Israel & Jordan – Travels with Lori

Fall 2019

Headed over for the ASTA, American Society of Travel Advisor’s Destination Expo in Israel.

Air Canada generously donated our flights so we had set dates with two days before and two days after the Expo. We are going to Jordan before and exploring more of Israel after.

November 7

Travel Day

I stayed overnight at an airport hotel so I could sleep longer before for my 7am flight to Toronto.

The Maple Leaf Lounge at LAX was clean and comfortable.

I had some oatmeal and relaxed but should have checked the monitors before I headed down to the gate. There was a delay of about 40 minutes and crowded down there.

Looks like I didn’t make the cut…

A Bloody Mary and a nap will be perfect until I arrive in snowy Toronto 😬

Well I didn’t sleep, only nodded off a few times before someone came barreling down the aisle and my aisle seat vibrated with each hoof stomp. I knew I should have chosen the window seat, thankfully I have one for the 10 1/2 hour flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv and I’ll finally sleep!

I started watching Cafe Society, I love Woody Allen movies.

I am so excited to see my dad, he’ll be waiting in the Maple Leaf Lounge when I get there, he arrives from New York about 45 minutes before me.

It was lightly snowing in Toronto, can’t see by this picture but it was so pretty in the sunlight.

I ran into my dad at the passport area! I thought he’d be far ahead of me. So we walked to the Maple Leaf Lounge together, I was starving!

It was much larger than the one in Los Angeles. Too bad I didn’t have enough time to enjoy everything. I had a really good Thai Chicken Curry Soup!

We finally found some from our group and sat with them until it was time to board.

We are flying an Air Canada 787 Dreamliner and it was another full flight.

We had snow on the wings so we had to get them de-iced before we left.

November 8

Israel and Jordan

I was so happy to sleep for 6 hours, I really needed it because we land at 10:30am local time with another flight and a full day ahead of me.

I could have passed on breakfast but not sure how long I have until the next flight and if I’ll have time to eat regular food. As the coffee cart approached I was happy because I needed a cup but right then we hit some turbulence so they stopped serving, ugh!!

We arrived in Tel Aviv and went through passport control, baggage claim and customs. It was very long and very thorough.

We headed over to the domestic terminal to get our flight to Eilat. There wasn’t much to eat, just packaged snacks and refrigerated sandwiches that didn’t look good so I passed. Even though I slept six hours, I’m tired…

We landed in the desert, very stark and tan. We are actually in the middle of the Rift Valley that extends from Turkey all the way down through East Africa.

Some check points along the way, the city of Aqaba in Jordan to the left and the city of Eilat in Israel to the right – both on the Red Sea.

Lots of date farms along the way as we approach this southern border crossing to Jordan.

We had to clear the Israeli side first, then walk along over to the Jordanian side.

We made it to the Israeli-Jordanian border pretty quickly. The security was impressive, I haven’t been through anything like that in all my travels! But I didn’t mind at all, I like that they keep their borders secure.

Our driver and guide picked us up on the Jordanian side and off we went towards Aqaba. Look how beautiful it is, the colors of the mountains as the sun is low in the sky.

We headed straight for Aqaba, Jordan, a port city on the Red Sea

We were all starving so we stopped for shawarma. It was soooo good, much better than the kind we have in the states. Buts that’s no big surprise.

The town of Aqaba is really cute, there are lots of little cafes and people walking around. It’s right next to Eilat, Israel and not far from Egypt and Saudi Arabia – they all share the Harbor.

We arrived at our desert camp in Wadi Rum after sunset so we couldn’t see what it looked like and if it really looks like Mars.

We did make it in time for dinner! They were cooking meat in a pit in the ground and when we arrived they were taking it all out and it smelled amazing! We went in for dinner and it was a great spread!

Our tent was simple and comfortable. I couldn’t wait to get into bed!

November 9

Jordan

After a great night of sleep I woke up excited but still tired. We were headed out to the desert for sunrise and dune bashing. I was excited to see the camp when I looked out of the tent!

