Israel, Part 1: Tel Aviv and the Golan Heights

When we told people about our plans to travel to Israel and the Middle East, a common reaction was "isn't it dangerous there?" - well, yes and no. While there is always a certain tension in the area due to the Arab-Israeli conflict, security precautions are intense (and quite visible). Also, tourists aren't typically targeted by either side. Still, due to the war in neighboring Syria and the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, we made sure to monitor the situation closely.

In early August 2012, it appeared safe to travel to Israel. So, after a short flight from Istanbul, we arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.

Expecting a lengthy immigration procedure, we actually got lucky and made it through in just a few minutes and could still enjoy the Mediterranean coastline and a beautiful sunset on that same evening.

A view from the port of Jaffa, the southern and oldest part of Jerusalem with a history of literally thousands of years.

We stayed in the immediate neighborhood at the Florentine Backpackers Hostel, a very social place frequented mostly by people in their early 20s.

Made us feel a lot younger! :-)

Day 2 in Tel Aviv: time to visit the famous bazaar for some fancy new clothes...

... and for the mother of all Middle Eastern food: Hummus!

Oh, by the way: it was hot. Very hot! Try 40 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) and higher in the afternoon. So, while we tried our best to walk around and see some of Tel Aviv's neighborhoods, some invisible force seemed to magically bring us back to the beach all the time.

So, after two days of heat, we changed plans and boarded a train to Haifa, Israel's third largest city...

... and got a rental car (from Suncar - great local car rental company by the way, highly recommended!).

Based on several recommendations, we decided to explore the Galilee region and the Golan Heights.

 

A bit of history: the Golan Heights were captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1973, a U.N. administered buffer zone has been established between the two countries and the border has been relatively peaceful since then.

This is a view from Mount Bental, from where the buffer zone and the Syrian border can be seen.












Now, of course we checked in advance whether it was safe to get close to the border with Syria, where a horrible civil war was being fought at the time. The surprising and scary response we heard was that not only was it safe...

... there would in fact be a lot of war tourism going on: people travelling to the border and watching the war from a safe distance. Like this happy family spending an afternoon at the border with their telescope...

There was also another group - no kidding - having a barbecue on the same parking lot while catching a glimpse across the border.






Now, on a happier note: the Golan Heights are actually beautiful with great mountainous views and very friendly people.

The view from our hotel for the night, the "Alaskan Inn" in the small town of Metula.

Glad we found this place, otherwise we'd have to stay the nearby Kibbutz for $500/night.

The following day we explored the area further, visiting Banias, an archaeological site and nature park, and the Nimrod Fortress. 

Banias is the site of an ancient city, Caesarea Philippi, which was dedicated to the Greek god Pan.
Arabic does not use the letter "P", so what used to be colloquially called "Panias" became "Banias".
The grotto and ruins of the surrounding temples are worth the visit.

Another highlight close to the temple ruins is the nature park with a 30m high waterfall. The scenic route leads over a partially suspended trail - definitely worth the 20 minutes extra walking time.

Curious fact: Swimming is not allowed here - and neither is walking on water! :)

The waterfall in all its glory:

Next up was the Nimrod Fortress.
The fortress was build in the 13th century by supporters of the sultan to guard the road between Galilee and Damascus against the crusaders.








Re-appropriated in the 16th century as a "luxury" prison by the Ottoman turks, it was abandoned afterwards and has suffered some damage from various earthquakes. Still impressive in scale though.

On our way back to Haifa we did a quick rest stop in the town of Safed ("Tzfat"). The highest town in Israel (at 900m/3000ft). Fun fact: they like to give out parking tickets. Oops!

Very tasty Falafel and Shawarma sandwiches (arabic version of doner kebap with lamb meat) are a local favorite.

After 2 exciting days in the Golan heights it was time to resume our original itinerary. We dropped off the rental car back in Haifa before heading by bus to our next destination: Jerusalem.

Coming soon: Israel Part 2 - Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea