At the end of a long day...

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The day started great, with coffee and sunday comics. The day got less fun when we had to sit through a 10 hour plane ride to Amsterdam, followed by a 2 hour layover, followed by a 3 hour flight to Istanbul, then a 2.5 hour layover, then a 2 hour flight to Tel Aviv. Dad and I were both very tired and stiff by the time we FINALLY arrived in Israel, but on the positive side, the excess time did give me the opportunity to read a National Geographic magazine special on "The Holy Land", and to watch Terminator Salvation, The Perfect Getaway, and The Hangover. All very good, though I have to say, The Hangover was my favorite.

We arrived in Israel, departed the airport, took a train to downtown Tel Aviv, then a taxi to the Cinema Hotel. The hotel is a lovely little place with nice beds and bathrooms, and best of all, free internet! While we were both absolutely dog tried, we decided to take a stroll and get some food. We strolled through downtown Tel Aviv, and our initial impression of the city was decidedly favorable. It looks very modern, and has lovely large broadleaf trees with dense, dark green foliage. The streets are very clean, with little trash just sitting around. Many people here smoke, but the smell wasn't too bad. A grand city it was, reminding me somewhat of a much cleaner, hebrew speaking Taipei.

Dad and I strolled down to the Mediterranean coast, and ate dinner at a rather fancy looking restaurant called Masada, presumably after the Jewish fortress. Dad had the calimari, while I went for a dish called "Four Cheese Bread", which was one of the only vegetarian items on the menu, and was sort of like pizza, just without the tomato sauce. A more delicious cheesy bread I would be hard pressed to come up with.

Pretty much after that, we strolled back in the general direction of the hotel, observing the local life, and discussing various matters of current life, such as the sound of hebrew and arabic, and wondering why there weren't any US Marines outside our embassy. So long and good night for now.

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Comments

[Logan Matz]

Wow.
Sounds like an epic first day, man! Glad you're having fun. Well, except for the plane ride(s). But I think the rest of your day evened it out, no? xD