Yarden Beach Apartments Tel Aviv

... 2 nights (Fri and Sat) and jotted down the directions there, figuring that, worst come to worst, I could leave my bags there overnight for a fee and test to what degree Tel Aviv truly is a sophisticated 24-hour party town that regards Thurs as the new Fri.

As luck would have it, they did have an availability (stupid HostelWorld with their stale updates) and I promptly crashed. Sampling Tel Aviv's nightlife would have to wait for another ...

... the tent where we sleep and opened the few cards and gifts that I had brought with me. I sat looking out over the surrounding hills and felt incredibly honoured to be here. Quite a place to bring in my 21st year - I'm sure it'll be a good one.

That evening a host of new volunteers arrived ready for the kids summer camp (starting the next day) so it felt like a fitting end to the first little section of my stay here and to an exciting beginning to the next couple of weeks, and to the next year.

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is always advertised across Europe with pictures of beautiful women in skimpy bikinis emerging from crystal waters to let the sun reflect off their toned arms. They’re the kind of advertisements that you see for Miami – a culture of the cool, attractive people who are single only by choice and spend long, hot days sleeping off their hangovers. This summer, in New York, there was briefly an outdoor club set up, with ...

... have been wonderful. Thankfully, we have 2 great daughters who have been looking after our affairs while we've been away. Their message has consistently been: "Don't worry about a thing, everything is under control, and have a good time!" Now tell me, who could ask for better than that!

As always, I'm grateful for your interest in our trip and for the wonderful feedback and comments.

Enjoy the summer,
David and Bonnie

... if you could read Hebrew.

Which I can’t.

At the post office, I had another fun adventure in Hebrew misunderstandings. I had finished putting stamps and airmail stickers on my postcards and was looking around for where I could actually mail them. Unlike a U.S. post office, there wasn’t a drop box inside. I probably could have handed them back to the clerk who had initially sold me the stamps, but she was busy with another customer. Another clerk motions out the ...

... to visitors. This exhibit comprised some exquisitely elaborate works, including a full-scale kitchen made of millions of glass beads (which took five years to complete), and a huge, seemingly off-white wall hanging made of thousands of tiny yearbook pictures, a stepladder apparently splattered in paint (but actually inlaid with precious materials, etc. (pictures here: click links on left side) Finally, we took a ...

... smack next to the famous Agam "fire and water" fountain off Dizengoff Sq., a famous spot. There's a lot of cinema memorabilia, cameras, etc. on display. The room is simple but fine, and it has a decent view. Soon I'll wake Kevin, then we'll probably wander the area. Oh, and when I asked the receptionist for something to cut the lock off my luggage, I discovered that my missing keys were still in the lock, having made the trip safe and sound, too.

... It's not a big door. For just about the holiest site in all of Christendom, you'd think there'd be some grand entrance like St. Peter's Square in Rome. But here, it's quiet and simple. Eventually, someone came and opened the gate. The moslem families responsible for opening up had just done their early morning duty. Inside the church, monks and priests of the various churches (who reside there, of course) were already at work beginning the liturgies and prayers of the ...

... we went out to the wailing wall. It was rather exciting! Jerusalem! Can't believe I'm in Jerusalem! It's got such a cool atmosphere, as Reyka said, "you can feel the spirit." The wailing wall was packed! You could kind of feel an element of excitement in the air. But I also kind of felt sad for the Jews, waiting and waiting for Someone that I believe has already come. Doing all that stuff, all the religion stuff, without the perk of the relationship, nor the promise of hope.

... or 5 who will join us each night for "group therapy" sessions, and I'll inevitably get close to the 4 girls in my group as we discuss our feelings about the gloomy places we visit. I know of people who have come away from Poland trips like this in depressive states, and these groups will do a good job of making sure that doesn't happen to any of us. Tomorrow we'll be spending the day at Yad Vashem, which has been rebuilt since I last visited, and on Wednesday we head to Poland.