Pines ISRAELI Jewish: 10/12 to 10/16 | Sukkot Vacation in Beit Shemesh and Eilat

So far, I have spent my Sukkot vacation in two cities: Beit Shemesh and Eilat. Beit Shemesh was home to the Feldman family, who graciously hosted Esther, Rachel, and I for the first two nights of Sukkot. As she did for Yom Kippur, Rachel's mother set this up for us so that we would not be alone for the holiday. The hospitality shown by this family was unmatched, going above and beyond anything I had expected. Not only did they feed us, but they took the time to entertain us, too! Instead of spending the entire holiday waiting to use electricity again, we passed the time talking, playing games, and even doing a little hiking.

The route we took from Hebrew University to Beit Shemesh, a suburb of Jerusalem.

The entire first evening was spent chatting about everybody's lives. The Feldman family had made aliyah decades before, but were still very acquainted with everything America. This made for some lively conversation comparing everything American to everything Israeli (the school system, bagels, etc.). After we were done talking, the younger members of the family showed us how to play a variation of the game Monopoly that they had invented called Money-Loopey. It was much more complicated than I could handle (I was still getting over being sick), so I spent most of the time watching/being Rachel's personal banker.

The next day, we took a tour of the tel at Beit Shemesh. A tel is a large earthen mound built up by layers of civilizations over the centuries. Unfortunately, I could not take pictures because it was still Sukkot, but we saw a range of ruins, from ancient tombs to a water cistern. It was a great experience mostly because it was so accessible: their house was only a five minute walk from all this history! When night came, I witnessed something incredible. The entire neighborhood--some 26 families--came out in to the street to pray together. It was a magical experience that could only happen in Israel. After this, we watched a few movies and went to bed early in preparation for our Eilat adventures in the morning.

Beit Shemesh may mean "House of the Sun," but the sun really resides in Eilat. Located at the southern tip of Israel along the Red Sea, Eilat is home to some of Israel's most famous beaches. To make it to Eilat as early as possible, we left the Feldman's house at around eight in the morning for the Central Bus Station. The ride from Jerusalem to Eilat is estimated at three hours and 45 minutes, but took us well over four hours. Eilat cannot really be described in words, though, so here are some pictures to help describe our first day:

Our journey to Eilat begins!

The route we took from Jerusalem to Eilat. Notice that Eilat is sandwiched in between two countries: Egypt to the west and Jordan to the east. At the very bottom to the east is the tip of Saudi Arabia.

The drive to Eilat includes some breathtaking views of the Dead Sea.

Most of the drive to Eilat consists of views of dusty brown mountains.

The Ahava cosmetics factory along the shores of the Dead Sea.

The world's worst sign on the way to Eilat.

Our first view of Eilat and, in the distance, Aqaba, Jordan.

Eilat is a beautiful city with a very stupid design. Right in the middle of the city is the Eilat Airport. Throughout the day, planes from Arkia, El Al, and Israir flew overhead making extremely loud noises.

This was the view from my window in the Eilat Youth Hostel and Guest House. I had to share my room with two other people, but neither spoke English or Hebrew.

This statue commemorates the Israeli capture of Eilat, then known as Umm Rash-Rash, during the 1948 War of Independence. When the Negev Brigade of the I.D.F. reached the Red Sea, they did not have an Israeli flag with them so they had to improvise with a flag made of ink that they raised over a former British police post . The picture of the hoisting of the Ink Flag is reminiscent of the American picture at Iwo Jima.

Esther, Rachel, and I in front of the Eilat Marina.

The Red Sea with the mountains of Eilat in the background.

The crest of Eilat.

The next day, we were left without any plans. In the lobby of hour hostel was a list of activities to choose from, so we decided to do a boat cruise. Here is the description:

Everyday a beautiful cruise leaves Eilat's Marina and sails eastwards and parallel to the Israel-Jordan border and down to the Egyptian border. Includes quiet amazing mountain views, a rich BBQ lunch, and swimming/snorkeling from the yacht while anchoring. Returns to the Marina along the western coastline.

Here are some pictures from our boat adventure:

About to board our yacht, the Eilat.

Standing at the head of the boat.

The boat was totally made up of cushions for maximum comfort.

And we are off! We began by sailing down the coast of Jordan.

Aqaba, Jordan is known for having one of the world's largest flagpoles. Contrary to popular belief, that is not a Jordanian flag but the flag of the Arab Revolt used by Arab nationalists against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

The mountains in the distance are in Saudi Arabia. Few people realize how close Israel is to Saudi Arabia and the heart of Islam.

This is the border crossing to Taba, Egypt. Eilat is not very wide, so it would not take more than a few hours to walk from Aqaba to Taba. To the right, on the hill, it is possible to see Egyptian flags.

The mountains of the Sinai Peninsula are imposing next Eilat's smaller mountains. To the right of the picture is the Hilton Taba, located within Egyptian territory but built by Israel when it controlled the Sinai.

The Isrotel is the last building in Israeli territory, right next to the Taba border crossing.

The lunch provided by the boat crew as we anchored off the coast of Taba. Delicious!

As we sailed back up the coast of Eilat, we passed the Coral World Underwater Observatory.

It was fun to watch all of the wind surfers sail through the water. Occasionally one would jump and fly for a few seconds!

After the boat ride, it occurred to me that the Israeli Ink Flag and the Jordanian Arab Revolt Flag are constantly staring each other down. Fortunately, Israel and Jordan have been at peace since 1994.

Our last day in Eilat was split between the Coral World Underwater Observatory and spending time on the beach. Here are more pictures, this time from our last day in Eilat:

We were greeted at the park by two camels.

The entrance to the park. The Hebrew says "Underwater Observatory Marine Park" in English.

A rare fish, or dahg in Hebrew. Notice that this fish has teeth (and lips).

Hanging out with the fish!

Sea turtles.

About to head underwater to see the fish in their natural habitat.

A general view from the underwater capsule.

The end of our time at the park. Quite an experience!

We had a few hours to kill until our bus back to Jerusalem, so we decided to spend some time on the beach. Esther and Rachel tanned/napped while I took a walk to the border. This is a view of the religious beach on the outskirts of Eilat, past all of the hotels.