Things I will not see at home

There were a few things that I came across on this trip that I know I won't see at home. Here are a few of them.
Blue sky, green grass - perfection. Except you see that little yellow thingie? That's a mine field warning. After the war of 1967, the Jordanians never provided the map of the mine fields so the mines are all still there. This is valuable land that could be used, but it's not. Not really. The only use it has now is for grazing and every once in a while, a cow does get blown up. But Israeli lives aren't being lost in an attempt to clear the mines.


That's right. You are not imagining it. It's a camel crossing warning. LOL. Saw a ton of these signs on the way to Eilat. I guess there are lots of Bedouins and they raise camels. Not sure why though.




Yup, it's a Kosher McDonald's. Definitely won't see this at home.

Home - Day ???

I don't really know how to count this travel day. See, the "day" started on Friday (day 14 of the trip) and I didn't sleep until I got home on Saturday afternoon.

I decided to check our luggage on the return flight because I had purchased some jars of stuff that were larger than 3 ounces. (I think the 3 oz. rule is ridiculously stupid, but whatever.) Because of these jars (of date honey) my luggage was checked twice in Tel-Aviv and more in US (I could tell since they didn't close the suitcase all the way. It's such a hassle to check luggage on an international flight. We had to collect it in Newark (our layover spot) and re-screen it and then re-check it in. Ugh!

The flight from Tel-Aviv was looooong. It felt even longer with a sinus infection and no voice.






The food was OK for dinner and could hardly have been called "food" for breakfast. But we nibbled nonetheless. The picture shows breakfast. I ate the bagel with jam. The yellow mixture is supposed to be eggs, but they looked rather gray when you poke them. So I was afraid of touching it further. And not being a fan of grapefruit, I only ate the little bit of orange that was in the tray.


But I'm finally home. I love traveling, but nothing beats home. After a fitful nap my dad drove me to urgent care where we waited for about an hour to be seen by a doctor. This is when I found out I have a serious sinus infection and the loss of voice is a result of that. I don't think I've ever had one this severe (I never lost my voice before).

Tel-Aviv - Day 15

Today is the last day of our trip in Israel. Before I left, I wanted to visit my great-grandmother's grave. The last time I saw her I was 11 years old and full of confidence that I'll see her again soon. That was nearly 20 years ago. My uncle and I went this time (grandma and her sister went earlier in our trip) and we cleaned the grave a little and put fresh flowers and lit a candle. I don't know what the custom is for taking a picture of a loved one's grave, but I didn't. It seems a little tacky (though I did take pictures at the cemetery on Mt. Hertzl) to take pictures of the grave of a loved one.

After the solemn start to the day, we were on our way to Carmel market. I needed spices. We checked out local stores and the spices I need/want weren't available and I knew that I saw them at Carmel market. After walking the main line of the market one time I was afraid that I missed the vendor with the spices I wanted. So we had to go back through the throng of pushing and shoving and shouting people one more time. Oh how I love my local store. With shopping carts, and people saying "excuse me", and no strollers in the middle of the isle blocking everything, and the isle being wide, and no shoving/pushing/shouting. I think I will relish shopping in a store more than ever before. I like personal space and in America we have it. I don't think the concept of "personal space" exists in middle east. Second time through the market I found the spices I was looking. Now, with spices in hand, it was time to head home for lunch and to start packing.

For lunch, I had borsch that my great aunt made and some chicken kotleti (meat patties that are slightly fried but don't taste fried). Turns out my great aunt makes an awesome vegetable borscht. I want her recipe. I love borsch in general, but this one tasted like it was meat-based though it wasn't. I'm going to have to call her for this recipe.

After lunch it was time to start packing. I was expecting it to go a lot smoother and quicker than it did. First, it turns out that my grandma got a lot gifts of the clothing variety and dind't expect that. Then, I got a lot of spices and my suitecase is rather small (it was a carry-on on the flight to Israel). Then, while packing, I kept forgetting and remembering other stuff that needed to be packed. For example, I completely packed my suitecase only to realize that I left my new tripod under the chair. Crap. Have to re-pack. Crap. At least I remembered it while I was still there. Then I forgot grandma's suit while packing her suitecase. So I put it into mine. Then when I put the tripod in I had to put it into the carry-on bag. Oy! But everything eventually fit. Surprisingly.

