Israeli desert walk and the bridge of wishes in Tel Aviv

Although we had already explored many facets of the city of Jerusalem, we wanted to take the opportunity of our trip to Israel to discover even more parts of the country. In doing so, we wanted to explore on our own the Gedi Nature Reserve right next to the Dead Sea.

Our ride into the blue started early in the morning heading east. Various outskirts of Jerusalem passed us and later only isolated

trees and green meadows, until the fauna and flora slowly changed to a dry rocky landscape. Our small bus chugged along in the shadow of mighty

Stone giants to the national park, which was located in the middle of the Judean desert.

It was very hot outside, the thermometer reached the forty degree mark,

which is why we had to be very careful not to get sunburned or heat stroke. As an entrance to the park, a small hiking trail led us further to

Natural stairs made of stone guided. Interesting plants and birdsong accompanied us along the way. The park itself is at the same time home to some larger mammals such as gazelles, ibex and

Cliff dwellers. In addition to glittering water sources, high cliffs from which elegant waterfalls flowed were also hidden. Some of us wanted to stay there for a while, others decided to hike further uphill through the desert landscape. After our little foray, we still had time to go swimming in the Dead Sea. It is actually a salt lake known for its hypersaline water and its mineral-rich black sand is popularly used for therapies.

Another day we also visited Tel Aviv, the economic and social center of Israel. Together with our tour guide Dima, we first walked through the old city of Jaffa, the counterpart to modern Tel Aviv. From the beautiful Gan HaPisga summit garden we had a great view of the city with the Mediterranean Sea in the background and crossed the

Jerusalem Gate, a modern contemporary stone arch. We also strolled through a small flea market and enjoyed the beautiful weather on the beach. In the early evening we then had to make our way back, because we wanted to fly back to Germany the next day.