Israel Favorites: Part 3 - Qumran

Have you heard of the Qumran caves? Well, if not, maybe you have heard of something that was found in them. The Dead Sea Scrolls? I hope you have heard of those at least. They contained a copy of the book of Isaiah that is in the Holy Bible and is also a book that the Jewish people hold fast to. It was transcribed by a group of men that lived in the caves of the area and spent their lives striving for holiness through cleanliness and daily learning. We had the chance to see the actual cave that the scrolls were first discovered in. If you make it over there, you can watch a video they made to show how all this story came to be. But I will give you the easy version to get through. 

As the story goes, a Bedouin shepherd was searching for his 2 lost goats. He came to the cave and thought maybe his goats had fallen in. So he picked up a rock and tossed it into the cave, hoping to hear them bleat back at him. Instead he heard a loud crash and realized he had smashed something inside the cave. Curious, he dropped down into it and found some old jars. He managed to pull 2 out of the cave and took them to an antiquities dealer. The dealer made a trade with him, then set about to see what was inside. The priceless scrolls truly made his day!

All around the area, you can see caves within the cliffs. Paths lead you to them. I found myself wishing that we were able to explore. To see inside them. But that is the adventurer in me.

Sadly, you can't. They are all secured. You have to stay on platforms for viewing.

If you have a really good camera, you can see into the cave pretty well. Not really special looking, until you know the story behind it. Also, their gift shop was where I managed to find zaatar spice. Amazing stuff! I know we can sometimes find it locally, but I have been told that it isn't as great as the original.

Israel Favorites: Part 2 - Masada

The quest of going through all the photos we took has been quite the undertaking. However, I am happy to say I think I might be halfway through. I found more memories I wanted to share. One of the places we went to was Masada. It is impressive. It's history was tragic though. 

Nothing but desert around it

First, it was a palace for Herod. A great palace on the cliff where he could look down on the people. Insanely enough, he never even went to it! It was just there. Much of the original decoration can still be seen. From the painted walls to the intricately carved stone.

Then it became a fortress during the age of the Maccabees. These were Jewish rebels who fought against the Roman rule and wanted to have their freedom and nation back. They fled the city, took over the palace and turned it into their own fortress where they lived and held their own for a while. But Romans don't like being shown up, so they came to siege against it.

It wasn't until they built the massive dirt and rock ramp (that still exists today) that they were able to wheel up their war machines and finally take the fortress.

The ramp built by the Romans

However, they were sorely disappointed when they finally did take it back. There were only 10 (or was it 11?) men and their families left by this point. They each wrote their name on a lot. A lot was how they decided important options, even in Biblical times.

They cast the lots and the one chosen had to kill all the other men, after those men killed their families, before killing himself. They decided that they would rather die by their own hands than be taken by the Romans. They also thought it better to kill their wives and children, rather than let the Romans do what they pleased with them. And no matter what, they would not allow anyone in the company to be taken as a slave to the Romans. Such a hard story to fathom, but such bravery and courage to have to come to a choice like that. By the time the Roman soldiers stormed in, everyone was shocked to find Jewish bodies scattered around. They did find 2 women and 5 children hiding in a cistern. It is because of their stories that Josephus Flavius was able to record the history. After speaking with the women and children, none of them were heard from again or mentioned in historical documents. It is believed that the Romans killed them all to bury all mentions besides those of Josephus as it does not paint such a heroic picture of their conquering endeavors. From atop the fortress mountain, you can still see two remains of the Roman camps when they siege the cliffs. 

From the top, all you can see surrounding it is desert! Dry sand and rock as far as your eyes can glance. 

While this was intended as a palace, when the Jews took it over, they made some modifications. One of the Jewish traditions that you will find in pretty much every ruin you come across, is the mikveh. These were for ritual baths that were intended to purify them for important occasions or even before meals I believe. They had a lot of strict rules (still do) and being clean to eat was one of them.A mikveh was to have 7 steps leading down into it. You would walk up to its entrance, taking off your clothing and setting them to the side, then walk down the steps into the water where you would fully submerge yourself, come back up the steps and put on clean clothing.

 

This fortress didn't end with the destruction of the Maccabees Jews. Fast-forward to the time of the Byzantine empire and we find that they also used this cliff side area. They built a church that now has its ruins added to the mix. Something that you will encounter often as you travel through Israel. 

We decided to take the easier route up and down this cliff. We road the lift. Think of a glass can and everyone is sardines being crammed in. We couldn't turn around without bumping into at least 3 people. So if you don't like that, better enjoy a long hike along the snake-like path that leads straight up to the fortress!

