Home » Cyprus Israel » Cycle to the Summit Part 6 - Athens; through Israel to the Egyptian border

The team find passage to Cyprus on a cargo ship, and spend a memorable New Years Eve drinking Vodka with Russian sailors, whom Ruth later beats in an epic chess match. Finding no connecting services to Egypt at Cyprus, instead the cyclists take a detour through Israel. Passing through spectacular places that are familiar to even the most lapsed Christians amongst us, we take the opportunity to swim in the Dead Sea, and then soldier on through days of horrible headwinds towards the Egyptian border.

Cycle to the Summit Part 6 - Athens; through Israel to the Egyptian border

Toby Hammond
2006-06-25 18:55:13

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enquiries about town in the teeming rain reveal that no cargo ship will take us, and the passenger line we expected to take has suspended its service because of the escalating Middle East tensions. Other than catch a plane, our only option is a boat to Haifa, Israel. The next boat going to Haifa? The Ion, of course, - still in port due to bad weather.

Re-boarding the boat

Feeling a bit silly, we negotiate with the Captain, buy onward tickets, and reboard the Ion to the puzzlement of her crew. We spend a fairly sleepness night in very rocking about in heavy seas.

Thursday 3rd January - Haifa to Nazareth 57km

Haifa

The woman at the Haifa tourist office was incredibly enthusiastic about her country. We find out later how much tourism has suffered since the troubles re-started the other year. Looking round the Baha'i temple (a religion formed in an attempt to unite other religions) - we notice young armed soldiers guarding a school party group. We are told that legally all organised tours in Israel must be accompanied by an armed escort.

Nazareth
We cycled on to Nazareth, but there was no room at the inns (all were shut). We eventually found beds at the Sisters of Nazareth Convent, and read the bible after dinner to look up the names of the significant Old Testament places we were about to pass through. Our hosts were really friendly, -one of the nuns giving us a tour of the 1st century, and Byzantine (5th Century) ruins below the convent.. Sunken streets, a house and tombs are amazingly preserved, and are one of the contenders for the place where Jesus is said to have lived for 30 years. Unfortunately 'pick and shovel' -style excavations in the 1800s destroyed any chance of proving their history for certain.

Friday 4th January Nazareth to Tirat Zevi (in the Jordan valley) 63km

Tirat Zevi

We were warned that the road from Bet She'an south ...