Israel is EASY!
The idea of a trip to Israel that had been ripening for several years became a reality somewhat unexpectedly: I accidentally got on promotional tickets in Aerosvit: $ 434 for two in both directions with all fees - it’s like it’s free, how can you resist? Yes, even visas have been canceled!
(Although now there are cheap tickets to Israel without promotions (I'm talking about the Israeli low-cost Arkia, which launched the Kyiv-Tel Aviv flight in March and promised tickets from $99).
The hotel was easy to book. I chose at random, I was not mistaken - the charming city Harmony Hotel 4 * met all expectations. You can, of course, choose the luxurious Mamilla Hotel 5 * at a price of $ 450 per night or an economical boarding house in the region of $ 100, which suits you better here. I looked at the location (as close as possible to the Old Town and modern shopping streets), the presence of Wi-Fi and the absence of a deposit upon moving in (extra hassle - you settle for a few days and then wait for a few months to return).
Upon departure from Boryspil, I was amazed at the number of Orthodox Jews who were waiting for registration in large families. Taking into account the fact that within an hour 3 planes took off from Kyiv to Ben Gurion in each of which they occupied at least half of the seats, the number of believers per square meter of the airport was slightly annoying.
Upon arrival, the customs procedures of the State of Israel, which we heard a lot about, so we mentally prepared to spend several hours at check-in. But the Israeli border guard turned out to be not so terrible as he is painted. My husband and I were only asked about the purpose of the trip. As conscientious tourists, we immediately showed the hotel reservation, tour voucher and return tickets. We didn't have any more questions.
Since we were met by friends, I can’t say anything about the work of a taxi, but when I was preparing for the trip, I was convinced that there were no problems with this in Ben Gurion.
The first point of our journey was the small town of Raanana, about 20 kilometers from Tel Aviv. My school friend lives here with her family and her parents. It is difficult to describe the feeling of meeting a person from childhood, with whom for the last 20 years you have communicated only by phone and e-mail.
And one more thing: I don’t know if all the inhabitants of this small country are so hospitable, I judge only by the people who met us and accompanied us in our acquaintance with the country. So, the warmth and hospitality are incredible, you really want to come back here again and again.
From Raanana we went to the Dead Sea. It's hard to describe, you have to see it. The Israelis themselves do not like the name "Dead Sea", but prefer to say "Yam Ha Melah" - a lake of salt. The road to it goes along a picturesque serpentine, the feeling that you are sinking into a giant bowl (after all, 422 meters below sea level). Unearthly beauty. Pink and blue landscape. . .
We were in early spring, when the locals do not yet open the climatotherapy season. But there were quite a lot of Russian-speaking tourists. They also did not deny themselves the pleasure of lying down IN (or, rather, ON) the water and pampering themselves with a natural SPA procedure - they smeared themselves with the silt mud of the Dead Sea and dried in the sun. The pleasure is doubtful, and it was not easy to wash off all this beauty later : -) But we got a lot of impressions.
On the way, we stopped at the Ahava factory store. Prices are the same as everywhere else, including in Kyiv. True, having taken a set of facial products, we received a good discount on a set of body, hand and foot care products. But, I repeat, it will not be possible to buy anything particularly profitable there.
By the way, in Israeli stores, the problem of language disappears somehow by itself: you start asking something in English (in my opinion, everyone knows it there), and the aunt-seller in Russian with an inimitable Odessa accent is indignant: “. . . girl , and what do you say to me in this English, I will tell you everything in our own way ”: -) And there are a lot of “ours”. If I'm not mistaken, every sixth Israeli is Russian-speaking.
We spent two unforgettable days in Jerusalem. There was enough time to fall in love with this city, but it was negligible to enjoy it.
Back in Kyiv, I found a local travel company that organizes good, quite affordable ($ 65) tours of Jerusalem in Russian in mini-groups of up to 15 people. Ordering and paying for the tour is easy, it takes a minimum of time, the company's managers themselves will call you back via international communication. At the agreed time, the guide picked us up at the hotel reception.
