Middle East trip

Quote: Andrew's Israel Vacation Monday July 21, 1997 I check in at JFK's International TWA terminal B for my TWA Flight 884 leaving at 11:35pm. I get seat 8-8 right behind the first class seats, so I've got plenty of leg room for the long flight of 4,554 miles. I actually got some sleep on the plane ride. The flight goes quickly and takes only 9 1/2 hours and arrives at 2:50pm. I adjust my watch for the 7 hour time difference. Shalom! My first day in Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. Tuesday July 22, 1997 After getting off the plane I go through a relatively painless security checkpoint. (I would later find out that it would not be so easy on the return trip). I cash in some U.S. dollars for Israeli sheckels, so I would have enough money to get me into Jerusalem. Several Israeli's yell "sherut" "sherut" asking me if I want to take a shared taxi, but I preferred to use the bus system. I eventually cross the street and find the bus stop with signs in Hebrew on one side and English on the other, so I knew I was at the right bus stop for Jerusalem. Bus 423 eventually pulls up and I give the driver a 20 sheckel note and get a receipt and some sheckel coins back in change and I am told to store my luggage on the bus undercarriage. The 50 minute ride from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is wonderful, as the ride on the highway goes through green fields and mountain sides. So many Israeli's have cellular phones, it seemed like whenever I was on a bus someones cellular phone would ring and they would engage in a conversation. At around 4:30pm I arrive in Jerusalem at the Jerusalem Central Bus station as the bus driver announces "Tachna Mercazit" After checking with information I find the direction to my hotel and begin walking down Jaffa Street and eventually find the intersection to Agrippas Street and my bed and breakfast hotel location. There are so many young Israeli men and women soldiers in the streets and in the buses with their large Uzi type guns in hand. It took me a while to get used to this site, but then I never gave it another thought. After checking in, I immediately begin with map in hand in search of the Old City and the Western Wall (Ha kotel). Lots of small shops along the way but after a 20 minute walk I arrive at the Old City and enter the Jaffa Gate. I proceed past the Tower of David, through the Armenian Quarters and then onto the Jewish Quarters. It is confusing at first, but I eventually find my way through Cardo and then to the right stairway where I can see the Western Wall and the Dome of The Rock from a distance. Proceeding closer it is clear that this is a site revered by the Jewish faith. Hundreds of men line the left side of the wall in prayer, separated by a fence where on the right side the women line the wall in prayer. More people continue to head towards the Western Wall from the Dung Gate entrance. I stayed until 7 pm and then decided to head back to the hotel and pick up some tour information along the way and get an early nights sleep. I have survived my first day in Jerusalem. Jerusalem Central Bus Station Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City Israeli soldiers in the Old City Roman ruins in the Cardo The Western Wall Wednesday July 23, 1997 Boker Tov! I wake up early at 6am and have a nice Israeli breakfast consisting of sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots, hard boiled eggs, toast, jam, cereal, orange juice, tea and watermelon. Today I am on my way to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot. By 7:30am I then make my way down Jaffa Street past Mahane Yehuda Street to the Jerusalem Bus Station where I purchase my ticket for Rehovot. The bus ride goes through Tel Aviv and onto Rehovot and I find my way into a vast complex of buildings surrounded by a beautiful green lawn. One of the monuments I pass is a huge Solar Tower- it is unfortunately clsoed for renovations though. After asking several people for directions I find my way to the Weizmann Institute of Science where I meet Malki Cymbalista, one of the systems people at the Computing Center who I contacted via email. She made arrangments for me to use the facilities to access my email back home. After a tour of the facilities, I have a chance to email everyone back home. Then I went to the Wix Auditorium and watched a short film describing the activities of the Weizmann Institute. Then I met Malki and had lunch together at a cafeteria on the