We had about 5 minutes to reflect on our desert adventure before our ride appeared: Drora, her brother Nachom and his wife Sara whisked us away to their home in Eilat at the southern tip of Israel. After a few hours (or half that if Nachom's at the wheel) of desert driving and remote scenery, we arrived at Eilat. The city is surrounded by the Red Mountains on either side, and it marks the beginning of the Red Sea. To our east was Jordan, where you could clearly see the growing city of Aqaba across the bay; and to our west was Egypt and the beginning of the Sinai peninsula. We enjoyed a rest day checking out a spice market and dining at Kibbutz Eilat. We couldn't leave Israel without one meal at a chadar ochel, ... read more

PLEASE NOTE: We have not emailed you about all our entries in order not to flood your inboxes, but we have already published 5 entries. Please click HERE to see all the other entries you missed. Happy reading! Before Matti left us, we enjoyed one last big dinner with the extended Shalev family at Kibbutz Givat Chaim. Matti was born and raised on this kibbutz, and his parents were among the first pioneers to settle here back in the 1920's. As the sun set and we welcomed Shabbat, we paid tribute to his parents and grandparents, who are all buried at the kibbutz. The next day we travelled nearby to a Bar Mitzvah for one of the younger members of the Gershoni clan. It was lucky timing to meet and re-connect with all of Drora's sibilings ... read more

You scream, I scream, we all scream for hummus, kabobs and falafel! Rivka (Drora's sister) hosted us for two unforgettable meals, including Hamin. It's a slow cooked dish of meat wrapped in cabbage, vegetables and rice wrapped in grape leaves, hard boiled eggs, zucchini...you name it! It's my favorite and takes a lot of effort to make as each bite size piece is hand wrapped. So, big thanks to Rivka! One thing I did not know before going to Israel is how much hummus is consumed on a daily basis. Outside of breakfast, it is served for every snack and meal throughout the day. We had delicious hummus in various places but my favorite was at and Arab town called Abu-Gosh. We feasted on platters of grilled meats, seafood and lots of vegetables. Another big observation ... read more

Our first day in Jerusalem started with what we thought would be an innocent run with Matti. I thought, he's twice my age...how fast can he really run? Think no more folks, we ran on and off for 3 hours!! I took up running 10 days before going to Israel and could not believe that Matti who is not a regular runner gave us the running tour of Jerusalem. We saw all the important buildings in town before heading to a bustling market where people were busy shopping for Shabbat dinner. I started my fresh juice kick that day and tried to have a glass of Orange/Apple/Pomegranate a day. Shabbat, sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, is serious in Israel. People shop for fresh products, everyone has family over and the meal is special with wine and ... read more

One last week in India, and our honeymoon officially begins. After Pooja and Ashish dropped us off at the train station in Chandigarh, we headed to Delhi to meet up with Ritya. She hosted us at her pad in Gurgaon before the Sunday morning flight to Goa. Paradise at last. It's a long way from the cold nights up in the Himalayas, and well worth the wait. Our home for the week was the Marriott resort in Miramar, next to the Goan capital of Panaji. Boy did we get the red carpet treatment, thanks to Jaspreet's mom and her Marriott connections: heart sculptures, rose petals, a chocolate mousse cake, and wine greeted us upon arrival. The Marriott provided us plenty of relaxation starting with a magnificent breakfast buffet. The spread included an American/European side with eggs, ... read more