Proof that I attended ICML after all. The orange juice in Israel is heavenly, but here I'm holding a sorry substitute made mostly from sugar.
A guided tour along the hilltop of Haifa. The blue beyond is the Mediterranean.
In betwen is our guide (right, also blue).
And beyond the Mediterranean lies Lebanon (the distant hills).
Haifa: not a very old town, but a pretty one all the same.
Port, commerce, construction... the usual story.
Not entirely. Who would guess that the blue and white ship docked so peacefully is the Turkish vessel that was intercepted on her way to Gaza a few weeks back? She is the ``Mavi Marmara.''
The famed Baha'i gardens, whose symmetry asserts that left and right are the same, symbolising the equality of things.
One of the many stalls in Haifa serving the ``best falafel'' in the world! Quite true, too.
Entrance to the fort in Akko/Acre. The man is real, by the way.
Akko is to the north of the country. The castle is from the time of the crusades; 12th century.
The dancing drummers. Quite a spectacle.
Sermon on the Mount of Olives. The guide's Itamar; the city's Jerusalem.
Notice the graves on the Mount of Olives, and notice the violent skies. Notice also, the Dome of the Rock.
And notice the olives!
Churches of all denominations compete for space on the Mount of Olives. Holy as holy can be.
Tourist buses also compete for space. Profitable as profitable can be.
Scuffles breaking out in the old city (inside the walls) often get settled in Indonesia and Rome, our guide informed us.
The history of Israel comes cascading down in eight convenient segments.
One of the many imposing structures in the old city.
Caps not only protect you from the sun; you need to cover your head to enter many of the holy sites.
Such as this one: the room of the Last Supper. Made me feel quite hungry, I must admit.
One of many churches.
One of many narrow alleys.
Columns from the Roman times; excavated and preserved.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Some believe Jesus was crucified here, while others believe otherwise.
The famous ladder, which has stayed put like this for more than 150 years. If it is moved, fighting will ensue among the sections sharing control of the church. Would Jesus weep?
A quick look at the inside, before our guide whisks us away.
And here comes our bus.
Al Aqsa mosque, by the southern wall.
A passing glimpse of the other side of town. A tale of two cities.
Outside the old city, to its west.
Jaffa Gate.
Israel is overflowing with cats. I stepped on one, was stepped on by one, and photographed this one.
Palatin H tel, by Jaffa street. No unnecessary frills, but quite comfortable.
Windmill sans wind. The blue board near the steps...
reads as follows.
The Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The central exhibit is a reconstruction of the old kingdom.
This odd structure today houses the Dead Sea scrolls. Extremely intriguing... the scrolls, that is.
Masada! Site of an ancient siege, and associated tales of valour and honour.
Bleak is the landscape. Behold the Dead Sea, and beyond it Jordan.
A cable car ride up the hill is more in keeping with today's ways.
As the ancient Roman camps are with yesterday's.
Mostly rubble now, this fortress atop the hill in the desert was the last refuge for a group or Jews who fled from Jerusalem.
They withstood months of onslaught from the Romans. When the end drew nigh, they took their own lives, rather than surrender.
Today Masada is a popular destination for tourists, owing to its historic status.
Remains.
Lunar landscape. How did they survive here in the first place?
On top of a hill, that too.
Notice our group at the entrance.
Under a simmering desert sun, the Dead Sea is the traveler's friend.
Where even the non-dead float! 80 million years of evaporation, with very little inflow, makes the water extremely saline.
Don't get any water in your eyes, for while you float like a butterfly, the water will sting you like bee. The hills at the back are Jordanian territory. So near, yet so far.
Assorted computer scientists in brine solution. Lady at back unidentified.
