Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Akko and Rosh Hanikra
I awake at 5:20 AM and am excited for today’s trip to Akko and Rosh Hanikra. I booked the tour online on Sunday afternoon and received a “reservation” email. I assume that all is well and squared away and make my way downstairs. The United Tours bus is supposed to pick me up outside the Prima Royal hotel at 6 AM. I grab some fresh grapes from the fridge for breakfast and am dressed and ready to go at five to 6.
The bus does not come at 6 AM nor at 6:05 or 6:10. At 6:20 there is still no bus. I walk inside the hotel and ask them for some help. The very nice concierge dials the number for me and hands me the phone. The conversation goes as such:
Me: “Shalom. I booked a tour through you guys on Sunday for today to Akko and Rosh Hanikra from Jerusalem.”
Israeli Man on Phone: “Did you receive a confirmation email?”
Me: “I think so. I have it here in front of me” (reading the information contained within said email)
Israeli Man: “No. No. No. That is a “reservation email.’ I asked if you had gotten a confirmation email. I do not see you in our computer. Maybe our internet was down and it did not register with us.”
Me: What? @#$%^&* #$%^&* $%^&* !!!!
IMOP: Well, I am sorry sir but you could go on our Friday tour and we will give you a ten percent discount.
Me: So basically you’re offering me the $100 tour for $90 on a day I won’t be able to travel. Thanks but no thanks.
Frustrated I decide that I will do the tour on my own and never book an organized tour again. I grab my things and head to the Jerusalem bus station. After some asking around, I hop the 8:30 bus to Haifa and promptly fall asleep. At 10:15, I switch buses at Haifa to Akko. On the bus ride, I finally crack the clue to the NY Times Magazine crossword puzzle I have been working on since June 27 and most of the anger I’ve been feeling subsides.
By 11:15, I arrive in Akko and walk from the bus station through the new city and into the old city. Akko is mostly Arab and it definitely has a different vibe than the rest of the places I’ve visited. I start by the 12th century sea walls that the Crusaders built. From there I head to the Museum of Underground Prisoners which is the old citadel where the British kept all the Jewish prisoners (many of whom later became famous Israeli leaders and politicians) during the Resistance Movement for statehood.
Afterwards I debate doing the underground Crusader’s City but it is a long tour and I will have to come back. Instead I duck in and out of some shops and meet a very nice British woman in Kivunim. The entire store is art and other things made by individuals or groups with disabilities and some of the profits go to these groups. I buy a sign from a group home of deaf adults that is in both Hebrew and sign language. http://kvn.org.il/heb/ShopForMeaning
I talk with the manager Caroline for a while as she is from Leeds (UK) and I have been there a handful of times. Caroline gives me some good advice on where to go while I’m in Akko for a few more hours and where to go for lunch. I head into the shuk which is filled with lots of spices and fish. I buy some sweet paprika and some almonds and then head to Hummus Sayid for lunch.
Hummus Sayid has a long line out front and I have now been told by three people to eat here while I am in Akko. I wait for about 15 minutes until I am seated at a table with two middle aged Israeli men. There is no menu and the waiter brings a bowl of huge onion pieces and olives. My new Israeli eating partners are Shachar and Amnon. They are air conditioning repairmen and take their hummus very seriously. Between my broken Hebrew and their broken English we manage to piece together some semblance of a conversation between the enormous bites they take of the onions eating them as if they were apples!
The waiter brings us a bowl of hummus each and some pita. The hummus is quite yummy and the men tell me that it is the best in all of Israel. Although I agree that it is quite good I am pretty sure I’ve had better.
I am a polite hummus eater and tear a small piece of pita off and dip it into a small chunk of hummus before consuming it. However Shachar and Amnon will have none of that. They ferociously devour the hummus shredding huge pieces of pita and adding globs of parsley oil and pine nuts to their hummus while holding the bowl under their faces just in case any excess falls off back into the bowl.
My new friends finish within three minutes and even though I am still eating order tea for the whole table. The tea is sweet yet piping hot and I sip slowly careful not to burn my tongue. Shachar and Amnon gulp their hot tea as if they were shotgunning a can of Red Bull. We pay the check and party ways but I can’t help but feel that my manliness has been shattered in pieces.
After lunch I take one last walk back through the shuk and then grab a taxi to the train station. I take the the train from Akko to Naharriya and then grab a taxi to Rosh Hanikra (the next bus wasn’t for an hour). I ask the taxi driver to please drop me off at the grottoes and cable cars in Rosh Hanikira. When we pull up I am a bit underwhelmed with the scenery and ask the cab driver “Are you sure this is the place with the cable cars?” “Yah. Yah. Cable cars right there” “Ok. Well I’m going to go check with those two men over there just to be sure. Can you wait for a minute? “Ken. Ken. (Yes) 50 shekels.” I pay the cab driver step out of the cab and poof – he drives away. (Sigh). I make my way over to the two Israeli men sitting on a rock outside a bunch of houses. “Is this where the cable cars are?” It turns out that I am not anywhere near the cable cars and the taxi has dropped me off at Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra not the cliffs by the borders where the grottos are. However Joseph – an extremely nice Israeli offers to give me a ride from the Kibbutz to the border. I am eternally grateful and offer him a place to stay anytime he decides to make aliyah to New York. ☺
Rosh Hanikra is beautiful and the water in the grottos is sky blue. I meet some kids from London, watch the information movie in Spanish (then again in English), and watch the workers there prepare for a wedding that will be happening there later that night (cool!).