After an early dinner, we were on our way to the airport. This was a great trip. It would have been better had I not lost my voice and scared my whole family that I'm really sick.

Tel-Aviv - Day 14

Everything is closed today. I was getting really nervous since I hadn't gotten much in terms of souvenirs and had only 1 day left. My uncle was off work and we could do something since he has a car, but it's a holiday (Pesach or Passover) so everything is closed. Therefore we decided to go to Jaffa since we didn't really see it as part of the tour. We only got to get off the bus for 5 minutes and take pictures - that was our only view of Jaffa.
But today, my uncle, his wife, his youngest child, and I went to Jaffa. The day was perfect - a very slight and pleasant breeze accompanied the warm sun. Because it was a holiday, there were hardly any cars out and very few people out and about. Mostly, I guess people just stayed at home. Which gave us the freedom to roam around without crowds. We ducked into nearly all the galleries that were open (and most of them were closed) and browsed to our hearts' content. The views of Tel-Aviv from here (which is north of Jaffa) were great. Waves, greenery, sunshine - it was a perfect spring day. I won't see this weather back home till mid-June probably.

Having walked all over the upper part of the town we made our way through the narrow and shadowed streets to the port. Until the port of Haifa was established as a major port, this one in Jaffa was the primary port of Israel. It's been a port since ancient times, and still works as a port.
Here, we took a little boat ride that lasted about a half hour or so, but gave panoramic views of Jaffa and Tel-Aviv. The wind wasn't too strong while we were on the water, but it was a little wobbly. I don't like roller-coasters and this wasn't as bad, but I definitely felt my stomach doing flips.
After the boat ride, it was time to head back home (it was close to 2 PM) and on the way we stopped for some shashliq. This time it was chicken and we took it to go. It was really delicious. Surprisingly so, since I'm a bit of purist in this regard and don't eat chicken shashliq. I guess I consider it chicken on a sqewer, but this one had all the right spices and such. To reiterate, it was delicious.

Eilat, Tel-Aviv - Day 13

This morning the weather looked absolutely gorgeous and my uncle asked if I wanted to go tanning. Having lost my voice completely by morning, I declined (the Silent post was written on Eilat - Day 12). So we set out back to Tel-Aviv right after breakfast, ahead of schedule. Too bad this gorgeous weather wasn't there for us yesterday. But oh well. I guess I'll have to come back. ;)

On the way back, we passed the same raw natural beauty, road signs I won't see at home, and the same Kosher McDonald's. Somehow I managed to nap most of the way back.

This was also the first day of Passover.
We don't celebrate with all the customs and traditions mainly because we don't know them. But we do have gefilte fish. And my great aunt made an awesomely delicious batch yet again. I know I have the recipe from the last time she visited us, but I didn't see her make it. All I know is that the process is very involved (several times she passes the fish meat through the meat grinder, and that's after picking out all the bones).

Eilat - Day 12

Breakfast was good, except there was no bread. Anywhere. It's Pesach, so I had to put butter and jam on matza. Hmm...... It was edible. Other things were good too, but I can't remember now.

