Excursion to Israel from Sharm El Sheikh
That year I specially went to rest in Sharm, because I wanted to go on an excursion to Jerusalem. At that time, there was still no visa-free regime to Israel, and a trip with excursions and accommodation would have been expensive. Our whole group was formed from a hotel in Sharm "Savita 5 *" with a Tez-tour, we were given breakfast and pillows with us. The cost of the trip is 180 USD/person. We left at 21:00 pm. The accompanying guide from the Tez-tour, an Egyptian, told us in detail all the features of the trip, how to behave at the border, etc. It takes 3 hours to reach the border with Israel, Taba, by Russian standards, is nonsense. They ran along the neutral line to the whistles of Israeli soldiers who missed the female sex. At the Israeli border, we were checked through a metal detector, asked questions about the purpose of the trip, whether there were weapons or drugs. Passport control passed families (if any). PASSED IN ALMOST 1 HOUR. On the other side, an Israeli bus was already waiting for us and a guide of the same escort to Jerusalem. On the way to Jerusalem, the guide Rita Lyubarskaya sat down with us - our former compatriot from Leningrad, historian. She spoke very interestingly about the country, inhabitants, history, modernity, and also the nurse got hooked. We entered Jerusalem at about 5 o'clock in the morning, put ourselves in order at the gas station, had breakfast, had a smoke, bought all sorts of things for the road. Then Rita led an interesting walking tour of old Jerusalem, through Muslim streets we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Wailing Wall. They also went through the frame and checked the bags. In the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, surprisingly, there were almost the first, and they quickly went to the Sepulcher. Everything is regulated by a Greek priest. There are a lot of tourists and pilgrims from all over the world. Near the Temple, the Germans with icons, with crosses sing prayers, our Orthodox also. We were in Jerusalem for about 4 hours, saw all the sights, then went to Palestine, to Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity. On the border with Palestine, a soldier just looked into our bus with the question: "RUSSIA? " and all. Palestine is very different from Israel, there is rubbish, pieces of paper, an unpleasant smell, like in Egypt. We dined in Palestine, lunch is average or I'm very categorical, I don't know. While there was a service in the Temple, we were taken to a church shop, where all religious attributes are for representatives of all religions. I regret that I did not buy a gold Jerusalem cross, but only silver ones. It is also worn by the Orthodox. In the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, we bought candles and put them with us there, illuminated our church purchases, and set off on our way back. On the way back we were taken to the Dead Sea. The weather that day was not for swimming, +15 in Israel. Some of our classmates took a bath, I did not dare. The water is very bitter, and feels like glycerine to the touch. The smell from the water is hydrogen sulfide and iodine, some kind of medicine. The sand is bright yellow. We bought Israeli creams, masks from the Dead Sea, a shop nearby. For an afternoon snack, we were given two large rolls with ham, cheese, tomato, juice. Tired and satisfied, we went back to Taba. On the way with a guide, they sang Jewish songs, raffled prizes, watched a movie. On the border with Egypt, the Arabs now rampaged. They shook up our things, fiddled with passports for a long time, meticulously inspected. And then we had only souvenirs, icons, cameras, and personal items for the tour. Many thanks to the management of our Egyptian hotel - they left a waiter on duty for us and dinner for those who traveled to Israel and other excursions with a late return. There are some nuances about the behavior of our tourists and about the border guards, but the trip brought me satisfaction. I wish you pleasant travels.
