Sun November 6th Haifa, Israel
By Jain
We wake up early, because we had to. There are 2,000 people on this ship getting off at the crack of dawn, to see Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Masada, Dead Sea, and all points between. Our ship is docked here for two days and most people spend the entire two days exploring the country. Because we need to get an early start, it's no bacon today, and no treadmill, we don't want to miss the early train from Haifa to Tel Aviv and onward to Jerusalem. No tourists buses for us; we are independent travelers with a motto, "We can do it". Sometimes it works, and sometimes it is a lot easier to be on a crowded bus and not worry about schedules, tickets and finding your way.
The train station is a short block away from the cruise ship and we have planned out our journey on the internet. What we didn't plan for is both our Visa and Debit cards rejected by the ticket guy at the Haifa train station… but wait, they accept Euros. The train ticket is 10.00 Euros each and we have a total of 60 Euros between us. So off we go, sounds like a plan.
The train from Haifa to Tel Aviv was packed. I got a seat only because a young girl gave me her seat. (She probably thought I was "the elderly or infirmed" as the sign says in the train car). It was a nice gesture and I appreciated it. She sat on the floor the entire trip. The train was crowded due to the military personnel reporting for duty. I mean it's one thing having duffle bags piled high in the aisles but most military personnel here carry machine guns and they take up a lot room. Jay stood up during the 1 hour ride with a gun pointed at his hip and the 19 year old soldier holding it was nodding off every now and then.
Arriving at Tel Aviv we switched trains to catch the next train to Jerusalem. Tel Aviv is a large modern city with a pretty sea shore. This ride was another hour, kind of a slow but a very pretty ride through the mountains. The scenery reminded me of a cross between Greece and San Diego with lots of olive trees, eucalyptus, oak and juniper trees with rivers and limestone quarries.
Once in Jerusalem we tried to purchase our return train tickets. Nope, once again foiled. Before every overseas trip we always alert our bank but as the saying goes, "sh__ happens". That's why we always carry American Express . (Sounds like a commercial!)
Anyway we caught a taxi from the train station to the Old City. Here there is lots to explore and so little time. It is truly a sight, but we did manage to see the Jewish Quarter, Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter, Armenian Quarter and the Western wall. Along the way we both were famished and just grabbed a falafel pita bread sandwich, stuffed full of fried chickpeas, coleslaw, pickles, hot sauce and a little Tahini sauce. I know it sounds a bit weird but it was heaven. We just munched on it while walking through tiny shopping alleyways that reminded us of the souks in Morocco.
We both agree we need to come back here on our own to explore the city. It is beautiful, and there is definitely lots to see and do. I guess the great part of cruising is that it gives you a sample of what's out there and then you can come back.
Tomorrow we will explore Haifa which is supposed to be a nice destination in its own right. It is considered to be one of the Middle East's most picturesque cities. The common Israeli saying, "Haifa works, Jerusalem prays and Tel Aviv plays". I guess we'll see the city at work today.
We wake up early, because we had to. There are 2,000 people on this ship getting off at the crack of dawn, to see Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Masada, Dead Sea, and all points between. Our ship is docked here for two days and most people spend the entire two days exploring the country. Because we need to get an early start, it's no bacon today, and no treadmill, we don't want to miss the early train from Haifa to Tel Aviv and onward to Jerusalem. No tourists buses for us; we are independent travelers with a motto, "We can do it". Sometimes it works, and sometimes it is a lot easier to be on a crowded bus and not worry about schedules, tickets and finding your way.
The train station is a short block away from the cruise ship and we have planned out our journey on the internet. What we didn't plan for is both our Visa and Debit cards rejected by the ticket guy at the Haifa train station… but wait, they accept Euros. The train ticket is 10.00 Euros each and we have a total of 60 Euros between us. So off we go, sounds like a plan.
The train from Haifa to Tel Aviv was packed. I got a seat only because a young girl gave me her seat. (She probably thought I was "the elderly or infirmed" as the sign says in the train car). It was a nice gesture and I appreciated it. She sat on the floor the entire trip. The train was crowded due to the military personnel reporting for duty. I mean it's one thing having duffle bags piled high in the aisles but most military personnel here carry machine guns and they take up a lot room. Jay stood up during the 1 hour ride with a gun pointed at his hip and the 19 year old soldier holding it was nodding off every now and then.
Arriving at Tel Aviv we switched trains to catch the next train to Jerusalem. Tel Aviv is a large modern city with a pretty sea shore. This ride was another hour, kind of a slow but a very pretty ride through the mountains. The scenery reminded me of a cross between Greece and San Diego with lots of olive trees, eucalyptus, oak and juniper trees with rivers and limestone quarries.
Once in Jerusalem we tried to purchase our return train tickets. Nope, once again foiled. Before every overseas trip we always alert our bank but as the saying goes, "sh__ happens". That's why we always carry American Express . (Sounds like a commercial!)
Anyway we caught a taxi from the train station to the Old City. Here there is lots to explore and so little time. It is truly a sight, but we did manage to see the Jewish Quarter, Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter, Armenian Quarter and the Western wall. Along the way we both were famished and just grabbed a falafel pita bread sandwich, stuffed full of fried chickpeas, coleslaw, pickles, hot sauce and a little Tahini sauce. I know it sounds a bit weird but it was heaven. We just munched on it while walking through tiny shopping alleyways that reminded us of the souks in Morocco.
We both agree we need to come back here on our own to explore the city. It is beautiful, and there is definitely lots to see and do. I guess the great part of cruising is that it gives you a sample of what's out there and then you can come back.
Tomorrow we will explore Haifa which is supposed to be a nice destination in its own right. It is considered to be one of the Middle East's most picturesque cities. The common Israeli saying, "Haifa works, Jerusalem prays and Tel Aviv plays". I guess we'll see the city at work today.
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