The plan today was to go swimming and tanning. But the weather was less than cooperative. It drizzled again. So we went to the aquarium. It was really nice and I even saw some folks from the tour (there was an Eilat extension and some people bought it). The aquarium had all sorts of cute fish and there were quite a few visitors, but we came early in the morning so we got to see quite a bit before much of the crowd.
By the time we were finished here, it looked like the weather was turning around so we decided to go swimming after-all. So we went. It drizzled again, but stopped as soon as we got to the beach. Then, my uncle decided to go into the water. I just stuck a toe in to see if the water is warm. It wasn't. But he had his scuba suit on and wasn't as cold. I decided to sit on the shore and tan.
It was so windy the windsurfers were all out. I was afraid they'd reach the Jordan border (we could see the Jordanian flag from the beach quite clearly). Then, the older cousin who came with us decided she wanted to swim. So she went with her dad. She had a coat on but stuck her toes in. Quite a site.
By the time we finished this "swimming" adventure, we were ready for lunch. We went to an Argentinian-style restaurant (El Gaucho) and ordered steaks. Really yummy. As we were leaving we were approached by a guy offering a gift if we go into the jewelry store right next door. So we went in. And spent a lot of time there. A lot of time. They had a lot of unique and elegant things. I even found a few things I liked. No, I didn't buy anything. I have enough stuff I don't wear. Why buy more stuff I won't wear?

By this time the little cousin was really set on going to King's City. It's a place that's great for kids. Lots of little things to do, lots of illusions and activities and such. We spent probably 2 hours here. It was fun, but I think she had more fun than anyone.
And at this point, I was ready for the hotel and a hot shower. Not that it wasn't warm, but my back was killing me and I wanted to warm it up. The sun wasn't doing it, so I figured the water would.
Not only was I tired by the end of the day, but my throat was killing me. So far on this trip, it wasn't really a problem. I thought I had severe allergies because I kept sneezing all the time and thought that the sore throat I did have (a tiny bit) was as a result of these allergies. But this evening I also started to sound really really hoarse. I imagine I sounded like I went to 30 death-metal concerts and screamed at each of them.

Eilat - Day 11

Today (Monday) we're on our way to Eilat. The drive is about 4 hours, but closer to 5 or 6 if you make stops. I didn't think there's anywhere you can drive in this postage stamp country for 4 hours, but I was wrong. Here too, there's lots of road construction.

On the way, we passed Bedouin "settlements". I can't really call them houses because they looked like corrugated metal that's been attached with wire. I doubt the floor is anything more than the dirt on which this "structure" stands. We also saw a bit of a dust storm, shepherds tending their flock of sheep and goats, camels, and a few cows.

In one of our stops we got ice cream for the cousin (the 8-year-old) who came with us at a kosher McDonald's (see this post). Yes, they do exist. I have pictures to prove it (which I'll post at some future date).
Another stop we made was a lot closer to Eilat and this little place had camels and other animals that you could ride for a price, they had a bathroom you could use for a shekel (about 20 US cents), and a small cafe. The bathroom looked rather scary since it had those bars you see sometimes that go from floor to ceiling but rotate like a door. Our shekel didn't want to work, but the guy let me in. I was very pleasantly surprised at how clean and well-maintained it was. Though I did see an employee going to the bathroom with her own roll of toilet paper. That was very wise. The toilet paper was like regular paper, just on a roll and in the shape of toilet paper. No matter, it was clean, there was toilet paper, water to flush, and soap.

Driving through the desert and the mountains was absolutely amazing. We drove through the Negev desert (I think); our route was through Be'er Sheva and Dimona. People think that the desert is always dead, but there was so much life there. The camels, the Bedouins, the trees, the grasses, the birds, etc. The mountains were also a sight to behold. So many colors! You can see almost every color in the rainbow. The reds up against the tans which are up against the whites and oranges and ochres. So many amazing thing nature shaped with wind and water. Some of the areas looked like paws of some giant animal at rest, others looked like they were pillars, and yet others looked like layers of a cake. I took some pictures, but we'll see how they turn out. I doubt there's anything more than a blur, but I was taking them out of a moving car.

There were also some interesting road signs like camels crossing and shooting range on the right, and "sea level".

There was one place where people can pull off to the side of the road and take pictures and take a break. We stopped there too and I took some pictures. Too bad there were no places to stop to take pictures of the great views of the mountains.

After the third stop (with the bathroom) we had only about an hour to go. In the afternoons, when the fog clears and/or the dust storm you can see Jordan.

