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We left Amman at 6 a.m. this morning to cross the border into Israel. Representatives from Haifa University were there to meet us around 8:45 a.m. Crossing the border was very involved, with several security checkpoints, change of vehicles, checking of passports, lengthy questioning, etc. As one would imagine, security is of utmost importance in this region. Our hotel in Amman had security gates and bag x-ray equipment at the entrance and all males were frisked upon each entry. I was intrigued that our flight from Istanbul to Amman took a circuitous route south to Cairo and across the Sinai Peninsula.
The border crossing trip also took us across impressive mountains and valleys and the Jordan River Valley scenery was spectacular in both countries. Two of Jordan's major agricultural products are tomatoes and watermelon and we saw both growing in greenhouses and the fields. Crossing into Israel was a stark contrast, with increased irrigation technology and large, productive farms.
Our arrival in Haifa was impressive as well. It is a modern, thriving city overlooking the Mediterranean. Our cameras were in constant use throughout the day! We were greeted warmly by staff and faculty at the university and several of them gave us an informative tour of the campus, located on the top of Mt. Carmel. Later in the afternoon, we had an enlightening tour of the city of Haifa, led by Aaron, a very enthusiastic and well-informed local guide. Haifa is truly a multi-cultural city and we look forward to learning more about it in the next four days.
- comments
Jennifer M. As a WC'98 alum living and working in the West Bank on a USAID-funded project, I am curious if your trip will bring you into the West Bank as you study the region focusing on peace and conflict management
Lucretia Hi Jennifer, We are not able to visit the West Bank on this visit! After leaving Haifa, we are headed to Serbia and Kosovo. Thanks for reading the blog!