Isreal... I'm flying over the Holy Land!

Getting through customs is scary and difficult here.

Thank God there's street art in this place.

These Israeli beds are ridiculously small.

How can people like hummus? This stuff is awful!

I think I'll refrain from going to the beach if that includes walking through a barren wasteland.

I like Caesarea. It reminds me of Latin class.

Why are there so many Pizza Huts in Haifa?

I wish I had more time to check the Bahai Temple and Gardens out.

Megiddo is nice, but not all that impressive. Unless you believe the apocalypse will start right freaking now.

It is too freaking hot in this desert country.

*Old Dutch Christmas song about Nazareth*

Finally I'm out on my own! No group of tourists around me! This feels so much better!

I was made for this. I was made to explore this world on my own.

I had one local beer and I'm already feeling a bit... drunk...

Walking back to the hotel all by myself at 8pm in total darkness is pretty freaking scary.

Please keep that evil dachshund away from me!

It's too early to be on a boat on the Sea of Galilee...

Apparently Jesus was on this hill once. That's quite interesting.

These gardens are much greener than I expected any place in Israel to be.

Apparently Jesus was on this hilltop too.

Apparently Jesus lived here.

Is it just me, or was Jesus on every hill here?

Fish from the Sea of Galilee tastes too... fishy.

I am both excited and terrified to visit Golan.

I can't believe this is Syrian territory occupied by Israel, I can't believe the Syrian war is raging behind that fence over there, I can't believe all these tourists are gawking like they're at the zoo...

No better place to relax after such a busy day than swimming in a pool. I needed this.

Am I in Jerusalem already, or is this the West Bank?

Nice and morbid view of the city with this cemetery on the Mount of  Olives right in front of us.

I'm sorry, but why aren't we talking about the Al Aqsa mosque? Or anything Islamic for that matter?

These streets are so slippery that I'm pretty sure I'd be able to slide all the way down the Mount of Olives on my bare feet if it weren't for all the cars.

So Jesus was in this garden, and on that street, and on that hill. D'you think he was on that hill too?

"Douwe! D'you reckon Jesus was on that hill?"

I love how security says the X-ray machine at the Western Wall is in 'Sabbath mode', which literally means it's turned off.

Whoa, calm down, angry French lady! I won't take close-ups of the Western Wall, no need to yell.

Apparently I have to walk away from the Western Wall backward. Let's just hope I don't walk into anyone.

Why are we constantly rushing from one place to the next? I just want to explore on my own!

God, just seeing the West Bank Barrier makes me sick to my stomach.

Banksy's white dove! He was here!

I could have done without a visit to Yad Vashem with a yelling tour guide... I feel awful now.

Never thought I'd be this glad to return to the West Bank.

I don't think you can see the bigger picture of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without visiting the West Bank Barrier. This is... It's left me speechless.

Why did the tour guide say that Bethlehem is boring? There are cute rooftop terraces, a beautiful city center and a KFC with the best view for a fast-food restaurant ever.

Should I make a post with Palestinian thoughts? I feel like I can't, because we're constantly leaving the West Bank.

Seriously? I'm not allowed to walk up to the Citadel of Massada because there isn't enough time? So instead I have to wait for half an hour on the funicular?

I wonder how much has changed here since our family visit in 1997.

I hate Israel's attitude when it comes to certain things, but I can't deny that the country is beautiful.

Seriously?! We just get enough time to walk up to the first waterfall at Ein Gedi?! No more?!

I'm not going back yet. I want to take pictures.

SERIOUSLY?! We get less than an hour to swim in the Dead Sea?!

This beach looks like it suffered an oil spill...

The water feels slimy, but I've not felt this calm and relaxed since arriving in this country.

I'm not gonna lie: I'm glad I'm crossing the border into Jordan today.

As you might have noticed from my thoughts, I wasn't always happy with the way things were going in Israel. The country's policies on some issues felt unjust to me. Add zionist and evangelical propaganda to that, spewed by a tour guide who gave us very little time to enjoy Israel's natural beauty and you can see why I often felt irritated and frustrated. As a result, I can confidently say that I won't visit Israel again unless A, they make some big changes in their attitude towards Palestine, or B, I somehow get involved in a humanitarian cause on the West Bank. Otherwise, Israel will end up on the list of countries I don't care enough for to visit again within 20 years or so. I'm not saying you shouldn't go there though. I'm just saying you won't see me in the Holy Land any time soon.

x Envy

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