Blogs from Haifa, Haifa District, Israel, Middle East

Heräsin jo klo 5.30. Join aamukahvin eri paikassa kuin aiemmin, siellä sai suhteellisen edullisesti täytetyn sämpylän. Vaki-kosher-leipomosta ostin pullan kämpille. Löysin Israelin rautateiden sivuilta 40 shekelin päivälipun, johon sisältyi menopaluu junamatka Haifaan ja paikallisliikenne siellä ja Tel Avivissa. Sain ladattua sen lipun Rav-kav-kortilleni lähikioskissa. Kerkesin juuri klo 9.47 lähtevään junaan, ja aika pian pääsin vaihtamaan ikkunapaikalle. Tel Avivin pohjoisosassa satoi vettä, mutta loppupäivä menikin sitten poutaisissa merkeissä. Asemalta matkustin yhden pysäkinvälin pikabussilla. Hetken kesti löytää 'metron' pääteasema. Täkäläinen metro on oikeastaan rinteen sisään rakennettu köysirata: 12 minuutissa se ajoi kuuden pysäkin matkan ylös. Kävin päätepysäkin lähellä kahvilla. Tarjoilijapoika osasi suomea: 'Kuollutmeri', 'kuiva iho', 'mitä kuuluu?' - oli ollut töissä Ku... read more

On this morning’s itinerary is Caesarea, Herod’s port. The whole ancient town is now a National Park. In some places, such as the amphitheatre, the arichitecture is incredibly well preserved. In others, bits of statue and remnants of marble columns are sprawled around like a huge Roman jigsaw puzzle. Today’s ultimate desination is Haifa, a port city at the foot of Mount Carmel. Our hotel has overbooked and passed our reservation to the Templers Boutique Hotel. Their error is our gain as the hotel is immaculate, beautifully renovated and includes some very quirky toilets. The main attraction in Haifa is The Baha’i Gardens; 19 immaculate terraced gardens cascading down the mountain side. Our hotel is just metres from the bottom of the gardens. We try to enter, but are told the entrance is one level further ... read more

I am sitting on the porch of the Cafein in the upscale community of Haifa in Israel known as Horev It is named after the mount where Moses received the ten commandments. In this area there is a small canyon or mall, several cafes and middle class homes. This community has a mixed population of Jewish, Christian and Muslims. I am eating Moussaka, drinking Arak a local variation of Greek Ouzo, and watching the pedestrians pass by which is my favorite afternoon pleasure except for the Shabat or Sabbath of course. I can see the namal or port where many of the workers trace their roots back for centuries to Salonika. There is a lot of news currently about the changing relations between Israel and Greece, including the tripartite agreement between Israel, Greece and Cyprus. I ... read more

Now that it's almost time for my trip to end, I want to look back and assess everything that I learned and experienced here. Before going to Israel, I had no idea what to expect. I had never been there before, and I wasn't even sure how to prepare for the journey. Once I got my acceptance letter to the University of Haifa for the Hebrew Ulpan and fall semester, I began thinking, "How am I going to do this?" I had so many questions running through my head like, "What kinds of things do they sell there? How will the campus be? and Will everyone be nice?" I had no idea what to expect. I was grateful for my dad coming with me the first time to help settle me in and carry my luggage ... read more

Hi all! I had an amazing experience in Nazareth last week with my friend Laura, her mom, and her grandma. We took the bus to the old city in Nazareth early in the morning and toured it for the day. We got to see the Basilica of the Annunciation, the Church of Saint Joseph, the ancient village of Nazareth, the market place, and a Greek Orthodox church. We had such a good time there. Nazareth is a beautiful town. There are tons of trees and hills. The buildings there look old, but that's what makes it such an interesting looking place. The churches were incredible. The amount of detail that goes into pretty much everything in them is amazing. I took as many pictures of them as I could, and I will post more on Facebook. ... read more