When we got to the hotel, we arrived a little earlier than their check-in time, but they had our rooms ready. My uncled dragged the luggage to the rooms and we to eat. I was a little confused when he started heading to the gas station, but there was a restaurant right behind it.

I don't think you need to even guess that I ordered shashliq. It was great. The plethora of little plates with stuff they bring was really yummy too. All sorts of eggplant dishes, and even a Russian salad (olivie). It was quite delicious.


After our lunch, I took a nap. I wasn't planning on a nap; I was watching TV. Next thing I know I hear a tap-tap-tap on the door and we decided to go check out the place. We went for a walk on the boardwalk and saw all sorts of souvenirs. These souvenirs were kinda crappy so I didn't get anything here. But the walk was nice.

It turns out that unusual weather followed me. It rained in Eilat. In the middle of the desert. Just my luck. I wanted to get warm, maybe even a slight tan so I don't blend in with the walls at work. No such luck. The little drizzle stopped quickly, but it was overcast.

We also went to IMAX and the show was in Hebrew. Something about the space station and astronauts from US and former USSR and how they live on their missions (or whatever their expeditions are called).

We returned to our hotel and had dinner. It was pretty good. By this time of the day, I was completely wiped out so I headed to my room for a shower and sleep. I was hoping that the next day would be sunny so I can warm up and maybe slightly tan.

Tel-Aviv - Day 10

This morning I had breakfast at the hotel and then my uncle (technically, he's my second cousin, but dad calls him "brother", so I call him "uncle") picked me up. It turned out to be not a short drive to Tel-Aviv from Jerusalem, but we didn't really hit any traffic until we got to the general Tel-Aviv area. Today was the day I rested. Sort of.

Mainly played with the little cousins (2nd cousins once removed) who are 8 and 3. I don't remember what we ate, but it was good. Everything is quite delicious and the veggies are very yummy.

We also went to the "downtown" area and walked around trying to find souvenirs. No such luck. Since it was Sunday, there were no bazaars or flea markets. The only thing I found was a table cloth for my round table. Apparently, it's rather difficult to find a round tablecloth in the size I need (180cm in diameter), and I have lots of Israeli tablecloths, but none are round. The reason I like these tablecloths is that they wash out really well and hold up to use and abuse. We only took the older cousin to go with us, and the younger one was with the babysitter.

In the evening, we played some more and had dinner.

It was a rather uneventful day, for which I was really grateful.

Silent - Well, almost

You know how I always say I can't really whisper? That's all I seem to be able to do since last night. Yup, I totally lost my voice. I think it has to do with my throat being severely irritated by the smoke fumes (everyone smokes everywhere here), the general allergies, the wind which forced me to shout a little.
Ugh. I'm not a big fan of this whispering thing. And it hurts to talk. Ok, I'm off to eat either something cold or hot.

Later.

Jerusalem - Day 9

Today is our last day of the trip, except for those who are going to Eilat. We had the morning activities and then we were on our own until dinner.

The morning tour consisted of a walk to the Jaffa Gate (I think) and tour of David's Tower. The view from here was spectacular. Just fantastic. We also walked (rather quickly) through the museum that was in the tower. Nothing very interesting in the museum. By around 10 o'clock in the morning, we were on our own, until about 6 PM when we were supposed to board the bus for dinner.

So, I spent the day with the same CA couple with whom I went to dinner the other night. A very lovely couple. We decided to ask for a recommendation at the visitor information center and we visited an church in the Armenian quarter. It was quite a lovely church, and it had a lovely yard inside. They also have a guest house and people do stay there. It felt very quiet there, not like it was in the middle of such a noisy place as the Old City of Jerusalem.

In the same visitor center we asked for a recommendation for a good shish-kabob place. The woman told us not to eat in the city from the street vendors, but to go outside the city walls. So we left through the Damascus gate and went across the street passing many different street vendors selling fruit, veggies, and remote controls. Asking directions a few times, we found the hotel (Jerusalem Hotel) to which we were pointed.

