Where the mountains meet the sea

Today we headed over to Rosh Hanikra in the far northwestern tip of Israel, right on the border with Lebanon, where the rocky cliffs of the Mediterranean meet the sea. Generally, one would take their famous cable car (the steepest in the world) down to the grottoes but because of the war and things being closed up North, they sent us down on some sort of weird tractor tram. 

 

Historically, Rosh HaNikra was a key gateway between Lebanon and Israel. During the British Mandate, a railway tunnel was carved through the rock to connect Haifa with Beirut and beyond, but it was sealed during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948.

The grottos were created after a series of subterranean tremors which cracked the rock. Rainwater flowing through these cracks and the gushing sea waves created this natural phenomenon over thousands of years, unique in Israel. 

 

After walking through the train tunnel and exploring the sea caves, we headed back up to the top to take a photo at the border with Lebanon. The border crossing was filled with soldiers and army personnel and we were instructed not to go any further. Apparently someone important would be crossing the border shortly. We decided to hang out to see who it was and later learned that we had witnessed the release of an Israeli man that had been imprisoned in Lebanon for a year. We headed inside to have lunch in the restaurant overlooking Rosh Hanikra and then headed back out to take our photo at the border.

 

Next stop? Haifa and the Bahai Gardens. On our way through Haifa, our tour guide pointed out a building that had recently been hit by an Iranian missile. We then stopped the car on the top of the Gardens and learned more about the Bahai religion, a relatively young religion that began in the mid-1800s in Persia (modern-day Iran). Its followers, called Bahá’ís, believe in the unity of all religions and humanity. The Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa includes a golden-domed Shrine and the terraced gardens on Mount Carmel, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guide told us that the gardens are tended to by 800 volunteers. Evan and the kids spotted a jackal running through the garden and we were once again on our way.
 


This time, to Caesarea, an ancient port city on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, between Tel Aviv and Haifa. We got there just as they were closing the gate, but made sure to have time for an ice cream as we walked around in the 95 degree heat. Caesarea was built by King Herod about 2,000 years ago and named after Caesar Augustus. In Roman times it became the capital and a major trade hub. Today, its famous for its archaeological park with a Roman amphitheater that they still use for concerts today, a hippodrome that they had chariot racing and Gladiator battles in, an aqueduct, a jail and much more. Most exciting of all though? The ancient Roman toilets! (or if you ask Sophie, either the Egyptian Rock Lizard or purple snail she found.)

 

 


We headed back in our van and journeyed onward to Tel Aviv.


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