Israel & Palestine
“When you are underwater nobody can talk to you, nobody can pay proper attention to you and nobody can see you pee in your wetsuit!”
By Shri & Firuza
Intro –
Hello family and friends! We welcome you to join us on our journey (sort of) as we travel across 4 countries and share our experiences along the way. Unfortunately we didn’t do a blog for the Guatemala, Belize and Mexico trip so please use that as an incentive to experience it for yourself, we highly recommend all three.
It has been a very entertaining summer what with Trump and Kim turning what looked like the brink of World War III into a blossoming bromance, learning that Brexit means ‘Brexit’, the ‘almost final’ Avengers movie hit the screens, an American priest hijacked the show at the Royal Wedding, Boris Johnson tried to hijack Brexit and oh – we had a World Cup!
Well, now that summer’s over, Trump’s’ unpredictability has become predictable, we know that Brexit just means ‘Brexit’, Boris is lying low, half of the Avengers cast has been culled (or have they?) and the British fascination with Meghan Markle is starting to subside (well no, that’s still happening really), we figured this blog is coming in at the perfect time for you to have some October entertainment!
So join us as we travel through 4 countries, see one of the 7 modern wonders of the world, cross borders by land, sleep in a desert, get interrogated by Israeli officials, sand board down sand dunes, urinate in strange places, meet great people, find out if Shri can float, walk around in complete darkness underneath Kiev city and much much more!
Israel & Palestine –
Arrival –
We arrived in the holy state of Israel at an ungodly hour following a relatively uneventful flight. The only notable memory for Shri was that of the ‘Worlds’ most handsome man’. Having been encouraged by Firuza to read something so that she could get on with her own book in peace, he stumbled across the in-flight magazine. In this, was a page dedicated to visiting Kiev in the Ukraine (we’re going there on this trip!), which apparently is where the world’s most handsome man lives. The face became memorable after he put the magazine back in the stow tray, leaving it open on that page. Only he will know why…
Once off the plane we made our way to passport control, noting the modern feel of the Airport in Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion airport). Once we reached the counter we were asked to confirm where we were from and to state the name of our fathers and grandfathers respectively. Shri did this first with no issues, and Firuza passed the test of her father’s name with flying colours before struggling on the grandfather part which resulted in raised eyebrows from the official. He then asked where we would be going in Israel to which Firuza responded:
‘To Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea’
‘What exactly in Jerusalem?’ responded the official
‘Just to see the Holy city and the sites’ responded Firuza more timidly this time.
We were then asked to wait in a waiting room near to the passport control booths for about half an hour while the official kept our passports. A woman in very high heels with what looked like a security uniform stood guard at the entrance to this waiting area. We noted that she kept pacing uncomfortably back and forth across the entrance – whether this was because her job was to pace, or because the heels were uncomfortable if standing in one position or because she simply wanted to keep her step count up on her fitness app we were not sure – all we knew was that it was making us a bit anxious with the wait.
Firuza was soon called for questioning and returned within 10 minutes. They just wanted to further clarify where we were from (originally), the relationship between the two of us and purpose of the trip as well as where we would be staying. After this our passports were returned and we were free to go.
While this delayed our start a little it wasn’t too much of a problem overall. Our advice to anyone travelling would be to prepare for extra questions if you go to Jerusalem, be polite, answer their questions and try to remember the name of your paternal grandfather!
Tel Aviv –
We were staying near Tel Aviv in the Bat Yam area with Firuza’s Uncle. Her cousin picked us up from the airport and transferred us to his place where Firuza’s Aunt welcomed us. Sometimes you have to stop and smile at the way humans manage to solve problems; our dilemma in this instance was that Firuza’s Aunt could speak Russian, which Firuza could understand but could not speak back. Firuza could Speak Tajik which her Aunt could understand but couldn’t respond back in. Eventually they figured out a system whereby her Aunt would talk in Russian, Firuza would listen, respond in Tajik and her Aunt would respond in Russian – a little odd but it worked out in the end.
With language sorted we proceeded to spend one whole day almost recovering from the red eye flight and woke up late, spent some time on the beach and then got an early night. The next day we travelled into Tel Aviv and did the city tour by bus. It’s quite a scenic city with the beaches in the background. We did notice stark contrast between some of the more modern buildings and older ones as we got closer to the centre, with the latter all having bulky AC units attached on the outside and visible.
The most scenic of stops was the old city of Jaffa just south of Tel Aviv which maintained plenty of character as well as a good selection of shops and markets. We ended up spending the rest of the day here, most of which consisted of eating (our starters were salads on the house which could have been the main course for 4-5 people).
Getting to and from the main area of Tel Aviv by bus was relatively straight forward, using the Raf Kav card which you can top up with money to pay your way through the day. The city also has lots of Wi-Fi hotspots so you are pretty much always connected and can easily check bus timetables. In general the city was quite mixed in terms of general population and lives up to its reputation for diversity and liveliness.