The hotel itself was quite beautiful, with carvings and other decorations of middle-eastern flavor. The door in the picture is a good indicator of you'd see inside. The careful attention to detail, the carvings, the quiet grandeur... The hotel had the feel of a B&B because it was small, but looked immaculately clean. The court yard is where the restaurant was located and there were plenty of locals which made me more confident in the food.

Now about the food.

WOW! It was amazing. They had shashliq (that's how it was on the menu, and that's how we refer to it, but in English, it's referred to as "shish-kabob"). I ordered lamb and was quite surprised to find the little bit of fat added to the skewer just like we do. It was truly lip-smacking and finger-licking goodness. Though I was a bit surprised to find it served with a side of French fries. For an appetizer, we ordered a "small" sampler of stuff and it barely fit on our table. It all was great. The pitas, the salads, the humus, the lemonade (with mint) was absolutely delicious. The couple I was with really liked it and agreed that it was a good choice for lunch and thought the hotel would be a great place to stay if they come back on their own.

Then we walked back into the old city (through the Damascus Gate) and walked around a bit. I found breathtakingly beautiful silk rugs, but they were too small. Even if they weren't too small, there's no way I can pay $13,500.00 for a rug. But they were definitely stunning. All I could do was say "wow". By now, it was close to 3 in the afternoon and we were all ready to head back to the hotel. Oh, and I would have bought souvenirs in Jerusalem, except that this was our only free day and it happened to be Shabbat. All Jewish shops were closed. Drat! Oh well.

We walked to our hotel which wasn't far and said good by since the couple wasn't joining us for the "farewell dinner". I'm glad I met those folks.

After a few hours of rest and a shower, I was ready for the dinner. We went to Abu Gosh for a shish-kabob dinner. Apparently, "shish-kabob" here means ground meat that's been grilled on a skewer, and "shashliq" means non-ground meat (real meat) grilled on a sqewer. At this dinner, we had shish-kabob of lamb and chicken shashliq. I traded my chicken sqewer for a lamb one, but mainly filled up on the salads. They were great. All sorts of salads, served "tapas" style. It's about 10 different little plates and everyone tastes a little bit of this and a little bit of that. You fill up.

I had one more night in Jerusalem, but many from our group left that night after dinner.

Well, that's it for the "official" tour. More on the rest of the trip later.

Pictures

You'll notice that I don't have any pictures for the last few days of the trip. There's a really good explanation for it and it's that I just didn't have the time to comb through hundreds of pics for those days.
I do plan on adding some pics later on, but not today, and probably not tomorrow. For now, I hope the narrative gives you an idea of what's going on.
There is still one more day of Jerusalem that I need to write about, but that too will not be today. And most likely not tomorrow, since the plan is to go to Eilat with my cousin (whom I refer to as uncle) and his daughter.
So, that's it for now. Hope to have internet access at some point again soon so I can get everything uploaded.

Later!

Jerusalem - Day 8

Breakfast was the same and we still had live music. What a wonderful treat. This is also the first hotel that understands “hot” water for tea. In other hotels the water you get for tea is something my dad would refer to as “pisherts” (luke-warm).

The morning was cooler than yesterday, but I was comfortable with the synthetic long-sleeved shirt I brought just for the purpose. The weather fluctuates greatly during the day here; the mornings and evenings are much cooler than the day. But at this time of the year, it’s quite pleasant and not hot. I can’t imagine walking for 5 hours in the heat of July in Jerusalem.

Our first stop was Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed (actually, it’s the reproduction of the scrolls). The building itself was more interesting than the scrolls. I was very underwhelmed. There’s room that’s circular and photocopy of the scrolls in the middle. Ok. Now what? The grounds were very cool though. There are many statues and a model of how Jerusalem would have looked like in the time of the Second Temple. I wish we would have seen this model yesterday, before seeing the real Old City.

