari? Why not?
……….The more adventurous, the better.
Let's face it......although I may have had some exciting gallivanting adventures, certain events just sort of "happened" to me......I didn't go out looking for them. I have absolutely no desire to see the Taj Mahal, or the Giant Pyramids.
If I want to see an elephant or a tiger.....I know how to drive to the zoo. I enjoy visiting parts of the world that are a bit different, but I don't care to wary too far from my comfort zone. That's certainly my prerogative, right?
And I'll be quite honest here…..traveling to Israel was never a dream of mine. Just the
thought of being in close proximity to hostilities made me nervous.
Add to that an entirely different culture and a language that I could not even read, and I'd say that I was justified in my hesitance on making a decision.
But after being told that I had nothing to worry about, and that everyone spoke English, I opted to agree to my husband's invitation, and we purchased my ticket so that we would be flying on the same plane together, which certainly made the most sense.
Now don't think for one minute that my anxiety level decreased just because I purchased an airline ticket.
And, it probably didn't help when my mother asked me where we kept the wills…..
or when one of my friends (you know who you are) told me to stay out of public buildings and to never take public transportation.
But despite my apprehensions, I was determined to make the most out of this trip, and I even went to Ollie's and bought a Frommer's book on Israel for $2.99. After all, knowledge is power…..right?
Just a few days prior to leaving, I found myself in the local Apple Repair store, due to a sudden issue with my Macbook. I explained to the young man in the store that I would be traveling to Israel and I wanted to avoid any issues with my travel computer. He was able to assure me that all was well, and he wished me safe travels, to which I must have responded with some hesitancy.
He smiled at me and began to tell me how knew a young woman who had spent quite a bit of time in Israel over the past couple of years and how she just loved it.
Oh....that's nice to know, I said.
He then went on to tell me that he had been helping her to put together a presentation these last few weeks.
Was I interested in knowing the subject?
What could I say? Of course I was interested.
He looked at me straight in the face and said,
"
Five Reasons Not To Worry About Traveling to Israel."
I kid you not. Now, I ask you, what are the chances of that happening? I should probably have asked to see read it myself, but I will admit that I suddenly felt that my fears seemed to lessen after that conversation.
So just what did I learn on my travels to Israel? I can't offer a list of reasons for or against travel, but I can share some observations that may help you in determining if this type of adventure is for you.
Observation #1: Religious History Abounds
The most compelling reason to visit this country is the fact that it is the Holy Land.
Where else can you walk on a mountain ridge knowing that you are standing on the same mountain that is referenced in the Old Testament?
Or look up from a valley to see the ancient walls of a city?
Stroll by an ancient well where a young woman named Mary would have drawn water for her household?
Or visit the land where Jesus walked and started his ministry?
Or even put your hands in the water where miracles took place?
Visit the village where Jesus' apostles lived, where archeologists have unearthed the original stones of the houses that date back more than 2000 years?
Or reflect upon His last days by relaxing in a garden of Olive trees
or walking along the very stones upon which He tread?
That certainly makes for a good argument, don't you agree?
Observation #2: Not all sight-seeing adventures are stress free
That being said, visiting many of these sites did involve facing the challenge of conditions which I found to be uncomfortable. My uneasiness was partially due to my insecurities regarding the language, and knowing that my appearance confirmed that I was a Westerner, making me feel more vulnerable.
My most frightening moment occurred when we had just finished climbing a very steep road to the top of the Mount of Olives in search of the Chapel of the Ascension.
Our first clue that something was not quite right should have been the lack of tour busses.
The second should have been that we were obviously the only non-Arabs on the street.
And the taxi driver, who kept following us and asking if he could drive us to Bethlehem, should have been a fairly strong hint that we must have been the only suckers up on the mountain, or he would have found someone else to take him up on his offer. (Not to mention that we knew that Bethlehem was off limits for travel.)
As I spotted the chapel and we headed towards it, we heard a familiar chant, "That will be 5 shekels to enter", but we chose to ignore it this time. As we got closer to this small, domed structure, a very large, obviously irritated, man came running over, reached out his hand to stop us, and, quite impatiently said to us in a loud, firm voice, "
Did you not hear me? I
said that it will cost 5 shekels
each for you to enter!"
Believe me, there was no arguing at this point, so we apologized, said that we had changed our minds, and began a very quick jaunt, past the waiting taxi driver, back down to the road that we had just climbed.
That experience was enough for us to call it a day! So, we stopped at a local shop for a bottle of Israeli wine, and enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon relaxing outside on the B&B deck, admiring that beautiful view of the city.
Observation #3: Israeli Wines are quite tasty.
Even when you aren't stressed.
Observation #4: Driving can be challenging
Before one even leaves the airport, the big clue regarding driving conditions is the state of the rental car. When Marty commented to the Avis dealer that the car was pretty much covered with dents, his response was "They all are like that."
And, once on the road, it is quite obvious why. Although I am proud to announce that Marty returned our rental with out adding to the collection, although, come to think of it, it would have been pretty difficult to notice any additions.
Observation # 5:
The shortest distance between two cities is NOT advisable.
I had presumed that driving from Jerusalem to Nazareth would be relatively quick…..until I was told that the road linking the two cities runs right through the West Bank. Enough said on that subject.
