Jerusalem

I have left Jerusalem and arrived in Eilat. Jerusalem was pretty amazing. I didn't intentionally save it for this late in the trip (it just made sense geographically), but I'm glad I did. 

I do want to quickly address all the news though. I'm not sure what people have and have not heard. There have been a few attacks in the city, which is very unfortunate. I spoke to a few people leading up to my visit and the sentiment was pretty consistent. Go, but be safe. So that's what I did. I'm obviously not going to intentionally get in the way of any violence, and it is a large city. But you never know. My first night I was walking down Jaffa Road and heard a bunch of sirens. After living in NYC for over 10 years, at first it didn't register. Then I realized I wasn't in NYC and there seemed to be a lot of police cars going by. There was another incident at the Central Bus Station. Fortunately I don't think anything else happened since then. I saw a pretty high presence of armed police around the city regardless. I'm pretty sure it's more than normal, but of course I have no comparison. On the flip side, I also saw a lot of young Jewish people trying to bring some joy to the city. They have just been around trying to have a good time, play music, and be together. Which is nice to see. They were doing this so not everyone is afraid to be outside. 

Ok, so now to the fun stuff. One of the first things I did was go to the Mahane Yahuda Market (or Shuk) and buy wine, snacks, baklava and I'm sure there was something else. I also got a mini lesson on how havlah, a dessert) is prepared. The guy took me behind the display tables and assured me it was ok. So we broke apart a partial havlah, and then placed crumbs into a new container, and pounded away. And then we had a new one to put out. I only tried the samples, and I think it may be an acquired taste for sure. I still prefer ice cream. 

Havlah preparation.

I spent the following morning going through Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. It was pretty intense, but I do recommend visiting it if you find yourself in Jerusalem. I actually haven't been to any other holocaust museum, so I'm not sure what it's like compared to others, but I thought it was pretty in depth and powerful. There were also a lot of nice memorials on the grounds, so I took my time exploring outside too. 

After that I headed to the Old City. I wandered around the different quarters, and saw different religious buildings for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and of course visited the Western Wall. It's actually very fascinating that they are all in such close proximity. There's a reason they say Jerusalem is the holiest city. I even had a couple who wanted to pray for me on a rooftop observation point. They were from the US and on their honeymoon. I decided to go along with it. So there I was on a rooftop with the Western Wall and all the spires and domes in sight, and having a prayer spoken for safe travels. When in Rome. 

The Western Wall.

After a good but intense day, I had some Israeli rose at the King David Hotel, a pretty historical building. I sat on the terrace and enjoyed the nice weather and my book. I had to make it an early night though since I was meeting a group at 4am for a day trip out of the city. 

It was time to hike Masada, see Ein Gedi, and go into the Dead Sea. I thought about taking public buses, but it seemed a bit complicated and I didn't want to chance any absent buses making me miss something. I also looked into renting a car, but that was a little out of my price range, and also a bit complicated to deal with. So I decided to go with a reasonably priced private bus tour. And it actually worked out very well. It was a small group, so I actually got to meet a bunch of new people, and getting around was pretty easy. Although it was a bit longer of a tour, I wouldn't have complained. 

Our first stop was Masada, an ancient fortification on a plateau. Like I mentioned, we met at 4am and the reason why, is so we can hike up it in order to see the sunrise over Jordan and the Dead Sea. Which was pretty spectacular. After the sun came up, I explored the ruins of the palaces that used to be there. I also met a really nice family from the Toronto area. The daughters are close in age to me and who knows, I may see one of them in Peru next year. 

Masada.

Our next stop was Ein Gedi, an oasis in the middle of the desert. The falls were very pretty and I splashed around in one of them,  and then hiked around a bit with a Belgium guy who also runs marathons. I wish we had another hour there though. It went by too fast and I definitely could have hiked or go in one of the other waterfalls. 

Ein Gedi.

Our last stop was the Dead Sea, which was pretty great. We were 400 meters below Sea Level. We actually went below Sea Level shortly after we left Jerusalem. So not only that, but the Dead Sea is so filled with salt, that you are completely buoyant. It's the opposite of treading water. So strange feeling. After floating around a while, a girl from California and I gave ourselves a complete body mud mask. We eventually washed ourselves off and our skin felt great. And since we were at the beach and it was hot, we had to get a beer at one of the beach huts. Again, this was a little too short, but we still got to enjoy ourselves.

