December 8, 2013
Today I went to Akko. I went there with Paige and Leetal. We left early in the morning because we had to catch the train and Akko is way up in the north, almost on the border of Israel and Lebanon. The three of us got on the train and were on it for two hours or so. Since it was an early morning train, it was filled with soldiers going back to the army or back to base or coming home from base. Once we made it Akko we got off the train and were lucky enough to muss the rain. It was raining the whole time we were on the train. We found a cab and got a ride to the old city and old part of Akko.
Akko (Acre in Hebrew) is an old city. It used to be the "new" Jerusalem after the first temple was burnt down in Jerusalem. It was run by the crusaders in the 1100's. The old city looked very European and Roman -- lots of old stone ruins. Today, Akko is an Arab city and modernized. We decided that the best way to see the old city was to do a walking tour through the old city. We bought our tickets and got started! The first area we walked through was the underground village, which was created by the crusaders in the 1100's. It was very old and fun to walk around and learn the history of it. After that we walked through the Turkish Bathhouse. Once we were in the Turkish Bathhouse we were forced to watch a really creepy video about the history of it. There were creepy Arab men that were basically making fun of the Jews. I did not really understand it. Once we were done with the Turksih Bathhouse, we walked through the Arab shuk and got REALLY REALLY lost. We kept following signs to get to the Templars Tunnel and the Port, which were supposed to be the main attractions, but could not find either one. We followed every sign and somehow could not find these two places. We asked many people how to get there and still got lost and couldn't find them. At this point we were starting to get hungry, so we ended up finding the hummus restaurant that Leetal's uncle told her about. It was delicious. We ordered the typical Israeli/ Middle Eastern meal -- hummus, falafal, pita, tahina, and french fries (very unhealthy but delicious). Once we were done with lunch we decided to try finding the Templars Tunnel and the Port again. Yet again we got super lost and confused and ended up walking back and forth through the Arab shuk again. The people working at the stands and restaurants must have just been laughing at us because we were so obviously three American girls who had no idea where they were or where they were going. We finally asked a police officer were these sites were and he told us exactly how to get there! We followed his directions and YAH we found it! We first walked through the Templars Tunnel which was not even that cool, it was a tunnel underground with the ocean water running under the boards. At this point we were too tired to read the history about it, so I still have no idea what it actually was. Once we got out of the tunnel, we were at the port. It was so pretty to walk around there and see the water and sunset. There were two mules chained up to a bench outside and we got pictures with them and Paige and Leetal rode them. They also got taken advantage of because the guy who said they could go on them made it seem like the mules were not even his and then at the end he wanted Paige and Leetal to pay him forty shekels each. It was such a rip off. Anyway, they had fun riding on the mules and I got some really cool pictures of them!
Then the strangest thing of my whole life (I think) happened to us. The three of us were walking on the port and taking pictures of us and of the water and sunset. There were tons of tourists also on the port. They were all Nigerians. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, all of these Nigerians started "attacking" us and trying to take pictures. The were literally standing in lines to take pictures of us, like we were famous or royalty. The Nigerians were hugging us and kissing us and holding our hands. They told us that this was the first time they had seen white people, and it was such a big deal. It was SO WEIRD! Paige, Leetal, and I had to pull each other away from them and force ourselves out of the Nigerian herd. Once we finally got out, we were very ready to leave. We had a long day of walking and getting lost and being attacked. It was a great but strange and culturally different day; like nothing I have every done by myself. Today was for sure a day of culture shock!
Friday, December 13, 2013
December 6, 2013
Today was yet again another great day. I went to Sachne with Paige, Nate, Nate's friend Max, and Nate's cousin Daniel (who lives in Jerusalem). We left early in the morning and Daniel drove us up the coast and to Sachne. Sachne is a natural hot springs on the border of the West Bank, up north. We drove for about two hours or so and got there around 1pm, and the park/ hot springs closed at 3pm.