Finally, at 6 o’clock. I am ready to go. Train from R.H. back to Naharriya. Train from Naharriya to Tel Aviv. On the train the woman across from me takes out a piece of paper and writes: “Our future is bright…” I ask her if she is preparing her wedding vows but it turns out that she is a nursery school teacher at an English and Hebrew speaking school. So, I help her compose an end of the year poem in English for her students. Tel Aviv sherut back to Jerusalem. It has been an adventurous, tiresome, and eventful day. I walk in the door completely exhausted at 9:30 and collapse on my bed in my clothes. Almost simultaneously - the wooden slats give out and the bed collapses beneath me.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Some ruminations about living in Israel
Margarita Mix is impossible to find. I've looked everywhere (I am having a small get together on Wednesday) and it's not at the market, the shuk, the makolet, the liquor store or the grocery store. Also finding fruits not in season is difficult. Like strawberries, blueberries and pineapple. I miss you strawberries during summertime. You are a yummy treat.
Also there's no Grape Jelly. I've found every flavor of jam and eventually settled on some strawberry preserve but why no grape jelly? They have Skippy peanut butter but no Smucker's? Grrr.
The bed that I sleep on in the apartment sits on a wobbly shabbily put together Ikea frame. Every time I sit or accidentally lean on the left side of the bed; 3/4 down- five of the wooden slats that hold the bed in place fall out. Every night I crawl underneath the bed to put them back in place and then ever so carefully slither back into bed and pray that they don't fall out again while I am sleeping. Curse you Ikea and your frozen meatballs too!
Also this the first building I've ever lived in with no front door. Apparently the crime rate in Israel must be low because no one seems concerned by this serious breach of security protocol. But it doesn't seem like there's much to steal in the apartment anyway- unless the lurking burglar is in need of a haphazardly made bed frame.
An apology: To the Orthodox girl in my class who was hacking and coughing- and so I slapped you on the back in that 1950's doctor kind of way because I didn't want you to die- only to have you spin around and sternly say "Don't touch me; I'm Shomer N'giah! {Jewish tradition where women aren't allowed any physical contact with men and vice versa) I am sorry; next time I will think twice before attempting to save your life.
Why do the cab drivers feel the need to rip off the American tourists so badly? Last saturday we took a cab to the Israel Museum to save some time to our day - I wasn't paying attention and forgot to tell the cab driver to turn the meter on. When we got to the museum which was less than one mile away - it was $12! WTF!
Israelis need to learn to wait in line. Many are pushy and rude and have very few manners. When the bus comes in the afternoon or at the market-there is a mad rush to the door. When my parent were at the Shuk they were waiting for the bus but then couldn't get on it because all the locals bumrushed the doors when it pulled to the curb. I am convinced that this is why there are no theme parks in Israel. Someone must have opened a Six Flags once with a "Line Cutters will be Ejected from Park" sign hanging at the entrance - but by lunch time there weren't any customers left.
Speaking of: To the woman that cut in front of me at Super Pharm the other day because I was waiting for the old man to finish receiving his meds before I asked the pharmacist for the Immodium (because everything from Advil to Pepto is behind the pharmacy counter!) and you cut in front of me waving your prescription paper in the air and I stuck my arm out in front of you and said "Slicha {excuse me} I was here before you" and you pretended not to know any English even though you damn well understood what I said - Back the fuck up - I'm ordering important drugs here.
Living in NYC I have become a very spoiled foodie. Israel is not the place to expect good Italian food, Indian food, Spanish food, Mexican food (well really any Mexican food - when I asked one cab driver where the closest Mexcian restaurant was he replied "mexican food too much like Arab food") Thai food, Chinese food, or sushi. Hummus they do well, pita- yum, spices and babaganoush- check. But marinara sauce or mango chutney? Steer clear. And a Chicken parm sandwich? Definitely not in this town.
Which brings us to the cheeses. Every menu just lists cheeses by color and not by type. "Such and such with yellow cheese" or "Salad with white cheese" - But how am I supposed to know whether it's goat or feta (no- they're not the same btw) swiss or american (scratch that-they def. don't have american here) mozzarella or cheddar.. you get the idea. Just list the damn cheeses on the menu.
And finally, seriously, what's the deal with the cats? There are cats in every nook corner and crevice of this country. There are cats on the balconies, in the streets, in the old city, by the Kotel, in the parks (which smell like cat pee), under the cars, in the trees. At times, I think that there are more cats than Jews. And the kids who are petting those cats...gross! I am not nor ever will be a cat person (Sorry Manders but you already knew). Someone said to me last week "Well, Israel used to have a big mouse problem so now they've traded it in for a cat problem." No fear - I have come up with a solution: Lions. I think if you put lions in the places where the mice and/or cats were- you could solve both problems the feline and the murine (of or relating to mice/rats - I had to look it up too). Also- added bonus - keep out unwanted Kotel visitors or better yet Western Wall tunnel tours led by Siegfried and Roy. The possibilities are endless. I will write a letter to Netanyahu (Israeli PM) tomorrow. Surely, he will agree with such wisdom.
Also there's no Grape Jelly. I've found every flavor of jam and eventually settled on some strawberry preserve but why no grape jelly? They have Skippy peanut butter but no Smucker's? Grrr.
