October 24, 2013

Today was an interesting and very Israeli day. I had class from 10-2 and them came back to the dorms and relaxed a bit. After that, Alona and Paige and I went to an IDF (Israeli Defense Forces -- the Israeli army) panel on an army base. It was my first time being on an army base, so it was really cool and interesting to see what it looked like. I was actually really surprised, I expected more people to be walking around and I thought that it was going to be more like an American army base and all muddy and have obstacle courses set up everywhere. I later realized that the reason why it was so empty was because it was a day base, which meant that all of the soldiers left at night and went home. At the base, we went into a room for every section of the Israeli army -- paratroopers, the navy, the intelligence unit, the air force unit, and the medical unit with the doctors and paramedics. A group of about ten or fifteen of us from the oversees program at the University of Tel Aviv (the program I am in) went to this army base. For each unit, a soldier would tell us about it, tell us a story form them working in it, and show us pictures or a video or things used in each unit. All of the soldier were real soldiers and actually in these units that they were telling us about. It felt really real and official to be on the base, talking to soldiers, and learning about their positions. After hearing about all of the army units, we walked around the base and saw a real iron dome, an old navy boat, some army trucks, and a real tanker. The group of us all climbed onto the tanker and got a picture. Some of the Israeli soldiers got in the picture with us too. It was a really cool way to spend the afternoon! After seeing all of the units and hearing about what they do, I think that if i had to choose one to be in, I would want to be apart of the navy. It seems really cool and "fun"and not as dangerous because the girls are not actually fighting on the boats.

October 20, 2013

Today was my last day of touring Israel with my dad and Debbie. The three of us were really tired and ready tog et back to Tel Aviv, after a long weekend of seeing the country and touring. On our way back to Tel Aviv, we just stopped in the old city of Safet. It is the highest city in Israel. It used to be one of the oldest and holiest cities in Israel now. Now, it has become a tourist area. Amongst the old synagogues and old Arab "shacks," there are tons of art galleries and jewelry stores and art dealers. It was fun to walk around and look at the art and jewelry. Ika, our tour guide, took us to the roof of one of the art galeries. From up there, you could see beautiful views of the Sea of Galilee (just a little bit) and the mountains and Golan Heights in Israel. It was a very interesting and old and beautiful city. We only stayed there for an hour or two and then headed back to Tel Aviv. Again, on the drive back to Tel Aviv, we drove past army bases, Palestinian areas and you could see the border fences, Arab villages, and Jewish settlements. Once we got back to Tel Aviv, it was time to relax! After saying bye and thanking Ika for the amazing weekend and touring, my dad, Debbie, and I checked into the Hilton hotel,  got ready for the beach and headed down!

This weekend with my dad and Debbie was amazing. I had a great time, seeing the WHOLE country, doing great things, and having a lot of nice family time. I am so lucky to be able to go on a trip like this and see the country basically in full. I also feel so lucky to be able to study abroad here in Israel. I am so happy with my decision!

October 19, 2013

Yet again, another awsome day of touring Israel with my dad and Debbie! The three of us got picked up early in the morning, to start of day. As soon as we finished breakfast at 9:30am, Ika (the tour guide0 was sitting in the lobby, waiting for us. We went upstairs, got our bags, and checked out of the hotel. Although today was a long say, there was a lot of driving. We drove out of Jerusalem and towards the north. We passed Arab villages, Israel and Jewish and Arab settlements, and Palestinian villages. Basically during the whole drive, we were following the Jordan river and driving on the actual border of Jordan and Israel.

