Israel + Jordan

February & March 2019

Beit She'an, Tibereas, & Caesarea

Caesarea was the first city we visited once we arrived in Israel. We walked around some old ruins, admired the aqueducts, and got to look out over the Mediterranean Sea and grab some lunch. Side note, the Mediterranean diet is the BEST! After finishing up lunch, we went over to Bet She'An and explored Roman Ruins. I remember this significantly because one, I was extremely jet lagged but two, It had some of the most beautiful untouched marble I have ever seen. I took a close up photo of one of the fallen marble columns and had it made into a marble phone case! At the end of this day we headed to Tibereas, which is where we stayed for two nights and got to look over the Sea of Galilee on one side and got to admire the beautiful mountains and valleys behind us.

Sea of galilee, capernaum, jerusalem, & beit sahur

All of these photos are probably my most special and favorite photos and moments in Israel. Capernaum, the photo shown on the far right, was one of the most beautiful places I went during my couple weeks there. In the photo you can see the Sea of Galilee, and the hills in the background are a part of Jordan. The bottom right photo of the water was taken while we were taking a boat tour of the Sea of Galilee. The entire Sea is Israeli territory, but the land is split on either side. The steps on the bottom left are known to be the oldest steps in Jerusalem. Our tour guide told us stories from his grandfather that used to use them because it was the best way of transportation from south of the city to the North. I was very surprised at the great heights of the mountains and lows of the valleys throughout the entire country, but especially in The Old City.

Qumran and Jerusalem

Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel's Qumran National Park. It is located about 1 mi from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden.

petra, jordan

Petra, Jordan is home to one of the seven wonders of the world. When we arrived, we had the option to walk to the Ancient city, take a buggy, or ride on horseback. I have grown up with family who rode horses so I chose to go on horseback. Little did I know, these horses were trained for speed! The ride to on of the Seven Wonders of the World was quite bumpy, but so worth it! It was absolutely beautiful, and extremely hard to believe that it was hand carved out of the mountain. Fun fact: It only snows ONE day a year in Petra. We were there, in Petra, on that one day.

Jerash, jordan

Jerash was a quick walk through but had the most beautiful view of Jordan. The rock pieces were beautiful. My dad actually found a stand where they were selling purses made with painted stones all over. I purchased one and it is definitely the most unique item in my closet! The photo of the mountain shows a shepherd guiding his sheep, letting them graze along the mountains. This was something I often saw in both Israel and Jordan, and was definitely something to get used to!