Army Trip: Ramat HaNadiv

After more than two months of army duty, having completed basic training and already well into the driving course, my fellow soldiers and I were treated to a “break from the schedule” and enjoyed a day trip to the Ramat HaNadiv memorial park. The trip was intended to give us a taste of driving on unfamiliar roads as well as providing us with a little bit of fun, tied in with history and education. With each driving instructor giving each of his soldiers a turn at the wheel, we took a really long and roundabout way to Ramat HaNadiv (coming from the Haifa area). I drove a nice hour-long stretch and then handed the wheel over to the next soldier. When we, at last, arrived to the park, there was a BBQ going and we were given a brief explanation of the site by our immediate commanding officer. After that we were released into the park to explore and enjoy while the food preparation finished up.

Some of the gardens

As we walked through the park we took group pictures and individual pictures, posing in the well-maintained gardens. Had I known about this trip when I was last at home I would have made sure to bring a camera but the trip was spontaneous (at least from our side) and I was forced to engaged in photography with a 5-MP phone camera – some of the pictures coming out remarkably well.

Vegetation

To give a little background about the site, Ramat HaNadiv is a small nature park just outside of Zichron Yaakov established as a memorial gardens for the Baron Edmond James de Rothschild and his wife, who were both buried in a crypt on location in 1954. The Baron and his wife had been previously buried in Paris in 1934 and 1935, respectively, but were re-interred in Israel on land purchased by them some time before. Ramat HaNadiv translates into “Heights of the Benefactor”, an ode to the Baron’s nickname which was earned through many years of donations and assistance to the Jewish settlers during the first few Aliyahs.

Sundial

The Baron Rothschild is the same baron as the one who was instrumental in founding Rosh Pina, a town established in 1882 beside Tzfat (blog post about Rosh Pina, mentioning the Baron, found here).

Engaged in thought…

One of the things that makes Ramat HaNadiv a unique place is the variety of flora, of all different varieties. It was told to us towards the tail end of our walk that Ramat HaNadiv contains the largest amount of endangered plant species in all of Israel.

Flora

Mid-way we came across a sign to “The Crypt” and followed it. There we found an impressive stone courtyard with narrow pools of koi fish and outside a handful of us posed, myself not included:

Some of us outside the courtyard to the crypt

And a view of inside the courtyard:

The courtyard outside the crypt

Once through the heavy doors, I entered the crypt and walked down to the burial room where the remains of the Baron and his wife are now held:

Inside the crypt

Emerging from the underground cavern, I branched off from the group with two friends and began to explore more, despite the constant update that the food was ready and everyone was heading back to eat. In the end I’d say that our actions paid off as we got to see a larger portion of the gardens and ended eating as well when we finally got back to the picnic grounds. There was even a family of mongoose that ventured out of the bushes to examine us and our victuals. Back in the park, here is the Cascade Garden:

The Cascade Garden

As we continued on, just after the Fragrance Garden, we bumped into an elderly gardener who noticed we were speaking English. He introduced himself as Sydney and gave us a thorough lecture on the water absorption complications of the ficus tree. An experienced gardener, having decades of horticultural experience under his belt, Sydney filled our minds with interesting facts and tidbits, sharing some of his knowledge with us.

Sydney the Gardener

Had we had more time at our disposal I would have liked to have heard more about the site, but at last he told us that we should be on our way and so I promised that if I come back I’d have to snare him into giving me a tour. Looking at the Wikipedia page about Ramat HaNadiv I see that there are several archaeological digs that I missed and those demand to be seen!

Until next time, whenever and wherever that may be!

Army Trip: IDF History Museum, Yad VaShem & Ammunition Hill

During the course of the army, no matter how long one serves, he or she is going to be taken on a variety of trips around Israel. Many of these trips are to historical locations, others are culturally oriented and some are just random trips. This past week, still in basic training, we had the opportunity of visiting three interesting sites: the IDF History Museum in Tel Aviv, Yad VaShem Holocaust museum and Ammunition Hill both in Jerusalem. Due to the fact that I am in basic training, photography was difficult so I have culled most of the following photos from the Internet. The first of these trips was to the IDF History Museum in Tel Aviv, a museum I’ve been wanting to visit for some time now.

Armoured buses

We toured several exhibits of the large museum accompanied by a knowledgeable docent. Our platoon of 27 soldiers and four commanders/commanding officer was joined by similar numbers from two other army bases, the Central and Southern counterparts to our Northern base. We strolled through the museum’s grounds en masse, observing the numerous military artifacts.

Willys Jeep from the War of Independence

As we went from building to building, the docent relayed many interesting stories and historical tidbits which I found to be quite interesting. I would have gladly stayed much longer, to properly enjoy the museum but I was just a pawn on someone else’s schedule so I was limited to what was offered.

Museum display

We were rushed out of the museum prematurely and had to return to our respective bases but I plan on going back and catching up on what I’ve been remiss on seeing all these years that I’ve been here.

The next trip we took was to Jerusalem where we visited two sites, well really it was 1.5 due to time constrictions, and then headed back to the base. The most famous Holocaust museum, Yad VaShem, was first and there we had a great guide who zipped about from exhibit to exhibit pointing out the poignant details and shedding light on the great tragedy that many people don’t know much about. To clarify that last sentence, there are a few Bedouins and Druze sprinkled into our ranks, some of them volunteers and others conscripted along with the Jews. Here are two Muslim Bedouins from my platoon, the one on the left is quite the jester and told me after I took his photo that I can tell my parents I took a picture of an Arab. Speaking with a heavily accented Hebrew, that remark was quite humorous and we all laughed, some more awkwardly than others.

