On day 4 of our stay in Jerusalem, we went on a trip to Bethlehem and the Dead Sea.

You can easily reach Bethlehem from Jerusalem by public transportation. The bus ticket costs 4 EUR compared to about 100 EUR for the guided tour. We know several travelers who have done this on the relatively short journey, and the hotel confirmed that it is doable.

However, since we are a larger group and also wanted to visit the Dead Sea, we decided to take one of the many organized tours.

In general, we took all our booked tours with Tourist Israel, an organization of the tourism office in Tel Aviv.

The bus drivers are very different, but in general, they do not drive in a European style. Cutting corners, using two lanes, and whoever brakes loses... But it seems safe, we always arrived well and hardly saw any accidents on the roads.

At the border of Bethlehem, another guide joins us on the bus. This is a must because our guide is not allowed to lead us in Bethlehem.

At our request, we first stop at the Bansky Hotel. The hotel advertises the closest view of the wall. Bansky has also immortalized himself on the wall. A visit to the hotel costs 20 shekels (equivalent to 4 EUR). Due to lack of time, we decide not to go in but instead walk a short distance along the wall.

A short distance further by bus and we arrive at the parking lot. A short walk and we are in front of the Church of the Nativity. On the way, we played labs. And of course, we took the obligatory photo for the virtual. And then we enter the church through the Humanity Door.

After many photos and some explanations, we are led back outside through the cloister.

Since we are still looking for an answer for a lab and because the name sounds very interesting, we visit the Milk Grotto with our guide. Then we go shopping in the typical souvenir shops. Some Bansky magnets and mugs are brought on the bus, as well as olive wood beauties. You could also watch the craftsmen in the simple workshops. Unfortunately, as a group, we are not allowed to move freely in the city, so it's back to the bus.

Next stop: Shepards field. We ask the bus to stop above the site. With some surprise, our wish is granted. We, as always, place a new cache and then proceed a few meters further to the official Sheppards Field Memorial. We finally manage to take a group photo with almost all participants before continuing to the Dead Sea. The group already logged the lowest listed cache here during our trip to Petra, so there was no competition today. However, we log the cache at Kalia Ruins before reaching the beach. Unfortunately, it was incredibly hot today, so walking across the hot sand was quite a challenge. Nevertheless, we enjoy the buoyancy of the saltwater. Before we all could get sunburned, we return to the tour bus to Jerusalem with a cool drink. Kalia Beach is aimed at tourists, but we missed a little more snack options. So be prepared. But there are plenty of souvenirs, swimming suits, and drinks.

And with the geocache 'Kalia Ruins', there is also the opportunity for a very deep-listed geocache.

Today we had a beautiful and relaxing morning with a view of the Dead Sea. After coffee - which we enjoyed on the Hollywood swing with a wonderful view - we went to the beach. First, we had to put on the mud-glow body mask, then we went into the pleasant water. It's fascinating how you automatically float upright without doing anything. After ten minutes, both men and women should get out. You can really feel the salt on your skin and should definitely not shave beforehand!! It's good to have a shower at the beach to rinse off!

After the second breakfast, we headed north on the N90. In between, we had to turn towards the Jordan River because I wanted to see it. But at the military checkpoint, we didn't dare to go forward and turned around. However, a tourist bus came towards us shortly afterwards. So we followed it!! We drove to the barrier and it opened! So just have more courage. :) We drove through a military restricted area and then to Qasr El Yahud, where you can swim in the Jordan River. We skipped crossing the Jordan River, which the military probably wouldn't have found amusing, as the border with Jordan runs right in the middle. Jordan is only 3 meters away as the crow flies.

After that, we continued north to Beit She'an, which is again on the Israeli side. There are impressive ruins there, but they are impressively poorly signposted. You have to follow the signs for the Beit She'an National Park and keep going straight - even through roundabouts - until a new sign appears. After some confusion, we finally found it. The amphitheater is truly impressive, as are the ruins around it. And you can still enter everything, including the original floor mosaics. You can have lunch at the nearby 'shopping center'. At the city limits heading north, there is a 'Greg' café with delicious coffee.

On the way to Tiberias, we made a spontaneous stop at the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee (Yardenit). This is where the Jordan River flows out and where John the Baptist is said to have worked. You can swim in the Jordan River there, get baptized, and buy all kinds of trinkets from the 'Holy Land'! Worth seeing for believers and non-believers!

When we arrived in Tiberias, we had a nice hostel - Tiberias Hostel: very creative. We found the promenade disappointing, so we went to Hamat Gader, the hot springs, to relax. It was different from what we had imagined with our Western ideas. Instead of relaxation and tranquility in the spa with hot springs, there was a huge commotion, children jumping into the water, picnics by the poolside, ... But the water is nice and warm and it was still relaxing!

Early this morning we went to Bethlehem- to avoid the tourist crowds in the Church of the Nativity.

Starting from the bus station at Damascus Gate, we took bus 234 for about 5 NIS to the border. There, we had to get off and walk across the border. Since there are no signs, just take the first right, then you'll exit the building and walk past the wall. You don't have to go through passport control to enter the West Bank. On the other side of the wall, there are numerous taxis waiting to take you the good 2 km to the city. After a long negotiation - they wanted to sell us whole tours or collect money per person - we paid 15 NIS to go directly to the Church of the Nativity. It was worth the struggle of waking up early, because we were almost alone in the church. Between the services in the birth cave - you have to go down some stairs on the right and left of the altar - we were allowed to briefly enter. It was very pleasant to enjoy the place without a crowd of other tourists.

The cloister in this church is also nice to visit.

After a short walk through the city, we went back to the border - after another long discussion - for 15 NIS. The taxi driver then, after negotiating the price, said he only wanted to take us to the bus station, where the buses to the border depart. But it's not worth it, because the bus station is right in the city and can be reached on foot. The entry into Israel has stricter conditions, because you have to go through a security check - similar to the airport - and then show your passports! So don't forget ;)

Once back in Jerusalem, we set out to get information about renting a car. Unfortunately, in the end, it was cheaper to rent a car online than on site. So that's what we did. All car rental companies - except Avis - allow you to drive into the West Bank with the rental car. However, only in the allowed areas. This includes almost everything, except Zone A. So all major roads and cities on the Dead Sea can be approached. Cities like Bethlehem or Jericho are not allowed to be approached. But you can't miss it either, because there are red signs at the entrance warning you.

So in the evening we went to the Dead Sea by car, specifically to Kalya.

After the police stopped us in the middle of a road to ask if everything was okay, we didn't dare to drive into the city that was closed off by barriers and instead bought at a gas station at completely overpriced rates. In the end, we believe that we could have simply driven into the city.

We'll be braver next time...