On our way up to Sachne, the five of us were squished into Daniel's little car. The car had two seats in the front (of course) and only two seats in the back, but we fit three of us. Nate sat in the middle seat, on top of a pillow! Other than the ride being a little tight, we made great timing and had a lot of fun. There was no traffic, so we got there fast. The views were pretty when we were driving along the coast. Once we got further inland, we were driving on the border of the West Bank. It was interesting to see the Israeli Arab villages and settlements compared to the Arab West Bank villages. The Israeli side's houses were much nicer and larger and the land was more taken care of. The West Bank's side looked much more run-down and gross and dirty. We all stepped for lunch at Cafe-Cafe in an Arab village on the Israel side. This was a definite experience! We were the only ones in the restaurant and didn't know any Arabic. The three guys were basically all fluent in Hebrew but Paige and I barely know any. The waiter at the Cafe-Cafe definitely did not know any English and only knew a little Hebrew. It was hard to order, but it ended up working out! As we were in the restaurant, the Arab waiters just kept staring at all of us and it was a little uncomfortable. We were in culture shock. We left the restaurant and headed towards Sachne. Once we got there, we realized that it closed an hour and a half after we got there. At first we thought we would be rushed but after a little while in the water, we were ready to leave. The hot springs were so nice. The water was so clear and fresh and warm. Although the air was FREEZING outside, in the water we were pretty warm. There was a hot springs pool/ pond that we swam around in and took pictures in for a while and then there was also an all natural, fresh, clean waterfall. This was for sure my, and I think everyones favorite part of the day. It was a harsh waterfall but we all sat under it anyway. It felt INCREDIBLE! The warm water was flowing down the rocks and pelting our backs, massaging us. We sat there for a while and took pictures with Paige's underwater camera of us playing in the water and posing and making funny faces. It was so much fun and so relaxing. After a little bit, probably like half an hour, of sitting under the waterfall, we started to get really really cold, so we got out of the water and dried off and changed. The park was closing and it was time for us to head back to Tel Aviv. There was no traffic on the way back and it was a nice and relaxing car ride. The three boys are all from Atlanta, Georgia, so there was a lot of country music, MY FAVORITE!!! I had a great day and it is so sad that we are leaving so soon and we don't have too much time left.
Today was yet again another great day. I went to Sachne with Paige, Nate, Nate's friend Max, and Nate's cousin Daniel (who lives in Jerusalem). We left early in the morning and Daniel drove us up the coast and to Sachne. Sachne is a natural hot springs on the border of the West Bank, up north. We drove for about two hours or so and got there around 1pm, and the park/ hot springs closed at 3pm.
On our way up to Sachne, the five of us were squished into Daniel's little car. The car had two seats in the front (of course) and only two seats in the back, but we fit three of us. Nate sat in the middle seat, on top of a pillow! Other than the ride being a little tight, we made great timing and had a lot of fun. There was no traffic, so we got there fast. The views were pretty when we were driving along the coast. Once we got further inland, we were driving on the border of the West Bank. It was interesting to see the Israeli Arab villages and settlements compared to the Arab West Bank villages. The Israeli side's houses were much nicer and larger and the land was more taken care of. The West Bank's side looked much more run-down and gross and dirty. We all stepped for lunch at Cafe-Cafe in an Arab village on the Israel side. This was a definite experience! We were the only ones in the restaurant and didn't know any Arabic. The three guys were basically all fluent in Hebrew but Paige and I barely know any. The waiter at the Cafe-Cafe definitely did not know any English and only knew a little Hebrew. It was hard to order, but it ended up working out! As we were in the restaurant, the Arab waiters just kept staring at all of us and it was a little uncomfortable. We were in culture shock. We left the restaurant and headed towards Sachne. Once we got there, we realized that it closed an hour and a half after we got there. At first we thought we would be rushed but after a little while in the water, we were ready to leave. The hot springs were so nice. The water was so clear and fresh and warm. Although the air was FREEZING outside, in the water we were pretty warm. There was a hot springs pool/ pond that we swam around in and took pictures in for a while and then there was also an all natural, fresh, clean waterfall. This was for sure my, and I think everyones favorite part of the day. It was a harsh waterfall but we