Two Muslim Bedouins in my platoon

Once inside the museum I was pleasantly surprised to see how much interest some of the Arab soldiers were taking in the sad tale of carnage and destruction. One particular Bedouin was quite engaged in the terrible stories the guide told us, but he wasn’t the only gentile in the building. Walking slightly behind us was an Italian admiral, his sidekick senior officer, an Italian non-com and the Israeli party of a naval captain, a lieutenant and a seaman taking pictures. This entourage was quite interesting to watch and I had to ask my commander which navy the foreigners were hailing from.

Yad VaShem memorial (Photo: Adam Jones, Flickr)

Despite the fact that this was my second time in Yad VaShem, I had an interesting experience. An American woman came over to us and seeked out an English speaker. Once I was her captive audience she began to tell me about how her father recently passed away and that after his death she found pictures and letters that pointed her past to the Holocaust, something she didn’t know beforehand. She showed me the photos of her family members and then ran off, not wanting to get too separated from her tour group.

Break time outside Yad VaShem

After the museum tour we went out and had lunch. During that time I took the liberty of getting a photo of me with my “dress” uniform on (there are two types of uniforms: dress and work):

Standing at Yad VaShem

After Yad VaShem we headed over to Ammunition Hill, an important battle site which helped secure the full re-capture of Jerusalem during the Six Day War in 1967. Due to time constraint we only got to see the interactive video about the war and the battle that took place below our feet. Having already seen the actual site (and not the video) when my Yeshiva here took us to Jerusalem, I was satisfied. However, I must say, the video presentation at Ammunition Hill is absolutely amazing, a work of art.

Ammunition Hill (Photo: Simnatic, Flickr)

As the video played lights and lasers danced on a large metal topographical display of 1967 Jerusalem. The fierce battles between the Israeli and Jordanian forces were shown out in full colour, the Israeli blue gradually conquering the Jordanian red. As we watched the light-created tanks climb up hills and enter the populated areas we looked up and saw actual footage from the battles for Jerusalem. The full excellence of the presentation is hard to put on paper, so to speak, so I strongly recommend a visit.

Tank from the battle (Photo: Simnatic, Flickr)

After quickly rushing back to our special white army bus, the non-com who brought us drove us back to our base for an early bedtime – something to look forward to in the army!

Leket Picking in Nahalal

Yesterday, which happened to have been Isru Chag for us living in the Holy Land (and still Sukkot for those living in the Diaspora), a special trip to collect “leket” for people in need was arranged. Leket is, to be short and sweet, grain or produce that the farmer drops, accidentally, in the field which is then abandoned for the poor people to gather. There are certain Rabbinical laws that define what leket exactly is, for example if the farmer was pricked by a thorn while harvesting wheat and consequently drops the sheaves or produce from his hand, he can gather them back up and does not have to leave them for the poor. So, in today’s times there is a noble organisation that takes the initiative to collect this leket and dole it out to those in need. This organisation is aptly named Leket Israel:

Leket Israel logo

Our morning leket gathering trip was coordinated by Nefesh B’Nefesh and the clincher that secured my agreement to partake was due to the fact that this trip was to take place in Nahalal. Located between Nazareth and Mount Carmel, in the lush Jezreel Valley, Nahalal was founded in 1921 and was Israel’s first moshav. Having recently read Yael Dayan’s biography about her father, Moshe Dayan, and having read all about Nahalal in the early days when Yael Dayan was a child, I figured it would be interesting to see this famous moshav in person, and to actually work the land, no less.

Nahalal in 1921 – the first settlers arriving

One of the things that makes Nahalal so famous is the circular shape in which it was built up; the families’ houses occupying the centre of the circle with their tracts of land stretching out behind, so that each family had a livelihood. Here is an aerial view of Nahalal these days, taken from Google Maps, and the field where we picked yesterday is in the lower left corner.

Nahalal

As we all gathered at the field, some coming by car and some by special transport scheduled for this event, a Leket Israel truck followed us and parked, ready to pass along all that we would pick:

Leket Israel truck following us

Now, just to put things into perspective, all of us that gathered there came as volunteers (even paying for transportation) and yet we had not a clue as to what we were going to be picking. We passed tomatoes and beets before stopping at what seemed to be an empty field, furrowed and littered with tawny dead vegetation. There, Ran, the Leket Israel representative hailing from Kibbutz Mizra, explained to us that we were to pick onions and that the crop of choice varies as to the supply and demand.

Ran of Leket Israel

He proceeded to kneel in the dirt and pull onions out of their semi-buried state and demonstrate which onions were to be discarded and which were to be placed into the bucket. Once we were briefed he turned us loose, handing buckets all around. Here is a fine specimen of an onion that I picked, note my fellow pickers in the background:

An onion in the field

As we toiled in the field, chatting and making new acquaintances, the clock hands spun around and the buckets were repeatedly emptied into the large plastic crate. Here is the first crate that we filled, estimated by some to be at least 50 bucketfuls of onions:

First crate

But after the first crate we were merely warmed up, our clever little party of thirty or so individuals began to ferociously attack the dry, cracked land, producing onion after onion and dispensing them into the correct containers. The sun and clouds played hide-and-seek while us mortals toiled in the fields, having a grand old time.

The group gathering

At last the NBN crew called a mandatory break and passed out fruit and cups of water. We stood around and were taken by surprise as a group of armed soldiers traipsed by us and began gathering onions as well. We watched as they stacked their guns and got down on the ground to fill buckets for Leket Israel. With all the goodness that I see streaming from the IDF’s many fingers, I feel glad that I am, at last, going to join their ranks.

