Israel: A Second Time in a Lifetime (part 1)

When people ask where I traveled during the Christmas break and I tell them Israel, they often respond with something along the lines of “Oh, what a wonderful once-in-a lifetime thing to do!” Well, the reality is, of course, that this was my second trip to Israel. I first ventured to the Holy Land during my Christmas break of 1996, and, truthfully, I never have considered that experience a one-time thing. In fact, I have discussed possible return trips with various friends multiple times over the past fourteen years. And then, in December of 2010, with Tammy, Colleen, and Jennell, I did return.

Although we retraced parts of that original journey of mine, the overall experience unfolded in new ways for me. I am fourteen years distant from that person who visited Israel in 1996: life experience and a little more study have had a measurable impact on my perceptions and interpretations. Then, too, the world is dynamic itself, so Israel and its people have continued to change and evolve as well. Where we all intersected in 2010 has subsequently established its own distinct set of history, memories, and accompanying emotions.

So, what events and images and impressions keep leaping onto the foreground of the canvas of recollection?

Food. Okay, let’s be clear; food always ranks as a worthy topic of discussion for any travel experience! And food in Israel—in many ways decidedly Middle Eastern in content and style—garners multiple stars from me! Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. An awesome array of cheeses, particularly soft varieties (cousins of feta, no doubt). Flat bread, in addition to more European styles. And, in the meat department, chicken and lamb prevail. Then, quite often, there is that Kosher thing in the mix, which keeps options, combinations, and presentation ever interesting.

Falafel was a go-to food on my first trip to Israel, and although we had some excellent falafel on various occasions this time, for this trip our go-to food became hummus with flat bread…officially even! On day one—by consensus—we mandated that hummus would be consumed at least once a day while in Israel. And boy-howdy did we savor our hummus moments…everyday, too…except one…a travel day that didn’t quite unfold as anticipated, and McDonalds—even in Israel—does not offer hummus. (TRIVIA FACT: In Israel there are Kosher McDonalds and non-Kosher McDonalds!)

Our last portion of hummus consumed in Israel--New Year's Eve, no less--at LaLa Land, a restaurant on the beach in Tel Aviv.

For breakfast—all of our accommodations included a breakfast buffet—I became an avid convert to scrambled eggs (yep, the egg skeptic succumbed) with salad and Bulgarian cheese (soft, salty, and tangy) on the side. Each morning I would dish up a variety of fresh salad greens and a generous portion of Bulgarian cheese cubes before heading to the “warm food” counter for scrambled eggs. YUM!

[By the way, for a more accurate visualization of breakfast fare, consider that no meat of any kind was ever offered (think KOSHER!); breakfast included breads (pastries and cake, too), cereals, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and all things dairy.]

In Israel I discovered what certainly must be the nectar of the gods: freshly squeezed pomegranate juice! Talk about divine! I indulged frequently and said beverage never failed to transport me into a drink-generated nirvana!

Jennell and I are ready to sip the "nectar of the gods" in Nazareth.

Geography.  One could drive—at sedate speeds, too, like 50-65mph—the full length of Israel in seven hours or so, depending on traffic and the situation at check points.  The width?  Well, its widest girth might require two to three hours of “sedate” driving, but such a scenario also necessitates factoring in the issue of entering territory under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority vs. the Israelis Authority, and that could easily skew time estimations developed on distance only!  Still, the point remains, Israel is a small country.  At various times during the trip, we were within spitting distance of Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt!  Despite proximity in geographical space, a disconcerting distance remains in philosophical and political space.  Access into them from Israel remains tricky…if not downright impossible at the moment—like maybe Lebanon.  Border crossing points do exist between Israel and Jordan and between Israel and Egypt.  Not so sure about Lebanon.  We actually crossed into Egypt (Sinai) for a day.  Leaving Israel proved to be fairly simple; returning was definitely more complicated—lots of questions and careful examinations of backpack contents.

Akko, a Crusader city--Lebanon was merely 12 km away...but Tammy said NO!

We were driving south on Highway 90 along the Jordan River, the border between Jordan and Israel; that is Jordan in the background.

The marina in Eilat, the city at Israel's southern most point and Israel's only access to the Red Sea; Aqaba, Jordan, is in the distance on the left of the photo, and Egypt (Sinai) would be within "spitting distance" to the right.

This is the border crossing (near Eilat) we walked across into Egypt, where we were met by our tour van and guide for the day trip to Mt. Sinai.