The bed that I sleep on in the apartment sits on a wobbly shabbily put together Ikea frame. Every time I sit or accidentally lean on the left side of the bed; 3/4 down- five of the wooden slats that hold the bed in place fall out. Every night I crawl underneath the bed to put them back in place and then ever so carefully slither back into bed and pray that they don't fall out again while I am sleeping. Curse you Ikea and your frozen meatballs too!
Also this the first building I've ever lived in with no front door. Apparently the crime rate in Israel must be low because no one seems concerned by this serious breach of security protocol. But it doesn't seem like there's much to steal in the apartment anyway- unless the lurking burglar is in need of a haphazardly made bed frame.
An apology: To the Orthodox girl in my class who was hacking and coughing- and so I slapped you on the back in that 1950's doctor kind of way because I didn't want you to die- only to have you spin around and sternly say "Don't touch me; I'm Shomer N'giah! {Jewish tradition where women aren't allowed any physical contact with men and vice versa) I am sorry; next time I will think twice before attempting to save your life.
Why do the cab drivers feel the need to rip off the American tourists so badly? Last saturday we took a cab to the Israel Museum to save some time to our day - I wasn't paying attention and forgot to tell the cab driver to turn the meter on. When we got to the museum which was less than one mile away - it was $12! WTF!
Israelis need to learn to wait in line. Many are pushy and rude and have very few manners. When the bus comes in the afternoon or at the market-there is a mad rush to the door. When my parent were at the Shuk they were waiting for the bus but then couldn't get on it because all the locals bumrushed the doors when it pulled to the curb. I am convinced that this is why there are no theme parks in Israel. Someone must have opened a Six Flags once with a "Line Cutters will be Ejected from Park" sign hanging at the entrance - but by lunch time there weren't any customers left.
Speaking of: To the woman that cut in front of me at Super Pharm the other day because I was waiting for the old man to finish receiving his meds before I asked the pharmacist for the Immodium (because everything from Advil to Pepto is behind the pharmacy counter!) and you cut in front of me waving your prescription paper in the air and I stuck my arm out in front of you and said "Slicha {excuse me} I was here before you" and you pretended not to know any English even though you damn well understood what I said - Back the fuck up - I'm ordering important drugs here.
Living in NYC I have become a very spoiled foodie. Israel is not the place to expect good Italian food, Indian food, Spanish food, Mexican food (well really any Mexican food - when I asked one cab driver where the closest Mexcian restaurant was he replied "mexican food too much like Arab food") Thai food, Chinese food, or sushi. Hummus they do well, pita- yum, spices and babaganoush- check. But marinara sauce or mango chutney? Steer clear. And a Chicken parm sandwich? Definitely not in this town.
Which brings us to the cheeses. Every menu just lists cheeses by color and not by type. "Such and such with yellow cheese" or "Salad with white cheese" - But how am I supposed to know whether it's goat or feta (no- they're not the same btw) swiss or american (scratch that-they def. don't have american here) mozzarella or cheddar.. you get the idea. Just list the damn cheeses on the menu.
And finally, seriously, what's the deal with the cats? There are cats in every nook corner and crevice of this country. There are cats on the balconies, in the streets, in the old city, by the Kotel, in the parks (which smell like cat pee), under the cars, in the trees. At times, I think that there are more cats than Jews. And the kids who are petting those cats...gross! I am not nor ever will be a cat person (Sorry Manders but you already knew). Someone said to me last week "Well, Israel used to have a big mouse problem so now they've traded it in for a cat problem." No fear - I have come up with a solution: Lions. I think if you put lions in the places where the mice and/or cats were- you could solve both problems the feline and the murine (of or relating to mice/rats - I had to look it up too). Also- added bonus - keep out unwanted Kotel visitors or better yet Western Wall tunnel tours led by Siegfried and Roy. The possibilities are endless. I will write a letter to Netanyahu (Israeli PM) tomorrow. Surely, he will agree with such wisdom.
Living Abroad
You learn some things about yourself when living abroad. Recently I have discovered that I yearn and crave the comforts of America much more than I thought I would. Today I found the Makolet (Bodega/small grocery store- my Hebrew is improving word by word) with a plethora of American staples. And even though I probably wouldn't buy Gatorade Dr. Pepper Milano coookies Corona and Herr's tortilla chips on a regular trip to Shop Rite (ok. well maybe those last 2) when I find them here I feel some sort of inner zen and calm knowing that the ingredients are listed in English and that I am familiar with such items. Of course I've always found something relaxing and enjoyable about grocery shopping and perhaps this plays a small part.
But I also find that it's something that bonds people and communities. On Friday night at the excellent Shabbat dinner I was at -at my new friends Keren and Hillel- eventually the conversation turned towards Wegman's (no- I didn't steer it there) which makes me think that it is the little things that sometimes make the biggest difference.
So if it was ten shekels for an Arizona Iced Tea or much more for a pint of Ben and Jerry's - the ability to justify such a purchase to oneself is immensely easier 3000 miles outside your own zip code. I am saving the Gatorade for a special occasion. I guarantee it will be the best tasting quench thirsting Fruit Punch ever.
But I also find that it's something that bonds people and communities. On Friday night at the excellent Shabbat dinner I was at -at my new friends Keren and Hillel- eventually the conversation turned towards Wegman's (no- I didn't steer it there) which makes me think that it is the little things that sometimes make the biggest difference.