Soldiers picking onions

I approached the soldiers and learned of their location in the army. They belong to a unique unit somewhat attached to the Artillery Corps but mostly operate with Infantry. They are responsible for sending unmanned gliders out into the battlefield for real-time surveillance and even carry the gliders dismantled on their backs. I do not know what this unit is called but it sounds rather interesting, plus they knew how to pick onions, always a good skill:

A soldier picking for Leket Israel

After several hours of picking onions, I personally had filled countless buckets and there were a bunch of full crates. Someone from NBN called back our special transport and we all gathered around to hear a summary of the morning’s efforts. Ran announced to us that we had picked an estimated 900 kilograms of onions (that’s 1,980 lbs, close to a ton). He then told us that 300 families, estimated, would be enjoying the fruits of our labour and that we did a great job. We then returned to our vehicles, feeling good that we helped so many, and I got myself a taste of farming in the Holy Land. I hope that when I’m in the army I get to go leket picking again. Time will tell, I suppose.

More information about Leket Israel can be found HERE.

Boarding the Esmeralda

With only a few weeks left till I start army service, Chol HaMoed Sukkot provides an excellent opportunity to grab a few more trips to blog about. This post is about our family trip to see the Chilean Navy ship, the Esmeralda. The longest sailing ship in the world, the Esmeralda came to Haifa Port last week and was used to host an Israeli Navy celebration. I happened to be in Haifa that day, meeting an old friend of mine, and was at the train station watching the party ensue on-board.

Esmeralda and stormy skies

Being a “fan” of the Israel Navy Facebook page I was alerted to the fact that this was a Chilean Navy ship and that it was open to the public for a few days before moving along. Despite the fact that we arrived before the public visits start there was still a very long line and it took a while before we made it into the first section of the port. There were four waiting stations, as I like to call it and at the latter ones many good photos of the port and the ongoing maritime activities were taken.

Industrial port

Later on-board, when I asked one of the sailors where they’ve been, he informed me that they had just come from India and were heading next to Turkey. Being that yesterday was the last day in Haifa Port, the Esmeralda is cruising the Mediterranean now, headed for Turkey.

To the ship!

For a bit of historical trivia, the Esmeralda is the sixth Chilean Navy ship to bear that name, a tradition of sorts bearing back to 1820 when Admiral Cochrane of the Chilean Navy captured the Spanish frigate Esmeralda. The Esmeralda that we visited in the Port of Haifa was built back in 1946 and is used for training and circling the world, visiting various international ports and opening up for the public. In the same port area that we were in, the Israeli Navy stores its ships. Here is the INS Hanit and the INS Eilat, both Sa’ar 5 corvettes:

INS Eilat and INS Hanit

It should be noted that the INS Hanit, on the left, was nearly sunk during the Second Lebanon War when a Hezbollah anti-ship missile struck it. And while speaking about navy ships, the Chilean Navy actually possesses three Israeli-made Sa’ar 4 missile boats, naming them the Chipana, the Casma and the Angamos. Returning to the Esmeralda, here is the greeter that ushered us up the gangplank and onto the ship:

Chilean Navy sailor

On-board we were allowed to roam about and take pictures of everything, including the Chilean sailors who enjoyed saying “de nada” to me after I thanked them in flawed Spanish for their time and smiles. Here the Chilean Navy makes a few pesos selling Israelis various products from their homeland:

Selling Chilean products on-deck

And here I posed with Chilean sailors Moises Abad and Pedro Apablaza (I want that surname!). Moises Abad wasn’t sure if he was Jewish, but his name sure sounds judío.

Posing with Chilean sailors Pedro Apablaza and Moises Abad

Here is a nice picture of what it looked like on-deck, the spiffy sailors and officers dressed in stark white, the tall masts with the eternal mess of ropes and rigging… all against the cloudy sky:

On-deck

On the starboard side of the ship there was a table selling souvenirs and I got a t-shirt that commemorates the Esmeralda “circling the world” tour. Even though it was labelled size M, Midshipman Evelyn Mora was certain that the shirt would fit me… so if it doesn’t I know who to complain to.

Midshipman Evelyn Mora packaging my t-shirt

In the centre of the ship, after the table selling shirts, mugs and posters, there is the superstructure and the various control rooms. After listening to one-too-many Clive Cussler audio-books I now know what these nautical “terms” look like in person. Here is the superstructure and one of the four masts:

Looking up beside the superstructure

After thoroughly examining the 371-foot long ship we headed for the gangplank to walk the plank off the ship… and back onto the dock. On our way we marvelled at the line which got bigger during the hour and a half that we were on the ship.

Long lines on the docks

But before disembarking the vessel I poked my hand into one of the ports and took this photo of the kitchen. The crew’s lunch was cooking and, I must say, it didn’t smell good.

Inside the kitchen

Aside from the unappetizing-smelling lunch, the visit to the Esmeralda was very interesting and unique and the sailors and officers very courteous. If you, o’ reader, would like to board the Esmeralda I’d suggest you fly to Turkey ASAP or arrange something with the Somalian pirates… in which case the Chileans wouldn’t be as courteous. Or, better yet, maybe they’ll come around to Haifa next year.

 

 

Hummus & Diamonds

Here goes another tale of Tel Aviv, the home of hummus and diamonds, and the surrounding experiences as told with words and pictures. I was in Jerusalem already, on business, and grabbed a bagel from the Central Bus Station for breakfast as I headed towards Tel Aviv. I confirmed by phone the location of the IDC (Israel Diamond Centre) Diamond Museum, which I’ve been wanting to visit for a while now, and once in Tel Aviv grabbed another bus to Ramat Gan – just a few minutes away from the Savidor Mercaz train station. There, looming over me and scraping the sky, the tall buildings of the famed Diamond District greeted me, occasionally shading me from the late morning sun as I sought out the museum. As an interesting side point, the roundish building below, on the right side of the photo, is the tallest building in Israel.

