With our time in Israel coming to an end, Ashley and I decided to take a break from Jerusalem and head North to the Old City of Akko. Akko’s history is rich and spans more than 3500 years. During the time of the Bible, Akko was ruled by the Canaanites (Judges 1:31). Over the course of history, Akko has been conquered by the Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, Arabs, Crusaders (becoming the capital of the Crusader’s Kingdom of Jerusalem and their main Mediteranean port), French, British and now Israel–and has played host to historical celebrities of all religions and nationallities, such as Hercules, King Herod, Cleopatra VII, St. Paul, and Saladin. In 1799, the city became famous for repelling Napolean after a two-month siege.

Most of the current structures in the Old City of Akko date back to the Ottoman, Arab and Crusader rule. We visited the Crusader vaults and halls, Turkish bath house, Templar’s tunnel, walked the promenade and explored the rocky beaches of the Mediteranean sea.

Ashley walking through the Knight’s Hall.

Me exploring the tunnels.

One of the two Mosques in the Old City.

Walking around the city.

Ruins and a parking lot.

Ashley looking out at the Mediteranean Sea.

This made me smile.

The lights of Haifa at night. This was taken from Akko Port.

The rocky beach.

From our room at the hostel, we had an amazing view of the Jezzar Pasha Mosque.

Today’s catch, shark.

View the full photo gallery at: http://picasaweb.google.com/dbrentarnold.com/AkkoVacationJan18201102
Only a few more days until we are back in Kansas!

As my time in Israel is coming to an end, I feel like reflecting on my time here. I’ve learned many life lessons and discovered facts that will stick with me for the rest of my life. These are my observations:

• A million little miracles happen every day. Take the time to notice them.
• Israel has the most beautiful landscapes in the world.
• Never let fear stop you from doing something amazing. Whether it’s climbing a mountain, diving off a cliff into a natural spring, or spending five months living in Israel.
• Waste not, want not.
• Toilets that must be plugged are a bad idea and constantly break.
• I never want to shop at a super market again.
• With a beard and a no mustache, I look like a terrorist.
• Never stop enjoying the present. I find myself constantly looking towards the future, awaiting my next adventure. Then I remind myself that I’m in Jerusalem, and I walk by thousand year old castles on my walk to work.
• Building a wall between the US and Mexico is idiotic (to be fair, I already knew this). Israel built a fence to protect its citizens. No one in Mexico is sending donkeys strapped with explosives across the border to kill people. Yes this happened in Israel last month (no one was hurt, except the donkey that exploded).
• People in the US worry about perceived threats. Whether it is of terrorism, Obama or the tea party. Israel suffers from real threats, but they worry much less about them.
• When it comes to firing an M16, I suck at it.
• Nearly all technology we use would not exist with out Israel. Such as personal computers, laptops, text messaging and drip irrigation.
• The “conflict” affects everyone here. Every person has a friend or family member that has died. But people seem to be much happier than in the states.
• When traveling abroad, always check that your power adapters work with 220 volts.
• After a few months of summer in Israel, 60 degrees feels like it’s freezing.
• Old style Nokia phones never run out of juice. I only have to charge my phone for an hour every two weeks.
• When you hear an automated message that says “press 2 for English”, pressing two forwards you to someone who doesn’t speak a word of English.
• Clothing made in Israel will fall apart after a couple months.