The Journey

5/23 Day 2, Cairo

2006-05-30T19:55:32Z

Alarm was set for seven, but when it went off I reset it for fifteen more minutes. When that alarm went off, again, I turned it off and just rolled back over. The next time either of us woke up it was eleven o’clock and we decided that since this was vacation, it was one of the treats. We got ready to go out and caught a cab to the train station so that we could buy our tickets for Luxor, leaving in two days. Then we headed to Islamic Cairo and Al-Hussein mosque. We got our first Egyptian meal, pizza, and made our first Egyptian friend, Nargi. We sat in his restaurant for a little while. Nargi and his nargila joined us and we watched people fill the mosque for one of the five daily prayer sessions. The mosque filled until people were left to pray outside and we were able to take in the whole ritual.
After their ceremony, we finished our lunch, took our shoes off, and went inside the mosque. Some were still chanting and others just relaxing on the rug lined floor. I did not feel extremely welcomed and it was not like we blended in. No one said anything or was mean, but the looks we received were not all smiles. If I made eye contact with someone or gave a nod, then they would acknowledge me, but no words were exchanged. We kept it brief and made for the Khan El-Kahlili market. The mosque was at the mouth of the market and the following alleys were just lined with street shops and shacks. We walked around and admired, then crossed the street to the Mosque Al-Azhar, the oldest institution (university) in the world.
Then continued down the street and met Egyptian friend number two, Mohammed. He was a very nice guy, the Muslim Arnold Schwarzeneger, and wanted to show us around Islamic Cairo. We figured why not and began to follow him; he first took us Mosque Al-Salih Ayyub. The mosque was very old and had a minaret with a wonderful view of the entire city, even the pyramids in the distance, our first glance. The stairs go up in a circle and during the final leg up the minaret, the staircase goes pitch black and you must put a hand on the wall in the center to help yourself balance while you figure out where to step. From the mosque, Mohammed took us to a papyrus shop and we saw some beautiful artwork. Doron and I each got a couple of pieces and said our goodbyes to Mohammed. From here we headed for the Egyptian museum, home to a plethora of ancient Egyptian artifacts.
One of the many challenges in Egypt was the language barrier. Neither of us speak nor understand any Arabic, for instance, when we get cabs it is a challenge to communicate to the driver where we want to go. For the most part, we are hitting up the main sights, but even some of those require a lot of hand signals. So when we got a cab to the Egyptian museum, the driver thought we wanted the Nile river. Luckily the museum is on the Nile and we were a couple blocks away, so we just hopped out and walked the rest of the way. As we were about to cross the road in front of the museum, friend number three came into the picture. His name was Sharky (Sharuki?) and he recommended that we save the museum for another day, when we could afford more time to walk through. He suggested we split a cab with him to Giza, just outside the city of Cairo and where the pyramids sit. It made sense, the museum would close in an hour and sunset at the pyramids would be pretty special. So we took him up on it and headed out of the city.
Now, as nice as all of our friends have been, two out of the three have led to Doron and I spending some money. Sharky was one of the two and led us to his buddy’s guide shop. We ended up heading into the desert and checking the pyramids out by horseback. It turned out to be a wonderful experience and fun way to see the pyramids and the Sphinx . We got to go up and climb the third biggest pyramid, something that I do not believe would have happened if we were just walking around on our own (I don’t think it is allowed, I mean, our guide kinda snuck us around the side of the pyramid and was whispering the whole time). This concluded our tour and we rode back to the guide post and there was Sharky, just hanging out.
He invited us over to his house for dinner and cocktails, but we passed and cabbed back into Cairo. As we drove out of Giza the sun was setting behind the pyramids and it was like a painting, absolutely magnificent. We seemed to go the long way home, but D and I were not complaining, we just looked out the back window.
When we returned to Cairo, we decided to go for a bite and this is where we met friend number four, Doctor Sherif. Doc Sherif worked at the Egyptian museum as an Animal Mummy Reconstructionist (he restored discovered mummies of animals). The Doc led us to an Egyptian restaurant that was very cheap and looked pretty clean. We ordered kabobs (lamb) and falafel.; it was our first truly ethnic meal and we were both satisfied with the outcome. Doc only stayed long enough to help us order, but told us to call him the next day while at the museum and maybe he could bring us downstairs and show us his work. After the meal we were both exhausted and walked home to our “apartment” for the strangest shower I have ever had.
There were three bathrooms in our hotel/hostel and all three contained showers, well sorta. On the wall was a shower head and no where in the bathroom was a designated shower area (the toilet is in the shower, the bathroom floor was also the shower floor, the shower is the bathroom). The water just sprays from the wall and the floor was somewhat slanted toward a drain. After a shower and a couple games of sheshbesh, D and I went to sleep, promising not to sleep in the next day.