all sat under it anyway. It felt INCREDIBLE! The warm water was flowing down the rocks and pelting our backs, massaging us. We sat there for a while and took pictures with Paige's underwater camera of us playing in the water and posing and making funny faces. It was so much fun and so relaxing. After a little bit, probably like half an hour, of sitting under the waterfall, we started to get really really cold, so we got out of the water and dried off and changed. The park was closing and it was time for us to head back to Tel Aviv. There was no traffic on the way back and it was a nice and relaxing car ride. The three boys are all from Atlanta, Georgia, so there was a lot of country music, MY FAVORITE!!! I had a great day and it is so sad that we are leaving so soon and we don't have too much time left.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
December 1, 2013
WOW! I cannot believe that it is already December first. My time here has gone by so fast which means that I am going home so soon ;( Anyways, today was a fun day. Paige, Leetal, Gabrielle, and I had planned on going to Haifa today to see the Bahai gardens. We have been planning and trying to go here multiple times but something keeps happening or getting in the way. Most of us woke up early and were really excited to go but them Gabrielle wasnt feeling well and Leetal slept through her alarm. By the time she woke up, we had missed the train we were planning on taking. Gabrielle decided she did not want to go to Haifa anymore, so Leetal ended up going by herself to visit her family. At this point, Paige and I were bored so we were trying to figure out what to do and where to go. We decided to go to Jerusalem for the day! Paige and I got ready and headed to the bus station to take a bus to Jerusalem.
The bus ride only took about an hour, so we got there by 1pm. Once we arrived in Jerusalem we got a little lost. We were trying to get to the shuk, by walking, and ended up walking right past it. Eventually we got there and walked around and got lunch and snacks and goodies. Paige and I realized that we had not tried shawarma yet in Israel, so we found a shawarma shack and tried it! Lets ust say taht i Paige and I both agreed that that was our first and last time trying shawarma. It was really fatty and oily and HUGE. Paige and I were not the biggest fans! After lunch we walked around teh shuk a little bit and i found some really good tea that I bought to bring back home. We also bought some banana chips and nuts for the bus ride home. As we were walking through the shuk, some places were handing out free samples of food. Paige and I both tried coffee flavored havla and it was delicious! We also tried flavored tahina and watched the machine make it. It was sooo myummy and really cool to watch. After about an hour or an hour and a half or so, we were tired of the shuk and were ready to go to the Kotel. WE bought train tickets to get there and got on the train. Once we arrived at the Damascus gate, the train stop of the old Holy city, we got out and that is when everything happened! We found a nice couple and asked them how to get to the Kotel. They said that it was really easy, you just walk down these steps and keep walking straight and you will get there. We followed their instructions and ended up walking through the Arab shuk. This was one of the scariest moments of my life. There were tons of creepy Arab men staring and looking at us and muttering to themselves about us. I have heard before that this Arab shuk is not a safe place to be, and of course the two of us girls wind up walking through it. We were really scared and lost and could not find the way out. Paige and I kept asking the soldiers guarding the area how to get to the Western wall and they said to just keep walking straight. We did not believe them at first and then finally made it out, ALIVE and wound up at the Kotel. We got there just in time for the Menorah lighting for Hanukkah. This was the main reason why we wanted to come to Jerusalem today. Paige and I walked around teh Western wall and went up to it and then once the sun started to set at about 4:30, a rabbi came onto the stage with the menorah and sang the prayers and blessings and Hanukkah songs and then lit the Menorah. There was a small menorah right at the Western Wall and there were also torches above the wall, to make a menorah. It was really cool and special to be at the Kotel, the most holy site for the Jewish people, on Hanukkah. I was really glad that we decided to do this. Once the menorah was lit, there were Hanukkah songs blasting through the speakers. At this point, we were tired and decided to head back to Tel Aviv. Once we left the Kotel, we got really lost trying to find our way back to the tram station, to take the train back to the central bus station. As we were walking out, we walked through the residential section of the old city. There were rabbis outside lighting menorahs on the street and you could see into houses and apartment and see their menorahs. It was a great and cultural day! I had a lot of fun!