Our first stop of the day was an old fortress called Balfour. From up there, you could see a beautiful view of the Jordan valley and Jordan and a little bit of the sea of Galilee and a little bit of Lebanon, over in the mountains. This fortress was an old castle that was built on top of a mountain. After this, we made our way up to the Golan Heights. The geography of the Golan Heights was actually really interesting. Once you get up to the Golan Heights, which is either right at sea level or a little below, the landscape is completely flat; you feel like you are on the flat ground. Anyway, from the Golan Heights, you can see beautiful views of the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan river snaking through the valleys, Jordan across the way, parts of Syria, and parts of Lebanon off in the distance. It was really pretty. One of the places that we stopped at in the Golan Heights was Gamal. It was a lookout of the canyon, on the border of Jordan and Israel and Syria. You could also see the tip of the Sea of Galilee from there. Right in the canyon, there was an old Syrian village that was built on the side of a small mountain. This little village was called Gamal. At this viewing point, there was a vulture lookout. Apparently the most amount of vultures in Israel live in this canyon. Although they are scavengers and eat dead bodies  and animals, they are very pretty birds and glide through the sky.

By the time we left the Gamal, it was about 5pm and we were all exhausted. We made our way to our new hotel, right next to the En Gev kibbutz, right across the lake from Tiberias, and right above the Sea of Galilee. On our way there, we had to drive down the mountains and we stopped at another beautiful lookout of the the Syria and Israel border, right near mount Heron. It was amazing how cold and windy it was outside, being up in the mountains, at sunset. Once we checked into our hotel, we went to our cabin and relaxed a bit, before dinner on a kibbutz. Today was another great say in the Holyland!

October 18, 2013

Today was another fun day traveling around Israel. My dad, Debbie, our tour guide Ika, and I went to the South. We saw En Gedi, Masada, and swam and bathed in the Dead Sea. THe whole drive from Jerusalem to the south was beautiful; we saw really pretty views of Jordan and the Jordan valley and the Dead Sea and the desert. It was really interesting because along the drive, we basically drove on the border of Israel and Jordan. At some points, we were right next to Palestinian territories and Arab villages.

The first stop we made was at En Gedi. It is a famous waterfall. Before we got to it, I was expecting to see a big, beautiful waterfall. I was surprised because it was actually really small and pretty but not beautiful. Ika, our tour guide, told us that En Gedi was so famous because it is a completely fresh water natural waterfall in the middle of the desert and right above the salty dead sea. This made it more interesting! To get up to the waterfalls, we had to hike a little bit up a path. Once we got to the top, there was a beautiful view of the Dead Sea and the desert and the mountains of Jordan. Thinking about it now, it was amazing for there to be a fresh water waterfall in the middle of the desert. The next place we went to for the day was Masada. We all agreed that it was too hot to hike up the mountain, in the middle of the day, with the sun blaring on us, so we took the cable car up. From the top of the mountain, not that high at all, actually below sea level, we could see all the desert, the Dead Sea, and Jordan. It was such a beautiful view! The story and what is left of Masada was very interesting. I learned that there were two groups that lived up on the mountain; King Herod and the Romans. King Herod built his fortress on top of the mountain and it was cool to see the remains of it today. It was actually built very well with high technology. King Herod was a smart man I guess!

After En Gedi and Masada, the three of us went over to the Dead Sea, with Ika too. I think this was my favorite part of the day! As soon as we got there, we bought our tickets which included lunch, a towel, entry into the Dead Sea, and a free gift at the end! We had our quick lunch, put on our bathing suites, and headed out to the Dead Sea. When I got there, I was a little nervous to step into the water and float. I did not really believe that you would just float. So we all walked into the water and sure enough, we floated on top of the water. Without any effort, it was like being in no gravity, we were pulled up to the surface and basically forced to float on top of the water. It was really fun, just lying there and relaxing and laughing. Because it was sooo salty, after a few minutes, our bodies starting to sting and we had to get out (after getting pictures of course!!!!). We were told that after bathing in the water, we had to do the mud bath afterwards. Sure enough, we got ourselves covered and lathered up in the mud and got great pictures too! It was actually really cool being in the mud; it felt really good and apparently was really good for our skin! As soon as the mud started to harden, we had to rinse it off of our bodies, to get the full effect! At this point, I was so excited and ready to go back to the hotel and take a shower! Today was incredible and an amazing experience!

