Feb 2 and 3 - Armpit to the Holy Land

I met up with my sister on the way to Jersey and we made it to the hotel just in time to catch the exciting end to the super bowl. We got a good nights rest and woke up in time to get to the airport to meet our group at 9:30.

After getting signed in and negotiating the tight El Al security we headed mingled cautiously with the group members whom we would be spending the next 10 days with. After a long wait at the airport, we finally boarded and were on our way to Israel. The flight was smooth and 10 hours later at around 7am Jerusalem time on the 3rd we arrived at Ben Gurion airport situated between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

The group looked a bit ragged. The hours for jet lag were less than ideal, we were facing a full day, but we flew throughout US daytime hours and it was now midnight back home. Some people slept more than others and a few blank faces were recovering from various sleeping meds. We met the guide and stepped out of the airport to a crisp day with a perfect blue sky.

The guide suggested that we hit the activities we had planned for the afternoon in the morning so we could have a chance to hit a nap in the afternoon at the hotel. Everyone agreed and it would prove to be a smart move.

The first stop was a real reality check of where we were. The supposed site where the future King David slew Goliath. This was really going to be a whole different kind of site seeing. The hill was unimpressive and naturally I have my doubts on the historical accuracy of the story much less the site of the event, but the view was amazing. You could see several cities including Tel Aviv and to the west you could a city infamous at the moment as the brunt of rocket attacks from Gaza. Israel is a small country about the size of New Jersey, you can really take a lot of it in from a good vantage point.

The next stop was a series of man made caves. They were built by Jewish rebels during a clash with the Romans, similar caves exist around the region. They were a series of tight tunnels leading to larger rooms. We dove in and headed underground into the cool darkness I have some issues with tight spaces and was excited to take a step towards conquering my fear. I made it through with only minor feelings of discomfort and when we finally came out the other side I felt pretty good.

From there it was to the hotel to check in, orientate and catch a much needed rest. I think pretty much everyone on the trip slept like a baby until it was time for dinner, i know my room was like a tomb for 3 and a half hours. It was exactly what the doctor ordered, however, and after a quick ice-breaker we headed off as a group to go to a bar in Jerusalem. Though everyone was still working themselves back from the nap, the excitement of driving into the holy city was clear. We arrived at a bar in a nice district near to the old city, it looked much like a urban walking area and bar street anywhere. Inside we settled in and ordered drinks and Nargila (hooka). We quickly learned 2 things; Israel is expensive and they have suspect taste in music. Anyway, we chatted and continued to become comfortable with the group and by the time it was time to leave (which was very early, we would soon learn the trip has lots of rules) people were dancing and having a blast. The ride back to the hotel was much livelier than the ride out.