Israel and Jordan trip is the desert adventure of a lifetime

Lori Swanson, Pioneer Press
·13 min read
15

I always dreamed of riding a Camel or flying down the desert in a Jeep, just like you see in the Indiana Jones movies. A true adventure of mystery, history and excitement, and to my surprise, I got to live it.

Israel was never on my radar as a vacation hot spot. I am spiritual, but not particularly religious, even though I was raised and confirmed as a Lutheran. The opportunity arose when my sister’s boyfriend, Stefan, told us he was going to Israel for work.

Israel? Here come the camels, Jeep, history, and adventure. Suddenly I had a reason to visit and immediately started the planning process.

My sister, Becky, and my friend, Wendy, were my travel partners, and the three of us started researching the area and looking for flights. Since Stefan had been there for a couple of months, so he told us to fly directly from either JFK or Boston. It’s a long flight, and trying to connect in Paris, or Amsterdam is a tight layover and usually needs more time to get through customs. Our flight was from Minneapolis to Boston and Boston to Tel Aviv (15+ hours, $1,500+).

Since we weren’t using a travel company for our vacation, we had to develop a trip plan. Looking at a map and outlining our destination stops, we decided to drive to the bottom tip of Israel to a town called Eilat right after we got off the plane (a 4-5 hour drive). Eilat is next to the Jordan border on the Red Sea. We would start our adventure in Jordan with a 2-day tour of Wadi Rum and Petra ($350 per person). After Jordan, we would follow the Dead Sea back up to Jerusalem and eventually end up in Haifa.

Arrival day

It was 3 p.m., and we had just spent 15 hours in planes/airports; we were tired but ready for all Israel and Jordan had to offer. Stefan was waiting for us at the airport. We jumped in the small car with all our luggage – both Wendy and Becky overpack and had two suitcases apiece. Even though we couldn’t see out the back window or move our seats back, we were excited for the adventures that lay ahead. The first road sign we saw out of town? Be Aware of Camels near the Road.

Our trip plan was to stay in Eilat the first night and the night we returned from Jordan since we had no idea what crossing the border entailed (Eilat rooms rent for about $300-$350 for two double beds). In hindsight, it is much cheaper to stay in Jordan (less than half the price).

Jordan’s magical desert

The next morning we drove to the border and walked across into Jordan to meet the tour bus taking us to Wadi Rum.

Wadi Rum is a protected vast desert wilderness with sandstone mountains, rocks, and canyons. Entering Wadi Rum was surreal; our bus had to share the road with camel riders pacing the street. The campsite, tucked in a canyon, was lined with tents and small containers for sleeping. The seating, eating, and dancing area was in the camp’s middle. We settled into a few small sleeping containers and got ready for our Jeep tour through the desert. Although we had no bullwhips or immediate quest to find an artifact, we were on our first adventure.

The Jeeps are open-air and sit 4-5 people in the back. We roared through the desert in a pack and frequently stopped to climb the deep sand mountains and outcrop walls. Our last stop ended with an outcrop climb with an overview of a brilliant bright red sunset over the desert mountains with campsites and camels in the foreground — picture perfect! We returned to a traditional meal cooked in large metal containers buried under the sand. They began the process by starting fires in the large holes and once the coals were ready, they lowered the containers into the holes and covered them with sand. Hours later, we were treated to a meal of lamb, chicken and vegetables that melted in our mouths. It was like a Beach clam bake, only desert style. Delicious! The evening ended with stargazing and Jordanian music and dancing.

In the early morning (still dark outside), we rode Camels ($30) to a beautiful sunrise setting out of the camp. The camels were all tied together, one behind the other. The hardest part of the ride was the camel standing up and laying down to get on and off — first, you got thrown to the back of the saddle when the camel’s front legs pushed themselves up and then you were thrown into the front of the saddle when the back legs stood up. The saddle is a wood frame with horns on both the front and back and many blankets laid on top for paddling. Their headstall was simple twine tied around their neck a few times and looped into reins. We rode for about an hour to experience a spot where the sun moved slowly over the dark desert, creating a bright yellow glow across the land. The morning was upon us, and as we walked back to the camels, we had the rare opportunity to see a desert wolf coming home from a night’s hunt. After breakfast, we were on the road to Petra.