So if it was ten shekels for an Arizona Iced Tea or much more for a pint of Ben and Jerry's - the ability to justify such a purchase to oneself is immensely easier 3000 miles outside your own zip code. I am saving the Gatorade for a special occasion. I guarantee it will be the best tasting quench thirsting Fruit Punch ever.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Israel by the numbers
Israel by the numbers:
Days in Israel so far: 16
Number of times I've watched Party of Five on Israeli TV: 5
Episodes of Everwood: 2
Cost of one small bottle of Listerine: $10 (40 shekels!)
Days it took me to find a grocery store with taco mix and tortillas - 8
Number of times I've cooked tacos - 0
Consecutive days I've had an upset stomach: 16 :(
Days remaining where I will eat Hummus or drink tap water: 0
# of times I've been mistaken for Israeli: 11
# of times I've been mistaken for Moroccan: 1
Days left in Israel and/or traveling abroad: 30 (woohoo!)
Days in Israel so far: 16
Number of times I've watched Party of Five on Israeli TV: 5
Episodes of Everwood: 2
Cost of one small bottle of Listerine: $10 (40 shekels!)
Days it took me to find a grocery store with taco mix and tortillas - 8
Number of times I've cooked tacos - 0
Consecutive days I've had an upset stomach: 16 :(
Days remaining where I will eat Hummus or drink tap water: 0
# of times I've been mistaken for Israeli: 11
# of times I've been mistaken for Moroccan: 1
Days left in Israel and/or traveling abroad: 30 (woohoo!)
Petra
Petra
On Saturday, we again wake up early (!) to wait for our sherut to the Israel-Jordan border. We leave the hotel so early, that they provide us breakfast in a box since they do not open their dining hall until 7 AM. Breakfast in a box consists of: 3 slices of spicy cheese (I’m not sure which kind), a bottle of water, a roll of bread, a yogurt and some fruit. The sherut comes and we board with our breakfast boxes. There is a nice Mexican girl and her grandfather already in the Sherut.
When we arrive at the border, we are told that we must eat our breakfast there on the sidewalk, as you cannot cross the border with aforementioned breakfast boxes due to security purposes. Hungrily, we tear open the boxes to eat but our quickly and viciously attacked by swarms of nearby flies. Our Israeli guide informs us that there are many date trees nearby and that is why the flies are everywhere. Grossed out and itchy, I toss most of the breakfast in a nearby trashcan.
We do a lot of waiting. We wait for the border gate to open. We wait at Israeli customs. We wait for our passports to get stamped, to cross the border into Jordan, for our Jordanian guide (Elias) to buy the visas and get our passports stamped again. We wait for the bus to arrive. After this interminable process, we board the bus and begin our two-hour journey through the foothills and mountains of Jordan.
Jordan is a beautiful country and the mountains and sandstone are quite majestic. However, I am exhausted and pass out within the first half hour of the bus ride. After an hour, we stop for a bathroom break and some souvenirs at a shop. I use the men’s room and buy some cookies for 1 Jordanian Dinar (~ $1.50 US). Although the bathroom isn’t of spectacular quality, it suffices for the time being.
However, when I meet my mother outside the shop, she is livid. The Jordanians view of women is different from the West and it shows. Amy (mom) is handed two sheets of tissue paper before she goes into the ladies room. However, none of the stalls have seats and if a woman wants more than her two tissues she must pay the male bathroom attendant for extras. I agree with my mom how terrible it is and that is a “shanda.” Secretly though, I am ecstatic that my bathroom stall came equipped with a proper seat.
We finally arrive at Petra. The sun is scorching and it is blazingly hot. We walk the first 100 feet or so, but my dad would rather take a horse than walk and pays a Jordanian man $5 to ride his horse the first ¼ mile of the journey.
Petra is the second wonder of the world and was home to the Nabateans- a mysterious tribe of people who trace all the way back to the fifth century BCE. The ancient city was built within the foothills of the huge mountains and the facades of that were chiseled and etch onto the faces of the mountain are breathtaking. Later, the Romans conquered the land, built roads, set up shop and converted everyone to Christianity.
We walk through the Roman roads and crevices of Petra as our tour guide explains the history. We walk about two miles but when we reach the end none of us has the energy to walk all the way back. So we bargain with another Jordanian for camel rides for all three of us. He agrees to take us 1/3 of the way back for $40 for all of us. Not a bad deal- and I finally get to ride a camel, as I never got the chance when I was in Israel.
It takes us much longer to walk back to the visitor’s center than the walk down but we do each bit slowly and then rest. Walk a few meters, rest, repeat. Eventually, we make our way back to the bus, drink some water, and are thankful to be sitting.
The Jordanian/Arabic restaurant the tour takes us to for dinner is very good. It is set up buffet style and we eat lamb, chicken, rice, pita, hummus, lentil soup, vegetables, baklava, borekas, and other Middle Eastern staples. It is delicious but also sends me running for the lavatory for well - let's just say for a while. Mom bangs on the door to tell me that everyone is already on the bus and waiting for me- but I care very little at the moment. Eventually - I make my way back to the bus thinking I might get the sarcastic American applause usually associated with such endeavors - but I don't. Most everyone is sound asleep.
The bus ride back to the border is quiet and I sleep for at least an hour. The bathroom we stop it is worst than the previous one but by this point I'm sure you can use your imagination.
