Blogs from Jaffa, Tel Aviv District, Israel, Middle East - page 2

Change of Plans I left Bethlehem again for Jerusalem and decided I would try to figure out what to do for the day on the way. I was planning on renting a car and driving up by Tel Aviv, then northeast to Nazareth and Galilee, spending the night, and driving back to Bethlehem early the next morning. I would take the detour west around Tel Aviv and up through Caesarea and then on to Nazareth because there's a horrible checkpoint to get through up at Beit She'an if I go the more direct route north. My friend from Bethlehem told me they would both take the same amount of time because the checkpoint guards are so mean, so I might as well see more of the country rather than sit at a checkpoint. But renting a ... read more

"Why are you here?" asks a small, young man with jet-black hair and goatee less than a minute after I step off the plane. It's 3:15am, and I've just arrived at Ben-Gurion International, having hardly slept at all and feeling queasy from the bad airplane food. The man stops me on the way to the passport check. "Just travelling." I reply with a hint of surprise at the unexpected interception. "Where you go? Which hotel you stay in? What is your profession?" he asks me subsequently, and I try to answer as good as I can, before I'm left off the hook. The man who checks my passport is even more suspicious of me. "Where you stay?" - "With a friend in Yafo." "What friend? German?" - "No, Israeli." "Where you know this friend from?" - ... read more

I, woke up around 9am and used the wifi facility to make a few calls on skype....this iphone is such a great invention.... I decided to do the walking tour as in the lonely planet guide book, need to make a start somewhere... While walking down Rothschild blvd I turned into Sheinkin street; came across a roadside cafe that sold houmous and pita bread...I have been soo looking forward to having this...it cost 20 shekels which in my opinion is kind of expensive but hey i cant be in hunger now can I ? Went near the Yemenite quarter and saw Kikar Magen David (Round about where 6 streets meet) and went down HaCarmel Street through the market areas... It felt a bit like walking through Pita Kotuwa (Fort Area) in Sri Lanka. Thereafter after going ... read more

I just spent last night on the beach celebrating FLs bday in TA with the entire Otzma group. It was great to see every one and hear stories from Sukkot vacation. Some people when back to the states, greece, and some people just like me traveled around Israel to really get a feel for the country. We were all on a high from just getting back from vacation and no one wanted to go to a seminar but of course that is what Otzma has programed. TX and CO and I we all in a room in hyarkon hostel we all checked out and was ready to meet the group at Allozeroff bus station, we hear that the only sherut that goes there was the number 16 but we thought if another one will drop us ... read more

The Canaanite kings were worried. The Israelites, led by General Joshua, were defeating one Canaanite city after another. Their only hope was to unite and fight Israel together. The people of Gibeon had a better idea. Why not trick Israel into making peace? Joshua signed a treaty with Gibeon, but the Canaanites viewed the Gibeonites as traitors. Unitedly, they attacked. Israel came to the aid of Gibeon, and the victory was so great, that Joshua feared that the day would end and the Canaanites would escape into the night. So he prayed to Jehovah, and then cried out "Sun! Stand still over Gibeon!" Try to imagine looking down on Gibeon, then looking up into the sky to see the very same sun in the middle of the heavens. Tonight we are in Tel-Aviv/Yafo, site of ancient ... read more