We spent the end of Day Four in the city of Haifa, built on the slopes of Mt. Carmel along the Mediterranean coastline. Historically, the city dates back 3,000 years and has been governed by a 'who's who' list of ancient and modern empires. Today, it is the third largest municipality in Israel, behind Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.  The demographics of the city consists primarily of Israeli Jews, but Haifa also has the second largest Arab Christian population in the country. In addition, Haifa is home to the Baha'i World Center, a strikingly beautiful shrine and garden perched along the northern slopes of Mt. Carmel. This center serves as the spiritual and administrative headquarters for the Baha'i Faith. When we arrived we ascended Mt. Carmel to get a panoramic view of the Baha'i Gardens and the Haifa Bay. We stayed in a hotel inside the German Colony section of the city, probably the most touristy place in Haifa. The following morning we continued driving north to the gleaming white cliffs of Rosh Hanikra on the very border with Lebanon to visit the fascinating sea grottoes that have been created by thousands of years of pounding waves. These caves, which form a short meandering tunnel underneath the soft white chalk cliffs along the shoreline, are a natural habitat for certain species of local wildlife.

Haifa and Rosh Hanikra