facilities. By midafternoon I was fatigued and caught the bus back to Tel Aviv, and got another bus back to Jerusalem and took a long nap when I got back to the hotel. Later on I went back to the Old City and saw a 45 minute Sound and Light presentation at the Tower of David at 9:30pm. Afterwards I had a light dinner and went back to the hotel and went to sleep for the night. Solar Tower Photo at Weizmann Institute Thursday July 24, 1997 I woke up early for the 6 am breakfast and then went to catch a bus to the Tel Aviv Bus Terminal. The Bus Terminal is huge covering 6 floor levels which not only has buses on all levels but shopping malls as well. It took me a while to locate the Dan Bus Company on the 4th floor where I caught a bus that took me to Ramat Aviv. In Ramat Aviv I had a chance to visit the Tel Aviv University and get a tour of the computing facilities. Then I went to the Diaspora Museum and spent 2 hours there through the interactive exhibits focusing on Jewish culture and life. I then took the bus back to the Tel Aviv Bus Terminal, and eventually I found the exit to the street level on the 3rd floor. I wandered around the streets of Tel Aviv and it took me about 45 minutes to locate where I was on the city map. Then I headed down Rothschild Street and went to the Shalom Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Tel Aviv, where I paid an admission fee to go to the Observation Deck and get some panoramic photos of the Tel Aviv beach shore line. Then I walked some more and passed by the Independence Hall and Hagganah Musuem. I proceeded down Allenby street when it suddenly turned into a totally different named street. I felt a bit lost in this cosmopolitan city so I decided to head back to the Bus Terminal and go back to Jerusalem. I spent some time walking through the Mahane Yehuda market place which is quite active with people buying food in preparation for the Sabbath. Here you can sense that Shabbat is in the air. Shoppers look for the nicest and freshest in honor of the Sabbath such as challot, wine, fruit, fish, and aromatic leaves to be used in the Havdala ceremony at the end of Shabbat. Luckily I was not here a week later when 2 suicide bombs exploded at this very market place. I had enough time to go back to the Old City and explore the Tower of David Museum and then wandered through the Christian Quarters for a while before heading back to have a nice dinner at a restaurant called Ima's (Mom's) where I had a mixed grill plate along with a Maccabee beer. I got back to the hotel and booked a tour for later in the week. Tel Aviv University Diaspora Museum View of Tel Aviv beaches from Shalom Tower Friday July 25, 1997 I got up early for breakfast and walked about 2 miles until I reached Giv'at Ram and the Hebrew University. This campus is huge- each department has its own building. I found the computing center but it was closed for maintenance. I then walked to the Israel Museum. You could easily spend an entire day there looking at all the artifacts and reading about the history behind them. The highlights were the Dead Sea Scrolls contained within the Shrine of the Book building, Judaica Collection and the partial synagogues that were reconstructed inside the building. I took the bus back to the Jerusalem City Center and I cashed in some more dollars for sheckels. It seems like I'm always running out of sheckels. I then watched the Shabbat ceremonies taking place at the Western Wall (Wailing Wall). Photos: Shrine Of The Book Western Wall Saturday July 26, 1997 The local bus service has stopped about an hour before Sabbath on Friday evening through Saturday evening. Just about every thing is closed today, so I took a stroll to the YMCA hotel, King David's Hotel and walked through the park to an old Windmill. I relaxed the rest of the day and then walked through the busy Ben Yehuda street at night and found the Surfers Paradise Internet Cafe where I could catch up on my email. I had a felafel for dinner and poured on lots of white sauce in between bites YMCA Hotel Old Windmill Sunday July 27, 1997 I had to get up early and get to the Egged Tour Company for a tour I booked that departs at 6:30am. I was able to see Haifa (a great view of Carmel Bay), Haifa University Tower and the Baha'i Gardens and Shrine. The underground Carmelit subway is still closed for repairs, as it has been for several years. I also went to the crusader cities of Akko and Caesarea where I saw ancient Roman ruins, Netanya where I saw the National Diamond