5/23 Day 2, Cairo remains copyright of the author joshatplay, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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5/22 Day 1, to Cairo

2006-05-30T19:37:03Z

Arrived at the border at half past nine and began the process of crossing into Egypt. I could not have had an easier time getting out of Israel and into Egypt, but my traveling partner did not have it so easy. Doron is an American-Israeli and did not bring his Israeli passport with him, just his U.S. one. The customs agent on the Israeli side then pulled Doron away to fill out some paperwork, so I went and hung out in no man’s land between the two countries (as well as continents).
Thirty minutes later he joined me and we continued the crossing process. We walked into the Egyptian arrival hall, put our bags on the x-ray machine and walked through the metal detectors. I went through without a hitch and started to fill out a customs form, but again, Doron was held up. It had nothing to do with his nationality, but rather the machine picked up on something in his backpack that was not welcome to experience Egypt. After a bribe and handing over the unwanted object, we got our passports stamped and entered Egypt, into the city of Taba on the northern tip of Sinai. We had only eight minutes until our ten o’clock bus to Cairo and had to hire a cab to take us the 1/4 kilometer (got accustomed to the metric system) down the road to the bus stop.
We just made it to the bus on time, threw our bags beneath and climbed aboard. The bus pulled off and within the first thirty minutes, we went through three checkpoints. At all three, the soldiers would ask us for our passports and bus tickets. I did not mind these interruptions because it made us feel safe. We drove west, through Sinai, and through the Suez tunnel into mainland Egypt.
I went in and out of sleep for the next six hours, but once we got closer to Cairo my head was going from side to side in awe. The city is amazing and buzzing with action. Public busses do not close their doors and people just hop on and off, sometimes even hang off the sides. There are not many traffic signals and if there are, they are rarely obeyed. Pedestrians only walk in crosswalks by coincidence and cars seldom stop to allow a pedestrian to cross. Everyone just weaves in between each other, something that took a little while to get used to.
Once we got off of the bus the cab drivers were right there soliciting, making it hard to get off the last step of the bus. Even though we knew the price the driver wanted was more than we should pay, we hired him to take us to our intended hotel (even the “Tourist Police” officer was assisting in the racketeering). The entire way there the driver was telling us not to stay at the hotel we wanted and tried to sell us on his “buddy’s” hotel. We got to the hotel and climbed the six flights of stairs, only to discover that the accommodations were not what we were looking for and walked out. Instead of walking down the stairs we took the elevator, by far the scariest elevator ride of my life. It was a cage of death, with old french doors that did not close. It leaned to one side and shook the entire way down. I almost kissed the floor when we got out, but remembered where I was.
There was another hotel that I read about in my guide book and it was just around the corner. It was pretty grimy, but cheap and had a good location. The rooms was not bad, but the bathroom and building represented the price. Doron and I got a double room and it was something like $3 a night. We got settled and went out for some food. A lot of people had told us of stomach illnesses that resulted in some Egyptian cuisine, so we played it safe for our first meal and visited a McDonald’s (ha ha). It was definitely the most satisfying and cleanest McDonald’s I had ever been in, a little scary. After our dinner we walked around and got associated with the streets of our neighborhood, downtown Cairo. We decided to go to a movie and have a lazy night, thinking it would prepare us for a full day of sightseeing the next day.
After the movie I mapped out an itinerary for the next day and called it a night; I was overcome with excitement for what was to come our way. Finally put the guide book down and went to sleep, by the way, lots of mosquitos.