Petra, a wonder

Petra, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is a city carved into the mountains by a nomadic Arabic tribe. An important trading city, Petra was home to 20,000-30,000 people in the first centuries BC and AD. You enter Petra through a narrow passage cut through the sandstone canyon (over half a mile walk) and end up in an incredible village carved into the stone — this is where the Indiana Jones reference comes in. Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade was filmed in Petra (along with The Mummy Returns, Aladdin, and many more). Being in Petra is like being on a movie set; it is where all time has stood still. The rock-cut architecture built into the stone is a masterpiece. In Petra’s trading/marketplace center, you can ride camels, horses, or carts or buy goods. My sister was on a mission to buy a traditional horse blanket and bought one right off one of the horses in Petra. I guess it still is a robust trading market. Petra is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, and after seeing it in person, you understand why.

Dead Sea experiences

We wandered back over the border to Eilat for the night, as we had an early morning start to get to the Dead Sea. It seemed fitting to stop and take in the Red Sea before we left town. The water was clear and is known for scuba diving or snorkeling. Standing in the water, we could see the fish and rocks without a mask or fins.

We decided to experience two spots on the Dead Sea — one for salt and one for mud. The Dead Sea is called dead because of its high salinity, meaning no fish or aquatic organism can live in it. For most tourists, floating in the Dead Sea is a must, and nothing is like it. Our first stop was at the lower part of the Dead Sea, where there are beaches just for floating. The high salt concentration makes your body feel light, and you float on top of the water. This is not your everyday float. We were over our heads and sitting upright in the water. You could bring a book (or newspaper) out in the water and have no problem reading it without it getting wet. You could float in this water even if you didn’t know how to swim. It’s like you are a balloon sitting on top of the water.

The next stop was in the middle of the Dead Sea for mud. The exclusive minerals and salts have lured visitors for thousands of years, all the way back to King Herod. We jumped in the water and immediately mudded up. I was so excited that I started washing the mud off with the salty water, and yes, I did the unthinkable and started flushing my face. Within seconds my eyes were burning, and I couldn’t open them. I had to be led out by Stefan to get to a shower to wash them out. That’s a mistake you only want to make once. My skin was soft, and my eyes were red. We scooped up some salt, bought some mud to bring home, and went to Jerusalem.

Wandering through Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, we stayed just outside the old city, parked the car, and planned on walking for the next three days. Old Jerusalem has four quarters; Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Armenian, with winding alleys, walkways, and marketplaces throughout each quarter.

Jerusalem is a vibrant city, holy to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. On our first day in Jerusalem, we hired a tour guide; he was an American living in Jerusalem and educated in all three religions. We started at the Jaffa Gate, where pilgrims have entered the city for thousands of years, then headed to Temple Mount, considered one of the holiest sanctuaries on Earth. Upon entering Temple Mount, Wendy and I were stopped and asked to wear long skirts and cover our shoulders.

Temple Mount is where Abraham offered his son up as a sacrifice to God, Solomon built the first Temple for the Ark of Covenant, and Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. It’s a wide plaza above the old city with the icon of the Golden Dome. It is also where Jesus tipped over the tables, leading to his arrest. You have to enter and exit through a checkpoint. Some people feel the area is so sacred that they remove their shoes upon entering.

On the outside of the Temple Mount in the Jewish Quarter sits the holy Western Wall or Wailing Wall, the surviving retaining wall of Jerusalem’s first temple. We also saw and were able to hold some of the archaeological remnants at the southern end of the Western Wall Plaza.

Our tour took us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the final resting place of Jesus). We walked the Station of the Cross (the route Jesus carried his cross toward execution), The Chapel of Flagellation, and the Church of St. John the Baptist.

We walked to Mount of Olives, the Damascus Gate/Lion’s Gate, the Church of the Ascension (where Jesus ascended to heaven), the Gardens of Gethsemane (where Jesus’ arrest took place), the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, and Mount Zion.