Center, and Rosh Hanikra where I took a cable car ride down to the grotto caves. Akko Clock Tower Photo Roman Ruins in Caeserea Roman Amphitheatre in Caeserea Grotto Caves of Rosh Hanikra Beirut Border Andrew at Lebanon border Monday July 28, 1997 I saw Bar Mitzvah celebrations taking place at the Western Wall. It is amazing how many small pieces of papers with prayers written are inserted into the small crevises in the wall. Then I went to see the Hurva Synagogue and Burnt House both located in the Jewish Quarters of the Old City. Then I went to the Holy Sepulchre where I crawled into a small room where I saw the Tomb of Christ. Cashed in some more dollars for sheckels. I find the best rate in town at the Petra Youth Hostel inside the Old City at 3.50 sheckels per U.S. dollar. I used that money to buy my roundtrip bus ticket to Eilat for Friday at a cost of 93 NIS (about $25). I spent the remainder of my time just relaxing in Zion Square (Kikar Zion) watching all the people go by. The Wailing Wall up close The Tomb of Christ Tuesday July 29, 1997 This was a busy day. I walked to the Damascus Gate and boarded an Arab bus to the Mount of Olives. The fare was only 1.5 sheckels or the equivalent of about 40 cents. I saw several Christian Sites including the Church of the Ascension, the tomb of the Virgin, and the Pater Noster church which had mosaic tiles with the Lords prayer in over 60 different languages. I walked all the way back down the hillside to the Old City and walked the entire remainder of the perimeter of the Old City Wall all the way back to the Jaffa gate. I then went to the Jerusalem Bus Station and boarded a bus for Masada to see the remains of King Herod's fortress. It took an hour and 30 minutes to get there. There was construction taking place so once could not take the Snake Path to walk up to the fortress (about 45 minutes), so instead I took the cable car ride to the top. You can see all along the Dead Sea from the top of this fortress. It was extremely hot in this area, so I drank lots of fluids so as not to dehydrate. The Damascus Gate Church of the Ascension-Mount of Olives Andrew on Mount of Olives Cable car leading up to Masada King Herod's Fortress atop Masada Wednesday July 30, 1997 I took a bus trip to Nazareth (where I saw the Basillica of the Annunciation), Tiberias, Capernaum, Tabgha, the Jordan River and took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. I had St. Peter's fish for lunch at a restaurant on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. While in Galilee I hear about the Jerusalem suicide bombing attack in the Mahane Yehuda Market place at 1:15pm today, which is 5 blocks (about a 2 minute walk from my hotel). I pass by this market place every day on the way to the bus and I actually strolled through the market place where the bombing occurred just a few days before. The news was all over the Israeli TV stations.I emailed everyone back home to let them know I was OK. Jerusalem Post story on Suicide Bombing today Jordan River Synagogue ruins at Capernaum Tiberias overlooking the Sea of Galilee Thursday July 31, 1997 I bought the Jerusalem Post newspaper so I could read about the previous days bombing incident. The bus tour I had scheduled to Bethlehem was cancelled as all Palestinian cities have been closed off due to the bombing that took place the day before. I return to the Old City and walk through the Lion's Gate to the Via Delarosa (Stations of the Cross) Also went to Mount Zio to see the Tomb of David, the Cenacle, which is the site of The Last Supper, and Dormition Abbey. Then I went to get a close up view of the Dome of the Rock. I cashed in some more U.S. dollars for sheckels. Tomb of David Dome of The Holy Rock Friday August 1, 1997 I woke up late and just made it to the bus station in time for my 7 am bus ride to Eilat. The bus ride went along the highway past the Judean desert, where small Bedouin settlements, camels and donkeys can be seen occasionally. The ride had two 15 minute stops along the way and took 5 hours and I arrived in Eilat by 12 noon. I took a taxi to the Sheraton Four Points Hotel. After checking in I took a walk to the beach and relaxed there for a while, and then spent some time back at the swimming pool back at the hotel. Eilat is very different from all the other cities that I've seen in Israel so far. It is an exclusive beach resort area with lots of young Israeli teens and Israeli families on vacation. I saw very few Israeli army soldiers here. The