Floating in the Dead Sea.

We made it back to the city and of course it was Friday and Sabbath was starting at sundown. But businesses close down even earlier. So I made sure to get whatever food and drink I needed since I most likely wouldn't be able to find much open later in the day and on Saturday.

Typically Saturday (Sabbath) is a day of rest. So I tried to emulate the Jews and also rest. As much as I can of course. So I ran 13 miles on this amazing converted train track path. And then rehydrated with brunch, and then napped. And then continued to rehydrate with some late afternoon wine. See I rested. Fortunately there were a few establishments open to cater to visitors and non-Jews. It was actually kind of nice since the city was so quiet. And on my run, there was barely any cars out, which was very peaceful. Things started to open back up after sundown and I decided to try dinner at the Shuk. During the day (except Sabbath), the market is bustling with all the various stalls. Mixed throughout, there are a few restaurants. And in the evening, all the stalls close, but the restaurants stay open, which makes for a different atmosphere all together. It was kind of cool. And I ran into one of the guys from the day trip, another Canadian, who gave me the lowdown on how to spot regular Orthodox and ultra Orthodox Jews. I learned a lot. 

Before heading out of Jerusalem, I did one last run in Gacher Park and had some shakshuka at a cute cafe/bookstore. I'm now in Eilat. This wasn't on my list to be honest, but I figured a day at the beach would be good (this time the Red Sea) and I have next week pretty much planned out for Jordan (which I'm getting pretty excited about). 

Safed

I've spent the last few days in Safed and exploring a little bit of the Golan Heights. I wasn't completely aware, but Safed is a pretty religious town. Since it's known for all the artists, you don't really put the two together. I thought I was in Brooklyn at first. You know the non-hipster part of the borough. The apartment I stayed in actually had a group of religious guys staying in the other room for one night. But I didn't interact with them much. And I have no idea what they thought of me. I'm not Jewish, let alone religious. 

I explored the town of Safed on Sunday. After my 20-miler on Saturday, my legs were a bit tired, so I was moving slowly up and down all the stairs. I don't know if I just keep picking hilly towns, or if everywhere is hilly except for NYC. Since it's off-season, the town is a bit quiet, but I've been chatting up with a bunch of people regardless. I met a woman from Baltimore who moved to Safed when she was a teenager and who's husband does Kabbalah artwork. I even got a mini lesson on Kabbalah. Of course all I could think of was Madonna. I had the good graces to not mention her. I met another couple from Long Island (who now live in Florida) who were very enthusiastic about my travels and were on their own tour of Israel. And lastly I met a couple of younger girls from Brooklyn who are studying the Torah for a year. All very interesting and different people. But all very nice

The art galleries were all very nice. I would love to have bought something. I'll just have to come back. I loved all the side streets and alleyways. I didn't mind getting lost at all. At one point, I was even able to point a couple in the right direction. Usually when someone starts speaking to me, I have a feeling a blank stare comes onto my face. But then they figure out I speak English (once I actually start speaking), and we go from there. This time I was helping, instead of the other way around. 

Simtat Hamashiach Alleyway.

I also tried some pretty good kosher wine at the Ancient Safed Winery and the Abouhav Winery. I don't care if it's kosher or not, but I was assured it was Kosher certified. I just have to look for the stamp of approval. I also found cheese and got way more than I needed at the Kodash cheese shop. The cheese maker (7th generation) wanted me to stay and sit for a while. I figured, I wasn't in a rush, so had some Ancient Safed Winery and asked questions when he wasn't busy doing something or taking care of customers. 

Kodash cheese.

I did take a day trip to Banias Nature Preserve. I thought about renting a car, but since I'm a bit budget-conscious, I figured the buses will work just fine. So after 2 bus rides, I made it to Banias relatively easy. The hike from the springs, along the stream, to the falls was estimated at 90 minutes. I should have known that was a generous amount of time. I think I did it in about 60 minutes. I didn't run it if that's what you are all thinking. Although, I think it would be a good trail to run. I stopped for photos, to take in the shade near the water, and I had a couple of snack breaks. This girl gets hungry. Again, since its off-season, it was almost like I had it all to myself. Which was nice. But it was still so hot out. I keep forgetting that it's October. And I had to keep reading the "No swimming allowed" signs. I thought about going in, but decided I should respect the park in the way it deserved. The falls were really nice once I made it there. I welcomed the breeze and took it all in. All in all it was a pretty good day. Well with the exception of getting back to Safed. From the preserve, a nice Israeli couple gave me a ride to the bus stop, which was very helpful. Their daughter is currently traveling in South Korea, so they are hoping people are doing the same for her. Which I believe they are. So then I waited for the bus. Which never came. Over an hour later and that same couple drove by again. They picked me up and took me to the town where I needed to catch my connection to Safed. I was very grateful that they came along. You know and they weren't crazy. One thing I realized was how close I was to the Lebanon and Syria border. It's kind of crazy that I could have seen the countries (I'm pretty sure I didn't). The couple actually asked if I was going to Syria. I laughed and said "no way". I'm interested in seeing the world, but from somewhat of a safer distance. 