October 12, 2013

Today was another awesome and fun filled day in Eilat. We woke up early again and went to get breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we talked to the concierge and figured out our plan for the day. Paige and I really wanted to do some water sports here, so we decided to go banana boating and tubing. We got to the beach, settled down in our chairs, and then hit the water! Sarah was not feeling well this morning, so she stayed in the room, so it was just Alona, Paige, and I at the beach. Paige and I got our life jackets on and got into the boat. The driver allowed Alona to sit on the boat and take pictures of us tubing. As soon as we got out of the harbor, and a little into the Red Sea, Paige and I jumped off the boat and got onto the tube. There were two little boys with us on the tube at the same time. We were all laying down, holding on, and the boat started to pull us. It picked up speed and we were all flying in the water, through the air, on the tube. It was so much fun. There were a few times when the tube completely flipped over and we went flying (literally flying, in the air) into the water. It was for sure the roughest tubing experience I have ever been on. While we were tubing, Alona was sitting on the boat with the driver and she made friends with him and he said that we would take us back on the boat later over to the Jordan border.

After the tubing, the three of us went back to our chairs on the beach and relaxed for a little bit, before Paige and I went banana boating. A little later, Paige and I went on the banana boat. It literally looks like a hot dog and fits about ten or so people on it. It too is being pulled behind a speedboat. Paige and I were the only girls on the banana boat and were the youngest. As soon as we were settled on the banana boat, the speedboat starting going and we were being dragged on the banana boat. It was also a lot of fun, but nothing compared to the tube. There were a few moments on the banana boat that reminded me exactly of the tubing from earlier. Whenever the speedboat driver would turn the boat, the banana boat would tilt and we would basically be submerged into the water, being pulled on the banana boat. There was one time that I actually fell off it and couldn’t really get back on!!!! HAHA J All of the men on the banana boat had to help me up by pulling my arms. Although the banana boating was a ton of fun, I think I am done with water sports for a while!

I was very happy to just go lay on the beach for a little bit and tan and relax. Soon though, the speedboat driver for the tubing came and found us and said that he would take us over to the Jordan border. It was so cool to see, because we were so close to Jordan, about fifteen feet or so from the water border. We could see directly into the country and onto the land. The boat driver and our “tour guide” pointed out the Jordanian kings castle and the Jordanian coast guard hub and the city of Aquaba. On our way back over to Eilat, our “tour guide” showed us the Israeli navy seals station and told us that the flag on the building is the biggest Israeli flag in the whole country. Today was a great day and I am hoping tonight will be just as fun! We are hoping to get a late dinner somewhere on the water and either go out to a club or a bar around there! 

October 17, 2013

Today was a great day and great start to an incredible weekend. I had class until 2pm and then came back to my room and got ready and packed up for the weekend. My dad and Debbie were here for the weekend and we were going touring and sightseeing for the weekend. The first stop is a family reunion and get together in Jerusalem tonight.

After class, I came back to the dorms, got ready, packed up a bag for the weekend, and left. I had to take a cab to Abra's house to meet her there, and from there, we took a cab together to the Tel Aviv central bus station. From the bus station, we were able to get a sherut to Jerusalem. I was very surprised because the sherut only cost me twenty-five shekels and only took about an hour and fifteen minutes. It really was not hard at all to get to Jerusalem! Once Abra and I got there, it took us a few minutes to find the restaurant. Finally, we knew we had found it when we were greeted outside by two people that said they remembered me from when I was just a baby. At this moment, I knew we were there. The dinner was very interesting; there were about twenty-five of us, at one long table, and everybody was from two sets of parents. All of the family members there, some I have met and some I have not, were very religious. One of the sets of parents, Roz and Paul, have eight children (seven boys and one girl) and thirty grandchildren. All of the "children" are older now though, the ages range from twenty two (he came in his army uniform with a gun in hand) to forty. Everybody at the table was very interesting because to me, they represented a true Jewish family. There were very religious people, not-so religious children, the three of us who are not religious really at all, people who are in the army currently, people who are still in the intelligence units late into their forties, Americans, Israelis, and everybody had different interest. It was fun to see everybody get together and get along! The dinner started out with all of us sitting down at the table and then one-by-one, we went around the table and introduced ourselves. The rest of the night went really well, everybody was getting along and talking and having a great time! I got a few invites from some of the families for me to come to their houses for Shabbat some weekends. It was a great feeling to be in Israel and meet up with people from all different backgrounds, that are all in the same family! After dinner, we were back to the King David hotel and off to bed, we have an early morning of touring tomorrow.

