Backpacking up North

This past weekend we planned a weekend getaway up north to Akko and Haifa/Carmel. We took the train on Friday and started our backpacking adventure in the Old City of Akko. We visited the ancient Turkish Baths, the old fortress of Akko, and did some shopping in the markets.

After a full day in Akko, we hopped in a sheirut (shuttle) and were on our way to our luxury hostel in Haifa…or so we thought. We ended up in a hostel in Mount Carmel that was far from luxurious. After we got settled, we headed down to the beach. We expected it to take 20 minutes but instead we found ourselves walking aimlessly for 40 minutes. After building an appetite, we ate dinner on the beach and returned to the hostel as we were exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep on our rock solid mattresses and ripped sheets.

Somehow we were still able to get nine hours of sleep and were ready for our adventure to continue. We packed up and began the day with a trip to Ein Hod. Ein Hod is an artist village just outside Carmel, basically in the middle of nowhere. We enjoyed seeing different art galleries, homemade beer and pizza, and seeing the beautiful views from the village.

After a great morning in Ein Hod, we headed down the mountain to find ourselves a sheirut to the Baha’i Gardens. Even though they were closed, we were still able to get some great pictures and enjoy the beautiful scenery. After that, we went back to Carmel to relax on the beach.

On our way to dinner we got sidetracked by Israeli rikudia (dancing) in the main square. There were tons of people of all shapes and sizes and we decided to join in. We picked up some of the dances and had a great time!
After that we ate dinner at the beach and then headed to the train station. After a great weekend away we appreciated being back in our clean and comfortable home in Bat Yam.

Written By: Yael Hart and Rachelle Marmur