Banias Falls.

My time in Safed was pretty relaxing. A lot of very friendly people who all loved that I was from New York. Although one guy thought I was from China. That's a first. Oh and so many kids. They were everywhere, going to school or playing into the evening. I did get a few looks from them, especially when running, but it's nice to see them around. 

Next stop: Jerusalem.

Haifa

I'm a little late on publishing this post. I meant to do this 2 days ago, but I couldn't quite finish it on the bus ride to Safed that was curving around the mountain roads. After standing around in the dark looking for my accommodations, I finally found where I was staying. And of course arrived right before the Sabbath ceremony, which I believe is Havdalah. To my credit, it was long after sundown. I participated as much as I could. As in, I imitated the 2 kids in what they did. I then had to find food. 

Then yesterday, the power went out. This is becoming a pattern. I lost power in Bodrum, Turkey also. Although I'm not entirely sure why, as the weather was perfect yesterday. Oh well, very limited communication was the result. Although I was tracking Chicago marathoners as best as I could. Congrats to all!

I'm currently waiting on the bus that will take me to Banias Nature Reserve. I'll let you know how that goes later on. I hear very good things. Funny story really quick. As I was loading the bus in Safed to take me to Kiryat (where I am now), I was handed a baby. Well not immediately. This woman either asked me to hold the baby or help put the stroller away. At least that's what I gathered. I must look like a trustworthy person, so she handed me the baby. The baby was very easy going as I paid my fare and waited for her mom to board. You don't always have to speak the same language to understand what someone else may need. And it helped the baby didn't start screaming. 

Back to the purpose of this post. How was the second leg of my Israel trip? After Tel Aviv, I headed to Haifa, the 3rd largest city in Israel. Most come to check out the Baha'i Shrine and Gardens, the main focus in the city as you can see from the photo below. And it's quite beautiful. So beautiful that I technically visited it on multiple days. The first day, I hiked all the way to the top and went in at the top terrace to take in the view. And it was amazing. I then went again 2 days later to visit the shrine, which was only open until noon. And then again on my last day, to take the actual tour of the upper terraces and learn a bit about the Baha'i religion. They believe in equality of women and men, which is very positive. But then we almost got into a debate as someone from San Francisco asked about equality in marriage. I'm not sure if the tour guide quite understood. Although I didn't see anything in my reading that talked about marriage. So who knows. 

Baha'i Gardens from the top.

During my stay in Haifa, I also visited a few wineries south of the city. I didn't have quite the success rate I was hoping and I was frustrated at a few points. The first place I visited, didn't offer any tastings. Which was very strange as the place was huge and was clearly open. However, no tastings. What winery doesn't offer tastings? Ones that are closed, that's what. Anyway, my next stop at Tishbi Estate Winery totally made up for it. I spent a good hour getting a wine and chocolate pairing. The host was very nice and knowledgeable. And I made friends with an English couple (who were in the 80s and traveling!) and their daughter who lives in Israel. I'm loving all the random people I've been meeting. I want to remember them as much as possible, so will be doing my best to write about them. I think the gentleman may have been getting a bit tipsy. Although I also may have been. They were very nice and dropped me off at my next destination, Carmel Winery. This was a quick visit, but I got a chance to taste different 4 wines and chat with the Scottish woman working there.  I had 2 more stops to go, but unfortunately had no luck. One was closed and the other one was deserted. I didn't think it was right to help myself, so I left. However, the town of Zichron Ya'akov was super cute. I took advantage and walked around a bit, took some photos, and got lunch before I headed back to Haifa.

Tishbi Estate Winery.