Skyscrapers in the Diamond District

Beneath the immense buildings I found an array of jewelry shops and restaurants and asked some security guards for directions to the diamond museum, whatever the name was. It was easy to find and I stepped into the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum operated/owner by either the IDC or the IDI, I keep seeing conflicting reports, unless they are both the same group. Regardless, I paid my entrance fee – which was reduced because I told them I am going to the army in less than two months – and had a personal guide instruct me on the correct uses of the little informational video stands.

Fake diamond on display

At first I examined the new special exhibition of silver Judaica, not really connected to diamonds but there are different special exhibitions and this was the current one. Moving along the rooms I started the diamond manufacturing self-activated tour and watched the first of three videos explaining the path a diamond takes from the creation to the gem we recognise. Along with the videos there were various tools, both historical and modern, which are used to work the rough diamond. At the end of the stages there is the finished product and so, as expected, there were showcases of loose diamonds and jewelry encrusted with diamonds:

Real tiny diamonds on display

One of the coolest diamond piece on display was the De Beers Hourglass, a 24-karat gold hourglass with over 2,000 tiny diamonds acting as sand flowing through the hourglass encased in some unidentifiable liquid. It was really cool, however not an accurate hourglass, but the photos I took didn’t come out too well (dark room and dark display behind glass). From there I went to the main video, activated it myself and sat by my lonesome in the viewing room, looking up at the three screens. The video took me through the final stage of the diamond transformation, the selling or brokering of the gem. In the course of the video I learned some rather interesting little tidbits about the diamond industry. One, half of the diamonds sold in the US pass through Tel Aviv at some point or another. Two, at nearly every diamond deal – regardless of the location – a handshake and the words “Mazal U’Bracha” compose the traditional mutual agreement. So, in the video (all performed by actors, I checked with the museum), when “the Chinese” are buying diamonds from the Israelis they all say “Mazal U’Bracha” as they seal the deal. Here is a snapshot just seconds before that glorious moment:

Closing the deal with the Chinese

When I finished the video, having learnt some trivia about the local diamond industry – including the fact that Tel Aviv is one of the biggest diamond centres in the world, following only Antwerp and New York (I believe) – I examined the rest of the museum, the collections of other gems and semi-precious stones all left in their rough state, and headed outside. From there I walked into the IDC showroom and examined the finished products up for sale. As an interesting note, none of the Tel Aviv diamonds are blood diamonds. I did “sneak into” a special showroom section and consequently was forced to leave that special room and continue my browsing on the general floor. When I had seen enough of the millions of dollars of diamonds I left and searched for some more diamond locations. After nagging some guards I was reassured that there was no more to be seen save the scatterings of diamond retail and jewelry stores – but those I’ve already seen. As I was leaving I saw several chasidim heading into one of the buildings – no doubt diamond cutters as the chasidim have that in their blood, and become fabulously wealthy from the diamond industry. So with that final flourish, seeing the workers and the trade, I hopped back on a bus and and headed for one of Israel’s best and/or most famous hummus joints, an ideal lunch for a traveler in Tel Aviv.

The hummus joint in my sights was Hummus Ashkara, recommended to me by several people and also featured on many of the “Best Hummus in Israel” lists that can be found online. Most, if not all, of the other famous/best hummus joints are owned by Arabs and do not have kosher certification, thus I cannot eat there. This one, to my joy, was 100% kosher and open for business. I headed for the Tel Aviv Port area and found the hummus I was looking for. Behind the counter, dishing the hummus, was a nice [Jewish] religious young man.

Hummus Ashkara

This particular hummus joint, unlike the famous Arab ones in Akko, Abu Gosh  and Jaffa, is open 24 hours a day. I heard somewhere that traditional Arab hummus joints are only open in the morning and close at about noon, this one apparently doesn’t follow the traditional Arab way. I sat down and the perky Middle Eastern waiter asked me what I’d like to eat. I told him I wanted the dish that makes this place famous so he asked me if I was hungry. I said sure and he pointed to the “Ashkara dish” on the menu with many words of recommendation spewing from his lips. I agreed and he came back in record time with a bowl of hummus and two fresh pitas in a wooden bowl. Here it is, the famous hummus from the famous hummus joint:

My bowl of hummus

Now it may look unfamiliar to some so let me break it down. The beige paste around the edges is the hummus, the brown soup-like ingredient is beans and those spheroids are chickpeas. Also on top is a dash of spice, olive oil and perhaps lemon juice. Partially hidden is a whole hardboiled egg split into quarters. As I apprehensively scooped some hummus+ up with my torn pita piece, I began my journey – my first time doing the pita and hummus meal at a restaurant. It was exciting at first but then I noticed that there was only about 40% hummus in the bowl, the rest of it bean puree and eggs. I think that next time I’ll go with the hummus and tehina plain, they can keep the bean puree and eggs and give them to another customer. When I was done, having needed to “order” a third pita, I had mixed feelings. I think it could have been better but by all means, if you (dear reader) have never had hummus in a famous hummus joint then do so.

After my hummus and pita lunch I decided to walk down Dizengoff Street and see some of Tel Aviv at a slow pace. I entered into some interesting shops, one selling really expensive pens (one costed ₪22,500 which is about $5,600) and other one that sold interesting tobaccos and cigars, from which I bought neither. Along with the interesting stores there are also scores of wedding dress shops and Dizengoff has become the place to go for brides looking for a dress.

