June 7th We got back on our beloved bus today, for the last time, thank the Lord. Herzl was very helpful, but by the end his insistence on certain types of activities go very...boring. I could only do so many markets after really long days in hot hot weather. Anyway, we got on the bus, went to a couple museums, one of which was a kibbutz that manufactured ammunition in secret right before their declaration of statehood. That was cool. It was all hidden under the kibbutz and the entrance was under the washer machine, which lifted up and turned o the side to reveal teeny stairs. Very awesome, and quite movie like. Lol. Then we went to Old Jaffa and explored there, and had dinner in a Shouk-shouka, which was delicious Arab food. Said goodbye ... read more

We started the day with the usual great breakfast we have had available most mornings, three or four kinds of yogurt (plain with olive oil and spices is fantastic), eggs, cucumber salad, cheese, and fruit. Mmmmm. Then we went out, got on our camels, which were all tied together, and our train was led on a little loop in the desert by a Bedouin dude on foot. Not exactly camel racing, but it was fun in a little kid’s carousel sort of way. I can now say that I have ridden a camel! After the camels we rove to the entrance of a park called En Avedat and hiked up a trail along a little stream in a canyon of the desert. Really beautiful. There was all sorts of kinds of rock layers. The most interesting ... read more

Ok, so, I’m not exactly sure where I left off last time, and from my notes I’m not really sure where I am even! I know that at some point during the last two days we did the following: We went to Yad Vashem, which is the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. It was very well done, very very intense. The tour was great, but it had what our Prof calls a “very pointed narrative,” meaning there was lots of information there, but the tour covered really only the worst parts. There was next to no mention of the heroes, the people who fought back, only the stories of people killed, and the nations that turned away. And that’s legitimate. It did happen. But I think to basically ignore the positive things that happened in spite of, ... read more

I made it! It is soooooo incredible here I don't even know how to describe it, well, I can't, but I'm taking notes, and I will do a longer, more in depth report when I can use my own computer and add photos (there is only one here that can connect to the internet, for some reason). The group I am with is awesome! Our guide is great, and we are cramming everyday with so much stuff that my head is already whirling, and we've only been here for a day and a half! I love you all! More later...... read more

I just spent the last two days with some amazing women in their eighties. My grandmother had a reunion this weekend of the year abroad she spent in Geneva her Junior year of college. Seven women cam, and I tell you, if I can be like they are when I am 82, I will be a happy person! Can you imagine going to spend a year in Europe, just after World War II? They traveled over on a converted troop ship, stacked three bunks high, and landed in England, went to the Follies Bergere with a bunch of young men recruited by the US Embassy! Their teachers set that up! How cool! And then they continued on to Geneva, where they spent the rest of the year. How brave to head off with reliable way to ... read more