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Lebanon – life in the country on the edge…
Lebanon is currently struggling with economic crisis as well as political isolation. It’s mainly associated with Hezbollah and the explosion of ammonium nitrate in the port of Beirut. However, the country used to be very prosperous economically. It attracted many foreign investors as well as tourists. It was called the Switzerland of the Middle East, while Beirut, the Paris of the Middle East, due to its characteristic buildings and a number of cultural events. What has happened that Lebanon is now in such a dramatic situation? This question has been bothering me for a long time. The media portray Lebanon as a dangerous country, which contributes to its progressive isolation.…
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Beirut – a city like a phoenix from the ashes
Beirut was on my mind for a very long time. I have been interested in the geopolitics of the Middle East for years, so a visit to Lebanon was a natural consequence of that. However, there was another reason that may seem quite strange. I can’t explain it, but every time I hear the names of certain cities, I get chills. Until recently, I thought this fascination was something bizarre. After all, justifying a trip to a place just because of its name, doesn’t sound very inspiring. Fortunately, I am not an exception, some time ago I read Radek Sikorski’s book “Ashes of Saints, Wartime Afghanistan”, in which he wrote…
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Lebanon – anarchy on the road, there is a method in this madness!
Lebanon is a country where you can experience virtually everything on the road. I admit, I broke every possible rule here. During my several-day stay, I travelled over 1,300 km. Probably many people going to this country are thinking about renting a car. There is no denying that you can guess what the temperament of Lebanese drivers is. How does it look from my perspective? In short, Lebanon is a great place to drive! Roads The condition of the roads is generally very good, moreover, they are all free. Asphalt roads lead to most of the tourist attractions, while dirt roads are also not a big challenge for a standard…
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Masada – the Dead Sea, Girl on a Middle Eastern trail!
The Dead Sea is an indisputable attraction in Israel. The prospect of levitation on water attracts many tourists, but this is not the only reason why you should go to this area. There are two more places that can’t be missed.One of them is the fortress – Masada, located in the Judean Desert, above 400 m above the Dead Sea level, or less than 100 meters above sea level. Masada is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Israel. It was built in 30 BC by Herod the Great – King of Judea. The size of the fortress is impressive, especially because of its bloody history. In 66 AD,…
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Makhtesh Ramon – is this the end of the world?
After leaving sunny Ejlat, we headed north on road number 40 which runs towards Makhtesh Ramon. The landscape was becoming increasingly mountainous and barren. In fact, we were in the Negev Desert, which covers almost half of Israel’s territory. On the way, there’re few cars, but on the other hand we could see a lot of warning signs forbidding going off the main route, as the road we were driving was as a matter of fact in the centre of a huge military range. Never would I have thought that traveling through a monotonous desert landscape could be so thrilling. Awareness of the nearby range, the absence of any civilization…
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Ein Avdat – in the shadow of explosions and an artificial sun
Having driven almost 1242 miles around Israel, our trip was over. We’re going from Makhtesh Ramon to the north towards Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv from where we were supposed to fly off to Poland in the evening. The plan included a short trip to Avdat National Park, which was on the way. Sipping my morning coffee and planning the route I didn’t expect that I would remember this trip to this very day. It might seem that Makhtesh Ramon I wrote about earlier is the only attraction of the Negev Desert. Meanwhile, it’s worth seeing Ein Avdat National Park located nearby the road no 40. The name Ein…
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Tel Aviv, Caesarea, Haifa, Acre, Rosh Hanira – western Israel
Tel Aviv was the first point of our exploration of western Israel. After a visit to historic Jerusalem, the capital of Israel surprised us with modern architecture. Due to the small amount of time, we decided to see this town from the coastal perspective, more specifically from the old Jaffa port area. This place looked amazingly, especially at sunset. On the other hand, from the boulevard, located right next to the port, we could admire the view of the vast beach and the strict centre of Tel Aviv. However, Tel Aviv surprised me the most by its large number of interesting murals. Tel Aviv is well worth visiting because it…
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Northern Israel – Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Tzafad
Northern Israel is the main destination for many pilgrims coming to the Holy Land. Beyond Jerusalem here are the main points of the Christian religion, known from the New Testament. We started our trip with Nazareth, where Archangel Gabriel told Mary that she would have a son, whom she was to name Jesus. The main purpose of the trips here, is Basilica of the Annuciation – a place where according to the beliefs the annunciation took place. Basilica is one of the most important temples for Christians, right after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Basilica is huge and significantly…
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Bethlehem, the Palestinian Authority and the separation wall
Bethlehem is located in the West Bank of Palestine. The name West Bank refers to a geographical location, as this area is situated on the west side of the Jordan River. Bethlehem is the cradle of Christianity. It was founded in 338 and is one of the oldest cities in the world. The proper name of the city is Beit Lechem, which in translation from Hebrew means House of Bread or House of Meat in Arabic. Despite numerous tensions and political uncertainty, the city is visited every year by millions of tourists and pilgrims who want to see Christ’s birthplace. It is located in the so-called Gortto of the Nativity…
