DANCING PANDAS

Journaling The Journey

4 days in Dazzling Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv was our last stop of our 2.5 month Middle Eastern tour. We wanted to save the best for last and that we did. Tel Aviv is considered one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in the world. Titled the ‘Mediterranean Capital of Cool’ by the New York Times, this colorful and fun […]

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Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee Stunning Hikes and Sights

Sea of Galilee, Tabgha peacock

We traveled through Nazareth, hiking Mount Arbel and the Sea of Galilee.  Such important places for so many people!   Going through Israel we often found ourselves near many Bible Tour Buses – mostly Christians finding holy places from the New Testament. As I have mentioned in previous posts, we are not very religious people – […]

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Israel Best North Coast Itinerary

Israel best North Coast Itinerary

Our itinerary explores the north coast of Israel which is north of Tel Aviv.  These destinations offer breathtaking beauty, pristine nature and some of the most stunning views.  It had been many years since I visited these parts.  Read on to find out how this coastline has changed and evolved.   Israel’s northern coast is filled […]

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Bethlehem – an Easy 5 hour day trip from Jerusalem

Bethlehem Palestine Banksy Separation Wall

We were excited to go on a short day trip to Bethlehem (which is actually in Palestine).  We started in Jerusalem and surprisingly  it was quite straight forward.  We caught bus #21 from the bus terminal across from the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. Since the bus is operated by a  Palestinian company there isn’t a […]

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Amman to Jerusalem Border Crossing – A Smooth 3 hours

Amman to Jerusalem border crossing

We decided to take the Amman to Jerusalem border crossing to get from Jordan into Israel.  It is relatively easy to do although pretty time consuming for such a small distance.   Flights were around $450  for the 45 mile distance.  There is also a service called www.amman2jerusalem.com that offered to take us from our hotel […]

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Wadi Rum – 24 hours of Amazement

Wadi Rum Jordan Valley of the Moon

Entering Wadi Rum was a slow motion experience of leaving earth and entering a totally different world.  The sand slowly starts to turn a deeper and darker hue of red and the surrounding dramatic sandstone and basalt mountains jut out of its sandy floor.  Camels walk about the desert with or without accompanying owners under the […]

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Petra, Magnificent Petra – Best Hikes in 1 Day

The Treasury Rose City

Petra is an iconic UNESCO world heritage site and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.  It is breathtakingly beautiful and full of treasures from ancient civilizations.  Most well known for it’s spectacular monuments carved into the red rocks, its intricate water channels and its stunning temples. Because of it’s rose colored buildings […]

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Amazing Jordan – Dana Biosphere and Shobak Castle

After 4 days at the Dead Sea we were ready to see more that Jordan has to offer.  Our next stop was the Dana Biosphere Natural Reserve, but we made a quick stop along the way at the Wadi Mujib Adventure Center.  At 410 meters below sea level, the Mujib Biosphere Reserve is the lowest […]

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