Results tagged “Blogging Through Israel” from Intelligent Travel Blog

Israel is in the news nonstop this week, with the pope's visit making headlines and today being Israeli Independence Day. Inspired, IT Editor Janelle Nanos is revisiting some of her favorite holy sites from her recent trip.

I don't tend to do much heavy reading while on vacation, but I quickly learned that along with the numerous guidebooks I brought with me to Israel, it probably would not have been a bad idea to toss a Bible into my suitcase. Luckily, my tour guide, Ziv Cohen, had one with him at all times. The heavily dog-eared tome provided us with a handy, albeit ancient, reference point which underlined the significance of the sites we visited, and spurred a favorite quote from the trip: "In Israel, the Bible is our GPS."

Driving in the van between destinations, I'd grab the book and thumb through its thin, onion-skin-like pages. And like an onion, Israel's history enfolds layer-upon-layer, which explains the fact that sites like the tomb of David is housed in the same building where it is said the Last Supper took place. (The tomb is on the first floor, the "upper room" as it is known, is just upstairs). As you can see from the many tabs Ziv uses as a reference, Israel's role in the Bible can't be covered in a mere blog post. But after the jump, I share some travel highlights from the Biblical stops along my trip. 

There are a some things that you "must" do in any city. Kiss the Blarney Stone. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge. Get the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. But few of those musts are as contemplative as visiting Jerusalem and placing a prayer in a crack of the Western Wall.

We arrived in the city late on a Friday afternoon, and had just enough time to stroll through the cacophony of the marketplace before heading over to the wall. Known as the most holy site in the Jewish faith, its significance lies in the fact that it is the last remnant of the original retaining wall which surrounded the Second Temple, which was built over 2,000 years ago. After the temple was destroyed in AD 70, the Jews were exiled from the city, and it became a place of pilgrimage where they would return to lament their loss (it was long known as the Wailing Wall for that reason). Now it is essentially an open-air synagogue, with divided sections for men and women to pray independently.

I have to admit, I did not really anticipate the sheer amount of outdoor activities that are available in Israel. I guess part of me suspected that between the religious artifacts and ruins, and the city of Tel Aviv, there wouldn't be much time left to get outside and get dirty. But I found three ways to get covered in the stuff. Here are some highlights:



Desert Touring

After our Dead Sea soak, I was just about ready to turn round and head back to Jerusalem. But I'm so glad that we didn't, as we ended up heading over to the protected land just south of the Ein Bokek hotel quarter, where we were met with two Jeeps that looked like they'd been props in an Indiana Jones film. Our drivers took them out onto the salt mountains of Sedom, which are thought to be the site where the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah took place. Perhaps it was because it was the "magic hour" - that time when the sun makes everything seem as though it's lit from within - or because it was, after visiting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, so distinctly remote. But the ride was incredible. The region is protected parkland, and hiking and cycle trails crisscrossed our route, but all comers should plan on making their way up to the peak to take in the stunning views of the Dead Sea and Jordan. The group we went with, Shkedi, also offers moonlight tours (which they say are enhanced by not using headlights, which makes me a little nervous) and camping within the park grounds. It's the warmest place in all of Israel, and I would have easily spent the night.

Food is assuredly the best way to extend any trip, so in my effort to prolong my Israel experience, I decided to try and replicate one of the best meals I had while there and make shakshuka for breakfast this morning (I also might have smuggled some pita home in my suitcase, but that's neither here nor there).

My first encounter with the traditional Israeli breakfast dish was probably the best place in the world you can find it, on the large outdoor patio of Doktor Shakshuka, the eponymous restaurant in the old Jaffa neighborhood in Tel Aviv. The Doktor has been preparing this mix of spicy tomato sauce and poached eggs for two generations, and it comes served in the same cast-iron skillet in which it's made, with crusty fresh bread for dipping. We had only moments to eat before running off to our next stop, but we inhaled it so quickly that it was really all the time we needed. It was that good.

This morning I poked around on the web for a few recipes, and found a simple one here if you're up for making the tomato sauce yourself. I did the easy, or perhaps lazy version, using pre-made sauce, paprika, and poached eggs. Not nearly as good as the Doktor, but pretty tasty nonetheless.

Read More: My fellow blogger, Jennifer Laceda, serves up more great meals from our trip.  Food & Wine magazine featured the restaurant in their top Israel picks, and if you want an even more appetizing photo of the dish, check out the one here.

Doktor Shakshuka 4 Beit Eshel St, Tel Aviv

Photo: Janelle Nanos

No Noodle is Necessary When You "Swim" in the Dead Sea

Ten Things to Know Before You Go Bobbing in the Dead Sea

I try to avoid tourist traps when I'm traveling, but there is no way that I was skipping an opportunity to float in the Dead Sea, and truth be told, it is an experience for sure. But there are definitely a few things you should know before taking the plunge:

1) There is no such thing as swimming in the Dead Sea. When you sit your butt down in the water, it essentially feels as though you're floating in a pool with a plastic noodle. Only there's no noodle. Your feet and shoulders rise and bob, and it takes a few seconds of getting used to.

