Hotel Armon Hayarkon Tel Aviv

... fast traditionellen Canyon (so heissen hi** die Shoppingcent**s). Das Restaurant heisst Avazi und für ungefähr 30 Shekel (10 Franken) stopfen sie die Menschen voll bis sie stopp sagen, obwohl ich sagen muss, dass das Essen dort wirklich gut ist. Danach gingen wir an den Strand. Die Kind** wollten natürlich auch mitkommen und Maria hat **lebt, was es heisst mit ihnen am Strand zu sein: Rennen, rumhüpfen, kämpfen, Wellen v**folgen etc...
Am Abend brachten wir sie dann zurück und ...

... there are approximately the same - these are supposed to be dictated by the laws of traffic. Still, now I'm coming with a backpack, with a mountain bike.. so there is no question it's going to be a real challenge.

... me feel like I don't know it anymore....I guess that's because I don't.
We meet up with some of his friends and of course he introduces me as his sister. They say we look nothing alike. We explain. We play shesh besh and I kick everyone's ass, Avshalom doesn't want to play with me anymore. He has won me before but yesterday was not his day. We watch the sunset and head home.

That night I went out with Einav, little sister. We went to see ...

... being and contentment that was joyous. Once back in our hotel room, we both slept so soundly and well into the next morning.

Eilat had achieved its purpose for us-we were well-rested, re-energized, and now ready to begin the next part of our journey. We flew the short 40 minutes to our next stop, here in the Tel Aviv area. Ben Gurion Airport was bustling. This modern huge and relatively new terminal was abuzz with travelers, and the grounds were beautifully ...

... for sale. We dropped some coin at the first store we went to, which was full of the most interesting ceramics and metalwork. Did not get much of a break from the owner on the price, though. Kevin and I each got some nice things for home (a runner, some pillows) at several other stores, and then settled in for lunch on the back terrace of a restaurant. The view was not so great but the food was good and plentiful.


Time to press on, through the hills to the Mediterranean ...

... and into the open air market on Allenby street. Making deals on cheap earrings and bracelets! It was fun to shop, but I spent too much money. Then since it was Friday everthing closed down early for Shabbat. Saturday we checked out of the hotel and didn't have to leave back to BS yet, so we all sat on the beach for three hours! It was sunny and perfect, except Alan wasn't there. He would have loved it too! There is no beach in Atlanta. Kids in wetsuits with little surf boards ...

The flight was easy ridin'. I saw Matrix 3, sprawled along the empty three-seater, and as Beckoff a.k.a. Mayank a.k.a. Jos-B said, I thoroughly enjoyed my Trans-Atlantic siesta dreaming of quesadillas and hummus. Customs only gave me a 3-month student visa for now, so I thought about whipping out my shiny new Mexican passport to tack three more on. Once past there, I recognized the David Ben-Gurion Airport from my last visit with Jay on ...

... apartment.  Found it.  We went out to dinner at a place called the M&R Brasserie.  The menu was only in Hebrew and French.  Luckily I can read French, but the waiter spoke English and was very willing to translate.  They had steak and seafood dishes and American style martini's.  I had a seafood casserole which was delicious--shrimp, clams, mussles, lobster claws in a wine butter sauce sprinkled with bread crumbs.  Then we ...

... to arrive to Church. Sister M. looks happy to see me. At the end of the service, she tries to introduce me to the Mother Abbess in charge, but this latter does not seem in a good mood and just groans. The service did not offer Communion: strange, or maybe it is the custom in a ROCOR Church. After the service, I stay behind to share breakfast with the religious community. In fact, I am not the only lay person. A few more ladies, young and old, all Russians, sit at ...