After the Scrolls we went to Mt. Herzl where Herzl is buried. Mt. Herzl also has the graves of dignitaries such as Golda Meir (our hometown girl and “the only one with balls” in the government, as the saying goes). I placed a rock on her grave. The black and white monuments are the graves of Leah and Yitzhak Rabin. This site is also the site of a military cemetery. Israelis refer to them as “youth cities” since so many young people have lost their lives in the fight for Israel.

Our next stop was Yad Vashem. It was absolutely gut-wrenching and I was glad I brought a lot of tissues. The personal effects of the victims - the shoes, the prayer books, the papers, the necklaces, etc. - as well as the personal testimonies that were taped and shown were so moving. It’s too horrible to believe that people are capable of such monstrosity, but it happened. And we must never forget. We must educate and remember and honor. We also visited the Children’s Hall which has 4 candles burning but with the mirrors, you see 1.2 million stars flickering in the near pitch-black building. While you’re walking through, the names of the children who were identified are being read. The name, family name, years of age at death, and where the child was born. Heart breaking. Absolutely gut-wrenching. I have no idea how people can refrain from bawling and I’m not moved to tears easily. But this was really hard.

Right after this, we had our “well-planned” lunch. Oy! Who could eat after this? I really didn’t think I could swallow a bite. But I guess after all that walking I was hungry enough to eat a bagel.

After lunch it was time for Bethlehem. Scary! Our tour guide and bus driver didn’t go with us. We had to switch buses and guides and cross into Palestinian territory. We went to the Church of the Nativity and it’s a pretty church. Lots of Russians were taking too long to move through, so we had to wait. Those Russians again. The church proved to be a very emotional experience for the Christian folks on the tour. After the church through which we had to hurry since there was some procession of the Armenian part of the church starting and we were driven to a local shop. There, it seems that we spent more time than at the church. Lots of people bought lots of stuff. I just don’t know where that money would go to and whom it would support, so I will be making purchases in areas that are not in Palestine. Just because Obama wants to give $900M to Hizzbolla doesn’t mean I want to support terrorism.
The tour guide even helped the "vendors" sell their stuff to us - he would bring it into the bus and ask if we wanted it and the price. I thought it was highly unprofessional, especially after spending about an hour in a shop. Oh, and while we were in the shop, the doors were kinda closed and locked, though the key was in the lock. I think it was more to keep others out and us from wandering off. We had people on the tour who were completely oblivious to everything and asked questions such as "who was Jesus", "why was a restaurant blown up in Tel-Aviv by suicide bombers" and "is Jerusalem in Israel". Hmmm.......

And yes, we saw the wall that separates Jerusalem. (The picture shows the wall from the Palestinian side. There was no graffiti on the Jerusalem side where we were. At least nothing that could be seen. I wonder what the Hebrew above the oil thing says.) It feels like 2 separate countries, truly. I wonder if that’s how East/West Berlin was. This didn’t feel like it was in the middle of Israel at all. And yes, we were asked for our passports on our way out. 2 people from the checkpoint carrying much weaponry (gun, semi-automatic rifle, or maybe it was automatic, I don’t know) came into the bus and asked for passports. It would have been good of our tour guide to let us know about this the day before! But I always carry my passport when I travel, so it was no issue. But they didn’t search us. The car in front of us was searched. The dog sniffed the car, the trunk was popped open, the underside was inspected.

Now, I’m just waiting for our evening excursion which includes dinner at a kibbutz. I hope it’s not falafel or schnitzel again. I’ve had enough of that. Not that I really miss my typical food, but I miss my typical food. I don’t want to eat typical stuff that I’d eat at home while I’m traveling, but there’s got to be more than a falafel or a schnitzel.

Dinner was quite typical here for the tour. A buffet. A HUGE buffet. They even had gefilte fish, but this was sweet. I'm not a big fan of sweet gefilte fish. It's not dessert. But the dinner was good and dessert awesome.

Jerusalem - Day 7

Breakfast today was the same as the day before.