2) The salt that lines the sea bottom is rough on your feet, and will cut you up severely if you don't wear water shoes of some kind. (Naturally, I chose to wear the dorkiest ones I could find, and opted to put a picture of myself wearing them on the Internet). Protect your feet and plan accordingly.

3) Fast Facts: The Dead Sea is actually not a sea at all, but a lake that's made up of about 30 percent salt. It is the lowest place on earth at 417 feet below sea level. Its properties have been known to cure skin conditions and help with respiration, and its mud is used in spa treatments in the many hotels along the shoreline...

4) Being wrapped in mud is a very weird sensation. Being wrapped in mud and then wrapped in a blanket and then left in a dark room for 20 minutes feels a bit like being made into a human mud-bun.

5) Do not shave at least two days before you plan to take a dunk in the Dead Sea, and be prepared if you have any open cuts or sores while you're swimming, as you will quickly learn the real meaning of putting salt in one's wound.

I've just returned from my visit to Israel, and since I finally have some time to actually blog, I'm going to be catching you up on many of my favorite experiences from the trip:

I already mentioned how fabulous the markets were in Tel Aviv, but there's something particularly interesting about arriving at the Mahane Yehuda street market on a Friday afternoon right before the start of Shabbat. To put it simply, it was frantic, as people throughout the city were doing their last-minute shopping before sundown (5:07 p.m. that day). In the midst of the madness, I was thrilled to find a moment of quiet, in the form of the Tower & Story Museum, a small gallery space that's tucked between market stalls. Photographer Yoram Amir has photographed scenes from around Jerusalem, and hung them in distressed window frames that are scattered throughout the apartment/gallery. But what's even better is that the second story balcony provides a great photo op of the market below. Check it out, along with other photos, after the jump.

IT Editor Janelle Nanos is in Israel this week, and she's (attempting to) blog when she has a few spare minutes. You can follow all of her posts here.

Our host explains the tenets of the Druze faith in Peki'in, Israel

When I signed up on this blogging trip through Israel, I was under the assumption that I'd actually have some time to blog. But I'm here for a week and the country is the size of New Jersey, so they've scheduled us to the point where little time is left for sleeping, never mind blogging. But it is kind of a kick to be introduced around Israel as a blogger. Apparently, from the people I've spoken to, blogs are not as popular here as they are in the States, so our group's visit was the subject of an article in the local paper. Tomorrow, they're planning to follow us on the local news channel.  Apparently, we're kind of a big deal.

When we arrived in Haifa, the Minister of Tourism mentioned that religious diversity was one of the most endearing features of her city. But in truth, I've found the layers of religiosity throughout the country to be fascinating so far. Our first taste was a visit to the Bahá'i Gardens, an exquisite 19-tiered network of landscaped terraces that cascade down the center of Haifa. In the middle is the Golden Dome where worshippers practice the Bahá'i faith, which holds that the many prophets that have appeared to different religions throughout time - be it Muhammed, Jesus, Buddha, or Moses--  all share God's message and have served as educators to spread his word. The Gardens themselves are postcard perfect, and it's fitting as the faith holds that your worship in part should take place outside, communing with nature. In contrast, going inside the Golden Dome is incredibly stark. It's a white space that's surprisingly small inside.

You can hopscotch through religious history easily in Haifa, as just a few minutes away from the gardens is the Stella Maris Church, built onto the side of Mt. Carmel, the origin of the Carmelite order of nuns. The altar of the church is built on top of a cave that is said to be the hiding place of the prophet Elijiah, when he was seeking to avoid persecution from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. It seemed a bit Harry Potter-like to have a cave set in the midst of an otherwise austere church, but I quickly learned that it wouldn't be the most interesting thing I'd see all day.

I'm exhausted but otherwise quite thrilled to report that I've made it to Israel safely, and am now sitting in my hotel in Haifa, the third largest city in the country, which is about an hour and a half north of Tel Aviv. I flew in via El Al airlines, and the experience was in keeping with everything I'd heard and read about the airline: They were very thorough during check-in, and the flight itself was, to quote my guidebook, "rambunctious." It was a double-decker plane and everyone rushed to get onboard, and the plane was teeming with children, who thankfully for me and my neighbors were very well-behaved during the nine-hour flight. A middle seat is my least-favorite place to try and get some sleep, but I managed and arrived without a huge neck cramp, which was an added bonus.

At the airport, I met up with my group, all of whom are also bloggers (I assume I'll be linking to their posts as the days go by), and we then drove north to Haifa. Driving along Road 6, the major thoroughfare that splices the country, you begin to get your bearings in Israel. Avocado, mango, and olive trees line the highway. The Mediterranean is on your left, the green lights of the minarets on the mosques glow to the right, and then suddenly, patches of the wall that divides the Palestinian Authority from the rest of Israel appear along the roadside. Our driver said that 94 percent of the "Wall," as it's known here, is actually not concrete but fencing. But seeing a concrete section was a jarring reminder of the ongoing strife in the region.