Trip to Singapore and Israel Sept 2007

Hello everyone!
This one is in english for my friends in Australia.
The trip to Israel was fast (too fast) and I didn't get to see everyone, so I am sorry if I missed you. However, I am trying to organize another visit soon - but no promises.

Singapore

The trip started with two days in Singapore. We went to the Sentosa island on the giant cable car to see the tourist attractions:




Butterfly and insects cage


also a pond with the world's funniest fish:




Underwater world







Dolphin show

I don't have the pictures yet, but I got to swim and play with one of the dolphins...

Animal Show
Including a parrot who knows how to do sums:

and the Singapore harbor 360 view from the top of a 131 meters tall tower

Amsterdam

A brief stop in Amsterdam got me these pictures that I think would make great desktop backgrounds:

Israel

Finaly in Israel, I went to all sorts of places, but didn't always take pictures. (How did I miss the day in the Sea of Galilee? ach...But I recommend to anyone who goes to the north of Israel to go and do Kayaks on the Dan on a hot day (drive to Kibutz Hagoshrim and get a kayak from there - here is a link to the Kayak place)
Then we went to Jerusalem, and saw all the holy places for all religions. And a lot of markets...
Inside David's citadel


The Wailing wall


In front of the church of the Holy Sepulchre (This is the most sacred site for Christians Catholics)


The inside of the church (there is a small church inside - a building within a building. Supposedly the resting place of Jesus, and also contains the stone on which they put him after taking him off the cross)


A walk on the walls
Anja makes another friend:


He decided to play tour guide and showed us around the walls


Our tour guide taking a break

The view:


At the markets

The Dead Sea

Lowest place on earth - minus 416m below sea level. The sea is so salty that nothing can live in it, and nobody can drown! you don't need to know how to swim - as soon as you get in, you float. To drown you will need wieghts on you.
This makes strange shapes on the shore, and a special mud that is supposed to be good for you.




I totaly recommend Ein Gedi hotel and spa if you go there, and spending the extra money for the Arugot room or the romantic room is worth it. Definitly better then sleeping in Jerusalem, and you get free spa entry!

After swimming and floating, we went to David spring which is near the Ein Gedi kibbutz. This is my favorite place in Israel (it is right under mount Ishai!). We did all the waterfalls and swam in all the pools. Fresh water fun!





The next day we saw Mezada (and I got sun burnt) which is a great archeological site.

Then we went to see the Ramon crater, stopping on the way to buy some "Sabres" - or "prickly pear" - cactus fruit!


We ate so much...it was yummy, but your shouldn't eat more than two a day if you are not accustomed to it.

The Ramon Crater

The crater is a natural crater, caused by a collapsed mountain. It is amazing to see, but we didnt have much energy nor time to see all of it.


We spent the night in a retreat called "Soca Ba'midbar" (hut in the desert) which is located on the top of the crater, in the middle of the desert, and has no running water or electricity, and indeed you sleep in a hut:

The sunset was as regular in the desert:


For some reason they hang bears there:
And Anja stays friendly to the locals:


Here is another desktop for you - a desert flower that flowered on sunrise.