5/22 Day 1, to Cairo remains copyright of the author joshatplay, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Visas

2006-05-30T19:32:56Z

On May 21st, 2006, Doron Schulman and Josh Goldstein got on a bus leaving from Kibbutz Ketura and destined for Eilat. Their journey had one mission, obtain a visa to visit the African country of Egypt. This was supposed to be an easy task, but like most things in foreign countries, nothing is easy. This trip only set the tone for a journey that would change two men forever.

5/21 Visas[u]
The bus ride was not too long and the Egyptian consulate was not far from the bus stop. After a brief cab ride we were climbing the stairs, only to find a group of irritated travelers hanging out on the front porch. One of the guys greeted us and invited us to sit down and get comfortable. Apparently the General Consulate was busy with a conference call and would not be signing any visas until he was finished with the call. Fortunately, this worked in our favor because what our friends who had visited Egypt never mentioned, was that a passport photo needed to be handed in with the visa application.
So we hailed a cab and went back to the bus station where there was a Kodak shop was nearby. After getting some pictures taken we cabbed back out to the consulate. The wait was only thirty minutes and we received our stamped passports at the same time as those who had been waiting since the consulate opened. Then it was back to the kibbutz to pack and get some rest.

Visas remains copyright of the author joshatplay, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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April 4th- Definitely Not Feeling 100%

2006-04-04T20:27:29Z

When I awoke, I was not ready to start a new day. I was real hung over and needed to hydrate. Deborah was already awake and making breakfast, which was so wonderful. I got up and parked myself next to the water jug, my new best friend. After breakfast we got ready for the day and headed back to the Ha’carmel market where on Tuesdays and Fridays they have a art fair along with the normal market. The weather was perfect and it was time to soak up some sun.
On our was down to the market Jeremy’s schoolmate Danny met up with us and we walked down to the market. The crafts were marvelous and so creative. One lady had clocks made out of flattened, glass liquor bottles and another had baskets made of recycled newspapers, but one would never know if she did not mention it. They looked like normal, straw baskets, but if looked at closely you could see article and pictures. We walked through and then decided to pick up some lunch. We stopped at a restaurant on one of the street corners and were advised to order the “toast sandwiches.”
Jeremy and I split a market salad, a typical cucumber and tomato mound with huge piles of carrots, tuna, and corn on top, and “feta toast,” a toasted bagel sandwich of feta, pesto, and tomatoes. It is more than just the huge portions that make every meal enjoyable, everything is just so fresh and the combinations of flavors are amazing . Unfortunately, I broke my streak of no meat, but I got over that as soon as I took my first bite. So far, I have not received a meal that did not satisfy my every want and need (especially when you pay no more than $15 dollars). After the feast we walked back up through the fair and I, now the experienced “Tel-Avivian,” showed Allie the shop where I purchased my phone. It is nice to walk into a store in a foreign land and be greeted by a familiar face.
The girls were going to rent a car and driving to the Dead Sea for the night, so we walked down the beach to the rental shop. When we got there I took a seat and was whipped by a wave of exhaustion (still very hung over as well). The car the girls got was by far the nicest Ford Focus I had ever seen, especially for a rental, and Jeremy drove us home. He was stoked because it was his first time driving in eight months and did not realize how much he missed it until we pulled out the parking lot.
Jeremy’s street crosses with Dizengoff St., which is very busy and left turns are only permitted at specific times during the day. As a result, police park a little ways up from the corner, usually right in front of Jeremy’s building. They wait for people to make the left when not permitted and then walk into the middle of the street and instruct the drivers to pull over. In the twenty minutes that I was out front, I watched them get six or seven different people (it did not seem to get old for the policemen).
After the girls took off Jeremy and I got comfortable on the couch and watched “Waiting for Guffman,” one of four hilarious movies directed by Christopher Guest (others being “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Best In Show,” and “A Mighty Wind”). We both laughed heavily and then topped it off with some more sheshbesh. Finally, I was almost back to normal; laughter is truly the best cure for any pain or sickness.
Since both of us had to get up with the sun, we made it an early night. In the morning Jeremy was going to take his motorcycle test and I was boarding a bus for the south. Tel-Aviv has treated me very well and I know I will return before my time in Israel is through.

