Israel

(Click on photo to view all photos from Israel)

Israel has been the only place so far that has given me a tingle upon landing. You just can't help thinking, I can't believe I'm here. You feel unfamiliar, you feel lost --until you hear the dozens of Americans chatting around the baggage claim area. Guess where most of them are from? Of course, no other place like Brooklyn. Ahhh, feels like home ;).

In our delarious state (post red-eye flight) we wondered to a restaurant next to our hotel (Coffee & Food - which we returned to about 5 more times), open up the newspaper today and see the headline "Israelis Threaten Extreme Action". Uh, did we make a mistake coming to Israel at this time? I had thought about checking the news before we left to make sure it was 'safe', but maybe unconsciously didn't. Now I know why our Israeli friends tell us they never read the news when they are there. But everything turned out to be okay. Tel Aviv is a long way from the Gaza and everyone parties, obsesses over football like everything was normal.

We spent some time with Menachem (Joe's professor friend who lives in Israel over the summer) on day one. It was like a history lesson via road trip. We learned about the Druze people who are loyal to the country they live in. So in the complicated situation that exists in the Middle East, it's possible for a brother to fight against his own brother if they live in different conflicting countries. The other half of the tour was Menachem showing show his favorite bike routes (they did triathlons together in NYC) -- so I fell asleep (Hey, I was recovering from a red-eye flight :).

We had a great tour guide from Egged (tour company), Haya, who spoke both English and Spanish. She would follow every English sentence with a Spanish sentence. We also met a few people from Argentina in our tour group. Unexpectedly, we were able to practice our Spanish speaking skills in Israel (of all places! :).

Jerusalem - A bit surreal that we were able to visiting places that are at the core of many religious beliefs. We were able to walk the stations of the cross on Via Dolorosa, kneel at the place where Jesus' cross stood, touch the stone upon which his body was laid after taken down from the cross, visit the tomb in which his body laid for 2 days before being resurrected. Unreal.

Masada and Dead Sea - Joe and I nearly melted to the ground during this excursion. Beautiful scenery from high above of the surrounding mountains and the sea below. The Dead Sea is like a natural spa (see mud bath photos). Many companies in Israel mine the salt and minerals from the sea to make beauty products. I came home with loads of Ahava products. Lovely. Just don't jump into the dead sea with any open cuts or wounds. It's like torture when that salt touches your body.

We were told that exiting Israel would be an adventure. Our friend Menachem said he would drive us to the airport and walk us in (normal), and he would talk to the security personal (not normal). He literally vouched for us about our whereabouts when in Israel, how long he has known us, and even he was asked for a proof of identification. We thought we were in the clear, but then they asked him if we were ever not with him (uh, what do you think - normal people need to work). Of course not, so the questioning continued. Who else did you see while you were here, what were their names, how do you know them...

In the end, we passed the test which included a detailed excavation of my suitcase. Phew. Too bad I don't have the stamp in my passport to prove that I was there :). It's common to ask passport control to stamp on an extra piece of paper, because there are other countries that won't let you in if they see you have been to Israel.

Thanks Israel for the many fond memories. You are very much a special place. I hope one day there will be peace the equates to your beauty.

// Things We Discovered and Loved //
*Restaurants*
Manta Ray - Great atmosphere and right on the beach. Walk towards Jaffa from the David Intercontinental Hotel and you'll run into it.
Coffee & Food - Large portions and great yogurt fruit shakes. Located right next McDonalds near Yamit Park Plaza Hotel.

*Bars*
La Mer - You can't miss this bar/restaurant on the beach. At night they light up red cones along the beach and have a spot light aimed towards the water so you can go swimming. Great place to watch World Cup matches! :)

*Products From Israel*
Max Brenner Chocolate - Chocolate by the Bald Man sold in very cute reusable tin boxes
Ahava - Dead Sea skin care products
Malty - Black beer that tastes like root beer
Money - Bills are made in pretty colors