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Published: July 17th 2010
Shelly and I took advange of Shabbat and found a tour bus that would take us to Masada and the Dead Sea. Our scary tour guide picked us up at the hotel and after a few stops to pick up some new touring friends, we were off. Going out to Masada is like driving through the American southwest - barren mountains, landscapes that go on forever, and HOT! Probably over 105 F. Right around sea level we noticed the trees and vegetation thinning out - a sort of reverse timberline effect. We went through the time warp tunnel - you start in hustle bustle city of modern Jerusalem and 1/4 mile later - total desert, Beduoins, camels, goats - just like biblical times. We took the cable car to the top - many people arrive before sunset and climb to the top to watch the sun rise, but we were the late sleeping group. Masada is quite fantastic - the site of the Roman seige. The mountain top is a perfect lookout place and the Jews saw the Romans coming, setting up their fighting equipment, etc. Rather than be killed or worse - become slaves, the Jews killed themselves. It's the
site of Jewish resistance and many girls have thier bat mitzvahs up there. Next, we hopped back on the bus, and took the perilious ride back to Ein Gedi spa at the Dead Sea. Spa is a general term - not the resort sort of spa you might think. 1300 feet below sea level, the sea is evaporating at an alarming rate of about 13inches per year. THere are signs along the trolley way that tell where the sea was at what year. We got in at 1985 and still had quite a ride to the actual sea. It's sort of an alternate universe there-yellow sand, sulpur smell, Salt crystals instead of sand in the water,and did I mention HOT? it was balmy at Masada by comparision. The water is jacuzzi hot for the first few feet, then cools to a tepid 100. Many people have told me how one floats in the sea - but WOW! My feet pop up from under me and I was laying flat on the water. Flat... no sagging, no flipping over, like lying down in a bed. So cool. After a long float, we climbed out, and took the tractor trolley to the
mud. There we mudded up with the Minister of Sports from the Dominican Republic - a mountain of a man, and took funny muddy photos. Now if SHelly and I could only figure out a way to take an educational trip to the Domican Republic.
Back to Jerusalem to hit Ben Yehuda sreet with Susan and Susan. Found a lovely necklace for my anniversary - thanks Lee, and hmmm....was hungry for schwarma. We said our sad goodbye to Rabbi Yisroel who had to leave a day or so early to hit up another conference. No hugging or kissing - but lots of kisses blown across the lobby.
7/11
Said goodbye to all my new and old friends - David "DooDoo", Miriam, Susan, Susan, Yagna, Estee, Edna, Derek, Mike, Leon...so many friends, and bittersweet. Taxi man Eddy took me and Shelly to the German Colony in Jerusalem to Laura and Jane to start part 2 - relaxation! Dinner with Laura's parents at not Karma, but Shakra...headed to Hannah's favorite puzzle store on Ben Yehuda street. Bumped into Davida and David from SD on the way home and marvelled at the busy bars all over - World Cup finals tonight! Now
perhaps my Tour de France will get some tv time!
7/12
A comfy Hannah bed and I slept until the rare hour of 8 am - a treat!Off to the Cardo (Jewish quarter of the old city) to meet Elaine and Murray. We shopped for tiles at the Aremenian tile guy that Laura and Jane know, and ate delicious bagels for lunch after a last quick visit to the wall. Shelly was not dressed properly and had to "Shop" in the basket of skirts - very stylish shmatta, coming to a Nordstrom near you soon. An iced coffe stop at the gorgeous and famous King David Hotel and we were like the lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. The lobby is filled with names of famous states people - Anwar Sadat, both Clintons and Bush, Queen Elizabeth, Begin, madleine Allbright, etc. A ferocious game of Rummi-Kub after dinner at home and then goodbye to Murray, Elaine and Shelly...off to Tel Aviv to go home. RELAX was the word for the day!
7/13
Homemade goat milk yogurt and granola for breakfast and the pool at the Inbal called our name. We had a lovley time just relaxing by the
pool and swimming around. Later, we went to Sagit's home for a casual bbq. Laura and Jane are very involved with a women's organization that helps Orthodox women who are sexually abused - a bigger problem than one might think and not a lot of resources available. Sagit is a prominent surgeon in Israel in her own rights, whose mother just happens to be on the Supreme Court of Israel. Also we met the head of Hadassah hospital and so many wonderful social workers, etc who work so hard to make this organization run. Brave and exceptional people. Sagit's family was wonderful - Michal and Hannah hit it off immediately - watching You Tube and dancing for the assembly. Sagit's husband bbq'd SO much food - enough for most of Israel, it seems. I spoke with her 2 older children - one n the army, and the other around 15. Everything she knew from the US came from Gilmore Girls, so they had lots of questions for me. Scary when you think that most of the world thinks of the US as Britanny Spears and People magazine. ugh.
7/14
After a quick (hahah) trip to Shabbat shop for Machane
Yehuda market, I was dropped at the Dan Panorama for my shoe shop with Davida. She knew of the Gazith outlet and I found very cute, very Israeli shoes. Israeli's love their soes - funkier the better. We met David, et al, for dinner on Emek Rafaim and made it to the street fair for hand crafted artisan goods. A lot of fun...
7/15
Drving to Tel Aviv with the Fan-Gal's...and we ended up on Sheinkin street - the shopping boulevard for Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is the New York or Miami of Israel - a little gritty and crowded, but I love it. A lovely lunch and some Croc shopping perked up a sagging Hannah - as did a promise in blood to get to the beach. We enjoyed our last few hours together on the beach, playing in the 80 degree Mediterranean. No jellyfish sighting in spite of many stories. Still no seawead, no fish, nothing but gorgeous blue water and white sand for miles. And of course, we ran into someone from SD on the beach. Later, I relaxed with a Maccabe beer and watched stage 10 of the Tour before heading out on my own
to find a cafe for dinner. The bartender in Cafe Mekilot happened to have gone to school in ...San Diego, of course and introduced me to everyone in the restaurant. On the way home, I sat on the beach surroonded by red glowing cones and had a beer - 28 C at 11 pm - yum. Spoke to my borther to say hi and maybe make him a little jealous. Wish my family and friends were here to share with me. Only a few more days in my Israel, and then back to my San Diego...can't upload the photos still, but soon.
Shalom
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