We drove to the Mount of Olives to see the views of the city below. When we got off the bus, the street vendors were practically assaulting us they were so pushy and so in our faces. I had to shoo away by hand the kid who was getting in my face. Little snot. Another woman from our trip also yelled at him (and threatened to call the police, though I think they would not have done anything; they have more important things to worry about). But I don’t want 4 bags that say Jerusalem on them, no matter how cheap, and no, I don’t want to ride a camel or buy postcards. I just want people out of my face! We in America have the luxury of personal space and are very used to it and are very uncomfortable when that space is “invaded”. But I managed to take some decent pictures of the city, mosques and all.

After this, we were on our way to the Western Wall (Wailing Wall). We walked around the complex (the ruins of the temple complex) for a while and made our way to the actual wall. We saw several Bar-Mitzvas and maybe a wedding (I saw a Chuppa). In order to get to the actual gate, we had to go through a security checkpoint. I don’t think I ever went through in as many checkpoints as I have on this trip. But as busy as it was, we were able to make it to the actual wall and pray. Each in our own way, as we know how. I had my notes and I stuck them into the crevices between the stones. Yes, other notes fell out, but I put them back as well.
It was a truly moving experience. I don’t consider myself religious, but this is certainly a very spiritual place. One woman from our group called it “life changing”. I don’t know it I’d go that far, but it was certainly a strong and emotional way to connect to my roots. Being Jewish on an intellectual level (knowing that you’re Jewish and accepting it) is one thing, being Jewish on a spiritual level (feeling this connection to the past generations and to God) is another. I brought a lot of tissues. They were needed.

After this emotionally heightened experience we walked in the Old City; the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, and the Christian Quarter. In the old city, the Jewish Quarter is the second smallest; only the Armenian Quarter is smaller. We walked through the Roman Cardo, the street that was the heart of the city. It had the shops. We also walked partially on the Via Dolorosa and visited some of the Stations of the Cross.
While there, we saw the typical daily life in the city. Kids running, people selling fruit or bagels or other things, art galleries, etc.
At this point, we arrived at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The church was really pretty. Lots of stunning mosaics covered the walls and floor. And there were Russians. Need I say more?

Saw King David’s tomb. The building is essentially a mosque but is used as a synagogue and on the roof you can see the minaret. On the 1st floor there is a church (the synagogue is on the floor below) and is really not church-like at all. Nothing Christian is in there. Though it’s the traditional site of the Last Supper. The room isn’t large, but not too small. Da Vinci’s table would most likely not fit, but you can fit probably 50 people for a Seder in that room.

Lunch was planned very poorly. Our guide pointed out a restaurant and said that we had 45 minutes for lunch. Some people didn’t even get their lunch for the first 50! The food was so-so (except the potatoes) and the prices high.
In general, I feel that our lunches were planned very poorly and are very expensive. We always end up eating at a cafeteria that’s attached to an attraction (a cafeteria at the ruins or at the museum or some other place where you carry your own tray). The food is typical for such places and the prices are astronomical. I was hoping the situation would be more like what I had in Portugal, where we’d have about an hour to an hour and a half and the tour guide pointed out the specialty of the region and a handful of restaurants. This was not the case here.

We finally made it back to the hotel and I had a few hours to relax before meeting some folks for dinner. Dinner on our own was great. Our first stop was at the Jerusalem YMCA. The building is amazing and like no Y I’ve ever seen. Coffered ceiling that’s decorated, archways that are decorated, amazing flooring, etc. It also has a tower that you can climb for 5 shekels. But after a full day of walking I was in no mood to go up 200 steps.
After the Y we crossed the street to the King David hotel. This building has a history (like most things in this ancient land). Part of it was blown up during the War of Independence since it was the site of the British. The view from the terrace bar was like no other; the views of the sun imparting its golden glow on the buildings that are on the hill below are not like any you’d ever see. Inside, we had a drink at their bar and chatted for a while. It was very lovely. Very relaxing and it turned out that the couple I joined for dinner shares many of my views. Phew!
After the drink we went to Canella, a continental kosher restaurant. The food was delicious, and the chef sent out a few things for us we didn’t order, just as a nice gesture. With these additions, it turned out to be a 3-course meal. We ordered an appetizer, the chef sent out a soup, and then we got the main course. The wait staff was incredible; the table was cleaned between each meal and even the silverware was replaced.
The food was fantastic and I was craving fish, which almost never happens. But it was lip-smacking and I finished the whole thing. This dinner was very well the 100 shekels ($25), unlike most lunches which run about $12 and you get a falafel and a drink.
On our way back from dinner, we saw a few other folks from our group walking back to the hotel(s).
When I got to the room, I copied the photos from the memory card to the computer and fell asleep immediately. It was a long and emotional day and I knew I’d need the energy for the following day - we have Yad Vashem on the agenda.