October 12, 2013

Today was another awesome and fun filled day in Eilat. We woke up early again and went to get breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we talked to the concierge and figured out our plan for the day. Paige and I really wanted to do some water sports here, so we decided to go banana boating and tubing. We got to the beach, settled down in our chairs, and then hit the water! Sarah was not feeling well this morning, so she stayed in the room, so it was just Alona, Paige, and I at the beach. Paige and I got our life jackets on and got into the boat. The driver allowed Alona to sit on the boat and take pictures of us tubing. As soon as we got out of the harbor, and a little into the Red Sea, Paige and I jumped off the boat and got onto the tube. There were two little boys with us on the tube at the same time. We were all laying down, holding on, and the boat started to pull us. It picked up speed and we were all flying in the water, through the air, on the tube. It was so much fun. There were a few times when the tube completely flipped over and we went flying (literally flying, in the air) into the water. It was for sure the roughest tubing experience I have ever been on. While we were tubing, Alona was sitting on the boat with the driver and she made friends with him and he said that we would take us back on the boat later over to the Jordan border.

After the tubing, the three of us went back to our chairs on the beach and relaxed for a little bit, before Paige and I went banana boating. A little later, Paige and I went on the banana boat. It literally looks like a hot dog and fits about ten or so people on it. It too is being pulled behind a speedboat. Paige and I were the only girls on the banana boat and were the youngest. As soon as we were settled on the banana boat, the speedboat starting going and we were being dragged on the banana boat. It was also a lot of fun, but nothing compared to the tube. There were a few moments on the banana boat that reminded me exactly of the tubing from earlier. Whenever the speedboat driver would turn the boat, the banana boat would tilt and we would basically be submerged into the water, being pulled on the banana boat. There was one time that I actually fell off it and couldn’t really get back on!!!! HAHA J All of the men on the banana boat had to help me up by pulling my arms. Although the banana boating was a ton of fun, I think I am done with water sports for a while!

I was very happy to just go lay on the beach for a little bit and tan and relax. Soon though, the speedboat driver for the tubing came and found us and said that he would take us over to the Jordan border. It was so cool to see, because we were so close to Jordan, about fifteen feet or so from the water border. We could see directly into the country and onto the land. The boat driver and our “tour guide” pointed out the Jordanian kings castle and the Jordanian coast guard hub and the city of Aquaba. On our way back over to Eilat, our “tour guide” showed us the Israeli navy seals station and told us that the flag on the building is the biggest Israeli flag in the whole country. Today was a great day and I am hoping tonight will be just as fun! We are hoping to get a late dinner somewhere on the water and either go out to a club or a bar around there! 

October 12, 2013

Today was another awesome and fun filled day in Eilat. We woke up early again and went to get breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we talked to the concierge and figured out our plan for the day. Paige and I really wanted to do some water sports here, so we decided to go banana boating and tubing. We got to the beach, settled down in our chairs, and then hit the water! Sarah was not feeling well this morning, so she stayed in the room, so it was just Alona, Paige, and I at the beach. Paige and I got our life jackets on and got into the boat. The driver allowed Alona to sit on the boat and take pictures of us tubing. As soon as we got out of the harbor, and a little into the Red Sea, Paige and I jumped off the boat and got onto the tube. There were two little boys with us on the tube at the same time. We were all laying down, holding on, and the boat started to pull us. It picked up speed and we were all flying in the water, through the air, on the tube. It was so much fun. There were a few times when the tube completely flipped over and we went flying (literally flying, in the air) into the water. It was for sure the roughest tubing experience I have ever been on. While we were tubing, Alona was sitting on the boat with the driver and she made friends with him and he said that we would take us back on the boat later over to the Jordan border.