Dizengoff

After walking at least halfway down the entire Dizengoff I came upon the famous Dizengoff Square and the landmark fountain up above, “Fire and Water” by Yaacov Agam built in 1986, having taken the artist ten years to build it. At night the fountain looks cooler and is supposed to shoot fire and water upwards but it has fallen into disrepair some and I do not know if the fire still erupts.

”Fire and Water” at Dizengoff Square

Beyond Dizengoff Square, going even further south, I came upon Dizengoff Centre. Basically it is just an extensive mall complex so I kept going, heading for Rothschild Boulevard. There, on one of the streets, I stopped and got myself a cool, refreshing drink at a fruit juice joint. I got a freshly squeezed lemon and mint drink blendered with ice to create a delicious beverage perfect for sipping on in the muggy Tel Aviv heat.

Lemon and mint drink

With cold, dripping beverage in hand I walked the length of Rothschild and then turned onto the charming Allenby Street where I nabbed a bus to the train station. On the way we passed by Rabin Square, where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated the day after my 5th Gregorian birthday. From the bus to the train, then a layover in Akko and then another bus and I was home. I am eager to go back and continue my explorations of Israel’s second biggest city, Tel Aviv.

Rosh HaNikra

Continuing on after the duology of Akko posts…

We reached Rosh HaNikra after a tranquil taxi ride up the coastal road, in the quiet stretch between Nahariya – the last of the coastal cities going north – and the Israel-Lebanon border. The taxi took us to the attraction site so when we got out of the car, this was the magnificent view that our eyes beheld – the Western Galilee coastline:

The majestic view of the Western Galilee coastline

We decided to first go see the border and then to ride the cable car. Now, the actual border is not accessible to civilians – an army base stands there, constantly protecting. But there still is a sign welcoming everyone to the border crossing:

Welcome to the Border Crossing of Rosh HaNikra

And there is also a special wall showing the distances to the respective capital cities of Israel and Lebanon: Jerusalem and Beirut. Here’s me, at the border crossing:

Standing just outside the army base

Okay, enough with the border. As we walked back to the staging area for the cable car, here is a “close-up” of the Navy vessel (of which there is always one moored at the border, keeping vigil) and the Achziv Islands. One of the coolest things about the islands is that they are mentioned some 2,000 years ago in the Talmud as being part of the historical border of Israel. I remember learning about the islands that were mentioned and having a discussion in class where we argued that the islands must be referring to Cyprus because, back in Detroit, we didn’t even know that the Achziv Islands existed. Now that I live here… everything becomes so much more clear.

A Navy boat and the Achziv Islands

As soon as we stepped into the swaying cable car, and the little “craft” was filled, the operator released us and we plunged over the side of the cliff. The cable car at Rosh HaNikra happens to be the steepest cable car in the world – dropping/climbing 70 metres at the steep angle of 60 degrees.

Descending the white cliffs

When we “landed” at the bottom, we got out and I photographed one of the two cable cars going back up the cliff:

Looking up at the cable cars

Entering the grottos, the caves and tunnels carved out by the raging seawater, we were greeted by these fascinating views as seen from inside the cliff. Some of the walkways were slippery from the drippy internal climate and the echoing shrieks of bats roosting high up in the cracks were audible through the sounds of the waves crashing inside.

The grottos

The blue-green water entering the grottos

Upon exiting the labyrinth of tunnels carved out in the soft chalky rock, we emerged at a beautiful site where the sea crashed against the blinding white rock:

The white cliffs and the blue sea

As we walked along the rock, the countless chunks of gleaming flint buried in the chalky stone, the beauty of the site constantly flaunting itself with every turn. Here is a view from the walk on the rock, looking northwards to the edge of the army base where constant vigilance in demanded:

More cliff and sea

After finishing the grottos we examined the old British tunnel where the Mandate Government dug through the rock to create a railroad line that connected the Middle East with Europe. In 1948 the Haganah (Jewish resistance group) blew up the bridge that was constructed just outside the end of the train tunnel to prevent the Lebanese from re-supplying the local Arabs who were battling the Jews just after the declaration of the State of Israel. It was a daring operation but it may have helped save the Galilee and Haifa from the hands of the enemy. Today they rebuilt the bridge, no longer concerned about the Lebanese using it, and some of the railroad is still visible in the long gloomy tunnel.

The train tunnel

After trying some sample passion-fruit offered by a vendor selling the crop of the neighbouring village of Rosh HaNikra we entered the light-and-sound show, an audio-visual screening with added sensory features. The video explained the history of the site and the semi-recent Haganah operation, complete with fans and little sprinklings of water to further embellish the story of sea and rock and their timeless dance.

After leaving the site we took a bus to Nahariya and had dinner. Then I took my tour guest back to where she needed to be and headed home. As I alighted the bus near my house I heard the familiar sounds of Kobi Peretz crooning. Seeing that I was not entirely late to his show, celebrating the opening of a new mall just down the road in Ma’alot, I headed on over, checked out the new mall and caught a few songs before retiring to my home to end the long day. Here he is again, Kobi Peretz, forever entertaining the inhabitants of Ma’alot with his music:

Kobi Peretz in concert

Akko (Part 2)

Continuing on with my saga of Akko and Rosh HaNikra, both visited on Thursday, here is the second half of the Akko report:

One of my favourite parts in the Old City of Akko is the Marina and its cheap boat rides of the bay area, something that gives me the same thrill each time. We found a bright pink boat in the Marina that was still loading up – the boats usually carry between 15 to 20 people – and waited for the gaudy sea-going vessel to be untied from the dock. But first, the Marina:

