Haifa & Akko

Last Friday I toured Haifa, a northern costal city built around Mount Carmel, which is really just a wide, flat hill. I rode this goofy little subway up the north side and came out on a busy city street. From there I walked to the Baha'i gardens, which were pretty, but not amazing. They're built on the side of the hill in seven terraces, leading down to the tomb of the Bab (sort of the Baha'i John the Baptist) which was, as I've come to expect, closed for repairs. The whole garden is symmetrical, symbolizing the Baha'i values of unity and equality.

Then I walked up the street to the Stella Maris, the home of the Carmelite order. The church is built over and around this little cave where they figure Elijah hid from King Ahab. And then I hiked down the hill to what the Jews believe to be Elijah's cave. If there were a third cave on Mount Carmel I'm sure there would be a Mosque over it.

On Saturday I went up the coast to Akko, which by some measure is the oldest city in Israel. It's an incredible place. The old city was fortified by the Crusaders, and is still surrounded on all sides by a very impressive wall.

Inside is a beautiful ancient town that is (unlike Jaffa) still very much alive. I visited a bustling Arab market, walked through secret Templar tunnels, toured a Hospitaller Castle (a castle!), watched local boys jump from the walls into the ocean and play soccer in the outer trench, and stood on battlements that were besieged by Napoleon.

And now I'm herding goats in the hills. This country is awesome.