Jerusalem Revisited (Twice) 11 Nov and 8 Dec 2007   Jerusalem is worth a hundred visits just to scratch the surface of what there is to see, so we went back to explore for another weekend in both November and December.  In November we toured the Western Wall tunnels and walked the outer rampart walls around the Old City.  One can’t help but feel a profound connection to the immense history of this city when walking the tunnels under the current city (which are formed by previous "layers" of the city from ancient times).  The website for the Western Wall is definitely worth viewing at:  http://www.thekotel.co.il/   We've found that a very convenient place to stay is the Notre Dame Centre outside of the New Gate of the Old City (that's a mouthful isn't it?).  This is the Catholic Church's official center in Jerusalem and it doubles as a comfortable but not extravagant hotel for pilgrims, however, one obviously does not need to be Catholic to stay there (thus we've stayed there more than once).  The staff might one day consider us regulars, as not only have we stayed there a few times now, but we've also had to request that they mail us stuff we left behind in our rooms...Ethan and Hannah like to stuff things under the beds!  The pictures below are of the tunnel that follows the entire Western Wall of the Second Temple along its base (left), and cool photo taken at a vendor's shop in the markets of the city (right).  Note the miniture Dome of the Rock that graces the top of the spice pyramid!           On the 8th of December we returned to visit the Garden Tomb area as well as check out the Israel Museum.  To our disappointment the Israel Museum is under major renovations right now, but the scale model they have built of the ancient city during the time of the Second Temple is extremely cool!  The Garden Tomb was peaceful as well as beautiful, and is really an enclave of calm located a mere 200 meters or so from a busy Arab market street and the Damascus Gate.  The pictures are of the garden, the tomb itself, the Damascus Gate, and the model of Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple.

Yarkon Park Revisited 27 Oct 2007   We decided that we wanted to revisit the huge park that is so close to our apartment…so we took the kids on a bike ride around almost the entire area.  It’s is astounding that such a huge green space exists in Tel Aviv.  Amanda and I thoroughly enjoyed the exercise from the bike ride, and Hannah and Ethan were thrilled to get to crawl and run around in the grass for an extended period of time. We intend to revisit again in the summer when the water park reopens.

Camping by the Sea of Galilee 19 Oct 2007   Once again we tried our luck camping, this time at the Sea of Galilee, and once again discovered that the Israeli idea of the “quiet great outdoors” significantly differs from our concept of a quiet weekend in nature.  It the Great Israeli Outdoor Party instead!   We arrived in the early afternoon at a public campsite on the banks of the lake and staked out what appeared to be a semi-secluded place between a couple of trees.  As we were finishing our barbequed Shabbat dinner of grilled shish-kabobs and turkey hotdogs, a huge group of at least 6 families (with 2-3 kids each) "joyfully" set up shop right next to our site and started to barbeque.  I was kind enough to give them our hot coals that were already burned down and ready for cooking...they were extremely pleased to recieve this gift and even offered us some of their grilled food!  Little did I know that we would be repaid with insanely loud singing and line-dancing until midnight.  Nor did I suspect that the huge floodlights located a mere couple of meters from our tent would be turned on at 10:00pm or so to accommodate campers who decided not to show up until very late and also wanted to drink for the duration of the night!   Needless to say, neither Amanda nor I were able to sleep much at all because the noise kept waking up Ethan at half-hour intervals.  We concluded that the Israelis use the weekend campouts as a time to unwind with friends and family and to escape from the pressures of the city...it's really not so unlike what happens anywhere else.  It just seems more confused and frantic here because there really is so little open and free space.   The photo to the left is actually taken from Mount Tabor which is located between Tel Aviv and the Galilee region.  There is a Franciscan Monastery at the summit, and according to the Old Testament, here is where the tribes of Israel divided the Promised Land among themselves.  It is also believed by the Franciscan Monks to be the location where the transfiguration of Christ occurred.  We stopped at Mount Tabor on the way back from our very relaxing camping trip to add it to our list of places we have visited.  It was well worth the effort as the views from the road and the summit were incredible.

Petra Jordan - The Rose Red City 1 - 4 Oct 07 We crossed the border into Jordan north of Eilat on the 1st October.  The border crossing took 2 hours, and significantly added to the duration of the drive, but I think we all agree that our efforts were rewarded with a great experience at Petra.  Again, I am amazed that such a place existed 2200 years ago, and I don't really understand how it was possible to carve whole buildings into the sides of solid-rock mountains.  The little boy on the donkey managed to sell us a few of his wares...Amanda is an easy mark when the salesman is a cute little kid.