Finally we return to the Jordan/Israel border and do everything in reverse. The flies are still everywhere but we do get a ride back to the hotel in some nice woman's jeep. I sit shotgun and make small talk about the Salt plants in Eilat. They mine the salt there and then sell it to European countries to use on their snow in the winter (Who knew?).
Back at the hotel we thought the pool might be open for swimming but to our chagrin it closes at 6 pm!! Dismayed we retreat back to the hotel room and settle in.
By 9 pm I am sound asleep on the pullout couch at the Isrotel Agammim Hotel of Eilat. It has been a spectacular adventurous and tiresome day.
PS: Pictures are up in case you missed them. Hopefully this link works. If not let me know and I"ll try to fix it. Round 1
On Saturday, we again wake up early (!) to wait for our sherut to the Israel-Jordan border. We leave the hotel so early, that they provide us breakfast in a box since they do not open their dining hall until 7 AM. Breakfast in a box consists of: 3 slices of spicy cheese (I’m not sure which kind), a bottle of water, a roll of bread, a yogurt and some fruit. The sherut comes and we board with our breakfast boxes. There is a nice Mexican girl and her grandfather already in the Sherut.
When we arrive at the border, we are told that we must eat our breakfast there on the sidewalk, as you cannot cross the border with aforementioned breakfast boxes due to security purposes. Hungrily, we tear open the boxes to eat but our quickly and viciously attacked by swarms of nearby flies. Our Israeli guide informs us that there are many date trees nearby and that is why the flies are everywhere. Grossed out and itchy, I toss most of the breakfast in a nearby trashcan.
We do a lot of waiting. We wait for the border gate to open. We wait at Israeli customs. We wait for our passports to get stamped, to cross the border into Jordan, for our Jordanian guide (Elias) to buy the visas and get our passports stamped again. We wait for the bus to arrive. After this interminable process, we board the bus and begin our two-hour journey through the foothills and mountains of Jordan.
Jordan is a beautiful country and the mountains and sandstone are quite majestic. However, I am exhausted and pass out within the first half hour of the bus ride. After an hour, we stop for a bathroom break and some souvenirs at a shop. I use the men’s room and buy some cookies for 1 Jordanian Dinar (~ $1.50 US). Although the bathroom isn’t of spectacular quality, it suffices for the time being.
However, when I meet my mother outside the shop, she is livid. The Jordanians view of women is different from the West and it shows. Amy (mom) is handed two sheets of tissue paper before she goes into the ladies room. However, none of the stalls have seats and if a woman wants more than her two tissues she must pay the male bathroom attendant for extras. I agree with my mom how terrible it is and that is a “shanda.” Secretly though, I am ecstatic that my bathroom stall came equipped with a proper seat.
We finally arrive at Petra. The sun is scorching and it is blazingly hot. We walk the first 100 feet or so, but my dad would rather take a horse than walk and pays a Jordanian man $5 to ride his horse the first ¼ mile of the journey.
Petra is the second wonder of the world and was home to the Nabateans- a mysterious tribe of people who trace all the way back to the fifth century BCE. The ancient city was built within the foothills of the huge mountains and the facades of that were chiseled and etch onto the faces of the mountain are breathtaking. Later, the Romans conquered the land, built roads, set up shop and converted everyone to Christianity.
We walk through the Roman roads and crevices of Petra as our tour guide explains the history. We walk about two miles but when we reach the end none of us has the energy to walk all the way back. So we bargain with another Jordanian for camel rides for all three of us. He agrees to take us 1/3 of the way back for $40 for all of us. Not a bad deal- and I finally get to ride a camel, as I never got the chance when I was in Israel.
It takes us much longer to walk back to the visitor’s center than the walk down but we do each bit slowly and then rest. Walk a few meters, rest, repeat. Eventually, we make our way back to the bus, drink some water, and are thankful to be sitting.
The Jordanian/Arabic restaurant the tour takes us to for dinner is very good. It is set up buffet style and we eat lamb, chicken, rice, pita, hummus, lentil soup, vegetables, baklava, borekas, and other Middle Eastern staples. It is delicious but also sends me running for the lavatory for well - let's just say for a while. Mom bangs on the door to tell me that everyone is already on the bus and waiting for me- but I care very little at the moment. Eventually - I make my way back to the bus thinking I might get the sarcastic American applause usually associated with such endeavors - but I don't. Most everyone is sound asleep.
The bus ride back to the border is quiet and I sleep for at least an hour. The bathroom we stop it is worst than the previous one but by this point I'm sure you can use your imagination.
Finally we return to the Jordan/Israel border and do everything in reverse. The flies are still everywhere but we do get a ride back to the hotel in some nice woman's jeep. I sit shotgun and make small talk about the Salt plants in Eilat. They mine the salt there and then sell it to European countries to use on their snow in the winter (Who knew?).
Back at the hotel we thought the pool might be open for swimming but to our chagrin it closes at 6 pm!! Dismayed we retreat back to the hotel room and settle in.
By 9 pm I am sound asleep on the pullout couch at the Isrotel Agammim Hotel of Eilat. It has been a spectacular adventurous and tiresome day.
PS: Pictures are up in case you missed them. Hopefully this link works. If not let me know and I"ll try to fix it. Round 1
Monday, July 12, 2010
Eilat
Fri. 5 AM-
Note to self: Do not throw Ipod across the room when alarm sounds.
