Ron Beach Hotel Tiberias

... walkie-talkie feature that came in very handy this morning or any time we separated as a family into two groups. Addison and I went to the toy shop. Parking meters were interesting in Tiberius. You went to a box, paid for a ticket and put this ticket in a clear location on your windshield. In the store I ended up buying a children’s book in Hebrew and all Addison got was a pack of trick gum. When ...

... these buses that is the challenge. When a bus is loading or unloading, there is a crushing of bodies like you have never experienced before. All want be on the bus (or off the bus) immediately. Children, bubbies, soldiers with big guns, backpackers, Chassids (deeply religious Jews), you name it, it looks like the scene in 'Titanic' before Leonardo bites it in the middle of the Atlantic. Pushing, shoving, and the occasional loud voice all combine in a frenzy of ...

... denke ich aber, dass man schlimmere Probleme haben kann. *grins*

Ab morgen habe ich drei Tage frei und werd mich mit Thomas zusammen in die Negev-Wueste im Sueden aufmachen und neben einem Ausflug zu den Ruinen Masadas in den Geschmack des weltbekannten Toten Meeres kommen. Im Fauzi laeuft wie fuer den Juni typisch nicht allzu viel, weshalb Maoz uns aufgefordert hat, die kommenden Wochen fuers reisen zu nutzen. Da saschen wir mal nischt nein, watt?

Brisko

... out. It's exciting. I'm all aglow with excitement, oh wait, that glow might be telling me that I need air conditioning.

Okay, okay, so I'm a heat wimp. I could have told you that before I started. High temps in Seattle in the summer reach the 90s, but that lasts for about a week and isn't necessarily an annual occurrence. Still, I thought I was prepared for blazing sun, dust, and slight shade. I was not.

I am learning though. Last night, instead of ...

... Morgen ueber in der Naehe von Katzrin in den Golanhoehen gewandert, welche abgesehen von ihrer Schoenheit der Hauptgrund dafuer sind, dass sich Israel und Syrien nach wie vor offiziell im Kriegszustand befinden, da die Israelis den Golan im Sechstagekrieg 1967 besetzt in 1981 annektiert haben, und ihn aus militaerischen Gruenden nicht mehr hergeben wollen. Von angeblich nach wie vor herumliegenden Minenfeldern habe ich zwar nichts gesehen, dafuer hat mir eine recht ...

... Throughout the night, they kind of hinted at me that I should write a letter to the consulate so that the younger brother could get a visa and visit me in the States. He was a really cool dude, but I don't know if it works that way. And of course, they were shocked at the notion that my family was from Mexico--AND I was Jewish. The uncle had previously lived in Brooklyn and started practicing his Spanish with me. Urbid is sort of like a college town. There ...

... brsachot they make os for rubia - olives. By us we have a braha for lubia-black eyed peas. They figure it was mispronounced & "broken telephone"d somewhere over the years. Of course, they are sure theirs is the right version, because it is part of the 7 "fruits" of Israel. It was a very nice night, a great meal & nice to meet all of Tal's cousins. Amir actually sat down on the floor to play with the girls with the toys. & he spoke to them in English. I was very impressed!

... ringing bells, knocking blocks of wood together and so on. It is rather bewildering the first time one visits the place. We walked down steps to floor of the church, and came to a long stone on the floor that is supposed to be the place where the body of Jesus was prepared for burial. Some believers were kneeling with their foreheads on it, others were placing handkerchiefs and other items on it to be blessed and become protection talismans. As we watched, a ...

... they last saw 30 or 40 years ago, and parents were visiting children they never expected to bury. May 7 - May 8, 2008 The evening of May 7th went from a somber day of memorial, to an evening & following day of celebration, barbeques, fireworks, parades & other celebrations. Yom Ha'atzmaut is Israel's Independence ...

... restaurant at Vered Hagalil, we call it a night and happily doze off to sleep. It was the end of our ninth day in Israel. We have explored Tel Aviv, Zichron Ya'akov, Haifa, Akko and Rosh Hanikrah. We have reached a milestone in our itinerary as we completed our drive up the Mediterranean coast and are now turning eastward. It is no ordinary moment, as we let ourselves just relax and sleep, letting our subconscious absorb and integrate ...