hotel I stayed at is a luxury hotel with swimming pool and included breakfast and dinner. Eilat Beach and The Red Sea Saturday August 2, 1997 Eilat is situtated at the southern tip of Israel on the Red Sea, where its borders meet those of Egypt and Jordan There is much to see and do in Eilat, especially if you enjoy water sports. There is plenty of swimming, snorkeling, water skiing, para-sailing and sunbathing. I spent some time at the pool in the morning and then took the bus to the Underwater Observatory where a spiral staircase in the round observatory takes you 3 meters (15 feet) below the water surface allowing you to comfortably observe actual life along the coral reef. The thousands of multi-colored exotic fish and variety of coral are breathtaking. I also went to Oceanarium, which was a motion picture ride/film about underwater life in Eilat. I spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool working on my tan. Underwater Observatory in Eilat Sunday August 3, 1997 I spent the morning at the pool before taking the 2 pm bus back to Jerusalem. Got back at 7 pm and had dinner and I checked my email at the Surfers Paradise Internet Cafe. I had 2 slices of Israeli pizza for dinner. Monday August 4, 1997 I took the bus from Jerusalem to Ein Gedi (46.80 NIS roundtrip) where I floated on the Dead Sea waters. Later I went to the Nahal David National Park where I hiked through the park to the Natural Spring Water Falls. Back in Jerusalem I have another felafel for dinner. Go to float on the Dead Sea Waters Go to see the famous Dead Sea Mud Bathers Tuesday August 5, 1997 I took the bus to the Hadasah Hospital where I got a tour of the Synagogue and the 12 Chagall Window panes representing the 12 sons of Jacob. Then I took the bus to the Yad Vashem Memorial and spent a good 3 hours going through the various exhibits depicting the events of the Holocaust. Then I walked about 2 miles to the Knesset Parliament building where I saw a heated debate taking place in the Parliament Building forum area. Then I walked another 2 miles back to the Old City where I went through the Zion Gate to the Chamber of The Holocaust Museum. Then I went back to the hotel and packed my bags and got the bus to the airport. I arrived early and the counters were not yet opened so I decided to sit on the bench outide the airport. Shortly thereafter I was questioned by one of the airport security personnel. After that I decided to go wait inside, and just before getting to the door I was questioned by another security officer, who checked my passport, asked me a number of questions and called another security official who asked me some more questions before allowing me to proceed. Waiting on the line for the ticket counter each person was asked whether they spoke Hebrew, or English etc. Israelis were asked just few questions before proceeding to the ticket counter, otherwise in my case I was called off to the side where I was questioned for about 20 minutes by 2 security personnel, asking me where I've been, what I've seen, why did I come to Israel, requesting copies of my hotel bills, tour tickets, passport, Work identification, airline tickets, books I've read, the diary log I kept, maps, etc.. After they were completed they called 2 more security officials who asked me similar questions, and then I was allowed to proceed to the ticket counter where I got my boarding passes and boarded my plane back home. Knesset Parliament Building Holocaust Memorial Wednesday August 6, 1997 I arrive at 6 am back in NY-JFK and get back home and rest before heading to work for the rest of the day. Israel is a wonderful place with so much to offer. The transportation system is great and enabled me to get to virtually any city in Israel. I was able to see deserts, mountains, rivers, parks, museums, churches, synagogues, mosques, archeological and historical sites, and much more. I look forward to returning one day soon Israel Related Links: Interactive Israel Tourism Guide The Internet Center for Information on Israel Jerusalem Post Daily Internet Edition The Latest News from Israel Israel on the Internet Israel National Radio Virtual Jerusalem Tour Virtual Tour of Israel Daniel Lakier's Israel Photo Album How To Read Hebrew On The Web LEARN HEBREW ON THE NET The Hebrew Alphabet Useful Words Useful Question Words Finding Your Way Around Traditional phrases Contemporary phrases New Phrase Of The Day A Short (hypertextual) Hebrew Story 1,2,3: Counting and Numbers Reading in Hebrew