The tour was called "Christian Jerusalem" and included a visit to the main holy and revered places of the Old City by every believer: the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives with its centuries-old olives, the Church of the Passion of the Lord, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin, Mount Zion with the Upper Room of the Last Supper. We also passed the last 5 stops of Jesus on the Way of the Cross, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Calvary, where Jesus was crucified. Pray at the Wailing Wall. We walked through the quarters of the Old City with its colorful Arab bazaar, cozy narrow streets, old houses and an indescribable atmosphere. And it would seem: how much of that Old City is there? Unfortunate 0.9 km. square, and you won’t get around all the iconic places in a day.
In the middle of the day, the excursion program included a trip to a kibbutz located in the southern suburbs of Jerusalem - RAMAT RACHEL Kibbutz Hotel. We had a great lunch there. On the way back, there were two stops at observation platforms, where a magnificent panorama of Jerusalem opens.
Special thanks to the guide Maxim. Not only and not so much for an interesting tour, but for his contagious love for Jerusalem – it was incredibly pleasant to listen to and feel his adoration of the city.
In our free time from the tour, my beloved and I simply wandered the streets of Jerusalem, enjoyed it, breathed it... and were unconditionally happy.
I will not describe souvenir shops - everything is standard and expected: key chains, magnets, T-shirts, all kinds of creams (after all, the Dead Sea is nearby) and a bunch of other tourist tinsel. Of course, I didn't pass by : -)
But the main item of expenditure was... wine. Honestly, I did not expect this from Israel. But after drinking a bottle of Yarden 2005 at dinner in a restaurant, we were so imbued with the bouquet that we bought half a dozen bottles of wine home and took 2 bottles of Binuamina liqueur for testing.
But I didn’t understand the flavor of Jewish cuisine - everything is very fresh, high-quality, natural... but low-fat, not spicy, not fried. The touted falafel - bean balls - is interesting to try, but often you don’t feel like eating. Couscous is porridge, like porridge (this is a cereal based on semolina, which is sprinkled with water and somehow dried). True, it is served with broth, boiled lamb and boiled vegetables - there is simply nowhere to eat the whole portion : -)
But on every corner they make fresh juices - apple, orange, grapefruit, pomegranate... mmm... And many more points like "ice cream parlor", where, in addition to awesome ice cream, they will prepare a mix of yogurt with fruits and / or nuts.
We spent the last day of the trip in Tel Aviv. The city itself is a fairly ordinary metropolis, but here is Jaffa... Luxurious gardens and ancient streets of this main port of Israel, the most beautiful suburb of Tel Aviv, are breathtaking. And what views! No wonder Jaffa (Jopia) is the Jewish "beautiful. "
Jaffa, by the way, is one of the oldest surviving cities, the mention of which dates back to the 16th century BC. You seem to find yourself in biblical times. Jaffa, by the way, is revered by Christians for several reasons at once: it was here, according to legend, that Noah built his ark; the apostle Peter lived here; and again, it was here that the Archangel Michael appeared in a vision to a simple tanner, in memory of which the Monastery of the Archangel Michael exists to this day.
Orthodox and Muslims coexist peacefully in the city: churches and mosques are nearby, people are tolerant and complacent.
Before flying home, we rushed to the airport 4 hours before departure, having heard about lengthy baggage inspection procedures. In vain. These, of course, are not the formalities of Boryspil, but Ben-Gurion's services work smoothly and quickly. They didn’t open our suitcase, only after translucence they asked what kind of bottles we were carrying and where they got them. Answer: wine. In the store at the hotel "removed all the questions. As I understand it, Caucasians traveling as a family do not worry them much. But single tourists, unshaven men and single athletic guys receive much more attention : -)
Duty free in Israel is the best one I've been to : -)
I am aware that my review is not very informative for tourists going to Israel. There are no routes, numbers and prices in it. But I also really hope that for those who have never thought about traveling to the Holy Land, my review will be an occasion to think about the trip. Because for me these days have become a revelation, and the country is just an ajar book that I want to delve into and read, read, read...
I will definitely return to Israel. I will show this country to my children. I will say: "Sholom! " people, walls and stones. Because now I know where Faith, Hope and Love live.