On Friday, I made a quick visit to Acre, the city on the other side of Haifa bay. It was quick due to the Sabbath. I wasn't paying attention to the train schedule and apparently the last train left an hour after I arrived, which was 2:30 in the afternoon. I thought I had hours until sundown. I knew things started to shut down, but figured I'd have at least until like 4:30pm. So I quickly walked to the old city to at least see it and figure out if there are any buses later in the day back to Haifa. I spoke to someone who said there were and I decided to trust them. So I spent a couple of hours wandering around the old city, which had a little Turkish thrown in there to take me back to a couple of weeks ago. I even saw a few kids jump off the city walls into the sea below. I almost expected to see my brothers doing the same. It was cool to see the place that Napoleon couldn't conquer.

The town of Acre.

It was nice spending time in Haifa, but was looking forward to my next destination. My airbnb hosts were one of the best, so far. They were very welcoming and provided so much information about the city and the surrounding area. I even watched a little American television with them and caught the latest episode of Big Bang Theory. I'm glad they thought all the funny parts were funny too.

Tel Aviv

I made it to Israel, my 2nd country! It took some time though unfortunately. I had a very long layover in Istanbul and then my flight was delayed. So I wasn't a happy camper when I finally made it through customs and grabbed my bag. Due to the late hour, I splurged on a cab ride to the apartment I stayed in. I eventually went to bed so I could get myself up to do my long run. Which actually ended up being very nice. I had 18-19 miles planned, and the miles went by relatively quickly. I ran on the promenade along the Mediterranean and made my way to HaYarkon Park. The city is very accommodating to athletes. And I saw so many people out taking advantage; runners, walkers, bikers, swimmers, surfers, paddle boarders, tennis players, soccer players, skateboarders, fisherman (if you count this as a sport) were all out. The list was endless. And I loved it. In Turkey I felt like I was the only one that exercised. And it was nice to share that with the people of Tel Aviv. Of course, it's pretty warm here. So the end of my run wasn't going too well. I was fantasizing about jumping into the sea. So I did. Once I hit 18.6 miles (at least one mile more than last week) I took off my running sneakers and tank top, and jumped in. And it was amazing.

After that, I just wanted to sit somewhere, eat something, and drink something. So I did. I found a recommended cafe and got a sandwich and some sangria. Since it was Sukkot, there were happy hour specials. And even though I'm not Jewish, I will celebrate if there are reductions on alcohol. Although, I actually have celebrated Sukkot once before and helped build a Sukkah. Let's just say I'm a good non-Jewish friend and I earned that happy hour special. 

Chag Sameach.

Afterward I explored the neighborhood of Neve Tzedek and made my way to Old Jaffa. Neve Tzedek is very pretty, but even more so with all the graffiti sprinkled in around the area. Nice juxtapositions. Yeah, I'm throwing out a fancy word. One of things I forget that this is a town on the Meditation. I see a lot of similarities with Spain (really the only other place I've spent quite a bit on the Mediterranean). Especially with all the beaches. After I took in these beautiful places, I grabbed an Israeli beer (Goldstar) and watched the sunset on the beach. All very nice and relaxing. Definitely a lot of beach vibes going on. 

Neve Tzedek.

Obviously, I spent the next day at the beach. How could I not. I have to work on getting rid of my runner's tan (which will never go away). And since it was in the 80s, and I feel like I didn't have much of a summer, off to the beach I went! I am very partial to Northeast beaches and I love the waves. But I still managed to enjoy myself. 

Tel Aviv beaches. 

After the beach, I went to explore Carmel Market, which was closed. I then learned that there was another holiday, Simchat Torah, Day of Celebrating the Torah. Ok, so I'll wait another day to explore the market and go find some schwarma. Oh wait, that place is also closed. Ok, hummus will do. And hummus it was. And quite delish. I checked out Humous Abu Dabi and had my fill of hummus. Which is hard to admit since I love hummus. Good thing I just got here. 

Carmel Market.

My time in Tel Aviv went by very quickly. Before I left, I was able to go to the Carmel Market and Old Jaffa flea market. I've been wanting to buy stuff. But I've resisted so far. I bought a hat (fedora in Turkey), but I'm waiting a little bit to see what I absolutely need. Which isn't much. But I'm thinking a long skirt at some point. I'm keeping my eye out. 

I'm now going to finish enjoying my Alexander Blonde and find some dinner. L'chaim.