http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Middle East , Israel , Jerusalem District en-us Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:50:51 +0000 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:50:51 +0000 This blog entry is brought to you by Daniel Shaw dad who convinced me last night to write another entry because apparently it's been too long between installments. I'm starting to feel like a primetime TV drama. But maybe this is an anxiouslyawaited installment because people at home are very curious about Israel. What probably won't surprise you is that I've had more ideological and philoso http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/blog-463066.html Claire and I are headed to Jerusalem. I want to immerse in Hebrew and Claire wants to learn history. We have reserved an apartment in Talbiyeh have many cousins and friends some we have not yet met to see and are packed for great trip. http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-463022.html We arrived early in the morning in the commercial Port city of Asdod Israel. The Israeli's customs had already boarded the ship the day before to do face to face interviews ours lasted 20 seconds I would guess with each visitor and give us our visa they didn't stamp our passport. They double checked our passport again as we left the ship we were one of the first to disembark to meet our tour http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-455563.html I'm sure better scribes than I have taken up this topic but so what What is the best Felafel Where is it Who makes it There are a number of high priced Felafel joints in TelAviv area they proffer a large selction of snobbish toppings and fry them is special oil. But so far for my money a mere 7 shekels Abu Ali in Jerusalem on Salah ha Din street has the best so far. They are fresh n http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-447831.html Jerusalem has forgotten that we are a month into autumn it has been sweltering all week I have enough reading to do that I could sit and study all day but there is so much going on I had to venture out to sample ideas and food.LivingThis week the President of Israel Shimon Peres hosted an international conference bringing together thinkers from all over the world to explore new ideas and http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-447462.html This may seem a macabre choice for my blog post on the Travelujah site why choose a subject closely associated with death but in fact ossuaries are also intimately associated with life particularly life in Jerusalem of the first century CE.For those who don't know or need to be refreshed during a very brief period in Jerusalem's history Jews engaged in an expensive laborious prolonged a http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-447312.html Monday 914Today is our first day at the kibbutz. We woke late 645 or so and rushed to get to breakfast before 730. Katy joined us and we all had breakfast together. We saw Dori on the way to the dining hall after he had dropped Naya off at school. What a small and intimate community Breakfast was really really good hard boiled eggs cucumbers and tomatoes sour cream yogurt bread an http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/blog-447133.html If you work in the Jewish community you know that really everything starts after the holidays. Surprisingly this year for me is no different. Sukkot is over garbage cans are overflowing with driedout palm fronds and even lulovs everyone is back from vacation and back to workLivingI think the time has come to marvel at the bus system here in Jerusalem. It is like a six day a week rolle http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-445391.html Do Cairo eu fui direto para Tel Aviv em Israel. No aeroporto do Cairo antes de fazer o check in eu tive que passar por uma entrevista com um dos funcionrios da companhia area e checagem da minha bagagem pois como fui por uma empresa Israelense eles tem um procedimento de segurana bem rigoroso. Isso porque Israel no reconhecido como um pas por muitos pases rabes e eles sempre temem ataque http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-444021.html Once again we were off on another adventure to volunteer again at a kibbutz by the name of Netiv HaLamedHeh this was set in the hills about half an hourrsquos drive from Jerusalem. The group we were to help were a group of four sisters and their husbands and numerous children. Three of the couples lived in the kibbutz and all of the sisters in some way were connected to dance. They had b http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/blog-443630.html We set off again in the direction of Jerusalem. Through Helpx we had been in contact via email with a group of people who had formed their own little community and were running it in an Eco friendly way and were in need of help.We bussed to Jerusalem and then caught another bus out to the outskirts of the city a really sweet little village called Ein Karem. We then had to walk about a kilometre http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-443628.html October 5 2009Everyone was up and ready to go from breakfast at the appointed time. Breakfast can be a little strange in foreign lands and Israel did not disappoint. They offered some strange breads with packaged spreads with Hebrew labels that we had no idea what they were. They had some strange fruits as well and when we asked were told told they were melons. Not much help there. Anyway we fil http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-443273.html October 4 2009We gained an extra hour of sleep last night as either Israel does not observe daylight savings or they set their clocks back last night. Either way we were up in plenty of time to have a sit down breakfast and find our tour car with time to spare. Gill our tour guide from Avitours is in his 50s served in the army in a special forces group like the green berets is a part time vo http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-443272.html No it's not snowing and there are no Santa Clauses running around. But there are some surprising similarities between Christmas and Sukkot here in Jerusalem. But firstA few political thoughts Some of you may have read about the rising tensions around the Temple Mount in the Old City. This is not the forum in which I want to go into my political views on the issues I'm happy to do that on an http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-443150.html Every so often I have to stop and just marvel that here I am in Jerusalem Things happen here that I just can't imagine happening in other places. This week presented several of those moments.LivingYom Kippur was Sunday night and Monday. Adina Wollner a young San Diego woman who just made aliyah came to stay with me. It is against the law to drive on Yom Kippur unless you are 1 an emerge http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-441259.html For any young male travelers looking to cross the Jordanian border into Israel via bus carrying a passport stamped from countries such as Yemen and Lebanon who lets just say aren't on good terms with Israel and holding around 12000 cash on yourself may I suggest you bring a good book. Actually besides the good book I would also suggest you bring all of your flight info hotel info work e http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-441138.html This about 3 weeks lasting journey was a absolute blast. Especially Jerusalem is a fascinating inspiring and enriching city. Its not only the Origin of all three big world religions its full of culture and history and one crux of the Israelian and Palestinian conflict.The old city seems to be the biggest bazar in the world. Certainly lots of tourists but also wonderful and friendly people no ma http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-439352.html Leaving to the airport... http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-438235.html About 30 hours till the flight... http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-437934.html The weather is starting to change here odd unsettled days with heat and wind that carries fine fine sand and then chilly nights. The equinox will be next week right in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. So my main theme today is upcoming holidaysLivingIt is so much fun watching people get ready for Rosh Hashanah which begins Friday night and all the holidays that follow The stores http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-437136.html