April 4th- Definitely Not Feeling 100% remains copyright of the author joshatplay, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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April 3rd- The Whole Gang's In Town

2006-04-04T20:25:21Z

Once again I woke up early, sleeping just feels secondary right now because there is so much to do and see. I moved into the living room and set up my computer and sat down to a bowl of some of the best granola I have ever had. Jeremy went off to class, but returned not too long after because it ended up getting canceled. This gave us a chance to go walk around before Jeremy’s third guest arrived. Jeremy, Deborah, and I headed down to the Ha’carmel market to walk around and get some food.
The market was buzzing with action and you could find anything you desired, whether it was fresh produce and fish or clothes and toys. Jeremy picked up some whole wheat pitas because he will not eat the white ones since they contain a lot of sugar. We walked around looking for somewhere to sit down and eat. Jeremy led us off of the market’s main strip and turned down a side street. Down a couple blocks was a place similar to the restaurant that Jeremy and I found in Jaffa. It was off of the main drag and filled the table with plates. We got some of the typical dishes, like hummus, salads, and falafel, but also ordered a plate of shakshuka. Shakshuka is a blend of tomatoes, onions, and seasonings served in a skillet and is heated up to cook eggs that are cracked and cooked over the blend of veggies. It hardens a little and can be cut into slices like a pie and tastes incredible.
With full bellies we headed back to Jeremy’s so that he and Deborah could head over to the airport and pick up their friend Allie. To kill a little time before leaving for the airport, Jeremy and I played a couple quick games of sheshbesh (backgammon). I stayed behind and began the book Catch-22. Jeremy has a wonderful porch off of his room that faces the street and I decided to bring the nargila outside and sunbathe while I read.
Jeremy and crew returned after a little while and Allie had her mind set on some falafel (she had been traveling for over 24 hours). Deborah chose to stay behind and take a nap, so Jeremy, Allie and I went on a quick falafel mission (as most of you know, I rarely turn down an opportunity to enjoy fine cuisine). Jeremy took us to a wonderful eatery where the falafel balls were prepared fresh for each customer. The shop owner did it all, he not only prepared a variety of different types of falafel balls for our sandwiches, but served them in warm, whole wheat pitas. They were exploding with goodness and a taster for each part of your palette. I rarely find myself hungry during the day because after each time I eat, I am so stuffed that I can barely move (severe itis).
It was late in the afternoon and we were all feeling worn out, so we met Jeremy’s girlfriend, Yafit, for some coffee. We all sat around, sharing conversation and all benefited from the caffeine boost. Although the last thing I needed was more food, we had to make another stop at the falafel stand (it’s just that good). We brought the food back to Jeremy’s and got ready to paint the town. Now that all of us had made it to Israel, it was only right that we go out for some drinks. First, we had some cocktails at Jeremy’s apartment and then Yafit wanted to take us to a bar called Friends.
The bar was about a fifteen minute walk away and super dark inside (apparently typical of bars in Tel-Aviv). Our bartender was a tall Israeli that spoke very good english due to some collegiate studies in the states. Ofir used to be a volleyball player at Pepperdine, transferred to Duke, then to NYU, only to come home before graduating due to a shoulder injury. He was very good at his job, rarely letting my drink empty out. We spent the whole night drinking like fish and closed the place down. Most of you know that I am not a heavy drinker, but my inhibitions were taken from me at customs when I entered the country.
I was quite drunk and it made the walk home enjoyable. We walked past the corner store where the day before I befriended the store keeper in my search for a cell phone. I jogged across the street to thank him for helping me out and conversed for a little while. Aaron gave me a couple of bottles of water, which was much appreciated on the our stroll home. We made it back to Jeremy’s and all got ready for bed. Thus far, everyday has kept me moving and come bedtime all it takes is for me to go to sleep is my head making contact with the pillow.