The sherut comes at 5:45 to pick me up along with Mom and Dad (they got here Tues.) to take us to Ben Gurion airport. However the sherut drops us off at the wrong terminal and before we know where we are- takes off in his taxi. Such is Israel. We wait for the shuttle bus and take it to terminal 1 where we arrive early enough to wait in line for the security check for Arkia airlines. This is one of the few lines I have seen here. People don't wait it line or stand in line and everyone pushes to get ahead. While I have been in Israel enough times that I have grown accustomed to this; it angers my mother to no end. Although I think she will slap the pushy Israeli lady edging her luggage in front of ours- in the face she manages to let it go and buys two bottled waters from the vending machine. I forget that I haven't traveled with my parents for a long time and am pretty certain its been nearly 12 years- since our family trip to Costa Rica.
Anyhow finally Arkia opens up their gates and we go through security and then to the check in counter. There are lots of teenagers on the flight-including 8 boys who look like the just saw every episode of the Jersey Shore and then went out to buy Pauly D's wardrobe. I begin to wonder if Eilat is just an Israeli version of Cancun.
It is a short flight- only 45 minutes and I sleep for twenty of them. Upon arrival we take the complimentary hotel shuttle to Isrotel Agammim - a short 5 min. drive. Although the hotel isn't directly on the beach it is close enough and more affordable. The pool is absolutely stunning and reminds me of some of the hotel pools in Vegas. Dad takes a nap and Mom and I set out to explore. We walk over to the beach. sit for a bit and put our feet in the ultra blue clear clean water. We hop in and out of different hotels looking at their lobbies and swimming pools and wander into a few stores. Eilat is a great town and we are both glad that we made the trek even though many people said not to come because it is "just a resort."
Back at the hotel we grab Dad and take him to the Underwater Aquarium. There is an enjoyable movie about the coral reef in Eilat and the seats move like a mini ride. Some of the museum is under water and mostly glass and that part is really cool. We also visit the sea turtles and the shark pool. Afterwards we head to a beach just a bit south of the aquarium and go snorkeling in the Red Sea. There are some cool looking fish and coral. We hang out at the beach for a bit and then head over to the mall in Eilat so Dad can get comfortable walking shoes for Petra. He finds some solid Nike's and we split a grape slushie. Yum.
We walk back to the hotel and even though we get a little lost the beautiful scenery and the fantastic day make up for it. We are exhausted though and in bed and asleep by 930 or so. Tomorrow is another early day.
Note to self: Do not throw Ipod across the room when alarm sounds.
The sherut comes at 5:45 to pick me up along with Mom and Dad (they got here Tues.) to take us to Ben Gurion airport. However the sherut drops us off at the wrong terminal and before we know where we are- takes off in his taxi. Such is Israel. We wait for the shuttle bus and take it to terminal 1 where we arrive early enough to wait in line for the security check for Arkia airlines. This is one of the few lines I have seen here. People don't wait it line or stand in line and everyone pushes to get ahead. While I have been in Israel enough times that I have grown accustomed to this; it angers my mother to no end. Although I think she will slap the pushy Israeli lady edging her luggage in front of ours- in the face she manages to let it go and buys two bottled waters from the vending machine. I forget that I haven't traveled with my parents for a long time and am pretty certain its been nearly 12 years- since our family trip to Costa Rica.
Anyhow finally Arkia opens up their gates and we go through security and then to the check in counter. There are lots of teenagers on the flight-including 8 boys who look like the just saw every episode of the Jersey Shore and then went out to buy Pauly D's wardrobe. I begin to wonder if Eilat is just an Israeli version of Cancun.
It is a short flight- only 45 minutes and I sleep for twenty of them. Upon arrival we take the complimentary hotel shuttle to Isrotel Agammim - a short 5 min. drive. Although the hotel isn't directly on the beach it is close enough and more affordable. The pool is absolutely stunning and reminds me of some of the hotel pools in Vegas. Dad takes a nap and Mom and I set out to explore. We walk over to the beach. sit for a bit and put our feet in the ultra blue clear clean water. We hop in and out of different hotels looking at their lobbies and swimming pools and wander into a few stores. Eilat is a great town and we are both glad that we made the trek even though many people said not to come because it is "just a resort."
Back at the hotel we grab Dad and take him to the Underwater Aquarium. There is an enjoyable movie about the coral reef in Eilat and the seats move like a mini ride. Some of the museum is under water and mostly glass and that part is really cool. We also visit the sea turtles and the shark pool. Afterwards we head to a beach just a bit south of the aquarium and go snorkeling in the Red Sea. There are some cool looking fish and coral. We hang out at the beach for a bit and then head over to the mall in Eilat so Dad can get comfortable walking shoes for Petra. He finds some solid Nike's and we split a grape slushie. Yum.
We walk back to the hotel and even though we get a little lost the beautiful scenery and the fantastic day make up for it. We are exhausted though and in bed and asleep by 930 or so. Tomorrow is another early day.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Haifa
Day 3- Haifa
Took the 16 bus to the train station at around 11 AM to catch the train to Haifa. While I was waiting on the platform I met a nice French woman who asked me if this was the train to Haifa (see. everyone keeps thinking I'm Israeli). When I asked her were she was from she said "Haifa" and had lived here for a year but hadn't figured her way around much yet. Until then I highly encourage all the international women of the world to ask me for directions-I'm good with maps.
Anyhow I got off one station to early in Haifa and took a cab to the Bahai Gardens. The cab driver brought me to this really great lookout point first that was build with money donated from San Francisco- Haifa's Sister city b/c they are both built on crazy mountains with ridiculous hills etc..
