Israel is one of those places that leaves a mark on your forever. This particular journey was to celebrate Gal and Eli's wedding with 500 of their family and friends. In advance of the wedding ceremony, we enjoyed 5 days of tour excursions planned by Gal's family.
Highlights:
- Swimming with Josh in the Dead Sea
- Participating in Gal's mikveh ceremony at a Galilee kibbutz
- Dancing with 500 family and friends at their wedding
- Exploring the ancient ruins of Caesarea
- Walking through Hezekiah's Tunnels, also known as Siloam Spring
It was so hot at the Dead Sea, so it felt amazing to soak in the mineral-rich water! We sat on the shore and Gal's Uncle Yossi made us fresh coffee from his traveling thermos, which we learned he brings everywhere he goes.
Josh and I covered each other head to toe with the mud! Once it hardened, we rinsed it off in the salty sea. My bathing suit was pretty much destroyed, but it was worth it.
Visiting the 3,800 year old City of David was incredible given a large part of the fortress was discovered by archaeologists in 2005. The tunnels have strong acoustics, so Gal, Josh and I found ourselves singing everything from Hakuna Matata to Hallelujah in the ancient tunnels built by King Hezekiah. It was an unforgettable memory to share together. The fresh spring water rose as high as my upper thighs and we bought $5 water shoes to protect our feet from the rocks. After the trip, I read several books in the Gods and Kings series by Lynn Austin and learned more about their construction.