Peaceful, beautiful, sacred and attractive are what Hoang Phung Hieu, who has been to Israel 5 times, is impressed with this country.
Hoang Phung Hieu, living in Hanoi, is passionate about traveling and has been to more than 80 countries and territories in 7 continents. Israel is one of the countries that left the most impression on Hieu.
"I've been here five times and still want to come back," Hieu said. His first visit was in 2016, followed by 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. In the first three years, he only went to Israel and stayed for 12-15 days. In his last two trips, he also visited Qatar, Jordan and Egypt.
Jerusalem city seen from above. Photo: NVCC
What the Vietnamese male tourist remembers most about Israel is the strict inspection process before boarding the plane. In 2016, he and four other Vietnamese tourists flew from Hanoi to Bangkok, Thailand, then connected to Tel Aviv on Israel's national airline El Al. They were all asked in detail about the reason for coming to Israel, where they lived, what they did for work, and whether they packed their luggage themselves or had someone else help them...
When boarding the plane, some passengers were allowed to use the tunnel. Others were directed to the side aisle to exit to the side of the plane. Here, passengers were asked to open their personal luggage for a second inspection.
"I have been to many places but I have never been questioned as thoroughly as the trip to Israel in 2016. It was very strange," he said. At that time, many people told him, "Getting on an Israeli plane is like arriving in this country." In the following years, when he went to Israel, Hieu used Russian airlines. The last two times, he went to Qatar or Jordan first and then to Israel by land, so the interrogation process was faster.
Thanh Tung and his wife, who live in Hanoi, were also impressed by the thorough questioning they received upon entry. They arrived in Israel in 2022, entering by land from Jordan through the Allenby border gate. "Immigration here is even more stringent than in the US and UK," said Tung. He and his wife went through about 5-6 security checkpoints, some with human staff, some with automatic cameras. The procedure from leaving Jordan to completing entry into Israel took more than three hours.
Except for the minus point about immigration procedures, Israel is a destination "must visit once in a lifetime" according to Mr. Hieu's suggestion. Life here is leisurely, relaxed and safe, with almost no robberies or pickpockets.
"Tel Aviv is like Hanoi, very modern with high-rise buildings and beautiful white roofs," said Mr. Hieu. Tel Aviv is located on the Mediterranean coast, with a strong sea breeze; the streets are wide, clean and rarely congested.
The famous Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Photo: NVCC
On the way from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem or Galilee, Mr. Hieu was impressed by the vast, modern farms raising cows and growing fruit trees. He visited a farm with hundreds of cows but only one manager because everything was automated. Above the cowshed were solar panels, below were machines installed to milk the cows as much and as quickly as possible. The milk tanks were neatly arranged and clean.
Farms growing pears, apples, bananas, dates, peaches or greenhouses growing cherry tomatoes are also equipped with modern machinery. People install drip irrigation systems, pipes as big as two knuckles and lead to each tree. Mr. Hieu was told by a local guide named David, 61 years old and fluent in 5 languages, that the farming systems on the farms are all connected to computers.
The computer will calculate how much fertilizer and water each peach, banana or date tree needs and water it accordingly. Israel does not have abundant fresh water resources, mainly drawing water from the Sea of Japan, filtering seawater and recycling water. Therefore, they calculate the details of watering the plants to be both effective and save water as much as possible.
The Church where Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem. Photo: NVCC
Mr. Hieu once tried pickled persimmons, a fruit that must be peeled when eaten in Vietnam. In Israel, tourists are instructed to eat the skin. "The persimmons here are delicious, crunchy and sweet. Everyone buys a few boxes as gifts," he said.
Israel is a small country with an area of nearly 22,000 km2, almost twice the size of Thanh Hoa province, and a small population of more than 9.1 million people. In 2022, the country welcomed more than 2.6 million visitors, including 2,300 Vietnamese visitors, according to Statista. Although the land is mostly rocky, this country has won the admiration of many people for turning rocky terrain into lush fruit farms.
In addition to its achievements in science and agriculture, Israel is also famous among devout Christians for its ancient city of Jerusalem, known as the "holy land". Via Dolorosa, or the Way of the Cross, where Jesus carried his cross to his crucifixion, is a place that Hieu cannot miss. This route is also a famous pilgrimage site for believers around the world.
Not far away is the tomb of King David, the beloved king of Israel, and the room where the Last Supper took place. According to legend, this room is where Jesus ate his last meal with his apostles before his execution.
In addition, Mr. Hieu also visited the Wailing Wall, Skull Mountain, where you can see the whole view of Jerusalem or the garden of lush olive trees right next to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where the stone slab on which Jesus' body was placed after his crucifixion. Today, visitors often come and touch this stone slab with the belief that they will be blessed with good health. The next destinations that Mr. Hieu visited were the Sea of Galilee and participated in the experience of floating in the Dead Sea without having to swim.
Regarding cuisine, one of Hieu's favorite dishes is Saint Peter's fish in the Sea of Galilee. Legend has it that Saint Peter was a fisherman in the Sea of Galilee and met Jesus. Jesus helped Peter catch a lot of fish. Therefore, Peter gave up fishing and followed Jesus. Today, visitors to the Sea of Galilee can enjoy fried fish (like tilapia) with potatoes or humus, a mashed bean dish eaten with round and flat bread.
"Israel in my impression is a peaceful, beautiful, sacred and attractive land. When the war ends, I still want to return to this place," said Mr. Hieu.
Phuong Anh
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