The cab driver ripped me off on the cab ride (I found out later how much it should have cost) but what can you do.
The Bahai Gardens were beautiful although I got there too late for the English tour and you couldn't walk through the middle section because of a Bahai pilgrimage that was taking place and visitors had traveled from all over to be there on that day.
No matter it was still very nice and I had a chance to take some great pictures. coming out of the Bahai Gardens lookout point I walked through this random park that was behind it and by accident came across the Haifa Japanese Art Museum. As I had never been to a Japanese Art Museum and the cost was only 20 shekels to get in - it made sense. It was small but still very cool and most of the museum was from this German Jewish art collector/curator in the 30s who hid the whole collection in Holland during WW II and retrieved it after the war.
Then I caught a bus and walked around Haifa's Hadar neighborhood which was cute. As I went up to a restaurant to look at their menu for lunch the hostess from the restaurant next to it came over to show me their menu. People really want to do business with you I suppose. I picked the restaurant that had the Pasta with Mushroom cream sauce. It didn't disappoint.
Later on I was trying to find the German Colony and had to walk up this long windy street Sderot Hatisyanut in Haifa that goes up Mt. Carmel. It was similar to walking Lombard street in SF but this was much worse. and way harder.
However I did wind up meeting this incredibly nice sweet young couple from Tel Aviv who were just hanging out in Haifa being touristy for the day. Aviv is an Israeli Indian whose family is Jewish and from Mumbai and Oksana is a Russian immigrant (Gorka!) She used to intern in Haifa and pointed out a few things and we talked for a while as we walked to the German Colony and they asked if I wanted to sit and have a beer which sounded perfect so I did. Sometimes the best thing about traveling is all the great people you meet along the way.
We talked for a while and then Oksana suggested we take a taxi to the Carmel beach and watch the sunset while having a fruit smoothie. I had never heard of a better plan than that and off we went. I can't think of a better ending to a better day.
Took the 16 bus to the train station at around 11 AM to catch the train to Haifa. While I was waiting on the platform I met a nice French woman who asked me if this was the train to Haifa (see. everyone keeps thinking I'm Israeli). When I asked her were she was from she said "Haifa" and had lived here for a year but hadn't figured her way around much yet. Until then I highly encourage all the international women of the world to ask me for directions-I'm good with maps.
Anyhow I got off one station to early in Haifa and took a cab to the Bahai Gardens. The cab driver brought me to this really great lookout point first that was build with money donated from San Francisco- Haifa's Sister city b/c they are both built on crazy mountains with ridiculous hills etc..
The cab driver ripped me off on the cab ride (I found out later how much it should have cost) but what can you do.
The Bahai Gardens were beautiful although I got there too late for the English tour and you couldn't walk through the middle section because of a Bahai pilgrimage that was taking place and visitors had traveled from all over to be there on that day.
No matter it was still very nice and I had a chance to take some great pictures. coming out of the Bahai Gardens lookout point I walked through this random park that was behind it and by accident came across the Haifa Japanese Art Museum. As I had never been to a Japanese Art Museum and the cost was only 20 shekels to get in - it made sense. It was small but still very cool and most of the museum was from this German Jewish art collector/curator in the 30s who hid the whole collection in Holland during WW II and retrieved it after the war.
Then I caught a bus and walked around Haifa's Hadar neighborhood which was cute. As I went up to a restaurant to look at their menu for lunch the hostess from the restaurant next to it came over to show me their menu. People really want to do business with you I suppose. I picked the restaurant that had the Pasta with Mushroom cream sauce. It didn't disappoint.
Later on I was trying to find the German Colony and had to walk up this long windy street Sderot Hatisyanut in Haifa that goes up Mt. Carmel. It was similar to walking Lombard street in SF but this was much worse. and way harder.
However I did wind up meeting this incredibly nice sweet young couple from Tel Aviv who were just hanging out in Haifa being touristy for the day. Aviv is an Israeli Indian whose family is Jewish and from Mumbai and Oksana is a Russian immigrant (Gorka!) She used to intern in Haifa and pointed out a few things and we talked for a while as we walked to the German Colony and they asked if I wanted to sit and have a beer which sounded perfect so I did. Sometimes the best thing about traveling is all the great people you meet along the way.
We talked for a while and then Oksana suggested we take a taxi to the Carmel beach and watch the sunset while having a fruit smoothie. I had never heard of a better plan than that and off we went. I can't think of a better ending to a better day.
July Fourth
Day 2
Happy July 4th!
I woke up today and walked over to a trendy neighborhood called Neve Tzedek. On my way there I got accosted by these 2 American teenage girls from NFTY Summer Israel program who were interviewing Israelis on the street and asking them questions about Israel. I told them I was from NYC but they interviewed me anyway. I stumped them on the last question. They said "Do you think Tel Aviv is a Jewish city or a city of Jews?" Of course as a Jewish studies teacher I responded: 'The question really offers a false proposition wouldn't you say? Like Jewish American/American Jew. ' Looking confused. I went on: 'If I asked you to pick your favorite color of the rainbow-blue or green- what would you say?'
To that the 16 year olds though I had made a good point. I agree. :)
Afterwards I walked through a small part of Neve Tzedek but got super lost as there are all these narrow streets with weird twists and turns. I ended up walking along Herzl Street- which only had furniture stores on it. No other shops or restaurants just a long stretch of furniture showrooms for about half a mile. wtf?