Akko’s Marina

When the boat was full, mostly with vacationing Arabs, we untied and took off, leaving the marina behind as we headed out to the open sea. The captain turned his invigorating Arabic music up to the max, the gaudy boat reverberating as we bounced in the troughs. Here I shoved my arm way out, sitting down for a spell, and took a blind shot of what was behind us:

Leaving the bay behind

As we went out, passing the domain of the sea walls, our eardrums cringing from the overpowering music – the classic Arabic songs are all the same to me, one man singing and then a chorus of a bunch of men partially repeating what the main singer said (something like this song, blasted at 100 decibels). If you listen to the song at full volume, rock back and forth and splash salt water on your face from time to time, you may begin to feel what the boat ride is like, with the help of a healthy imagination! Here is another tour boat passing us on its return journey, Haifa and the famed Mount Carmel in the distance:

Another tour boat passing us

And then we too turned around and headed back, about fifteen minutes after departure. Here is the Old City as seen by sea, how the incoming vessels – be them for war or for peace – would have seen Akko all those years back, minus the destroyed Templar Fortress:

The Old City from sea

Here we re-entered the Marina, after a 20-25 minute boat ride, and another tour boat leaves for the high seas:

Re-entering the Marina

From the Marina, after disembarking and planting our feet on terra firma, we walked our way back into the crowded streets and found the Kahn El-Omdan and the Clock Tower. The Kahn El-Omdan is an Ottoman-styled motel where people would tie up their horse/camel and belongings in the lower coves and then go upstairs to sleep in the rooms up above.

Kahn El-Omdan

The Clock Tower is also from the Ottoman Period, one of seven built throughout Israel (the ones in Tzfat and Jaffa have been photographically featured on my blog). Last time I was in Akko the clock was out of service but it looks as though someone fixed it. Historically, it has been the clock tower with the most malfunctions, perhaps a testament to the unease between the Jews and Arabs in Akko’s Old City.

Akko’s Ottoman Clock Tower

Emerging from the Templar Tunnels (which we did after the boat ride) having walked/crouch-walked it both ways, we walked comfortably through the quieter residential area of the Old City, mostly inhabited by Muslim Arabs. We found a camel and then found the exit to the sea walls area, the gusts of cool wind refreshing us as we made our way down to the water. Here is the view from Burj el Kashla of the sea wall heading north, with Rosh HaNikra far off in the distance:

The sea wall looking north

Looking south, to Mount Carmel, here is a small panoramic of the corner of the city – the calm area of sea, locked in by the rocks, was where the mighty Templar Fortress once stood:

Panoramic of the area that juts out to sea

As we walked along the sea wall, passing the lighthouse and heading towards the historic Pisan Port, we came across the famous part of the wall where the local youth jump off and into the sea. The scary part is that there are huge rocks in the water so they have to be really careful not to splatter themselves needlessly. Another thing is that they often wear shoes so that the razor sharp underwater stones don’t slice their feet. We watched as several teens dove into the churning sea some 30+ feet below. If you click on the picture and zoom up you can see the youth climbing back up for another leap:

The sea wall where the local kids jump from

After picking up some refreshments in the souk we took a swing north-east and headed for the Land Wall Promenade where the Ottomans fended off the French conqueror Napoleon and his 30-day seige back in 1799. Part of the wall area, protected by cannon and men, was conquered but the second, inner wall held the invaders off and Napoleon was forced to abandon his efforts. In some areas, closer to the sea walls, rusted cannon balls can be seen lodged in the wall from the battles so long ago. Here is one of the cannons that was involved in the fighting:

Old cannon involved in the counter-attacks of Napoleon’s siege

Located beneath the wall, in arched rooms, is the Treasures in the Walls museum (also known as the Ethnography and Folklore Museum) – various collections of historical items and artifacts. There, in compartmentalized exhibits, workshops and offices have been recreated all using period pieces. A shoemaker, a carpenter, a pharmacist and a hat-maker (or as the man referred to himself: casquettier), all these workshops and offices, and many more, were faithfully redone with the finest attention to detail. Also, there were collections of old toys, old matchboxes, old currency (spanning four nationalities in the Holy Land during the last century and a half) and even old sitting rooms of imported furniture from Damascus, Syria. Here, a collection that would befit a palace – wood inlaid with bone and seashell:

”Straight Outta Damascus”

After the museum, which took a good forty minutes, we headed back out onto the Land Wall Promenade and exited the Old City. From there we grabbed a taxi, got on a bus and made our way to Rosh HaNikra, the topic of the next blog post.

Akko (Part 1)

On Thursday I took a magnificent trip to both the Old City of Akko (Acre for some people) and Rosh HaNikra. Akko is one of the oldest port cities in Israel and is located in the Western Galilee – between Haifa and the border. Rosh HaNikra is at the border, along the same coastline. As is the custom, I will be relating the journey and it will be a trilogy of posts: Two of Akko and one of Rosh HaNikra. Here goes the first part of the Akko trip:

I began my morning in Karmiel where I picked up my special tour guest, an older woman from Oak Park (where I grew up), and the two of us headed west to Akko. The bus took us through some industrial areas of Arab villages which was atypical for bus routes but eventually we arrived in Akko and took a taxi to the Old City. There, this was the first magnificent site that greeted us – majestic palm trees in front of majestic old walls, the El Jazzar Wall:

Trees and walls

From there we walked among the mangrove trees to the Visitor’s Centre where we looked around at the exhibits and then bought tickets outside, tickets to a whole slew of museums as well as the cable car ride at Rosh HaNikra (massive savings, if anyone is interested in doing both places in the same year). The first place, the first ticket, was the Hospitaller Fortress, a huge Crusader edifice:

Hospitaller Fortress

We picked up audio devices that we were able to activate different recordings for different sites within the huge Crusader complex, those made for a great increase of knowledge during our tour of the fortress. There were so many halls and rooms, all with amazing arch ceilings made of stone blocks – an perplexing amount of work for something that could possibly be conquered in a short amount of time. Entering the complex, we first saw this room, however I do not recall what the official name is:

The first room

From there we entered deeper – I don’t remember the exact order of the halls, as there were so many – but here is the Hall of the Imprisoned. If one is to be imprisoned, I think an arched Crusader hall seems glamorous enough.