Dead Sea, Massada, Jerusalem - Day 6

The breakfast was so-so at best, but I managed to find something.

I saw people from our group out and about and asked if the water was nice. They said it was cold. So I decided to take my camera and just stick my toes in, at the very least. Which is exactly what I did. When I did this, I realized that the water is nice and I should go put on my swim suit and go for a swim. Which is what I did. It was amazing. My hands stung a bit, but stopped in a few minutes. the water felt silky. The floor of the sea is very rocky as is the beach, but when you get into the water a few feet, it’s all salt crystals. They’re all very sharp and one person from our trip hurt her foot.

When you get into the water, it doesn’t feel quite as buoyant as you think it should, but as you try to walk further and realize it’s getting harder. Then, in order to “swim”, you gotta sit down. When you get your feet under you, you start floating, bobbing really. It’s really hard to stand up again, so you gotta get as close to the shore as possible.
When you get out, they have some showers (poles with shower heads and a button) and you just rinse off. The skin feels really silky.
The Dead Sea treats several different conditions such as psoriasis, rheumatism, skin rashes, etc. There are clinics that cater specifically to these health-related trips. They say that about 30 days here would help with psoriasis for about 12-18 months.
The bromide in the air is also apparently good for insomnia.
I got a small handful of the salt crystals. Hope the airport security doesn’t mistake it for crack.

But after a quick shower and packing, it was time to leave the hotel. Not that any of us wanted to stay longer at this hotel, but most of us wanted a longer stay at the Dead Sea. We didn’t get a chance for a massage or anything like that.

Now, we were on our way to Masada. This ancient fortress of Herod was in mountains, but we’re taking the cable car up and down. The weather is nice, a nice breeze, warm sun; not too hot.
Masada is amazing. The desert landscape is mesmerizing and stunning. The panoramas were just incredible.
We had lunch here at the cafeteria and I liked the schnitzel better here than the other day. This one was warm and I could taste the chicken, not just the breading. The salad was decent too.

After Masada we went to the Ahava factory and show room. I stocked up. Hope the stuff is as good as they say, but the do have research to back up their claims (so they say).

Now, we’re on our way to Jerusalem. We’re again treated to magnificent views of the Dead Sea, mountains on the Jordan side, and the Judean Desert/Wilderness. We also passed a few Bedouin “villages”. These are slabs of corrugated tin tied together to make a shelter, sometimes right next to a busy highway (notice the road barrier in the lower right). That’s how they live. they also heard camels, goats, sheep. We stopped on the Mount Scopius for views of the city and heard the 4th call to prayer by imams. The city at first glance is such a mix of things. Old and new, clean and dirty, Jewish and not.

We’ll spend a few days in Jerusalem and I’m looking forward to exploring this eternal city.
Our hotel is quite nice. It’s a smaller hotel and rated 4 stars, but it’s rather quaint and lovely. Dinner was rather nice. The selection was excellent and everything tasted great. But now it’s after 11 and I got an early wake-up call tomorrow.

Shalom y’all (saw quite a few things with that).

Long time no post

So I haven't posted in a while. It's been rather expensive to purchase internet service even for an hour. But now I'm back in Tel-Aviv and will post the other few days of the trip. But basically, it was great and we did a lot of walking and I was TIRED! I so need a massage when I get back!