You can often find guys like this one with his camel, just waiting to give you a ride for only $5 USD. We saw one in Jericho too. Our camel ride was at a place where we had lunch with "Abraham" and could look at quite the amazing view towards Jordan. I think I will have to share some of those later on.

From Israel With Love

Going to Israel was amazing! It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I mean that. Once in my lifetime. I'd love to go back, but that was one hard journey that I don't know I can handle doing again. I'm still feeling the effects of the trip, all that hiking and climbing. Today I was bedridden after our homeschool class meet. It has just been building. But! Worth every bit though! 

I have been slowly and painfully sorting through the over 2,000 photos my husband took. I don't know what it is about guys and cameras, but it seems like they often take the oddest photos. Photos of things that leave you scratching your head and wondering, "What was he thinking when he took this?" 

That being said, I have been reliving the trip through these photos. And what a trip! Hard to believe, but the State of Israel could actually fit inside the state of Colorado. Even so, our 10 day trip couldn't cover everything that could be visited and seen. After all, we didn't even get to visit Bethlehem! We did drive along the northern, eastern and western borders though. And to a great many spots in between. Including what we westerners know as the Gaza Strip aka the Golan Heights. Not what the locals call it over there. We had a lovely lunch in a Palestinian restaurant. But I am getting ahead of myself here... So let me walk you through some of the best parts of our trip with photos to guide you. 

When we first arrived in Tel Aviv, we had to go through a PCR test at the airport. From there were driven the scenic route and given some history as we made our way to the hotel for the night. We had to go into quarantine until the results of our tests were emailed to us. Thankfully, ours arrived before dinner time and we were able to not only eat in the dining hall, but also take a brisk stroll around outside. We stayed right on the Mediterranean. You want to talk about a beautiful sight!

Only thing that might have been better would be to have had the room next door, which was the corner of the building. But still, seeing that beautiful sea glisten was amazing. 

While on the Mediterranean, I highly suggest seeing some of the ancient Roman ruins. There are so many strewn through Israel though, so don't worry if you don't see these. But the one here that we visited had an open theater with original steps in tact. There was also the arena for horse and chariot racing. There was ruins of a palace that the sea had collected. I picked up a few shells and a stone that porous and light. Loved walking next to the Sea. Reminded me of days growing up in Florida, but the water was prettier here.

The Aqueduct amazed me. This structure is 10 miles long. It carried water to a place that had none. And is still standing over a 1,000 years later. Why can't we make things to last like this??

Don't be alarmed to see open tombs on the side of the road. Ancient practices of burial means that tombs were dug into the sides of hills and rocks everywhere. Some of them are quite noticeable.

The Sea of Galilee is nothing like I imagined it would be. When we went, the weather was beautiful. Often as we drove near it, it was smooth like glass. And tour boats like this make it seem all the more serene. If you take a tour boat, I suggest Daniel Carmel. He has 3 boats now. We took the Faith Boat. His other is the Hope Boat, but he recently purchased the Love Boat. *wink wink*

I never thought the mountains in Israel would have snow on them. I mean, they are mountains after all, but I think of Israel as Middle East. Meaning... desert. I was wrong. When we went in March, there was still snow on the mountain peaks.

I don't want to overload you in one go. After all, my husband has over 2,000 pictures! So I will leave you to ponder these and be back after I sort through some more gigabytes of photos. Israel is amazing. And I want to show you some of it. Though I would tell everyone to take the trip if they get the chance. There are some great destinations in the world worth traveling to. But nothing like the Holy Land.

Taking the Doll On a Trip

When are we too old for dolls? No, really? Not that I actually play with them, but I have been enjoying the doll photography. I even got my daughters participating with me. They love creating more realistic doll accessories with me. We painted their dollhouse and added sticker paper to the walls and floor. Then we began photographing their dolls. We play in the #Mondayfordolls Instagram event created by @bella_belladoll every chance we get. We also like looking at the posts by Grandma Gets Real. They can be hilarious. I even created my own dollstagram - ANerdsDay.

So why am I bringing this up? Well, I'm going to Israel in a little over a week (another post is coming where I show you how I pack in a carry-on only). With this, I talked my husband into letting me bring a doll. Before you start laughing at me uncontrollably - I take my doll around town too! I love doing it. The girls bring dolls in the car to play with as we drive from place to place quite often. I started carrying a camera and bringing my own doll sometimes. We try to find ways to take photos uniquely. At the park. At the library. We don't get out much. Well, now I am thinking it might be fun to get photos of the doll in another country. I'm not big on getting photos of myself (though there were will be some of those too). At first, my husband laughed when I brought it up. His grown wife carries a Barbie around. But he has seen some of the posts I have checked out. He has watched how the girls join me and we take photos together. Our 9 year old has even started practicing setting them up and taking pictures on her own! So when I mentioned it again, he actually thought it sounded like fun for me.

