Israel is such a small country. But there seems to be so much going on. It is always in the eye of the media, for better or for worse (usually worse). It is seriously the size of New Jersey and yet has so much impact and attention on the world. There are such strong opinions on an international level about such a small location.
I was talking with my aunt the other day about what she is going to do in Israel when she travels there with my cousins. It occurred to be that 80% of the things she will do were things I also did. For instance, she will ascend Mt Masada, but by means of a cable car, rather than hiking up the narrow rocky paths while it is still dark in the morning, and reaching the summit at sunrise. She is going to explore Akko and Haifa, which I saw, check out the Old City of Jerusalem, which is a must-do for anyone visiting this country, and visit Ein Gedi, an oasis by the Dead Sea with a waterfall I remember pretty well. And the hot springs in Tiberias. And the huge crater in the desert. And the remains of Casearea on the Mediterranean coastline.
During my trip on Birthright, we went to the borders of Egypt, Jordan and Syria probably within five days. Whenever we would pull into a new attraction, there would usually be another Birthright tour bus full of other American Jews entering or exiting the destination. Whenever I talk to other people who did Birthright at another time, we usually cross-check each other’s experiences.
I remember I went to Eilat a few times, which is a small tourist city on the southernmost tip of Israel, situated on the Red Sea, by the borders of both Egypt and Jordan. There are two roads going there through the desert, and I was basically able to memorize both of them by the time I left.
When people in Israel talk about a “really long drive,” it usually means 1-2 hours.
Despite it being such a tiny place, it is also one of the most environmentally diverse places I’ve ever seen. There is anything from flat plains with farmlands to rocky hills with Biblical remains and clay earth that sticks to your feet and builds up while you hike, to cold and rainy urban terrain in the hills of Jerusalem, to arid desert to pine forest to Mediterranean beaches. There is also a very interesting array of people from such a multitude of backgrounds, Jews having come from a few different continents since 1948.
I remember always stopping at a specific gas station on a route and there was a colony of cats that would scarf down leftover fast food. I liked expecting this.
Many of the sites have more historical and social significance than actual impressive appeal. For instance, the Sea of Galilee, which is where Jesus supposedly walked on water, is a small lake that is gradually declining in water level. Though very beautiful to see, I was more fascinated the fenced off areas of mine fields up in the hills.
I suppose Israel has the most concentration of interesting travel arrangements and components and religious sites and political dispute out of any country on earth.