Israel - the North and Tel Aviv

After a very intense and exciting time in Jerusalem, we continued to the north to the Sea of Galilee. To be honest, I had expected much more here. Yes, it is a lake that is nice to look at, but that's about it. And swimming is definitely not possible here. The beach is unfortunately covered in garbage and not inviting. However, the promenade and the nearby restaurants are quite nice, although as usual, quite expensive.

Then we went to the Golan Heights, even further north. The Syrian border is now only about 30 km away. While hiking to the nearby waterfall, you can occasionally hear loud bangs. Whether they are military exercises or sounds from the neighboring country, I cannot judge. But I don't feel unsafe here either. Except for three other hikers, I am all alone and can enjoy nature for myself. According to the electronic map, it is supposed to be really green here. It may be true that the botany is not as severely affected by a little more water, but there is no widespread vegetation.

The following days in Akko (also known as Acre) were very relaxing. The small harbor town is heavily influenced by Turkish culture, so Shabbat is not felt here. However, it is relatively noisy. As I already know from the Arab region, there is a lot of talk and raised voices. The long market, the already narrow streets, and the hordes of tourists add to the hustle and bustle. This, the fact that I (hopefully only temporarily) have lost some of my thirst for knowledge and curiosity, and the cozy capsule hostel, where you can retreat to your cozy sleeping cave, allowed me to have a quiet evening watching series on my laptop.

On the way to Tel Aviv, we made a day stop in Haifa, which I spent with a nice Frenchman. The big city, which is particularly important because of its huge port, only stands out in terms of tourism because of the Bahai Gardens. What sounds like any garden turns out to be the hanging gardens of the modern era and, at the same time, the administrative and spiritual center of the Bahai. And who are the Bahai? For those of you who, like me, have never heard this name before, let me tell you that the Bahai Faith is a solid religion that was founded in the mid-19th century by an Iranian named Baha'u'llah. There are many similarities to other world religions, for example, there is also a God to whom creation is attributed and who constantly reveals himself in nature (hence the garden). However, there are no prophets or a son of God, and - which may be a big draw - no hierarchy or specific rituals of worship. Every confessing Bahai can pray as they please. Representatives of the faith community, who teach, record, and connect the whole world, are chosen from within the group. Today, there are around 8 million followers of this faith community.

Oh, the gardens... Every blade of grass was meticulously maintained. There are 18 terraces that can only be walked from top to bottom (by visiting tourists, otherwise I imagine the gardening work to be very strenuous). It takes 100 gardeners, a lot of water, and 2 million US dollars per year to make it look the way it does.

And finally, Tel Aviv. The beginnings of the now huge city were in the ancient port city of Jaffa and in the new Jewish settlement about 110 years ago as a suburb of Jaffa. There is probably no place closer to Zionism than Tel Aviv. Literally translated, it means something like "old spring" and can be traced back to the novel "Altneuland" by Theodor Herzl. Since 1950, the two cities have merged and are home to around 3 million inhabitants.

You can find a lot here:

*of course, plenty of museums that explain the history of the establishment of Israel in all its facets (I had enough of that on my trip, so I didn't go too intensively)

*lots of very good, stylish, and expensive restaurants that always offer a vegetarian/vegan option (10% of the population lives vegan here!) as well as thousands of cafes with lots of charm

*countless rental bicycles including stations, as well as electric scooters, the whole city glides through the streets without ever gaining momentum

*trendy neighborhoods next to skyscrapers and Bauhaus-style villas

*street art in all variations, wherever you look

*many bars, clubs, and nightclubs (I can't comment on them since the young crowd from the party hostel only starts their nightlife at 10:45 pm and by that time, I'm already tired after a day full of sightseeing)

*markets galore, from handicrafts to spices to commercial kitchen appliances

*14 km of beach (unfortunately, I didn't go swimming as the weather didn't stick to my travel plan)