After the tubing, the three of us went back to our chairs on the beach and relaxed for a little bit, before Paige and I went banana boating. A little later, Paige and I went on the banana boat. It literally looks like a hot dog and fits about ten or so people on it. It too is being pulled behind a speedboat. Paige and I were the only girls on the banana boat and were the youngest. As soon as we were settled on the banana boat, the speedboat starting going and we were being dragged on the banana boat. It was also a lot of fun, but nothing compared to the tube. There were a few moments on the banana boat that reminded me exactly of the tubing from earlier. Whenever the speedboat driver would turn the boat, the banana boat would tilt and we would basically be submerged into the water, being pulled on the banana boat. There was one time that I actually fell off it and couldn’t really get back on!!!! HAHA J All of the men on the banana boat had to help me up by pulling my arms. Although the banana boating was a ton of fun, I think I am done with water sports for a while!

I was very happy to just go lay on the beach for a little bit and tan and relax. Soon though, the speedboat driver for the tubing came and found us and said that he would take us over to the Jordan border. It was so cool to see, because we were so close to Jordan, about fifteen feet or so from the water border. We could see directly into the country and onto the land. The boat driver and our “tour guide” pointed out the Jordanian kings castle and the Jordanian coast guard hub and the city of Aquaba. On our way back over to Eilat, our “tour guide” showed us the Israeli navy seals station and told us that the flag on the building is the biggest Israeli flag in the whole country. Today was a great day and I am hoping tonight will be just as fun! We are hoping to get a late dinner somewhere on the water and either go out to a club or a bar around there! 

October 11, 2013

Today was probably my favorite day so far in Israel! My friends and I arrived to Eilat, in Southern Israel, last night. Eilat is so cool and pretty. From our hotel, we coulc see the Red Sea and directly on the other side of it (about a mile away) was the Saudi Arabia border and the Jordan border. We woke up early this morning, had breakfast at our hotel, and headed to the beach. As soon as we got to the beach, we bought snorkels. We found some nice chairs on the beach, right by the water, and relaxed there all morning. Paige, Alona, and I went snorkeling a few times. It was absolutely beautiful; crystal clear, blue water, white sand beaches, tons of coral, and awesome fish. We saw rainbow fish,  blow fish, spiky fish, schools of fish, zebra fish, and tons more. It was amazing how clear the water was; swimming on the surface of the water, we could see perfectly 30 feet down! The beach was so relaxing and the water was so clear and blue and clean. We got a quick lunch on the beach and headed back to the hotel, to get ready for our camel riding.

In the afternoon, we all went camel riding at Camel Ranch. I have never really seen a camel, let alone been on one or been so close to one! We get into our taxi and he drives us to the ranch. The entrance is basically on the beach, but then there is a dirt road running through the desert for about a mile, before the actual entrance to the camel ranch. As soon as we get there, our instructor tells us and shows us how to get onto and sit on the camels. There were 6 camels in a row, all tied up to each other (four camels for us and two camels for another couple). Once we were all on the camels, we started the “voyage” into the desert on our camels. They walked for about an hour, through the desert. It was so cool because it felt so real and Middle Eastern! At one point during our walk, our tour guide told us that we were only three kilometers (less than a mile) from the Israel/ Egypt border. After an hour of camel riding, which is really uncomfortable, we went back to the camel ranch and had a homemade snack in the Bedouin tent. Our tour guide made fruity tea, similar to what the Bedouins’ used to and still do drink. He also made us Laffa (which is just flour, salt, and water mixed together, cooked on the top of a pan, over a fire) with a yogurty cheese sauce, and fresh olives. It was all really good and was a great experience!