Afterwards I headed to Florentin which is another trendy neighborhood and had a nice lunch at a restaurant called Bugsy (a la Bugsy Siegel). I had the pasta with pesto sauce (picture coming soon). Then took the Sherut to Jerusalem to pick up my keys to the apartment (still can't move in til the 6th). On my walk back to the Sherut back to Tel Aviv I decided to pop into the grocery store to see what it was like. since that's where I'll be doing most of my shopping. On my way. I bump into my buddy Zach who I worked with at sleep away camp four years ago and who now made aliyah and is serving in the army. How random. He was buying stuff for a bbq at his place. He offered me an invitation but I politely declined since I had already told Anat and Cam that I would be at their bbq and do my best to represent America.
Back in Tel Aviv the bbq on their roof deck was fun and it's so pretty watching the sunset over the Mediterranean. There were lots of Israelis there and a lot of Hebrew but also a nice couple from Toronto who are professors and on Sabbatical so I got to speak with them for a bit in English. We had wings and shish kebab. It was nice but it did make me yearn for America a bit. Baseball and Sam Adams and Hamburgers with buns (the buns are the tough part- everyone uses pita here or no bun! weird.)
When everyone went home b/c they had to work the next day I decided to scope out the American bars to see what was doing. I walked down to Mike's Place by the beach which is owned by an American guy and is a touristy hangout. But it has live music and Gov't Mule played there a few weeks ago.
It was pretty hopping when I got there-however since the drinking age in Israel is 18 every college freshman and study abroad kid was out getting hammered. When I saw the two dudes at the table wearing their "Wilkinson High School 2009" T Shirts - I knew it was time to go.
That left Joey's on Allenby Street. It was a dive but had license plates all on the outside and inside from all different states. The bartender was a nice girl from China and there were these three German dudes who had mullets and were drinking themselves silly and fist pumping to German techno house music which I never ever hope to hear again. I ordered a Heineken (I didn't want to make them angry) enjoyed it. and left. Tomorrow: Haifa
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Day 1
Shalom from Tel Aviv! This is my first ever blog and blog post. Woohoo! If anyone has a more original blog name I'm all ears but I just returned from a run along the Tayelet (promenade) and am coming up short in the creative department.
The flight over was hellish. First we were delayed an hour and even though the seat next to me was empty I was still in the aisle and everyone kept hitting my arm-bumping my head etc... (Please forgive the omission of commas throughout this post but the comma key on my keyboard isn't working! Grr.!) Anyhow the Israeli woman sitting by the window insisted on keeping the window open the entire flight so 10.5 straight hours of sun. I took an ambien but still couldn't fall asleep and ended up having a half dream/half hallucination that I was Mumra from Thundercats. Weird.
At the airport I got grilled by security for a good 15 minutes. I wonder if I look more Arab than I do Israeli? Especially since I shaved my head before I left. Came to Anat and Cam's apartment (good friend from camp) in Tel Aviv and am staying in a very comfy tent on their balcony (Hebrew=mirpeset). Just like camping. Sort of.
Went with Cam to the Carmel Market (Souk - pronounced Shuk) and walked around bought some fruit etc.. I like the dried apricots. They're like healthy candy.
Then last night went to a good burger joint-Agadir- around the corner to watch the Uruguay/Ghana in the World Cup. Great game.
Today visited the Tel Aviv Museum of Art which was cool and a nice walk through Tel Aviv. It's open on Shabbat and only 32 shekels (~$8) with my Brooklyn College student ID. I snuck a few pictures on my phone but am still trying to figure out how to get them on to this computer and then on to the blog. They will follow soon.
Afterwards back to Agadir with Cam and Anat to watch Germany spank Argentina. Oh my.
Then went for that run I was telling you about earlier. Happy 4th of July everyone.
~ MD
The flight over was hellish. First we were delayed an hour and even though the seat next to me was empty I was still in the aisle and everyone kept hitting my arm-bumping my head etc... (Please forgive the omission of commas throughout this post but the comma key on my keyboard isn't working! Grr.!) Anyhow the Israeli woman sitting by the window insisted on keeping the window open the entire flight so 10.5 straight hours of sun. I took an ambien but still couldn't fall asleep and ended up having a half dream/half hallucination that I was Mumra from Thundercats. Weird.
At the airport I got grilled by security for a good 15 minutes. I wonder if I look more Arab than I do Israeli? Especially since I shaved my head before I left. Came to Anat and Cam's apartment (good friend from camp) in Tel Aviv and am staying in a very comfy tent on their balcony (Hebrew=mirpeset). Just like camping. Sort of.
Went with Cam to the Carmel Market (Souk - pronounced Shuk) and walked around bought some fruit etc.. I like the dried apricots. They're like healthy candy.
Then last night went to a good burger joint-Agadir- around the corner to watch the Uruguay/Ghana in the World Cup. Great game.
Today visited the Tel Aviv Museum of Art which was cool and a nice walk through Tel Aviv. It's open on Shabbat and only 32 shekels (~$8) with my Brooklyn College student ID. I snuck a few pictures on my phone but am still trying to figure out how to get them on to this computer and then on to the blog. They will follow soon.
Afterwards back to Agadir with Cam and Anat to watch Germany spank Argentina. Oh my.
Then went for that run I was telling you about earlier. Happy 4th of July everyone.
~ MD
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