Jerusalem –
We booked a last minute tour of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea for the next day. We arrived at the walled city of Jerusalem at the Jaffa Gate entrance ready for the walking tour. Our guide then explained that the city was made up of 4 quarters: the Jewish quarter, Muslim Quarter, Christian quarter and Armenian quarter. The only one which was not going to be covered on the tour was the Armenian quarter – having lived in Glendale in Los Angeles where there are more Armenians than Americans we felt we had experienced an Armenian quarter before and so were ok to skip.
First we explored the Christian quarter and the Church of the Holly Sepulchre where Jesus was crucified and an important pilgrimage site for Christians. This Church had withstood many conquests in the past and is now actually run by a Muslim family living in the walled city who open and close the Church for the public every day. Inside was full of tourists, many queueing to see where Jesus was prepared for the crucifixion. Two of the girls in our tour group (who became known to us as the ‘selfie-girls’ – but more on this later) were ushered out of the Church by a priest for not having covered themselves appropriately with the dresses they were wearing. He shook his head as he escorted them out and gave a disgruntled look to the tour guide. It is worth noting that if you visit any of the Holy sites in Jerusalem that you’re best to avoid any clothing that reveals too much skin as you may have the same fate as the selfie-girls.
Next we came to the entrance of the Muslim quarter where armed guards stood blocking the entrance for non-Muslims. Apparently there are only certain entrances that will permit non-Muslims to enter, so we had to wait to catch a proper glimpse of the famous dome of the rock Mosque. Instead we bypassed many stalls and shops as we walked through the narrow streets, catching fleeting glances of Christians, Muslims and Jews making their way through the walled city to their respective areas, shopkeepers trying to get another deal in before the hour mark, tourists walking without direction and many delivery people carrying all assortments of foods, supplies and holy instruments. This really was a bustling area with all kinds of activity on-going it seemed as part of normal routine.
We went through a security area that included a bag search and metal detector inspection before advancing into the Jewish quarter – this area is apparently more prone to attack than any other and as such had the security measures put in place. The selfie-girls were again reprimanded for not being sufficiently covered as we entered and given shawls for their shoulders and neck which they reluctantly accepted. Once in, we found ourselves within very close proximity to the Western Wall, also known as the ‘Wailing Wall’, and several other names in various religions. This is one of the holiest sites for Jews, after it was seized by Israel in 1967 from Jordanian territory and we could see many had turned up and were queueing for their chance to get close. While the rest of the tour group made for the wall and to cast a wish into it on a piece of paper, we made to go over the bridge and enter the Muslim quarter to see the Mosque. As we got through Firuza was told to cover her arms and neck even though she was wearing a T-shirt and so had to grab a scarf from the bag. Just a note that this is definitely something to expect throughout the city, especially close to holy areas. The detour was well worth it to see the structure of the Mosque up close and the golden roof, iconic of the City of Jerusalem. We then had to make our way back to the Jewish quarter and ended up exiting the Muslim quarter through an exit that turned out to be the entrance non-Muslims weren’t allowed into with the guards (anyone can exit this way) and then had to navigate our way through the side streets with the hustle and bustle, back through the metal detectors and then find the tour group. We spotted the selfie-girls who had at this point taken off their shawls and began taking selfies (apparently being shawl covered is not selfie-worthy) and so made our way back to the group.
Next we climbed the walls of the city, taking in some spectacular views from above and lots of selfies (not just the selfie-girls this time) before heading back into the city where we were given some time to browse the shops. We felt that this tour was quite rushed and if people have the time, we definitely recommend spending a day or half day at least in Jerusalem to take in the city fully as we had to move fairly quickly to cover everything in a short period of time. We exited the city through the Jaffa gate as well (although Shri was sure he had heard we would be leaving through the Jaffa Cake and was not sure if that was just an expression or if there would be Jaffa Cakes awaiting us on exit). Next stop, Palestine and Bethlehem!
Bethlehem –
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is well documented and prevalent in the media and as such we anticipated there would be some difficulty with the border crossing. However, our mini bus went through without issue and no passport check was conducted for anyone on the vehicle to our surprise.
We arrived in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary and once again this was full of tourists. There was a line that apparently would take 2 hours to go down into the exact chamber where Jesus was apparently born with many making the pilgrimage to this site for that exact reason. Our tour guide explained that this would not be possible for us to do on this tour, followed by the information that several of the other chambers were closed and that as such this would be a relatively short tour. He went on to explain that this was one of the few Churches that was spared by Muslims during a conquest as the three Wise Men who visited Mary for the birth of Jesus wore Persian clothing.
