October, 2008 | Florian Neukirchen

Masada

At the ancient fortress overlooking the Dead Sea (Israel)

Tel Aviv and the North of Israel

Young, pretty and happy. As light as a fresh summer breeze, Tel Aviv is the antithesis of Jerusalem‘s heavy weight in holiness, tradition and history. The conflict is far, far away, but the beach is just around the corner. Cafés and bars are filled, more and more art galleries are opening. Green boulevards provide shade … Continue reading “Tel Aviv and the North of Israel”

Hebron and Bethlehem

A question of tectonics? A graffiti in Jerusalem shows someone throwing a stone, with the Hebrew writing “all because of the Syro-African Rift”. In the West Bank, I visit Hebron, where the conflict is clearly felt. Surrounded by concrete walls and barbed wire, there is a Jewish settlement in the middle of the bazaar. Heavily … Continue reading “Hebron and Bethlehem”

Jerusalem

As an atheist among believers in the holy city (Israel)

Yom Kippur in Jerusalem

On the most important Jewish holiday, the holy city stands still

Crossing the Jordan

Coming from Jordan, the entry into Israel was as lengthy as expected and yet not as troublesome as I had feared. Almost the most annoying thing was that I had not expected the bus from the Jordanian to the Israeli post to be more expensive than a bus to Aqaba and back, so I had … Continue reading “Crossing the Jordan”

Dead Sea and Madaba

Splashing in salt water, the gorge in the Wadi Mujib reserve and Byzantine mosaics (Jordan)

Desert Castles in Jordan

Another day trip takes me to the “Desert Castles” in the east, most of which are not castles at all, but probably holiday homes of the Umayyad dynasty (see also Damascus and Jerusalem). Perhaps they were also intended for trade, or for pilgrims on their way to Kufa or Medina, or they were farms, or…. … Continue reading “Desert Castles in Jordan”

My camera has a loose screw

The beautiful day in the ruins of Jerash ends in disaster: in the evening my camera stops to work, I can’t even switch it on. Unfortunately, all the shops are closed for three days because of the end of Ramadan. And then it’s Friday, no luck again. Day by day my mood gets worse… Finally … Continue reading “My camera has a loose screw”

Jerash

Roman ruins in northern Jordan

Ramadan for travellers in Jordan

I am damn glad that Ramadan is over now. In Jordan, it is indeed hard to find a restaurant during the day, even bread; I usually only had shredded flatbread from the day before in my backpack. Buses also run less frequently, hardly at all on Fridays, opening hours are shorter and unpredictable, in sha’Allah. … Continue reading “Ramadan for travellers in Jordan”

Month: October 2008