WOW! I cannot believe that it is already December first. My time here has gone by so fast which means that I am going home so soon ;( Anyways, today was a fun day. Paige, Leetal, Gabrielle, and I had planned on going to Haifa today to see the Bahai gardens. We have been planning and trying to go here multiple times but something keeps happening or getting in the way. Most of us woke up early and were really excited to go but them Gabrielle wasnt feeling well and Leetal slept through her alarm. By the time she woke up, we had missed the train we were planning on taking. Gabrielle decided she did not want to go to Haifa anymore, so Leetal ended up going by herself to visit her family. At this point, Paige and I were bored so we were trying to figure out what to do and where to go. We decided to go to Jerusalem for the day! Paige and I got ready and headed to the bus station to take a bus to Jerusalem.
The bus ride only took about an hour, so we got there by 1pm. Once we arrived in Jerusalem we got a little lost. We were trying to get to the shuk, by walking, and ended up walking right past it. Eventually we got there and walked around and got lunch and snacks and goodies. Paige and I realized that we had not tried shawarma yet in Israel, so we found a shawarma shack and tried it! Lets ust say taht i Paige and I both agreed that that was our first and last time trying shawarma. It was really fatty and oily and HUGE. Paige and I were not the biggest fans! After lunch we walked around teh shuk a little bit and i found some really good tea that I bought to bring back home. We also bought some banana chips and nuts for the bus ride home. As we were walking through the shuk, some places were handing out free samples of food. Paige and I both tried coffee flavored havla and it was delicious! We also tried flavored tahina and watched the machine make it. It was sooo myummy and really cool to watch. After about an hour or an hour and a half or so, we were tired of the shuk and were ready to go to the Kotel. WE bought train tickets to get there and got on the train. Once we arrived at the Damascus gate, the train stop of the old Holy city, we got out and that is when everything happened! We found a nice couple and asked them how to get to the Kotel. They said that it was really easy, you just walk down these steps and keep walking straight and you will get there. We followed their instructions and ended up walking through the Arab shuk. This was one of the scariest moments of my life. There were tons of creepy Arab men staring and looking at us and muttering to themselves about us. I have heard before that this Arab shuk is not a safe place to be, and of course the two of us girls wind up walking through it. We were really scared and lost and could not find the way out. Paige and I kept asking the soldiers guarding the area how to get to the Western wall and they said to just keep walking straight. We did not believe them at first and then finally made it out, ALIVE and wound up at the Kotel. We got there just in time for the Menorah lighting for Hanukkah. This was the main reason why we wanted to come to Jerusalem today. Paige and I walked around teh Western wall and went up to it and then once the sun started to set at about 4:30, a rabbi came onto the stage with the menorah and sang the prayers and blessings and Hanukkah songs and then lit the Menorah. There was a small menorah right at the Western Wall and there were also torches above the wall, to make a menorah. It was really cool and special to be at the Kotel, the most holy site for the Jewish people, on Hanukkah. I was really glad that we decided to do this. Once the menorah was lit, there were Hanukkah songs blasting through the speakers. At this point, we were tired and decided to head back to Tel Aviv. Once we left the Kotel, we got really lost trying to find our way back to the tram station, to take the train back to the central bus station. As we were walking out, we walked through the residential section of the old city. There were rabbis outside lighting menorahs on the street and you could see into houses and apartment and see their menorahs. It was a great and cultural day! I had a lot of fun!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
November 28, 2013
Today was the first day of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. It was Thanksgivukah! I had a normal day of classes and then hanging out with friends a little bit. At about 5pm, I left the dorms and got a cab to my cousin, Manoli's army base. It was about twenty five minutes away, in Ramat Gan. I had to meet him there because he was driving me back to his and his family's house in Jerusalem. I was going to my cousin Amiel and his family's house for Thanksgiving. The car ride from Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem was about an hour and a half. The whole car ride, I was talking to Manoli about the army and different positions and units and rankings and uniforms. It was really interesting to finally learn about the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Once we got to their house in Jerusalem, the party started! It was an interesting mix of people, both friends, mutual and further friends, and family, both close and far. I met a lot of new people and had a lot of fun with them. The Thanksgiving dinner was delicious! There were latkes and Asian green beans and sweet potatoes and turkey and cornbread and corn on the cob and cranberry sauce with apples in it, stuffing, cole slaw, a salad, and much more. It was a huge and yummy dinner. The desserts were incredible too; apple pie, apple-pumpkin pie, a crisp, and dreidle cookies. My cousin, Elyana (Amiels's daughter and Manoli's sister), wants to be a pastry chef when she grows up so she made all of the breads and desserts. She made them deliciously and beautifully! Once we were all too full to function, all of the "kids" moved down to one side of the long table and we all played Cards Against Humanity and kept making pitchers of sangria. We were awake and playing the game and laughing histarically until 1am. Originally I was not planning on spending the night but because we played the game until so late, I ended up sleeping at their house.
