Alright, before I get any serious about “work”, I’m gonna be posting about my fulfilled dream destination – ISRAEL!!! Since I took a quarter long break and had the luxury of time, I spent the first three months of 2019 traveling. Happy feet mode ON! January in Phuket, Thailand, February in Siargao Island and Tagaytay / Batangas, Philippines and March in Israel and its neighboring states, Palestine and Jordan.
I prepared my heart for the pilgrimage by going through a 70-day devotion on I.S.R.A.E.L. – its history, significance in the present and future, its people and God’s call upon this nation.
March 11: Flew out of Singapore for transit to Tel Aviv via Bangkok. Since Thailand is known for its rejuvenating massages and we had about 3 hours of waiting time, we went for an hour of Thai body massage and foot reflexology. For the win!
After some Thai coffee and mango sticky rice, we started queueing up for the security checkpoint. It was a nerve-wracking experience being interviewed and scrutinized for almost an hour, which includes an in-depth bag check.
First time on El Al / Israeli Airlines
I’ve read a bunch of not so good reviews on this airline but thankfully, it was much better in the actual. Leg room was alright, food was decent and seats were comfy. Downside was the entertainment system that was practically useless so I just slept all the way through the 10-hr flight in between meals.
Touchdown in Tel Aviv
Arrived at 6am. Craved for coffee so got them from a vendo machine. Booked train tickets to Jerusalem (it was a one stop 23-minute ride to Jerusalem Navon). Since Google maps is showing only a 1.2km distance, we just rolled our luggage along the streets of Jerusalem.
Too early for check-in at Abraham Hostel so we were offered breakfast at the hostel and storage for our stuff.
Roomie Dee was too sleepy so after eating, she took a long nap at the TV room while I work on my part time project. After checking in and settling down, I once again navigated our way to the museums. It was just a bus ride away. Thankfully, the main one closes at 9pm on Tuesdays. Perfect timing!
Here are our pics at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem
and The Israel Museum. Some artifacts and sculptures were displayed outdoors. Check out the night view of Jerusalem.
Our time at the museums got us excited about our journey even more! So much to see and learn about this beloved nation. We left the area by 8pm and grabbed some burgers before calling it a night.