Ready for sunrise in the desert!

On the back of the truck enjoying the chilly morning air

We explored and stopped to look at different animal tracks in the sand and watch the sun rise higher.

A stop to stretch our legs and look at some of the ancient writing on the rocks

We stopped at a Bedouin tent for some tea. There was a beautiful tent set up that had pretty carpets, brightly striped seat cushions around the edge, a fire in the middle and a man making tea over the fire.

The tents are made out of a woven goat hair material because it doesn’t burn so they can cook and warm the tent with no worries. It was very cozy and I was excited to have tea. They make it sweet and serve it in small glasses without a handle so you have to carefully hold it by the top rim. It’s such a small glass that it’s gone very quickly. For our second glass they put a few cardamon pods in the glass then poured the tea over them. It gave off a wonderful scent and tasted great.

We got back to camp and were able to see how pretty it was in the sunlight. There are a bunch of dogs who live there too and this one was so cute and playful!

Our tent in Wadi Rum and a well earned breakfast of local delights

We left the desert camp and were headed to see the Lost City of Petra today! On the way we stopped to see a refurbished locomotive from a bygone era in the middle of the Jordanian desert, the Hejaz Railway. It has been restored and you might recognize it from the movie Lawrence of Arabia, it was filmed in this desert.

These steam locomotives and train cars were built in the early 1900’s and used during the Arab Revolt.

Some fun pics with our guide “Mike Jordan”

Look at how the landscape is so desolate, we were getting hungry again and decided to have lunch before we got to Petra.

This was a very welcome site, the chicken smelled delicious!

Real plastic straws!! LOL

First was a stop at the new Petra Museum, learning about the history of the area was perfect as a primer for what we were going to see. Our guide walked us through and explained the history and the people who built Petra, the Nabatoeans.

Here we go!

It was about a mile walk in the canyon. A pretty cool meandering path with some things to see along the way. But it’s mostly just anticipation building!

Can’t believe I’m here!!

You just keep staring at it from all angles! Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains with many passages and gorges. It is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites and has been something I have wanted to see since I was little.

Perfect place for a cup of middle eastern coffee!

The Lost City of Petra was empty and near ruin for centuries until the early 1800’s when it was re-discovered. It was once a thriving trading center and the capital of the Nabataean empire between 400 BC and 106 AD. The vibrant red, white and pink sandstone facade of the Treasury is the most recognizable structure and the site for many films. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and more recently one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Petra was everything I imagined it would be and even better!

Our guide dropped us at our hotel in the town of Petra after dark and told us that we would wake to a surreal looking landscape. Wow was he right! It looked like a planet in Star Wars.

It was cool and very windy this morning, other-worldly…kind of strange!

Back to the border to make our way to Israel.

I was detained and all my bags searched at the Jordanian side and then again at the Israeli side! Little did I know there was a reason why it was so much harder to cross the border today than it was a few days ago.

Back in Eilat, Israel and driving around the pretty resort town.

To continue the journey with my to Israel, go back to the Menu, Blog, Middle East then Israel or click here:

http://travelwithlorifoster.com/2019/10/15/israel/

November 10th

We didn’t want to leave Jordan but it was time to go to Tel Aviv. Back over the border again and to the brand new airport in Eilat.

Our hotel is the Intercontinental David in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is on the Mediterranean Sea and is a very modern new bustling city, what a difference from Jordan!

November 11th

Today was the first day of our conference and everyone was excited.

Dad and I had a really nice dinner at the hotel.

November 12th

This was a morning I will not forget. I was eating breakfast in the hotel and my dad was still upstairs. I heard the sirens but didn’t know what it meant. Then hotel staff made everyone go downstairs to the shelters and knocked on every room door. Many people were in their hotel robes because they were asleep.

Israel killed a militant leader with strikes before dawn yesterday. They retaliated and launched missiles to Tel Aviv, where we are. Israel shot them down but they are continuing. This picture was taken by someone outside our hotel. Two mussels were shot down over our hotel.

