We had done very little research before heading to Israel. This was the case in most places, but after laying out all the things we wanted to see, it was clear how much we wanted to cover in the few days we had. Having a car seemed like the best way of getting around, so we went to a few different places in the morning and found a good deal at Enterprise. When they offered us an automatic Fiat 500, it seemed like the perfect car for what we wanted.
In reality, though, the car was a piece of shit. It got the job done, but it was really a manually with some sketchy automatic system rigged up internally. The car made a grinding sound in first gear and we asked the car rental guy about it – “Oh that’s just the Fiat!” he yelled back. It seems like a known problem.
Despite any concerns about the car, we were excited to have one. It was the first time on the trip we weren’t confined by railroad lines or bus stops, and it felt good to have that freedom. The drive up the coastline to Haifa was beautiful, and we saw a beach we coulnd’t pass up on the way there.
There wasn’t a ton to see in Haifa, but we visited the famous gardens there, and stopped at a small food vendor where they made the falafel fresh (which I don’t think I’ve ever seen in the states).
From Haifa we continued onto Acre. We’d been told by a friendly guy at the hostel the night before that Acre is what you picture an old middle-eastern city to look like, and I would say that description was spot on.
Lots of small, windy roads through ancient buildings, all of which happens along a rocky coastline.