Imperial Tel Aviv

... Sandals takes top prize for the most stupid FUBAR yet.

I had to cancel today's intended excursion into Jerusalem, barely able to walk to the store for food, let alone a day of sightseeing. I spent it instead convalescing while reading and blogging, and am now finally caught up with the present. Hopefully close enough to healed, I'm off to Jerusalem tomorrow and then to Eilat down south on the Dead Sea.
-Dave

... 1492;

... containing several structures buılt by the many occupıers of thıs once-ımportant port. The cıty housed over 50000 ınhabıtants and a man-made harbour buılt by Herod to honour Caesar, and to serve as a safe port for the tranport of goods throughout the Roman empıre. Thıs monıumental task employed very advanced engıneerıng, ımpressıve evn by today's standards. There was a very well-preserved ...

... at midnight as if in a chapel. The building superstructure surrounds us, but nothing else. It isn’t clear whether the building is in some stage of demolition or construction, but the art is here, now.

At Pride today, amid the gorgeous eye candy of Israeli men and women dancing in the streets, people spraying water on the overheated crowd from their balconies (much appreciated by the people in the hot streets below), and the disco throb ...

... destroyed roads or houses must be bought from Israel. Not only are Palestinians more or less forced to buy the supplies from the Israelis, the supplies are also heavily taxed, sending even more money back into the Israeli economy. There are stories that some houses have been destroyed and rebuilt several times a year.

**I bought a couple of DVDs at this organization that will play a vital role in my time at the Tel Aviv airport**

We spent the ...

... Aviv I sat next to a young soldier who offered for me to share the movie he was watching. In my time in Israel I would talk to quite a few people, most of them younger than me, who were serving their mandatory time in the military. They were all so friendly and welcoming, with a good grasp of English and no animosity whatsoever towards having to serve in the army for two years (three for males). I hit Tel Aviv at the end of the day and ...

... carry out an attack (though missing one of the more obvious items of religious clothing). He was asked everything about his family background, if he's ever carried out an attack, if he's on drugs, even what his grandparents do for a living! All up he was released after being questioned for FOUR HOURS! At least if people not wearing cippot undergo this much questioning, we know we're safe from real threats.


Rest ...

... station, there are no signs of war in Tel Aviv...just a bunch of tourists hanging out on the beach. Yesterday I walked to the Air Canada office in Azrieli Center, a huge modern office/shopping tower complex. I asked the lady at the desk if I could change my ticket to leave from Israel and hopefully make it home in the next few days ...

... door as soon as I arrived. I had a 5 hour layover in London, then went on to Tel Aviv, 5 more hours. Tel Aviv is a very modern city, many skyscapers. Our hotel is basic but in a good location. We walked to a fish restaurant several blocks away for dinner. I arrived about 6:30 pm. Bob arrived a few hours earlier. Tel Aviv is very secular. Even though it was the Jewish Sabbath, Fri. night, many restaurants were open and many people about. In Jerusalem ...

... sunset. After meeting up with Gabby, a friend of Chris's from the Victoria jewish community, we went to the Dizengoff mall for some shopping. What an experience, a huge shopping mall that on Friday fills up with food stalls to accomodate Shabbat shoppers. Dozens fo stalls selling every type of hot and cold Israeli and middle eastern cuisine...Like a huge pot luck supper..We, off course, had to have a kosher hot dog wrapped in filo pastry ...