Первый и последний раз на Святой земле. First and last time in the Holy Land.

The idea to visit Israel, after several years of procrastination, finally came true. There were many plans, as well as pleasant hopes. The maximum task is to see Petra in Jordan, Jerusalem and relax at sea. In this regard, Eilat was chosen as the location. So in order. Before departure, they heard somewhere about the Israeli customs, but they did not attach much importance. But in vain. The interrogations began even before they reached the airport building. Israeli security officers stand at the entrance and randomly check passports. Special attention to those who have visas and visits to any Arab countries. And we have, in addition to everything, a pre-purchased excursion to Jordan. Result - 20 minutes answering the questions of the category "How did you find out about Jordan", "Do you have friends in Jordan", etc. All went well, a little spoiled mood improved again thanks to the hot sun, we left for Eilat. From Ovda airport to the city about an hour's drive, all this time we enjoyed rather monotonous views of the Negev desert. Arrived at the hotel, checked in very quickly. The room is good, comfortable beds, mini kitchen, balcony, a lot of furniture. The bathroom has only a towel and liquid soap. From the balcony you can see Jordan and in the evening the view is simply amazing. Soon there was a meeting with the hotel guide, at which we found out the route to the sea and went to see how far we were from it. It turned out that walking step to go to the sea and the tourist center - 30-40 minutes. Decently. You can't get there by taxi, there is a pedestrian zone. The next day, early departure to Jordan. We ate quickly. Breakfasts are poor. As far as I am an unpretentious tourist, but everything is really bad here. Before that, I had never seen a breakfast without meat and cheese cuts at all. The menu is the same every day - vegetable salads, scrambled eggs, herring for some reason, and pastries. Coffee is weird too. They have cans of ground coffee, which must be poured with boiling water. It, of course, does not dissolve and does not boil) It turns out a strange slurry. . . But there is a free bar in the lobby. The coffee is the same, but there are also alcoholic drinks. Can't comment on their quality as I haven't tried them. So we went to Jordan. 10 minutes to the border by car. They expected another interrogation, but they released him quickly. Jordanian customs is the sweetest procedure. It took a little over 2 hours to get to Petra by a small bus. Stopped once in a gift shop combined with a cafe. The guide was good, the road flew by unnoticed. We arrived at Petra. Here, too, everything is fast and clear. To get to the main treasury of Al-Khazneh, you need to go through the most beautiful gorge! A bewitching spectacle! Well, when you reach the treasury - it literally takes your breath away! Jordan exceeded all expectations!! ! Yes, you don't need to change money in Jordan. Where they are imported, everything can be bought for dollars. On the way back, they asked the guide to drive to the Marsa Zayed Mosque, which can be seen from the Eilat coast - they drove it, and even let it through to a secure facility so that they could take a picture. On the way back again Israeli customs. A huge queue, inspection of personal belongings, every second person for a personal inspection in a separate room, many had their passports taken away, forcing them to wait for 40 minutes. A very nerve-wracking process. I didn't want to go back to Israel. The next day - Jerusalem. Even earlier check out. The route is like this - first stop at the Dead Sea. 30 min - look at the sea, eat your breakfast and run into the recommended, the best, of course, cosmetics store. The next stop is the Jordan River. Also 30 min. We put on special shirts bought from the guide for $ 8 and plunge. The river is narrow, very cold and incredibly muddy. Next is Jerusalem. First we go to Palestine to visit the Church of the Nativity. Here we are applied to the birthplace of Christ. Then we stop by for lunch, very decent and tasty. By the way, before Palestine they brought to a store "specially for Russians" with the wording "who wants to buy crosses, candles, icons - buy here, there will be nowhere else. " Stupidity. In the same Palestine, a candle that cost 1 piece - $ 10 costs 3 for $ 10. And further, in Jerusalem itself, all this is sold many times cheaper at every step. After lunch we drive to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. My personal opinion - not impressed at all. I did not feel any holiness, reverent awe, etc. I expected at least the Vatican scale, but everything turned out to be much simpler and reminded fake scenery. Same thing with the wailing wall. But this is just my subjective opinion. We return to Eilat after 10 pm, tired, but, in general, satisfied. Further, having worked out the excursion program, we responsibly proceed to rest. On the first day, we choose the advertised beach - Dolphin reef. We take a taxi for 30 shekels. Entrance to the beach - 67 shekels. We pass into the territory. The beach is very small. Very!!!! ! There are no sun loungers, only plastic chairs. You can swim in the sea only in a specially fenced paddock, the size of an average pool. There are a lot of people, it is difficult to find a free place. One pleased - dolphins. They have their own paddock, they swim merrily there, jump, delighting vacationers. The staff periodically arranges demonstrative feedings, which brings tourists to a state of ecstasy) There is a restaurant, wi-fi, a spa center and a bar on the beach. The next day we went to Gordskaya beach. I recommend walking along the embankment across the bridge, along the Hilton Hotel. The beach is cleaner and nicer there. Renting a mattress costs 20 shekels per day, a sun lounger - 12 shekels. The Internet is also there. There is almost no shopping in Eilat, but stores with Dead Sea cosmetics are plentiful. We ate mostly at the Zaliv restaurant. Turn left before the bridge, walk along the canal for 100 meters and see it. The staff speaks Russian, the prices are reasonable and they cook really well. Now about the flight. The tour operator Bilio Globus, or their host, it does not matter, was brought to the airport 1 hour 50 minutes before departure. This despite the fact that the customs clearance procedure took, in the end, exactly 2 hours more. Initially 1 hour in the queue for an interview - the security staff keep asking questions. I was asked such questions as "What did you do in the UAE, where did you live there, who did you travel with, whom did you meet, what excursions did you go on, how did you find out about the UAE in general. " Further through Jordan "What was the name of the guide, did you leave the group, did you try to convey something to you and, most chic, did they ask you questions about the Israeli security system there. " The poll has ended. . . 40 minutes left before departure. And ahead is the same queue for the translucence of things. Unlike seen in other countries, there is a pipe of 6 meters, through which things travel for 15 minutes. After that, manual inspection. Approach the employee in turn, wait until he is free. By this time, there were 15 minutes left before departure, and we had not even checked in yet. Everyone is watching. Repeatedly translucent all containers with liquids, require receipts for each purchase, up to a bar of soap, ask for the names of stores. . . Here we decided that we weren't going anywhere. . . After inspecting things, we were given an escort, who quickly led us through the remaining 3 cordons and we ended up in the departure hall 10 minutes after the plane was supposed to take off. Thank God he didn't fly away. All flights were delayed by at least 2 hours. I will not say that this always happens, because I do not know this, but this experience alone is enough for me to never fly to Israel again.