Observation # 6: Money CAN buy happiness
While traveling along the highways, I was in urgent need of a bathroom several times during our drive.
Let me just say here that money
can buy happiness.
3 shekels = sparkling clean bathrooms with hot water, soap and paper towels.
Free (gas stations) = enter at your own risk, bring tissues, and try not to touch any surfaces for lack of sanitation.
When offered a towelette following a meal, I learned to politely accept the package, wait for the waiter to leave, then promptly stash it in my purse for future use. Now that I knew what to expect regarding bathrooms, my plan was to be prepared!
Observation #7: Surveillance is the norm
I had been assured that traveling through Israel was extremely safe and that there was no cause for concern. As I sat in my hotel room, admiring the Mediterranean port of Haifa, I really didn't give much thought to the ships that I watched come and go.
Until I spotted a submarine, stealthily raising itself out of the water, then disappearing again into the sea. Just for the record, it showed up about the same time on a daily basis.
It did not take long for me to notice the Israeli soldiers in full army gear, complete with high powered rifle slung over a shoulder, as I spotted several on my ventures through Haifa. In addition, all public buildings had a security officer stationed at every door to inspect large bags and purses prior to entry.
Some might say that this is invasive; however, I didn't mind the scrutiny in the least. I felt much more comfortable knowing that extra measures were being taken to assure my safety.
In fact, I was just beginning to feel totally isolated from any type of harm being directed towards this country when I popped into a little shop in Haifa just prior to our leaving for Jerusalem. The owner and I were having a delightful conversation when the conversation turned to Purim, a Jewish holiday celebrated every year at this time. Apparently, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip use this holiday as an opportunity to bombard Israel with missiles.
Imagine my surprise when this woman gleefully announced that 60 missiles had been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel that very day, and there had not been ONE fatality!
Did I mention that they make good wine in Israel?
Observation #8: The food was fabulous
I didn't post many photos of food on this last trip. I had read that food photos were becoming annoying to most, so I decided to spare my friends from viewing them.
That was a foolish decision on my part as I realized that I had let my "Foodie" friends down! So sorry for the disappointment. So, I'm going to post a few delights that I did photograph here, for your enjoyment.
Observation #9: McDonald's is everywhere
Ok, I'll admit that is a lame observation. And I, for one, would be the first to abhor the thought of entering one.
However, desperation led me through the doors, and I soon learned that they make an excellent frozen coffee drink, which I liken to a coffee McFlurry, for only 12 shekels. I could point to the sign on the wall, say small, and have a delightful refreshment within minutes.
Actually, this was my lunch on most days alone, as the meals in the restaurants were huge, and I felt uncomfortable entering places where English was not commonly spoken.
Observation # 10: Be wary of "Great Deals"
Do you remember my stories regarding the Arab shop owners in Jerusalem? One after another, attempting to lure the tourist inside to take a look at their wares?
I soon learned the trick of ignoring them and just walking by. But I couldn't help but smile when I watched one woman, part of a small group, making her way towards me from the opposite direction. She was obviously an American, clutching her purse tightly, with both arms around her chest, as she walked along through the commotion.
True to form, a shop owner popped out in front of her and asked if he could take her inside to show her more of his treasures.
She politely smiled, shook her head, and in the sweetest voice I've ever heard, said to him , "
No, thank you………....we're just looking." And she continued on her way, sure to encounter the same question countless times along the way.
This woman was obviously wary of "great deals", but I couldn't help but wonder just how long the sweetness held out.
Now, here's a gem of a deal for you:
Spend so much money in the Notre Dame gift shop and you receive a free umbrella.
As Marty will tell you, it features Steeler's colors ( although I'm fairly certain that they are Papal colors….yellow and white), a Jerusalem cross AND the Holy Land written on one of the panels.
And, it's made in China…..what a deal…..right?
We debated taking it, but the young lady behind the counter finally convinced us…..since it was free.
Unfortunately, the free umbrella did NOT fit in either of our suitcases, so as we headed through to security at the airport, we were flagged for an extra inspection. After being opened and closed, and examined with a security wand from inside out, the inspector closed it up, put it back in the package and told us that we would not be permitted to carry it onto the plane. It needed to be checked in.
I told them not to worry about it….we would leave it behind. They seemed surprised.
Marty then told them that it had been free anyway, and that it was their's for the taking. We did not want to check it in, and it really did not mean that much to us anyway. It was made in China.
The next thing we knew, the inspector slapped a red tag on it, handed the umbrella to Marty, and told him that he could try boarding with it.
No one asked him a thing, and as you can see, our prize made it home, safe and sound, as did we…so I suppose that we can chalk it up as a great deal. What do you think?
Now, if you are at all interested, here is my advice regarding traveling to Jerusalem and Nazaraeth.
Tour groups are certainly the safe way to visit the Holy Land. Unfortunately, you are always on someone else's time schedule, and that can be frustrating…..at least for me.
My advice would be to hire a private tour guide to show you around. We saw many on our travels. You have the advantage of an English speaking guide who escorts you from place to place, resulting in a much less hectic pace. You do not have to drive the roads, and, most importantly, the guides know how to deal with the Arabs.