It was very scary but we are all okay. They closed all non essential businesses and schools. Our tours in Tel Aviv were cancelled and it was very quiet all day.

Two days ago we were in Jordan and crossed back over into Israel to fly out of Eilat. We were on the plane sitting on the tarmac for over an hour with 4 other planes and none moving. Then they told us to all go back to the terminal because the Israel Military closed all Israeli airspace for 3 hours for drills. We didn’t think much of this at the time and eventually took off for Tel Aviv. But now we know why.

That afternoon we went to explore Jaffa, a neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Jaffa, the ancient port town, has existed for thousands of years, but today it is one unified city with Tel Aviv, which was founded in 1909. Both Jews and Arabs live in Jaffa, and that’s reflected in the flavors of the neighborhood. There are old narrow streets, ancient buildings and a beautiful beach. We decided to explore Jaffa’s famous flea market, Shuk Hapishpeshim and see if anything was open.

A perfect sunset over the Mediterranean.

Today’s security alert email I received this morning.

Thankfully the restaurant we were going to tonight re-opened. Our dinner with the ASTA group was in Jaffa at Hazaken Vehayam or Old Man and the Sea.

It is a popular restaurant known for their 20 dishes that they put out on the table with a delicious freshly made flatbread.

Next was an amazing grilled sea bream that I ate with more of the toppings!

The waiters loved putting on a show, they all tried to out do each other with stacks of dishes and who could carry the biggest one and the crowd cheered! It was a great evening.

November 13, 2019

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Dome of the Rock has been called Jerusalem’s “most recognizable landmark”. It is located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. You can see it as the golden dome in across the valley from us on the Mount of Olives. This was our first introduction to Jerusalem today, so excited to explore this city!

Next stop was the Israel Museum, you will notice an urn-shaped building with the Israeli Parliament behind it, this is the Shrine of the Book which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and artifacts discovered at Masada. It was amazing to actually see the Dead Sea Scrolls right in front of you, no pictures were allowed.

Mahane Yehuda is also known as the Shuk, it is a great market in Jerusalem that sells everything and smells wonderful. There is a great atmosphere in the market and I happily ate my way through!

A neighborhood in Jerusalem

The Western Wall, or “Wailing Wall”, is the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people.

It is in the Old City of Jerusalem and is the western support wall of the Temple Mount. It is a small segment of a much longer ancient retaining wall. Also of the four original retaining walls, the western one is considered to be closest to the former Temple, which makes it the most sacred.

November 14, 2019

The Church of Christ’s birthplace is in Bethlehem, it was a welcome respite in the bleak city. Thanks to our guide who knew all the police and guards in the Church, we were able to skip the 3-4 hour line to see and touch the birthplace of Jesus, marked by the Star of Bethlehem. The Church has three sections, the main section is Greek Orthodox and is cool and dark with no pews and open sections of the floor showing original mosaics from 395 AD. To the left and front, and the way to the Grotto, the place of Christ’s birth, is Armenian Orthodox. The Catholics have the site of the manger and the adjoining altar next to the Nativity Grotto. It was humbling to be amongst so much history and standing in one of the oldest continually operating churches in the world. I found it surprising that it only became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

The entry to the Church was lowered in the 1500’s to stop looters from driving their carts inside.

Parts of the original mosaic floor from the original church.

The chapel at Shepherds Field marks the place where, according to Catholic tradition, angels first announced the birth of Christ. It adjoins the remains of a 4th-century church and has three beautiful painted murals. They depict the annunciation of the angels, the shepherds and their flock and the Christ Child in the manger.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the Angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” Luke 2:8-10

Below this room is the Tomb of King David. It is important because according to the New Testament, Jesus is considered to be a descendant of King David’s dynasty.

Masada is one of the greatest archaeological sites in Israel but by King Herod in 30BC.

It was the Jews last stand against the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The 960 people living at the top of Masada chose to commit suicide rather than to fall into the hands of the Romans alive. Their deeds left behind a saga of courage, heroism, and martyrdom.