We were spoiled when both Air Canada and El Al flew directly from Canada to Israel and hope they will resume these flights soon. Now, if you are travelling to Israel, you must fly through the United States, Europe or even Dubai. As much as a hassle as that is, it is nothing compared to what people did to get to the Land of Israel before air travel.
This postcard from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis promotes the services of Thos. Cook & Son to Palestine and to Egypt. Thomas Cook (1808-1892) was an English businessman who was one of the initial developers of the “package tour” which included travel and accommodations, starting with an excursion train from Leicester to Loughborough in 1841.
Thos. Cook & Son started tours to Palestine in the 1870s. By 1904, the company had its own offices in Jaffa, Jerusalem, Haifa and Beirut –Tel Aviv did not exist yet: it was founded only in 1909—and prided itself in employing no outside contractors. Tours to Palestine ranged from 32 to 100 days, with an optional add on of a Nile voyage.
The company made all the arrangements for German Kaiser Wilhelm II’s trip to Palestine in 1898 which included 1,430 riding horses, mules and pack camels; 116 carriages and baggage carts; special trains; 300 tents and 290 servants, excluding the Kaiser’s own valet and cook who accompanied him.
After 178 years in business, Thos. Cook went bankrupt in 2019 stranding 140,000 customers who were outside the UK when the collapse occurred.
The figure in the postcard is “One of Cook’s Palestine Dragomans”. A dragoman is an interpreter and guide. The term comes from the same root as the Hebrewword metargem, translator.
The conditions applying to a Thos. Cook camping trip in Palestine included that each passenger will be provided with a good horse and English saddle. Any passenger objection to the horse must be made before leaving Jerusalem or Beirut “in which case the dragoman will do his best to meet the views of the passenger; but it must be distinctly understood that horses cannot be changed after the passengers have left Jerusalem or Beyrout for the long tour.”
On our next flight to Israel, we should remember that even if we are stuck in a middle seat beside a crying baby, that’s much better than being on an objectionable horse for a long tour.
