Blogs from Middle East - page 13

Today we began our day visiting the two most important museums in all of Israel. The first one is called Yad Vashem and is the Holocaust Remembrance Museum and the second is the Israel Museum. Both were spectacular and serve completely different purposes. The Yad Yashem is devoted to remembering the victims of the Holocaust. As we all know this was a terrible time in world history where a madman tried to wipe out an entire race of people. We all know and are appalled by the history of these events, but this fascinating museum is devoted to remembering the victims and those who committed these atrocities. The museum is a series of interconnected exhibits devoted to memorializing the memories of those who survived. There are photos, movies, and very emotional video testimonials of what people ... read more

Before we talk about the 12,000 steps taken on today's tour, I want to comment on hydration and tipping. No matter where you travel or at what time of the year you travel, hydration is critical to having a safe and healthy trip. As part of your planning phase, you need to understand what climate you are going to, and how hot it will be. This will help you in packing the right clothes as well. If you are on any form or religious journey, you must also consider church rules, such as men and women must have their shoulders and knees covered. For men, this means long pants and a modest shirt. For women, you can use a shawl or other cover for your shoulders or to wrap around your waist to cover your knees. ... read more

Today was the first day of our tour. Last night we met our tour guide Evan and the other 23 people on the tour. One thing I love about touring is the people you meet. Our group is from all over the world. The U.S. (of course), New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore, to name a few. Most of us are of THAT CERTAIN AGE, so we have at least that in common. We do have some families, many couples, and a few single travelers, proving the point that anyone at any age can travel anywhere. Being alone is no reason to stop traveling. When you are on tour, you are with family, so don't fret. Get those airline tickets and get out there! I said earlier that touring is not a vacation. Today we got a ... read more

I have been tardy in writing this travel blog, but thought Israel definitely deserves a good write up given the beauty of the country. I arrived in Tel Aviv (direct flight from India, 5.5 hours) and the first thing that hit me when I reached my hostel that it was Pride weekend and people were partying till late night. Over the next few days, I noticed that people like to socialise, hang out and party a lot, kind of celebrating whatever the cause may be. My first day was on a walking tour of the Old City Jaffa. Jaffa (or Yaffo as it's called locally) is considered to be the oldest port city built in the world, claimed to be built by Japheth, the son of Noah (of Noah's Ark). It's a city depicted in Greek ... read more

For a Christianity history buff like me today was nothing less than spectacular! First breakfast in our hotel, The Dan Panorama. Our included breakfast consisted of an endless choice of amazing and ecclectic nourishment options. There was 5 different kinds of bread from rolls to bagels to sliced bread you cut yourself. There were several European cereals, fresh cooked to order eggs, fresh cooked to order pancakes and fresh brewed coffee. Choices included espresso, latte, Americano, and a wide variety of teas. The cold foods tables consisted of a variety of cheeses, olives, dates, raisins, hummous, and more. Some of the odd choices included salads, tomato and cheese, tuna salad, peppers, pasta salad and on and on. If you left the table hungry, it was your own fault. Cathy and I had tickets for the Red ... read more