Interesting Israel

$1US = 3.42 Israeli Sheqel
1 Sterling = 5.3 Israeli Sheqel

From Jordan to Israel
Buses leave in the mornings only to King Hussein bridge from Abdali bus station. Do not hire a taxi for yourself as it is very expensive (5JD). White service taxis will take you for JD1.5. though it is quite cramped. Get a coach from the Jordanian side to the Israeli side of the border. You will immediately notice the price difference.

Jerusalem
You will notice an immediate difference as you cross the border into Israel. Unfortunately prices go up too.

Eating and Entertainment
The centre of Jerusalem is extremely westernized offering all the fast food joints, bars and entertainment for the well groomed young Israelis. We sniffed out a fantastic shop offering baked potatoes with a innovative selection of toppings. Mmmmmm.

The Old City and the Mount of Olives
Jaffa gate is a great introduction to the old city. Breathing costs money in the Tourist Office. It is difficult to get your bearings strolling through the market stalls and narrow paths in the city. Go up to the ramparts for a birds eye view. The stairs are accessible at Damascus and Jaffa gates. Although we still could not decipher which building was which the 4 distinct quarters gave us a clue as we looked over the softly breathing city (Christian, Armenian, Jewish and Islamic). Some of the high walls were closed for repairs so we descended at Zion Gate near the Jewish Wailing Wall. Every time we ventured into the old city we discovered new things, it was fabulous and steeped in so much history. I would strongly advise those planning to visit the city to buy detailed guide to all the buildings and their significance to the various religions.

Walk up to the top of the Mount of Olives for sunset and a superb view of the Dome of the Rock. On the way you pass the City of David, the Kidron Valley, Garden of Gethsemane, Church of Mary Magdaline and of course the vast and horribly crushed Jewish Cemetery.

The Israel Museum
This museum is a rare treat. The Dead Sea Scrolls were on display when we visited and we got an educative tour around the Jewish section. The Sculpture Gardens include sculptures by Rodin, Picasso, Henry Moore and inside the gallery walls are adorned by Rubens, Rembrandt, Miro, Dali, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh - the lot. The indigenous artists work is imaginative and spectacularly inspiring. The Ethnic Art and Archeological areas are superb also. There is almost too much great items in the Israeli museums which but for the cost is worth two days visit.
The Monastery of the Cross at the foot of the hill by the museum is a beautiful quaint building which you must pay to enter.

VISA BACK IN TO EGYPT
As we had not planned to go to Israel we had to get our visas for the border crossing into Egypt again in Tel Aviv. This proved difficult and expensive. At Mazada Tours near the Jaffa gate we organized the bundle of; bus ticket through Rafadh on the Sinai, departure tax, and Egyptian visa for a whopping $117. We boarded the bus at the Mazada Tours office at 7.30am. and it took the whole day to cross by the Gaza Strip, through Rafadh and over the Suez canal to Cairo.

BACK TO EYGPT
Thursday 16th October 1997
Hotel; The Sultan Hotel
Verdict: A great Welcome back. Fine, but for the mossies.

Egyptian Museum
You cannot go to the Middle East and not go to view the unbeatable collection of artifacts in this world-famous museum. The culture is steeped in bizarre and beautiful history, the remnants of which are extremely intriguing.

Saqqara
The Pyramids at Saqqara are precursors to the more famous ones at Giza. These step pyramids, old tombs and temples can be accessed by jumping on two local buses from Tahir Square and asking lots of directions. They are less touristic and more rugged than the Giza pyramids across the desert on the horizon. The trip also involves quite a bit of walking while tourist coaches pass. On the better side you get to see the back villages of outer Cairo and observe men coming home from the fields with their produce on donkeys and camels backs. I would definitely advise a trip out there.

Memphis
We did not visit the pyramids further away at Memphis but hear it is a great trip.

A closing remark
The Middle East was beautiful, interesting and awe-inspiring The culture and the people were always extremely friendly and helpful. We contacted no deadly diseases or sicknesses. A 24-hour bug was the worst ill-health we endured. As girls we noticed no problems travelling except for the odd straying brush of hand. We respected local traditions and dress code and in return were treated with utmost respect.
However we do recognize that since we left there has been an increase in terrorist activity in Egypt, directed specifically at tourists which may be the limiting factor of ones decision to visit.

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