April 3rd- The Whole Gang's In Town remains copyright of the author joshatplay, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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April 2nd

2006-04-03T12:36:59Z

This was my day to just explore. I woke up super early, just eager to walk around Tel-Aviv. Jeremy got up and headed off to university (you do not really hear class or school here, just university) and I was on my own. Jeremy left me with a map and a phrase book, but I got a problem with being “the tourist” (a stupid feeling, but I enjoy the challenge of navigation). So I tried to memorize where it was I wanted to go and how to get there and threw the map and phrase book in pack and headed out. I gave my self two goals for the day, get in contact with the volunteer organization I want to work with and get a cell phone. But my first stop was the post office and it did not take long at all for me to get lost. Jeremy had explained how to get there and it did not seem complicated, but sure enough, I had to ask someone where it was. Once I found it, I realized that I had walked by it twice without even noticing (I knew I was off to great start).
From the post office, I began to walk towards the location of the Kibbutz Program Center, the organization that was going to place me as a volunteer on a kibbutz. For those who are not mindful of what a kibbutz is allow me to explain. They are a socialist community where production is in the hand of the members. They are not as ideological as they once were, due to industrial and cultural revolutions, but are pretty subsistent for the most part. Most kibbutzim now offer the luxuries enjoyed by other Israelis (i.e. TVs, larger homes, private transportation). I came to Israel to participate on a kibbutz and this organization was going to find one that would welcome me into their community.
However, finding the Kibbutz Center was not as easy as I anticipated. On the map, it was simple. Head down Dizengoff St. (cross street of Jeremy’s and one of the more popular streets in Tel-Aviv) to Frishman St., turn left onto Frishman and the Kibbutz Center (KC) was at the corner of Frishman St. and Ben Yehuda St. But, of course, when I got to Frishman I made a wrong turn (I swear I went left like I was supposed to). All of a sudden I looked up at the street signs and Frishman St. had changed to something else and I was at Ytzhak Rabin square (I was at the opposite end of the street, across town). The square is home to Tel-Aviv’s city hall and the location where Prime Minister Ytzhak Rabin was assassinated. I had been there before, years ago, but enjoyed taking it in again. I found some privacy and pulled out the map and re-associated myself, then headed west towards the beach.
It was a nice walk and the sun was out. I saw a car getting towed and was in awe of the Israeli tow trucks (see picture). They are like fork lifts that move across the bed of the truck, down to street level and under the car. They then lift the car and bring it back across the bed and lower it onto the truck, then disappear (too quick and easy). Finally, I reached the KC and went upstairs to begin the process. I presented them with my application and we started talking location. I originally wanted to go to a kibbutz in the north, but the only one looking for volunteers wanted someone big and strong to do heavy agricultural work. I made eye contact with the lady helping me and no words were necessary. I told her that I had experience cooking and would like to work in a kitchen. She then told me of a couple and pointed to them on a map, both being in the south. This was not an issue, but this was a big decision since it would dictate my Israeli experience.
Luckily, one of the ones she pointed to, was a kibbutz that I had written down because I knew someone or knew someone who knew someone that was living there. The KC representative called down to their volunteer coordinator, told her a little about me and handed me the phone. I was happy to hear a New York accent and clear english. The volunteer coordinator was an American and asked me some questions about myself, like where did I come from, what do I do in life (pretty tough questions, especially the latter). During the screening I mentioned Camp Tawonga, the American Express card of summer camps (accepted everywhere), and a connection was made. Aliza (the volunteer coordinator) had a cousin who had worked at Tawonga. Turned out to be my dear friend Ben Simrin who was currently studying abroad at University of Haifa (in the north of Israel). This made both of us feel very comfortable with our arrangement and I told her I would take the bus south no later than Wednesday. I was stoked and thought this worked out perfectly; I will be a prep-cook for Kibbutz Ketura. Ketura is located in the south, about a half hour north of Eilat, in the Negev Desert (Josh Isaacs might know a little something about Ketura, he volunteered there through the same program last summer).
