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The Second Coming: Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Via Poland and Gemany
Summer 2008The Second Coming Trip - August 2008
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It finally arrived, the big 2008 trip!

In this month of august we visited during some 25 days Poland, Germany, Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737 arriving in Warsaw
 The idea to go there came during the fall of 2007: My old-time friend Jakeline was getting married with her boyfriend Igal in Ashdod, Israel. She invited a lot of friends from different parts of the world and with Camilo and Ricardo we decided to go together.

But as we were going there for the wedding, we also thought it was time to visit some of the very interesting and historical places in Israel, as well as nearby Egypt.
Flying over Poland's green plains from Warsaw to Gdansk
As the only low cost airline flying to Cairo and Tel Aviv was TUIFly from Germany, we booked tickets from Cologne to Cairo and from Tel Aviv to Hamburg for a very fair price (less than 150€ return during the summer, a promotional fare with 8 months advance booking. You can find in the lower season flights from Germany to Egypt or Israel from as little as 29€ one way incl. tax).

Going to Germany is very easy and cheap from almost any European country: Ricardo flew German Wings from Italy and Camilo Ryanair from Spain. As for me, well, I went o Germany from Poland.
Camilo, Ricardo, Stéphanie and Andy waiting for the flight to Cairo. Köln Bonn Airport, Germany
 Ah? Why Poland? Well…Iron Maiden was playing there and it was singer Bruce Dickinson’s 50th Birthday. There was no way I was going to miss that!

I flew to Warsaw and attended the Iron Maiden show on August 7, then spent a few days in Poland and went to Germany to catch our flight to Cairo.
Flying Egyptair Express from Cairo to Sharm El Sheik About hotels, Egypt is very cheap and I managed to get some special rates in very good hotels thanks to my job. I did not have the same luck in Israel, which is by the way a very expensive country regarding accommodation.

Most of the time we slept in youth hostels (which by the way the ones from Jerusalem and Tiberias are highly recommended) and a couple of nights at Afro’s (Ricardo Moreno, a long time friend who lives in Tel Aviv).
Party in Ashdod, Israel, at Jakeline's wedding! Andy, Ricardo, Jakeline, Camilo and Denisse
 Ricardo and his wife also spent a few days in Jordan, while Camilo, Stéphanie and I went to the Sinai Peninsula.

So now you know how we came to do this trip. After 8 or 9 months of planning, the day finally came.
Oh, by the way, I decided to call this trip “The Second Coming”, because it was my second time in Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Enjoy!
Ricardo trying a new way to ride, Golan Heights, Israel.
 Travellers: Andy, Ricardo, Irene, Camilo, Stéphanie.

Countries: Poland, Germany, Egypt, Israel, Palestine and (in a way...) Syria.

Cities and Places: Warsaw, Gdansk, Cologne, Cairo, Gizeh, Saqqarah, Dahshur, Sharm El Sheik, Dahab, Ste Catherine Monastery, Nuweiba, Taba, Eilat, Mitzpe Ramon, Ashdod (sorry, no pictures), Beit She’an, Tiberias, Capernaum, Golan Heights, Mt Bental, Ein Kinya, Qumran, Masada, Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Hamburg.
< Trips 2008