I did not get a lot of sleep because I was sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor and it was not very comfy at all. Also we went to bed very late and woke up early. Oh well! Int he morning, we cleaned the house and cleaned up after everything from the night before. Once the house was spotless, we had some tea and coffee and then headed outside for a walk around Jerusalem and the shuk. Manoli and Amiel bought a bunch of groceries for Shabbat at the shuk. Elyana and I got yummy smoothies for breakfast and walked around. It was fun to see the Jerusalem shuk compared to the Tel Aviv shuk. After the shuk we headed back to their house and hung out there for a little bit. Then I had to leave because I had to make sure I got on the bus back to Tel Aviv before Shabbat started and the buses stopped working. I made it and had a nice and relaxing bus ride back to Tel Avi. I had an amazing Thanksgivikah this year and it was so nice to be with family, even though I didn't really know them that well, while I was on the other side of the world from my intermediate family. I am really glad that I decided to go to Amiel's house for Thanksgivikah dinner, I had a great time!
Today was the first day of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. It was Thanksgivukah! I had a normal day of classes and then hanging out with friends a little bit. At about 5pm, I left the dorms and got a cab to my cousin, Manoli's army base. It was about twenty five minutes away, in Ramat Gan. I had to meet him there because he was driving me back to his and his family's house in Jerusalem. I was going to my cousin Amiel and his family's house for Thanksgiving. The car ride from Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem was about an hour and a half. The whole car ride, I was talking to Manoli about the army and different positions and units and rankings and uniforms. It was really interesting to finally learn about the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Once we got to their house in Jerusalem, the party started! It was an interesting mix of people, both friends, mutual and further friends, and family, both close and far. I met a lot of new people and had a lot of fun with them. The Thanksgiving dinner was delicious! There were latkes and Asian green beans and sweet potatoes and turkey and cornbread and corn on the cob and cranberry sauce with apples in it, stuffing, cole slaw, a salad, and much more. It was a huge and yummy dinner. The desserts were incredible too; apple pie, apple-pumpkin pie, a crisp, and dreidle cookies. My cousin, Elyana (Amiels's daughter and Manoli's sister), wants to be a pastry chef when she grows up so she made all of the breads and desserts. She made them deliciously and beautifully! Once we were all too full to function, all of the "kids" moved down to one side of the long table and we all played Cards Against Humanity and kept making pitchers of sangria. We were awake and playing the game and laughing histarically until 1am. Originally I was not planning on spending the night but because we played the game until so late, I ended up sleeping at their house.
I did not get a lot of sleep because I was sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor and it was not very comfy at all. Also we went to bed very late and woke up early. Oh well! Int he morning, we cleaned the house and cleaned up after everything from the night before. Once the house was spotless, we had some tea and coffee and then headed outside for a walk around Jerusalem and the shuk. Manoli and Amiel bought a bunch of groceries for Shabbat at the shuk. Elyana and I got yummy smoothies for breakfast and walked around. It was fun to see the Jerusalem shuk compared to the Tel Aviv shuk. After the shuk we headed back to their house and hung out there for a little bit. Then I had to leave because I had to make sure I got on the bus back to Tel Aviv before Shabbat started and the buses stopped working. I made it and had a nice and relaxing bus ride back to Tel Avi. I had an amazing Thanksgivikah this year and it was so nice to be with family, even though I didn't really know them that well, while I was on the other side of the world from my intermediate family. I am really glad that I decided to go to Amiel's house for Thanksgivikah dinner, I had a great time!