Later at night, we went to a Brazilian steakhouse for dinner which was really good. After dinner, we came back to our hotel to watch their show. There were African acrobatics and they were incredible! We saw these five or six guys doing flips and jumps and balances and juggling and tons of other cool stunts. There was also really cool African music playing and a huge crowd watching and clapping and participating in the show. After this show, my friends and I went downtown and walked around the Tayelet (boardwalk). It was fun because there were a bunch of shops and jewelers and food stands and activities and bars. There were tons of people there and walking around, so it was fun to see tons of people our age, hanging out, both Israelis and non-Israeli tourists. After an amazing day in Eilat, I am exhausted and about to fall asleep now. I am going to sleep so I can wake up tomorrow for another great day in paradise in Eilat! 

October 7, 13

Today was the first day of school. It was so weird being back at school and having classes and homework and having a schedule. I have been out of “real” school since the beginning of June, so sitting in classes all day today was a little different! The classes that I am taking do seem really interesting though. Today I went to two classes about the history of Israel in/and the Middle East. They seem like they are going to be intense but really interesting. The other class that I went to today was called “After Auschwitz.” This class also seemed interesting and I think I am going to like it a lot! It seems really similar to the class that I took last quarter at the University of Denver. I can tell, though, that this class is going to be intense too and sad. The last class I had for the day, one of the history of the Middle East classes, ended at 6pm and all of my friends were in it. We were starving after class, so we went to go get sushi downtown. We celebrated our first day of class! The sushi restaurant we went to was soooooooo cool! It was called Moon sushi and it was one of those sushi restaurants with a conveyor belt running around the restaurant. The sushi chef was in the middle of the restaurant and once he made a sushi roll, he would put it on the belt and we could take whatever we wanted off of it! I think it was some of the best sushi I have had here. Surprisingly Tel Aviv has GREAT sushi and tons of it! After dinner, my friends and I went for a nice walk on Dizengoff street. Overall, today was a great day and I am excited to have my last two classes tomorrow, I hope they are as good and as interesting as the classes I had today! 

October 6, 2013

I know that I have not written in a while, so here you go! I have not been back in Tel Aviv for about a week and a half and am so happy to be back! Being in and traveling around Europe has made me really realize that I made the right decision to study abroad in Israel. I am so happy that I am here, instead of somewhere in Europe! The weather is so nice here, I get to explore the Middle East and Europe, and it is not as touristy as Europe.

So over the past week, I have been relaxing a lot and going to the beach and pool. It is starting to get cooler here and kinda chilly at night. I want to take advantage of as much beach weather and tanning as I can, before it gets too cold to go to the beach and pool. Other than tanning and going to the beach and pool a lot, I have been going out to some cool places! Last Friday night, I went with Alona and her friend Mor, from growing up in Israel, and Mor’s friends, to a pub on a kibbutz. It was such a cool place because it was an Israeli and Irish pub. They were mostly playing American party and rock songs, and everyone was singing to them. They were also playing Irish songs and a lot of the drunk Israeli guys in the pub were Irish step dancing to the music. It was really funny and a new experience to see! The funniest part about this pub, in my opinion, was that it was called “Goose Pub” in Hebrew and it was in an old silo. The next night, Alona and I and our friend Nate, all went to a bar in Herzliya. Nate used to go to camp in Israel, so he has a lot of Israeli friends. We met up with them there and all sat outside at a bar/ restaurant and hung out. It was nice because a few of his friends are on the same program that I am on at the University of Tel Aviv. After leaving the bar, we walked around the town and went down to the beach. It was so pretty and nice to walk along the sand at night and hear the waves slash against the shore. On our walk to the beach, we walked past so many nice areas of houses; they looked beautiful and reminded me of home!