I'm In Israel Next Week

[Sirotnikov]

A friend of mine visited Israel and came back with two pieces of advice: I must see Masada! Do not give money to any holy man begging at the Wailing Wall, or you will immediately be swarmed by all the other holy men who are begging there.

It's sadly true about the wailing wall.

[Sirotnikov]

I have some more questions. What is the status of the West Bank with regards to car travel? Are the roads controlled by Israelis or Palestinians? I ask because it seems that the shortest drive from, say, Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee would be through the West Bank.

Depends on the roads.

I did a lot of reading up on Israel today and now I'm worried that we won't have the time to see it all. For example, apart from sightseeing, we'd like to take a swim in the Mediterranean, the Dead Sea, the Red Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Doable within a week?

Even in 2-3 days.

Looking at car rentals it seems one can be gotten for as cheap as 25 euros per day, which is affordable by my standard. It would be great to rent one for a trip to Eilat. However, it seems that big cities lack in free parking space and this is a problem since we're going to spend time in those too. So that's something I'll decide on the spot.

Tel Aviv is lacking in free parking. The rest should be toleratable.

So for now we know we want to see: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Masada, Haifa, Betlehem and/or Nazareth. Perhaps also Eilat and some smaller sites we look up online. As you can see we don't put much emphasis on strict schedules and precise itineraries, this is a vacation after all

When are you coming to Haifa?

[VetLegion]

Zevico, thanks again. Siro, is the entire Bahai compound undergoing renovation or just a part of it? It's not that important though, we'll probably stop by Haifa anyhow on the way to or from the Sea of Galilee. I'm not sure when though, this all depends whether we use public transportation or rent a car. We'll know more about our itinerary when we arrive to Tel Aviv. I can post more info then.

[Sirotnikov]

Not the entire compound but the main shrine is, and it kinda loses it's nice effect, because the compound is not as big as it would seem from the pics.

So while you can enjoy the gardens, the pictures you take will likely include a large cloth covered dome. Other than that its still pretty.

[Az]

The compound is big, however the parts that are open to tourists aren't...

[VetLegion]

Flying in 5 hours

[Heresson]

May the nukes of Iran, rockets of Hizb Allah, and the fist of the invincible Syrian Army hit Israel only after you come back.

Visit Acco.

Slap Siro.

[Az]

VetLegion is cool

So is his brother

[VetLegion]

Tel Aviv 4 ever

Az is a great guy
Also, he showed us around last night even though he was working in the morning

We spent today on the beach
Tel Aviv is great.

We're probably going to Jerusalem tommorow. But today there is still time to party. Az, we're going to try Mike's Place. If you want to join us ring me.

[Provost Harrison]

Yeah, I'll be there, give me 5 hours...

[Az]

too late... enjoy yourselves in Jerusalem.

[VetLegion]

Man, we're having a blast here

Visited Jerusalem, Masada... this internet cafe is on the way to the beach in Tiberias.

Later in the afternoon we're going to Haifa, probably via Nazareth.
After that, Caesarea and then Ben Gurion. We have to be there 03:00 AM Saturday.

I'd post pics but I don't have the time. The Sea of Galilee beckons!

[Dinner]

Israel would be great if it wasn't full of Jews. BUDUMB-CHING!

[VetLegion]

Israel is great...highly recommended. I'm back home. Stay tuned for a more detailed report & some photos in a couple of days when I organize my stuff

[dannubis]

Did you meet angry Arab guy ?