Tel Aviv

Ok, so I now have a few more photos to put up. Everyone on the Birthright trip decided to share all their photos by posting them on a webpage that we can all access. I downloaded a few that have me in them. I'll put up more later. Be happy there are even pictures.


Our Israeli tour guide, Chen.


The first day we got to Israel we went to Safed, an artist town. This is most of the group hanging out on the steps while Chen talks to us, or rather lulled us to sleep.


We the group went to the dead sea they covered themselves in the gunk and smiled. I took pictures. See if you can find Robby.


These are our group leaders: Chen, Tali and David. Chen was actually our tour guide and Robby ended up pissing him off about day two and he hated me ever since because he couldn't tell which one of us was Robby. Seriously, do Robby and I look that much alike?


I forgot to say that we rode camels in the last blog, but here is proof. I look terrible. I didn't even know this picture was being taken and camels are very temperamental animals. Robby's camel decided to not move and the camel I was on liked to try and bite my legs.


Now a short update. Basically Robby and I have been testing our strength by walking Tel Aviv and avoiding the buses. The first day that we were on our own we got so lost we ended up taking taxi's - which can get expensive. So, we figured out one bus that we could take, hence we started taking the bus. Gradually, as in today, we walked everywhere and used no taxi or bus. Now you're all probably wondering why this is important information, well it is hotter than hell out here and the minute you walk outside your energy is zapped. You feel lethargic and thirty. You'd like nothing better then to go find a quiet, shady place to lay down. So, the fact that we made it walking around town for 8 hours in those conditions is quite an achievement for us. It's the little things people.
Ok, we have basically ended up at the farmers market street everyday. No matter where we start out, we end up at the market. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there is so many neat things to buy it is like temping faith. We've been fairly good and only bought yummy candy and pita.
Two days ago we went to old town Jaffa or Yaffo depending on the pronunciation. It is a small city outside of Tel Aviv that use to be the main city until the 66 families built Tel Aviv in the desert only a few 100 yards away. Anyhow, most of Jaffa looks like run down buildings from Europe. Incredible photography. You'll have to see the pictures when I get back. There is a flea market with ever random thing in the world, from broken baby doll heads to one shoe to dead batteries. I think if my brother went there, he'd be the only one to find anything of value. I saw this poor woman sitting in the middle of a pile of junk and I really wanted a picture, but the minute I moved my camera in her direction she freaked out and started to yell at me in Hebrew. Me, along with half the flea market, had too tell her that I wasn't going to take a picture. A little crazy. Jaffa is also know for it's artists communities. The artist sell their stuff in small shops that they tend to live above. It is street after street of small shopping alcoves. Very pretty.
Today we went to the Tel Aviv Art museum, which is very nice, but it only has two small floors. A woman artists did a piece on people that are microscopic and moving very slowly over various objects such as: wood, books, Petri dishes, etc. If you don't look closely you'd think it was words on a page or lines on a wall. Very unique.
That's about all. We've been trying to take it easy for a bit. If anyone has an suggestions of places that they've been around here that they think would be interesting for me to check out, let me know. I have another week and a half in Israel. Also, any places that I should heck out in Jordan, Egypt or Greece would be appreciated as well. Thanks. All write again soon.