But now comes my dilemma! Which one do I use? My Wonder Woman doll or my Lara Croft doll. They are interchangeably "me" in doll form. Who would have thought I'd have a harder time picking the doll to take than I would on packing my clothes!

Do you think it strange that I do doll photography? Or do you find it interesting? Which doll would you take along? I'd love to hear from you, so leave me a comment below! And be watching for my next post that is coming soon. I plan to show you how I'm packing everything in a personal and carry-on only!

8 International Packing Lists Must Haves!

Our trip is coming soon. As of now, it is back on for March. We are going to Israel! But we don't want to check in luggage. Instead, we want to bring only carry-on luggage. That means that I have to be selective in what we bring. I've been studying other travelers posts on doing it. This past year I had tried some new products and determined which ones posed usefulness when we are talking long, daily treks to multiple cities. I want to show you just how I'm making our dream come true of going international without over-packing!

Must haves!

Kub dry wipes were something I was able to test for a review. I'm glad I did! Having wipes on long trips is a necessity. You can use them to freshen up or for cleaning up when soap and water isn't readily available. However, most wipes that come pre-wet are heavy. Since we are planning to use a single carry-on and personal bag for each us, we have to stay mindful of weights. These dry wipes are lighter, more durable than paper towels, and if I get them slightly wet, will be perfect for any use I might need.

Water bottles are nice, but require free hands to carry them. Otherwise you have to bring some kind of carrier too. That means extra stuff in your bag. Why bother with a water bottle at all? Well, for starters, it saves you money. Airport waters are expensive. One blogger said she had to pay $4 for a bottle before she started bringing her own! And since we plan to be hiking 9 miles a day, that would be a lot to have to purchase repeatedly. Instead, we are taking empty CamelBaks through security at the airport and refilling, every chance we get. Did you know that some airports have water bottle refill stations?? CamelBaks take up little room when empty, and with the mouthpiece being designed as it is, we can easily put it in our backpacks that we are planning to take along as well. With me having to use a cane at times, this will also help me keep everything centralized. I need an empty hand for steadying myself at times as it is. 

Blister care is something I'm acutely aware of. I've had them, I hate them, and I will do whatever I can to avoid them. We bought new shoes for me along with inserts for the both of us. But I wasn't ready to stop there. I had recently tested out a sample of a product that I think is absolutely amazing in preventing or even helping with healing blisters. Compeed Advanced Blister Care. I had tried one of these after walking the treadmill in old shoes had left me limping. After wearing one for about an hour, I was feeling so good. I even showered in it and it stayed on.

By the next day, my blister was almost completely gone. So with the knowledge that we will be walking and not getting days of rest in between, I want to be able to keep going without interference. From what I've seen online, you should be able to find them in Walmart, Rite Aid or on Amazon.

My own personal pharmacy is another reason we need to bring along at least one backpack. Between my husbands allergies and headaches and my pain and headaches, we need to have easy access to over the counter meds no matter where we go. I have Pillsteer pill organizers kept in various places. We have one in the bathroom, one in my purse and I keep one packed in our bug out box. They are neatly labeled and easily accessible for all uses. When traveling overseas, you only have to have your prescriptions in their original packaging. At least that is what I've gathered from all my research. I plan to have one in my backpack during the whole trip.

A scarf is a must have, especially for women traveling to Israel. They have multiple uses. On the long flights, they can double as a shawl or small blanket to bring comfort and warmth. They can also accentuate and change up your styles. If you are only bringing the carry-on, and a personal item, then you want to bring clothing that can be swapped from time to time. Multiple outfits from fewer pieces. Having a scarf can help change up the looks. And lastly, you will need one to cover your head if you plan on visiting certain areas. Like the Western Wall or the Temple Mount. I have a couple scarves I'm planning to pack for the trip. 

Empty bags are also important to have packed. This one was rather genius! You might need to put excessively soiled clothing separately. Or maybe you need to repack something that leaked. Having a few bags, maybe even in various sizes, on hand will be invaluable.   

Power plug adapter is a must when you are traveling overseas . Here is something we shopped around for. And I'm very glad we did. I found this one on Amazon. I plugs into the wall as the adapter, I can plug in and add up to 4 USB plugs. I love it! 

Don't forget batteries! In addition, we planning to bring both cameras. I have one that is waterproof for the days when we plan to go somewhere that will be wet. We purchased extra batteries for them. The last thing we want is to exhaust our batteries while snapping photos everywhere we go.         

I have been creating lists for traveling on Pinterest. These lists also include packing tips. Let me know what you think I may have missed! Or what you may bring on a trip like this. I love hearing from you guys.