Hall of the Imprisoned

And there, in the blinding Mediterranean sun, the Crusaders practiced their deadly deeds – the jousting, the sword-fighting, the archery and the grueling exercises – surrounded by the high fortress walls:

The courtyard where the Crusaders practiced the art of war

And here, the high arched cove just outside the latrine:

Outside the latrine

Now here, the greatest hall of them all, the Column Hall – also known as the Dining Hall – where the leader of the order, the knights and the foot-soldiers all gathered to dine, to feast on bland medieval foods. This hall is truly magnificent and photos do not do it justice, but I took two that I’d like to share, to give an inkling of what it looks like.

The Column Hall (Dining Hall)

The Column Hall (Dining Hall) – wider shot

From there, the glorious Column Hall, we made our way to the Sewage Tunnel which has been uncovered from years of neglect and made into a handy passage way:

Sewage Tunnel

But not all tunnels are meant for sewage. Some time later, after we had returned our audio devices, checked out a ghastly art gallery and wandered down the long Arab souk, we found our way to the Templar Tunnels – a tunnel system that crosses a good chunk of the Old City close to the sea walls. The Crusaders created the tunnel to ease them with transporting supplies and whatnot to the old (destroyed) Templar Fortress – which predated the Hospitaller Fortress – coming from the Pisan Port, or so I believe.

Templar Tunnels

Before Part 1 ends, here is an aerial shot of the Old City for reference – the treed area in the right-centre is the Visitor’s Centre and the El Jazzar Wall, the buildings above and to the left is the Hospitaller Fortress with the courtyard very distinguishable, and the Templar Tunnels can be found in the narrow part in the upper left of the “horn”. In the next post, the Marina, Clock Tower, sea walls and more will be discussed.

Aerial photo of the Old City

Klezmer Festival

As the title might suggest, the famed Klezmer Festival has begun. Every year, for 25 years now, Tzfat (or as it is often written: Safed) hosts the Klezmer Festival, an international music event usually three days long. Thousands of people come every year, from around Israel mostly, but even some of the performing artists hail from the international sector. I was fortunate to have attended some of the 23rd annual festival (back in 2010) and now I had the opportunity of seeing some of the 25th, the current festival. I was already in Tzfat when the festival began, showing some folks around the tourist attractions, so when the sun dropped behind the mountains, with still two hours till the festivities, I was camera-ready (click to enlarge):

The sun sets over the mountains

We descended from the Citadel area and had a bite to eat, the crowds starting to intensify as the festival entered into the pre-show period. With some free time at hand we slowly meandered down the brick and stone streets taking in the sights under the cover of the ink-black sky and the orange-tinted street lamps.

Entering into the festivities

One light decoration, high up on a stone wall side of a building, caught my eye – just one of the many music-themed ornamentations and trimmings that are scattered throughout Tzfat. Here it is, the best my camera can muster for a night-time shot:

Light decorations

Before long, after passing the Kikar Sadeh stage – one of seven outside, we walked through the Artists’ Quarter and sat down at the Gan HaKasum stage before the musicians began. We got decent seats, to the side, and waited for the Ransas Ensemble to set up. Once they began, the lively tunes filling the wedge-shaped amphitheatre, I stood up in the back and took a semi-panoramic photograph – just look at the beautiful setting!

Ransas Ensemble performing at the Gan HaKasum

We stayed and listened to them for a while, some three or four songs (as well as watching the loud fireworks which were done from the Citadel area). I marvelled at the fast pace of the violin and the rapid toots of the flute so much so that I descended some levels to sit beside the fence, to photograph the flutist. Here it is, raw talent entertaining the masses:

Member of the Ransas Ensemble

After the third or fourth song we returned to where we started, to the next stage in our path – the Kikar Sadeh stage – where Amhia, I believe, was playing. They were a bigger group than the Ransas Ensemble and therefore had a bigger stage, and a bigger audience. Due to my simpleton camera, and the fog machine, some of my pictures come out less than perfect – this is an example of one, but, at least, it gives an adequate indication of what the stage looked like at the time:

Amhia performing at the Kikar Sadeh stage

We stayed and watched them for a bit, pressed against the cool stone wall of an art gallery as the crowd surged by. The music was festive, as it should be, and the “leader” of the group made me laugh at his amusing appearance and dress, but there was oh-so-much more to be seen and we didn’t want to stay out forever (having spent the entire day touring Tzfat). So we continued on, passing the countless vendors of traditional festival foods. One particular treat is the crêpe, made on a hot, flat, circular cooktop and then slathered with chocolate spread or Nutella. The crêpe is then folded into a triangle and popped into a wedge-shaped pocket and is eaten “on the go”. I enjoyed some of my sister’s crêpe at the 23rd festival but did not opt for another go at the overly-sweet Israeli treat. The next stage we approached was the Ma’ayan HaRadom (after passing the Kahn of the White Donkey which was not yet fully set up). There, in a quieter part of the Festival – the quietest we saw all evening – was a small musical group playing more Klezmer music. We stood on an elevated sidewalk and watched from above.