We then got some pictures of the Church from the outside before heading across the road where we were shown a miniature plan of Bethlehem. At this point people were getting tired and hungry having not eaten for a long time (no time was given for this in Jerusalem and everyone had woken up early for the tour). When the guide mentioned that food would be provided when we got to the Dead Sea (apparently an hour away and which we were only going to stop at after another souvenir stop) people were on edge. One of the selfie-girls had a look on her face as if her Instagram had been deleted while an American girl sat down looking on the verge of tears saying she was thirsty. Shri offered her some water but she said she needed a coke (apparently this is what you do to quench thirst…). We did stop for lunch straight after in the end.
We did also have a chance while in Palestine to visit the dividing wall between the two nations. This was definitely the most upsetting part of the trip and highlighted the negative impacts and hardships that have been placed on ordinary people as a result of the conflict. We attached a photo of one of the stories shared on the wall which is a reflection of the suffering endured by some as a direct result of the territory disputes. We hope that one day, these disputes will be settled and both are able to live peacefully.
The Dead Sea –
We were at the lowest point of our lives – but that’s just because the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth and is a sea below sea level. It is accessible from the both the Israeli/Palestinian side as well as on the Jordanian side. While the Jordanian side has many hotels in the vicinity we felt we were in the middle of nowhere when we arrived. The location in Jericho features a shop, bar, serves food and even has a pool within the site. But we headed straight for the salty Dead Sea to see if Shri could float!
Having never been able to float before, Shri was desperate to make it happen today – if it wasn’t possible here then he knew it would never be possible. For those of you who don’t know, the excessive levels of salt in the Dead Sea ensure that pretty much everything floats and indeed as we got to the shore we could see everyone floating around, some even reading newspapers and books while floating on their backs.
Well mission achieved, Shri floated! We spent some time floating on our backs, on our fronts and taking photos of German tourists – because they asked us to and yes we used their phones of course! The selfie-girls also made it in a bit later and began what is probably the biggest selfie-shoot the Dead Sea has ever witnessed – we are not sure that they actually tried to float. But each to their own.
We proceeded to do as the other tourists were doing; throwing mud over themselves and then settling back into the sea. It is an odd thought that one would want to put mud that has had everyone’s’ feet on it onto their face, yet it seems when there is benefits to the skin to be gained, everyone is game!
To sum it up, the Dead Sea was a great experience and was a very proud moment for Shri who had achieved a bucket list ambition of floating. You also have the opportunity to throw mud on yourself elephant-style without looking like you belong in zoo which is a nice way to cool off and exfoliate, and you can say you’ve been to earth’s lowest point!
We highly recommend it, but perhaps don’t try and cram Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea into one day unless you are really pushed for time in which case this may work and allow you to see a lot more.
Eilat –
We flew from Tel Aviv (the smaller domestic airport) to the southern city of Eilat the next day. This was an early morning flight and in the end we were one of the first to arrive at the airport. Here we were questioned again about our travels and intensively about our relationship status. We were each made to answer questions about our relationship and life separately while the other was told to stand about 5 meters from where the questioning was happening. As such, our recommendation is discuss with your partner or comrades travelling with you in advance how you will respond to questions about when and where you first met, what address to give etc. Alternatively do what Shri did and eavesdrop on everything Firuza said so that you guarantee the right answers 😉
We finally landed in Eilat and headed for the scuba dive centre (this was the main reason for us coming to Eilat). We just about made it in time for the outbound boat before venturing into the Red Sea (not the Dead Sea). On this occasion we had forgotten our GoPro in England and so were going to have to rely on memory and not photos for this experience.
We had two really good dives that including being surrounded at one point by squids as well as seeing several cool fish that our dive master couldn’t translate from Hebrew to English. Shri also jumped off the boat roof with some of the other Brits in between the 2 dives and managed to go partially deaf for a day (not equalizing properly) and somehow cause a nosebleed underwater.
To save embarrassment we will not discuss who out of Firuza and Shri had the next experience but it is one worth sharing due to the amazing feeling that came with it. A wise Dive master once told us that there are two types of people in this world; ‘people who pee in wetsuits, and people who lie about peeing in wetsuits
When you dive, you regularly take in more sea water than you would like and as most boats do not have toilets on board, you often have to wait a long time before getting back to a toilet (about 4.5-5 hours). As such, one of us took the opportunity to become one of the two types of people mentioned by the Dive master above. What a feeling; of liberation, of freedom, of true understanding. When you are underwater nobody can talk to you, nobody can pay proper attention to you and nobody can see you pee in your wetsuit! It was a fantastic moment, checking to see that nobody else was looking (just in case) and then having that release after holding it for so long on the first dive). Nobody knew, and nobody had to know – this was a private moment – which has now been shared with all of you….
For those of you who dive the Red Sea is a great dive site specifically in Eilat. Just note that it is mandatory in Israel for you to have diver insurance and if you don’t you’ll have to purchase it on the day. For those of you who don’t dive, it really is not for everyone but we highly recommend you give it a go just to see if you like it. Being underwater for over an hour in the oceans and seas of our planet is truly like no other experience. We also just want to state that all wetsuits are normally thoroughly cleaned after each dive as a precaution…
More to follow in Part II…