With a huge smile on my face and one mission complete, I was off on my search for a phone. I walked up Ben Yehuda St. for a while finally stopping to pick up a bottle of water. I asked the store clerk if he knew where I could find a phone and he was very kind and spoke English. His name was Aaron and said he had a friend with a phone store. Aaron started to give me directions, but soon realized it would just be easier to right them down, super helpful. He told me to ask for Ayal and if I told Ayal that Aaron sent me, I might receive a discount. I was instructed to take the number 4 bus down to the Ha’carmel Market, get off and walk past the falafel and shawarma stand and it would be on my right (like telling someone in the states to walk to a Starbucks and turn right). Sure enough, it was right there, next to a falafel stand. I asked for Ayal and he helped me purchase and set up my phone (052 407 6216, dial 011 first if calling from the states).
Missions completed, I just started to wander. I was very hungry and figured I would walk back towards Jeremy’s and find myself a tasty falafel filled pita. Jeremy and I had walked down to the Ha’carmel market the day before, so I figured I could find my way back without the map. One could safely assume that a pattern is developing and of course, I ended up no where near Jeremy’s apartment and had to pull out the map. The funny thing about this day of exploring is that I think it was a gift to get lost all the time because I got to see a lot of different parts of Tel-Aviv that I probably would not have seen if I just stuck to the map.
Turned out that I was not too far away from Jeremy’s and got back on track. By this point I was starving and even though I had intended on picking up some falafel closer to Jeremy’s apartment, it was time to start looking. I walked by this one falafel spot and it smelled way too good to pass up. I got a pita filled with falafel and salad (cucumbers and tomatoes), all of which had just been fried up and cost 12 shekels (about $3 American). It was delicious, filled to the brim and covered in taziki sauce. So I continued walking and munched as I walked back to Jeremy’s.
Once home, I realized how exhausted I was, so I kicked off my shoes and laid down for a cat nap. Shortly after Jeremy returned home from university and he brought me some sunflower seeds. I had mentioned to him that I was searching for some Israeli sunflower seeds because they are unbelievable. First of all they are huge, twice the size of American seeds, and seasoned to perfection; they keep them warm too. Jeremy left to the airport to pick up his friend Deborah and I stayed back to prepare dinner. I felt that I was brought into the house filled with food and it was only appropriate for Deborah to experience the same.
I walked down to the market and picked up some groceries, but got home only to discover that I forgot the most important ingredient for one of the dishes I was planning to make. So I made a second trip to the market and felt like my father, who thoroughly enjoys his trips to the grocery store. Once finished with the shopping the prep work began and I was a slicing machine. I prepared a mediterranean hummus dip (figured it was more than appropriate) and vegetarian fajitas. I have had only one bite of meat since arriving (some homemade schnitzel, Israeli “fried” chicken) and I think I will try to limit my meat intake for the remainder of my trip. Not for any reason other than the fact that the veggies here are ridiculously delicious. The hardest part in the cooking process was determining which spices to use because they are all labeled in Hebrew, so I had to go by the smell. I learned the hard way by using vinegar instead of vegetable oil, thus the smell test. Although, strange enough, the vinegar somehow provided the perfect touch to the sauce. We enjoyed a little cheese (which I removed a half hour before serving, thanks mom), the hummus dip, and the vegetarian fajitas, which turned out to be quite delicious.
After dinner we were all wiped out. Tried to watch a movie called “Paradise Now,” a Palestinian movie about suicide bombers. Unfortunately, the subtitles were not working and my Arabic is even worse than my Hebrew (Allah, Achbar, Mohammed, Jihad, that’s about it). Probably a good thing that the movie did not work out because I would have been asleep instantly. So, we all got ready for bed and called an end to the day; what a wonderful, productive day.