November 24, 2013
Today was a great day. I had an early start; going to sleep at 5am last night and waking up this morning at 8am. Today we were finally going to Rosh Hanikra, the underwater, all natural caves on the border of Lebanon and Israel. It was really hard waking up, but I did and dragged myself to get ready and make it outside to the train station. Paige, Gabrielle, Gabrielle's boyfriend Cody, Nate, and I made it to the train station and onto the train. It was so crowded at first and we were all standing for a while in between the two cars. Once we were on the train for a while, a bunch of seats opened up and we were all able to sit down. After being on the train for about an hour and a half or so, we finally got to the furthest north train stop in Israel. From there, we took a twenty minute cab to Rosh Hanikra. Once we got to Rosh Hanikra, we got our tickets and took the cable car down to the water and to the caves. We all walked through the grottos, the underwater caves. THey were so pretty and it was fun to stand at the lookout points in the caves and see the water splashing into the caves and water rushing in and out of them. The colors and erosion of the caves were beautiful too. The caves were all different shapes and colors (red, green, yellow, orange, brown, blue, pearly), and all different heights. Once we walked through all of the grottos, we walked around the outside of the caves, right on the Mediterranean Sea. The salt and the water from the sea made the rocks white. They were also beautiful. Although there was not that much to see at Rosh Hanikra, we had a great time walking around, taking pictures, and sitting on the rocks, watching the huge waves splash up and almost hit us!
After Rosh Hanikra, we got a little lost. We thought we were exiting the area the right way, through the old train tracks there, but we were very wrong. We ended up walking through the train tracks into another beach and all the way down the coastline. We were not able to find a way out of the Rosh Hanikra area, so we just kept walking and walking and walking and walking. We stopped a few times at different beaches and walked a little in the sand and in the water. Cody was leading the way and got us stuck in the middle of nowhere, LITERALLY. We were on an endless road, on the coast, on the border of Lebanon. Finally, after two or three miles, we hit the main road and were able to get a cab back to the main city. Today was a great day but long. It was beautiful and a lot of fun and we got our exercise. We all made it back to Tel Aviv safely and just passed out!
Today was a great day. I had an early start; going to sleep at 5am last night and waking up this morning at 8am. Today we were finally going to Rosh Hanikra, the underwater, all natural caves on the border of Lebanon and Israel. It was really hard waking up, but I did and dragged myself to get ready and make it outside to the train station. Paige, Gabrielle, Gabrielle's boyfriend Cody, Nate, and I made it to the train station and onto the train. It was so crowded at first and we were all standing for a while in between the two cars. Once we were on the train for a while, a bunch of seats opened up and we were all able to sit down. After being on the train for about an hour and a half or so, we finally got to the furthest north train stop in Israel. From there, we took a twenty minute cab to Rosh Hanikra. Once we got to Rosh Hanikra, we got our tickets and took the cable car down to the water and to the caves. We all walked through the grottos, the underwater caves. THey were so pretty and it was fun to stand at the lookout points in the caves and see the water splashing into the caves and water rushing in and out of them. The colors and erosion of the caves were beautiful too. The caves were all different shapes and colors (red, green, yellow, orange, brown, blue, pearly), and all different heights. Once we walked through all of the grottos, we walked around the outside of the caves, right on the Mediterranean Sea. The salt and the water from the sea made the rocks white. They were also beautiful. Although there was not that much to see at Rosh Hanikra, we had a great time walking around, taking pictures, and sitting on the rocks, watching the huge waves splash up and almost hit us!
After Rosh Hanikra, we got a little lost. We thought we were exiting the area the right way, through the old train tracks there, but we were very wrong. We ended up walking through the train tracks into another beach and all the way down the coastline. We were not able to find a way out of the Rosh Hanikra area, so we just kept walking and walking and walking and walking. We stopped a few times at different beaches and walked a little in the sand and in the water. Cody was leading the way and got us stuck in the middle of nowhere, LITERALLY. We were on an endless road, on the coast, on the border of Lebanon. Finally, after two or three miles, we hit the main road and were able to get a cab back to the main city. Today was a great day but long. It was beautiful and a lot of fun and we got our exercise. We all made it back to Tel Aviv safely and just passed out!
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