More Klezmer music on magnificent stages

And then we headed for the lights in the sky, the grand stage of the Saraya (Outside). The Saraya is a large stone building that was once the palace of the Bedouin governor of Tzfat and then the administrations building for the Ottomans when they took control of the area. There is a clock tower that juts up on the north-western corner of the structure. The bright lights that poked the sky were seen from other areas of the Old City, where the other stages were scattered about, and when we finally saw the lights, it was very impressive. Again, woe is to my camera for it cannot photograph very well at night.

Outside the Saraya

Here is another shot of the Saraya Outside stage – the colour scheme changed but the same artists were on-stage:

Another shot of outside the Saraya

After seeing just one more stage – the Saraya Inside, these two wildly packed with hordes of Klezmer-loving Jews, we continued on towards the parked car that was to take us out of the city, the hands of the clock pointing upwards – apparently aghast at the late bedtimes of the local children who ran about eating cotton candy and chocolate-filled crêpes. As we walked away from the Saraya we chanced upon the studio trailer of the IDF Radio and they were just finishing an interview. The broadcast was not only heard throughout the country but was also conveniently sounded on speakers just outside the portable studio. Here it is, the army’s own radio station and the soldiers covering the 25th International Klezmer Festival of Tzfat:

Army radio covering the festival

For more info on the Festival: Hebrew and English are both available, just click on your preferred language.

Rafting the River Jordan

Today, we the family took a special little trip to the Upper Galil area, the Panhandle, for some rafting on the River Jordan. Having chosen Kfar Blum as our raft and route providers by buying tickets online in advance, we set out at an early hour (8AM) and got there in record time. We parked and took the shuttle bus up to the “long route” launching area on the Snir Stream (one of three streams that compose the Jordan River). Here, a guide shows us the route:

A guide shows us the route on a big map

As soon as we had gone over the few safety instructions, we donned life jackets and hopped into rafts – two rafts for six people, perfect seating.

Loading onto the rafts and kayaks

The launch went off with a splash and away we went, heading down the Snir. Spinning until we gained control, the water in the early stages was the most choppy, mellowing out as we got further south. At my earliest convenience, and when I felt it was safe to bring out my camera, I took this shot (which came out better than I intended, the branch whipping by overhead):

Quick part in the river

One thing we realised in our craft was that it was more fun and less work to simply let the current throw us around. We just laid our paddles across the raft and bounced around, the cold river water sloshing us every few seconds. I really enjoyed the mild rapids and the treacherous vegetation that attacked us from the shore but I think my favourite was crashing into boulders and springing back with a lurch, large quantities of icy water replenishing the cold sensation in our bodies via holes in the bottom of the rafts (yes, intentional holes).

Rafting with a smirk!

Another perk was the ever-present “threat” of over-friendly people sharing water with us. However, most times we passed by rafts engaged in water fights they paused their watery cavorting and resumed only once we were out of harm’s way. It was the people who were in the water with a special gumption for sharing water with strangers that we had to be wary of – in fact there was one fine young man with a large bucket who insisted that we pass him or else he’d be forced to pass us. When we did gather the courage to pass him, he wielded his bucket with an alarming rate of water delivery, leaving me doused in many, many gallons of icy water that made me feel quite… refreshed.

Rowdy children splashing passersby

At one point, still on the Snir, we disembarked and swam around in the shallows. There was an interesting calm in one part of the stream while just a few feet further the current swept boats and people away… With my life jacket still on, I entered the current and enjoyed the ride, hurrying to break free before the next little waterfall. I cannot stress enough how absolutely frigid the water was, and being that it is August, I don’t think one would be able to enter the water in any season other than summer – it’s just too cold. At last, after a good half hour spent splashing about and re-riding the current loop, we got back in our rafts and continued. Here is a shot of the other boat (containing my parents and my little brother) as they paddled through the deep, cold water:

Come hell or high water…

Soon enough we reached the junction where the Snir, Dan and Hermon streams morph into the Jordan River. The water a little ways back and then after the junction is relatively calm, we just drifted along – spinning slowly and occasionally crashing into the banks with little consequence. For a while we tied both rafts together and just drifted in the alternating sun and shade, chatting and snacking. Here it is, the gentle Jordan River:

The Yarden (Jordan River)

As we neared the end, approaching the “large” waterfall just after the bridge, we aligned our rafts to face forward and prepared for the fall/ride. On the banks, dozens of families picnicked and frolicked in the lazy (but still cold) waters. The lone man on the two inner tubes who whistled his way by us some hour before was nowhere to be seen, although I would have enjoyed seeing him go over the falls – would he have kept whistling?

After the falls, which weren’t as severe as I had suspected they might be, we regained the calm of the river and drifted towards the end of the route. With us was a migration of Kfar Blum rafters, the other rafting companies having ended long before us.

The migration to the finish

At the end our boat was dragged up onto the ramp, our bodies still inside. We climbed out, our legs slightly wobbly from the two to three hours “out at sea”. We removed our life jackets, returned our paddles and made our way up the the exit.

The end

On the way to the exit we found a little station where we could purchase prints of a photo that was taken of us at the waterfall – I had forgotten that they do that and thus my facial expression is not one to be lauded over. The other boat’s snapshot came out magnificent so we just bought the both of them. There is supposed to be a way to get a digital copy but when I tried that I ended up just signing into my Facebook account to have them “like” their page for me and award me a token air freshener that I am supposed to hang in our car. (When I got home, Facebook made me change my password and verify my identity because they sensed suspicious activity on my account, hmmm.)

Anyway, after a short little lunch where all those families were picnicking we headed home, the early stages of sunburn setting in… But we had gone rafting on the River Jordan so all the sunburn in the world won’t ruin the great experience!