Captivating Israel

Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan runs with her family in Israel, and discovers its hidden beauty.

WE HAD GONE TO ISRAEL PRIMARILY to run the Jerusalem Marathon as a family, but we made sure that the trip was not solely to run the race, but to also experience Israel for what it really is. Like so many people, we were hesitant to visit the Holy Land because of the many things presented by the media about the country which were taken out of context and many times, exaggerated.

Our own reservations in the past had prevented us from pursuing a trip to Israel. But our doubts and fears were put to rest when our dear family friend and Ambassador to Israel Effie Ben Matityau invited us to run the Jerusalem Marathon, as it was an offer that was hard to resist. The Israel Ministry of Tourism also had just set up their first office in Manila and they were eager to have people experience the country. At the same time, having ran many marathons around the world, we knew we could not say no to running the same path Jesus and his disciples walked!

My husband, Anthony, ran the full marathon distance of 42 kilometers. My daughter Ella ran with me on the 10-kilometer distance, while Solana, our six-year-old, ran the community race.

When we first arrived, a representative from the Israel Ministry of Tourism welcomed us at the airport and entrusted us to their best tour guide, Alli Abu Rabiah. Each day the four of us spent with Ali proved to be special because he made us feel like a local and talked about his country in the most passionate manner. Best of all, he was a daring tour guide who would help us cross the Palestinian border because he knew it meant a lot to us to visit the place where our Savior was born.

Exploring Tel Aviv