April 2nd remains copyright of the author joshatplay, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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April 1st- Life In Israel begins

2006-04-02T08:07:09Z

Today, Jeremy and I woke up late and decided to go for a walk around Tel-Aviv and down to the beach. The weather was wonderful and it was nice to be wearing sandals again. We walked through the city and headed south to Jaffa. Jaffa is the southern tip of Tel-Aviv and contains a large Arab population. It is full of stone houses, cobblestone alleys and the streets are normally filled with outdoor shops. It was Saturday and most of the shops and street markets were closed, but we journeyed deeper to find a place for lunch. The place we found was wonderful and the food was delicious. We split an Arabic salad (cucumbers and tomatoes with dressing) and a goat cheese and red pepper sandwich. The red peppers were like fruit, full of juice and roasted to perfection. After lunch we walked to a nargila (hookah) shop and sat down for some Arabic tea and nargila. A nargila is a tool used to smoke a tobacco that marinates in fruity molasses and is quite flavorful, very customary. The tea was very soothing and full of flavor; a nice blend of herbs and spices with mint leaves for garnish and extra flavor. Jeremy taught me how to play sheshbesh (backgammon) and we took in some soccer and sun.
When we finished we walked along the beach (Mediterranean Sea) as the sun was setting. Some heavy clouds were moving in and they had been forecasting rain all day. On our way back we walked through two town squares that was awfully familiar. I think that I must have passed through them when I was last hear in the summer of 2000. We stopped at the supermarket to pick up some groceries and dinner. It was poker night at one of Jeremy’s friend’s house so we quickly went home to change and brought our food over to Danny’s house. While we were there it started to rain, like Oregon style. There were flashes of lightning and thunder that shook the house. I thought I left this weather miles behind, but I guess I brought a little with me.
Once I had lost all my money (Jeremy took a good chunk), we made our way back to Jeremy’s. It was raining, but still warm, so the walk was quite enjoyable. You can walk the streets with open “beverages,” something that is not welcomed in the states. I think that I have consumed more beer (on a social level mom) in the last two days than I have over the last six months. Anyway, time for bed, I got a long day tomorrow...

April 1st- Life In Israel begins remains copyright of the author joshatplay, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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March 31st- Touchdown

2006-03-31T08:00:00Z

The Ben Gurion airport was dead. It was Friday evening (Shabbat) and not one store
was open and I think we may have been the last flight of the night. Customs was simple,
except for the fact that they thought I was an Israeli citizen and informed me the at it was
time for me to join the army. Mom, do not worry! I cleared things up and let them know
that I was not Israeli and that the American passport that the customs agent was holding
would tell her otherwise. All things checked out and I proceeded to baggage claim, picked
up my bag, and walked to the greeting area. As I walked around I heard a man’s voice yell
out Frisco and all of Israel knew that I had arrived. Jeremy had come with his roommate
Miri to pick me up and welcome me to his new home.
It was 8 in the evening and dark out, but it was still beautiful. We drove into Tel-Aviv
and the city was dead. All shops were closed except for a few bodegas (corner stores) and
the streets were empty. When we got to Jeremy and Miri’s apartment (in the center of Tel-
Aviv, between Dizengoff center and Dizengoff square), Jeremy’s girlfriend, Yafit, was
preparing dinner and it smelled fabulous. Their apartment was fantastic, three bedroom
and felt like home. Their third roommates name is Limor and we all sat down to dinner; a
wide variety of Israeli cuisine and it all tasted great.
After dinner we moved to the living room and just relaxed. Jeremy sparked up the
nargila (hookah) and some of his friends from school came by to hang out. The radio
station they all listen to plays the craziest variety of music, from current American pop and
hip-hop to 80s music with a couple Hebrew songs mixed in. Eventually it got late and we
were all wiped out and headed for bed. All in all, I do not even feel like I am in another
country. Everyone made me feel so welcome, it was like being at home.

March 31st- Touchdown remains copyright of the author joshatplay, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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March 30th- The Departure