We happened to be in Jerusalem during the end of Sukkot. This Jewish holiday celebrates the gathering of the harvest and the protection provided for the children when they left Egypt. During Sukkot, the celebration occurs in an outside dwelling covered with foliage. During our stay, we also witnessed the Simchat Torah, marking the conclusion of an annual reading of the Torah and the beginning of a new cycle. Our hotel was next door to a Synagogue that ended the evening with dancing and singing, holding the Torah in the synagogue, and overflowing into the street. We learned the hard way that the Shabbat starts at sunset on Friday evening and ends on Saturday sunset. We tried to go out to eat on Friday, and on Saturday, we went to get the car to drive to Bethlehem and found our car wouldn’t be allowed out of the paid parking lot during the Shabbat; good reason to plan ahead. We discovered we could catch a taxi in the Muslim district, so we went to Bethlehem.

Bethlehem’s beauty and strife

Bethlehem is a Palestinian city south of Jerusalem. You have a border check to get in and out of Bethlehem. Upon entering, you are surrounded by a huge, confining 38′ high wall around the city. The dull grey walls come alive as local street artists use the concrete palette for anti-wall sentiments and political strife. In 2005, Banksy, a well-known UK artist, was the first famous artist to have painted on the wall; many more have now followed.

Bethlehem is known for the Church of Nativity (birthplace of Jesus), just a short walk from the border. You enter that church through a small rock wall entrance less than 4 feet high. Inside the church is a small cave where a silver 14-pointed star embedded into the marble marks the site of the birth of Jesus. I was genuinely amazed; in all the places we visited in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, you could experience and touch the historical objects, including the Star that marks Jesus’s birth, the Stone of Anointing and the cave where his body was laid. Bethlehem is also known for its talented olive wood artisans that line a street of the city with their age-old wood carving traditions. All of us came home with some of their beautiful carvings.

Caesarea and Nazareth

On our way from Jerusalem to Haifa, we stopped at Caesarea National Park on the Mediterranean coast. It’s an archaeological park with pillars, sculptures, a hippodrome and an amphitheater with stone seats. You can imagine all the different types of entertainment that happened there. It also has seafront Promontory Palace ruins with the remains of a mosaic floor. We watched one of our many sunsets there before ending up in Haifa.

Our next journey took us to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. In Nazareth, we went to see the domed Basilica of the Annunciation (where the angel Gabriel told Mary she would birth a child). Hanging on the front courtyard walls and inside the church are national mosaics depicting Mary donated from almost every country worldwide. On our walk back to the border, we were delighted by a local tea vendor and a fantastic sandwich of cheese and olives on piping hot bread. Everywhere we ate, the food was delicious.

The Sea of Galilee looks more like a large lake than a sea. With the only fresh water in the area, it was and is a flourishing fishing industry. Many miracles are said to have happened here; Jesus walked on water and performed many healings. Before his ascension, Jesus appeared in his resurrected body to seven disciples for a final miracle of catching fish.

Medieval Acre/Old AKKO and Haifa

In our last few days, we went to Acre/Old AKKO, a port city on the Mediterranean coast. Acre is an exceptional historic town that has preserved the remains of its medieval Crusader buildings. It has hidden alleys, incredible sea views, underground tunnels and street markets, and world-class restaurants on the Sea.

The last day of our trip focused on the town of Haifa on the Mediterranean Sea. We first walked to the top of the Bahai Gardens. This breathing, meticulously manicured garden is straight out of a storybook and overlooks the city, cascading down the mountain. You have to see it in person to really understand its beauty. Then we stopped quickly at the Haifa Educational Zoo before heading to the beach for sun and sand. The beaches in Haifa have miles of white sand, restaurants, and shops to enjoy. After a day in the sun, we headed up the mountain and walked the Promenade for dinner.

Our trip was a true adventure — from Indiana Jones-like action to childhood bible stories. We saw it all: three seas and three religions, all shared with three of my best travel companions.

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