Day #5 Akko and Rosh Hanikra Caves

For some in our group, today's rainy and chilly day began when the Muslim call to prayer rang out early this morning. (Nazareth is a predominately Muslim city.) While some in our group opted to spend this free day doing their own exploring and resting, eleven of us participated in the tour to the city of Akko (Acre) and the caves of Rosh Hanikra.

Akko is a fascinating multi-layered city most famous perhaps for when it served as the main city in Palestine for the Crusaders. The great halls and structures of this ancient city still exist but underneath layers of other cities built by subsequent conquerors.

We ate lunch at a restaurant looking over the Mediterranean Sea. Most of us ordered the fried fish (tilapia) not all expecting an entire fish - head and all! It was a bit of a challenge to eat. The meal was good but the pita and humus appetizer was the real hit.

Our day ended near the border between Israel and Lebanon. Actually, the countries do not directly border one another. A United Nations control zone separates the two. The Rosh Hanikra caves are near the border. They were originally formed by erosion, have been expanded with man-made tunnels. The Sea was particularly rough today and the pounding waves made for an exciting visit.

Pic Descriptions:
1. As Kendra and I were most of the day, hovered under an umbrella (cold and rainy)
2. We all decided Maxine has the coolest foot-ware on the trip.
3. The Great Hall where the crusader soldiers ate their meals.
4. Chet and Maxine at the Caves
5. Kendra and me at he Mediterranean Sea.
6. The Lebanese border.
7. Lebanese border - close up of the sign prohibiting photography :-)