Israel

May 02, 2014

Israel

Landing in Tel Aviv

Shalom from the Holy Land! This post is coming super late, but better late than never? Getting to Tel Aviv from Chennai was exhausting. I had to stop over for five hours in Abu Dhabi and another five hours in Amman, Jordan, where I had the most intense security check of my life. We had a small plane from Amman to Tel Aviv on Royal Jordanian Airlines and the flight was short, but the view from my window seat was stunning.

By the time I reached Tel Aviv in the middle of the night, I was ready to hit the bed. I had to drag my luggage on a bus, train, and cab before reaching the hostel, but it was 100% worth it. I stayed at Florentine Backpacker's Hostel, which is literally one of the coolest places I have ever stayed! It's clean, the staff are so friendly and helpful, and it's located just five minutes from the beach. Here are a few pictures of the place:

Jersualem

On my first day in Israel, I took a day trip from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I had to walk about half an hour from my hostel to the central train station, then take a 1 hour bus to Jerusalem city bus station, then a light rail to the Old City. To be honest, the Old City was a bit underwhelming. For a place of such intense religious fervor, I didn't feel that the architecture of mosques, synagogues, and churches was extravagant. However, the diversity and energy of the city was so unique and exciting. I started my day with a walking tour of the Old City in Jerusalem. The Old City is split into four uneven quarters: Armenian, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish, with the Armenian quarter being the smallest and the Muslim quarter being the biggest. Some photos:

The City Wall

View of Temple Mount: Dome of the Rock, West Wall, and the some of the most religiously contested real estate on the planet.

The place where Judaism began, where the Jewish believe the world began (what they consider the center of the universe), called the Foundation Rock. For Muslims, the Dome is where Prophet Mohammed ascends to heaven and the third holiest place on Earth after Mecca and Medina.

Here are some pictures of the Muslim quarter of the Old City, beautiful alleys lined with shops and souvenirs, and tourists:

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The birthplace of Christianity. Where Jesus was crucified:

The Souk at Mahane Yehuda

Literally the most vibrant market I have ever been to. All the shop owners were SO nice and friendly, and you can literally find everything here from fresh-baked breads to spices, to electronics and clothing. I had a really fun time walking around and taking pictures: