Transport In Haifa

We are sitting at a cafe in the Mercaz HaCarmel(center) part of Haifa looking at the shortest subway in the world. The Carmelit is the only direct path to downtown Haifa and the city center.The city is known for its hilly nature and winding roads. It reminds be of my native Colorado but without the snow. Driving can be difficult not only due to the terrain but a lack of parking and short fuses of many Israeli drivers. Therefore, I choose to use public transportation rather than own a car.

Haifa has buses, cabs, and a high speed train that connects with cities such as Tel Aviv and Nahariya. The international airport known as Ben Gurion is just an hour and a quarter trip from here. Internet access is available plus power outlets to charge cell phones on trains and many buses. . The noise from cell phone chatter often drowns out other surrounding sounds. Due to quick and low cost transportation many Haifa residents commute to work daily using public services.

Buses are modern, air conditioned, and low cost The basic cost is about $1.50 per ride but discount passes are available.I use what is called a Rav Kav which gives me unlimited monthly rides at a very low price. Buses operate seven days a week in Haifa but only major routes on Saturday (Sabbath)

Cab rides are often entertaining as well as convenient. Most major thoroughfares have cab stations and ongoing hail cabs. Fare are negotiable and the mood of the driver is an important factor. It is rare that the same trip has the same rate. Having an honest and reliable cab driver in Haifa is a big plus.

Drivers only take cash and are often independent businessman. Many cabs are manufactured by Mercedes Benz, but you see all makes of vehicles. Cab riding is safe in Israel as robberies are rare. You can sit in the front seat with your driver which was a new experience for me. Not all drivers speak English Therefore it helps to have a your destination written in Hebrew when you hail a cab.

Low cost coach service connects Haifa to most other Israeli communities including Jerusalem. The country is small enough to visit Nazareth, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv in the same day.

For those us who like to walk, there are many trails, steps, and main thoroughfares it is not unusual topass historical sites such as The Bhai Gardens, the tomb of Elijah the Prophet, or the Madatech museum which was co -founded by Albert Einstein.

So for would be visitors, Haifa is both accessible and offers low cost travel.

From Pittsburgh to Haifa: Steps and Energy

My roots are in the City of Pittsburgh, USA. I currently live in Haifa Israel. Both cities are known for many wonderful things. Pittsburgh was the birthplace of Heinz Ketchup, United States Steel, and of course the mighty Steelers. Haifa is the largest port city in Israel, home and world headquarters of the Bahia faith, Achmadiyya Muslims in Israel and the Technion. One of the schools founders was Albert Einstein. Haifa is also the center of Israel's energy industry. The two cities also share the traits of smog and very hilly terrain. Both have roughly 300,000 residents.

The city of Pittsburgh is located over an unruly terrain of hills, hollows, valleys and three intersecting rivers. Back in the late 19th and early 20th century, when Pittsburgh was growing as a coal and steel town, factory workers built houses in the hills rising above the flat riverbanks that were lined with factories. In order to commute to work. City officials and residents built staircases along the mountainside, originally of wood and later with concrete. Most were built in the 1940s.

Certain sections of the city are so steep and narrow that these neighborhoods are serviced by special fire trucks that are small and have a tighter than normal turning radius. Many of the streets that appear on maps are, in fact, are not streets at all but long staircases that often surprise unsuspecting visitors. Just like real streets, they have names, signs and even house numbers. I remember the days when I drove down cobblestone streets that were thoroughfares to nowhere.

There are a total of 712 public stairways and 44,645 steps in the city, accounting for 24,108 feet of vertical height and 23 miles in distance. Vertigo has been a lifetime problem for me and I often shuddered as I crossed hilly roads and the numerous bridges across the steel cities rivers and streets.

Haifa is a port city built on the side of Mount Carmel where legend has it was the home of Elijah the Prophet. His tomb is one the most venerated visited sites of Haifa. The port but meanders upward through the city Haifa to The Mercaz or center. The world center of the Bhai faith is located on the Mercaz and has its own set of steps leading downward. There is a one hour tour in Hebrew, Russian, and English for those in decent shape.

Some of the sites that hikers can see along include the Wadi Nismas, a predominantly Arab speaking community famous for great food and shopping. There is the Bet Gefin House which is an interfaith youth center. Haifa, which is known as The City of Peaceful Coexistance has a population of Jews, Christians, Muslims,Druze and of course the Bhaia center world famous for their magnificent gardens. which brings visitors from around the world. The steps also pass Hadar the oldest part of Haifa which centered the British administration when this was still Palestine. Your splendid view is dotted with Mosques, Synagogues, and Chuches many of which are hundreds of years old. Your view of the Haifa port includes dozens of freighters and passenger ships from around the world. I even saw the Queen Mary when she docked two years ago. The port will a hub for offshore future energy administration. It is expected that our next step is to become the land of oil and gas rather than milk and honey.

The Technion (Einstein Slept Here)

The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology is a public research university in my home town of Haifa, Israel. Haifa is Israel's third largest city with roughly one quarter million inhabitants. It is a fairly mountainous area in the Carmel Mountain region of Israel and is located on the Mediterranean Sea. The city's most famous citizen is Elijah the Prophet. His tomb is located in Haifa and the shrine is holy to Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze. 

Founded in 1912, The Technion is the oldest university in Israel. Since its founding, it has awarded 95,821 degrees and its graduates are cited to have provided the skills and education behind the creation and protection of the State of Israel. The university's principal language of instruction is Hebrew. Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Hebrews/Israelites and their ancestors. Hebrew had ceased to be an everyday spoken language by around 200 CE, and survived into the medieval period only as the language of Jewish liturgy and rabbinical literature. Then in the 19th century it was revived as a spoken and literary language, Modern Hebrew is one of the two official languages of Israel, the other being Arabic. Students however come from all over the world. It is wonderful to tour the beautiful campus and listen to students converse in dozens of languages. The campus is located in a hilly area with lots of trees, promenades, and natural scenery. It has the feel to me of a small mountain community in my beloved Colorado.

The Technion which is a public research university in Haifa, Israel, was founded in 1912 and was originally located in the Hadar neighborhood of Haifa. The school was located in Hadar until the new Kiryat Hatechnion (Technion City) campus was inaugurated in Neve Sha'anan in the late 70's. The old historic building, dating from 1912, is now a hands-on science museum - MadaTech.

Albert Einstein was one of the original supporters of the university. Already in 1912 he felt that the development of technical and scientific opportunities for the Jewish people and at the new Technikum in Palestine in particular was an issue worth his effort. In 1923, Einstein visited the Technion. During his visit, he planted a now-famous first palm tree. The tree still stands today in front of the original building in Hadar. Einstein toured Europe and The United States to promote the Technion in those years to develop higher education in what was then Palestine. His actions were designed to promote education for Jewish youth rather than Zionism at that time. He initially was hesitant to support a Jewish homeland, but after the creation of Israel in 1948 became a fervent supporter of the nation. He was offered the largely ceremonial role of Israels second president but he declined due to his self proclaimed lack of people skills. 

Technion City generally refers to the current 1.2 square kilometer site located on the pine-covered north-eastern slopes of Mount Carmel. The campus comprises 100 buildings, occupied by thousands of people every day. It is about twenty minutes west of the center of Haifa. 

Recreational activities on the main campus include an Olympic-size swimming pool as well as gymnastics, squash and tennis facilities. The Technion Symphony Orchestra and Choir are composed mainly of students and staff. Each term, the Orchestra offers a series of daytime and evening concerts. Films and live performances by leading Israeli artists take place on campus on a regular basis

I visited the campus last week and watched the educational film at the visitors center and enjoyed the assistance of the friendly attendants. Everything was done in English but I understood very little of the information due to my lack of scientific training and education. However, It is my understanding that Einstein started a great university that has done much to help build a highly technical Israel and a better world.