2006-03-30T08:00:00Z

After leaving the grasp of my weeping mother, my dad and I began our drive towards
the airport. It was nice to have some car time with dad, even though I did not have much
to talk about, but my dad kept asking me questions, I think he just wanted to hear my
voice. I too wanted to talk, but my mind was somewhere else, and rightfully so. I had
been anticipating this day for the last six months. Once we pulled up to the airport I
started to get real excited, although it would be almost 24 hours until I was in Israel, the
trip had begun.
While checking in, the Air Canada representative informed me that my bag was 8
pounds over the limit and that I would have to remove some items or pay an extra $25. So
I plucked some items out and stuffed my carry on as full as I could get it without smushing
the delicious sandwich that my dad had prepared for my travels (one of his favorite things
to do for his son). I did not really think about what I was taking out and putting into my
carry on , but one of the items was my first aid kit. The issue with the first aid kit is that I
had a small pocket knife inside and that is a no-no with security. Well, knowing me, I
proceeded anyway and continued through security with no problems or bonus frisking
(makes ya feel realllll safe).
With two hours until my flight and a full stomach, I got real board real quick while
waiting at the gate. So I started to wonder around and found a restaurant/bar with a TV. I
took a seat and just started to relax when the meanest Asian lady I had ever met, asked
me if I wanted anything. When I replied no, she proceeded to be very rude and kick me
out because seating was for customers only. This seemed fair, but I was the only potential
customer within 25 feet of the place and now I think I know why (she was no Joy, the
loving Asian owner of the finest diner in Eugene). So I took a seat across from the
restaurant where I could still view the exhilarating match-up between the Cincinnati Reds
and Boston Red Sox (Bronson Arroyo struck out Willy Mo Pena, players that were traded for
each other amongst the competing squads). As time ticked away, I made faces and played
with a young kid who was also waiting for a flight and was not the type to sit still and wait
(much like me when I was his age and still). But eventually, the little hand was on between
the 11 and 12 and it was time for me to head back to the gate and start leg one of the
flight.
The flight to Toronto was quick and painless (in comparison to what was still to
come). I enjoyed the in-flight movie, “Prime” I believe it was called. A story about a 23
year old Jewish boy whose mother is a psychiatrist, a concept that could develop into a
movie on its own. The 23 year old met and fell in love with a beautiful 37 year old woman
(Uma Thurman). The catch is that Uma was a patient of the psychiatrist mother and would
tell stories of her relationship with this young boy and in some detail. Eventually the
mother caught on and blah blah blah. All in all, it was entertaining and throughout the
movie, spurts of laughter would rain inside the plane.
Once off the plane in Toronto, I had to proceed through customs and make my way to
another terminal for the second leg of the trip. I had a three hour layover and had a huge
craving for some poutin (french fries covered in gravy with cheese curds on top), a
Canadian delicacy. Of course before I made my way to any food stop, there was a very
important phone call that had to be made. So I picked up the phone and called home to
let my mother know that her 263 month old baby was safe and sound. I was quite lucky
because as soon as I sat down to enjoy my healthy batch of poutin, the jersey retirement
ceremony for Indiana Pacer, Reggie Miller was just beginning. It made me feel a little
emotional because I remember all the times Reggie buried the hopes of the New York
Knickerbockers (the choking gesture is still in my mind) and his last second heroics. I
thought this was there was not a better game to end my 2005-06 season on. The Pacers
were playing the Phoenix Suns and were just getting blown out (could the Suns win it all
minus Amare? ‘Cuz it sure looked like whatever Indiana tried was not going to stop Steve
Nash from getting the ball to someone who would put the ball through the hoop).
Anyway, it was time to board the 11 hour flight to Tel-Aviv and while I was waiting for
everyone to make their way down to the plane, I was chatting it up with the gate attendant.
He was very charming and flexible, something very rare in his profession. After everyone
seemed to be on the plane, I figured it was my turn to walk the plank. Before I could begin
the gentleman at the gate asked for my ticked and said he was going to give me a seat
with some extra leg room (even though I already had the exit row); he said I would be in
the front row. As I stepped onto the plane I started counting rows and did not understand
why my seat was 5C because there were seven rows in first class. The kindest airline
attendant I have ever worked with had pulled some sort of magic from his hat and
reassigned me to first class, unbelievable. I really wanted to run back to the gate and
shake his hand, but I was already stuck in the seat, more like lounge chair, which would be
perfect for the overnight flight.
After flying first class, I do not think I can ever go back to economy. The chair
reclined into a bed and I was out, but not before enjoying a three course dinner. When I
awoke it was light out again and we were over Italy. The personal TV had a map channel
and I was able to figure out what cities I was flying over. The sky was clear and I had
wonderful views of Nice and Naples. Then came Greece, where I could identify Hydra and,
in the distance, Athens. With two hours to go it was time for breakfast. So here I was
enjoying a pre-breakfast of sliced fruit and pastries while flying over the Greek Isles. I
could see Milos and then Santorini and they were amazing. I had never had steak and
eggs before and never thought that my first time would be on a plane. Air Canada
definitely knows how to treat its elite passengers and I felt spoiled.

March 30th- The Departure remains copyright of the author joshatplay, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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