Jerusalem 27 Sept - 1 Oct 07 We spent four days in Jerusalem with Grandad and Grandma Z., and yet I think we all feel like we only scratched the surface of what there is to see in the city.  One definitely feels a profound connection with the past when walking the streets of the ancient city, even though the walls that stand today were largely built in the mid 1500s by an Ottoman Sultan.  We visited the Western Wall, the Temple Mount (with Ben and Heather Jonsson), the Tower of David museum, and we walked the streets and markets of the Old City.  We even found an open-air cafe called "Papa Andreas" located on top of a building in the heart of the city...it has breathtaking panoramic views (albeit littered with satellite dishes and not a small amount of garbage)! Grandad and Grandma walked much of the City of David (outside the main walls), and Grandad even traversed the inside of Hezekiah's tunnel in shin-deep water!  He also found time to play with Ethan at a park inside the Old City walls!  Check out this website for a photo tour of Hezekiah's tunnel.  http://biblicalstudies.info/hezekiah/hezekiah.htm.

Wadi (Canyon) David 26 Sept 07 We hiked up Wadi David in the morning before we left Ein Gedi; Grandad and Grandma hiked the trail the previous evening.  Most of the water used by the Kibbutz's agriculture operations come from the springs that feed three small streams that flow from the Judean Mountains.  It's hard to fathom that a place like that in the picture exists when you look up the canyon from the Dead Sea.  The canyon derives it's name from the Old Testament story of David hiding from Saul at Ein Gedi...this is the same place that the second King of Israel sought refuge for a time!

Masada - At Sunrise! 25 Sept 07 The photo to the left is of a model of the palaces built into the Northern Edge of the cliff at Masada.  We scaled the snake path to the entrance of Masada at 4:30 in the morning.  Our reward was a rare haze-free glimpse of a beautiful sunrise at one of Israel's most famous historical sites.  Built by Herod the Great around the time of Christ, the city was a fortress with palaces for the king should there be a revolt or invasion.  It is incredible that such a place could be built in grand fashion on a huge mesa/cliff 2000 years ago.  Photos don't do the place any justice, but one of pictures of Amanda standing on the lower palace platform does give the place some scale.  This is definitely a place worth visiting, and the accomodations at Ein Gedi make it quite accessible! Here is a link to a website with cool pictures and info:  http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/masada.html

Kibbutz Ein Gedi 23 - 26 Sept 07 We lodged extremely comfortably at the Ein Gedi country hotel located on Kibbutz Ein Gedi.  This is one of our favorite places in Israel for several reasons.  First, it is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the Judean Desert.  Second, accomodation includes passes to the Dead Sea Spa as well as breakfast and dinner (the food is very good!).  Third, the hotel is located only 15 km from the entrance to the Masada National Park.  I think all of us were a little bit sad to leave Ein Gedi and return to Tel Aviv on the 26th!  Grandma wanted to float in the Dead Sea one more time, as well as soak in the mineral baths...and Hannah wanted to visit the Olympic-size pool located on the cliff overlooking the Dead Sea--absolutely beautiful location for an outdoor pool.  The Kibbutz is a testament to the determination of the Israelis, as nothing existed on the site before the early 1950's, and now there is a thriving collective farm, tourism center, spa, and elaborate botanical garden.  It is hard to believe such a place can exist in so forbidding an environment.

The pool at Kibbutz Ein Gedi.

The Negev en route to the Dead Sea 23 Sept 07 We left the city of Tel Aviv on the morning of the 23rd of September to travel to a Kibbutz at the edge of the Dead Sea.  Rather than drive through Jerusalem and then South down to Ein Gedi, we circled what is now the southern portion of the West Bank to arrive at Ein Gedi via Arad and the Northern part of the Negev.  The photo you see at the right is taken from an overlook on the road between Arad and Ein Bokeq. Amanda and I agree that Grandad and Grandma Z. look like seasoned and savvy travelers in this photo!  Hopefully we will get to see them here again next year sometime...

Our First Visitors 18 - 19 Sept 07 Chris Marsh arrived on the 18 of September for a few-day visit and Clint's parents arrived the next day to stay until the 6th of October.  Our travel itinerary included Caesarea, Jaffa, Ein Gedi, Masada, The Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Petra Jordan, and Eilat.  I hope Mom and Dad enjoyed their visit, and hopefully Chris also thought it was worth his time to fly to Israel!

Camping in the Galilee Region 12 Sept 07 The picture to the left is of Mount Hermon (at the very Northern tip of the country) at the confluence of Syria, Lebanon, and the state of Israel.  For Rosh Ha-Shana (ראש השנה) we drove up to the Northern part of the country next to Kiryat Shemona to do a little bit of camping.  This was our first "outing" of the outdoor sort with two little kids, so we were naturally a bit worried, however, the kids were awesome!  We had a great time, and Hannah was very dissapointed when we returned home after only one night because SO MANY people were at the campsites for the New Year.  It was like Labor Day weekend in the States.  Camping is a little less advanced in Israel than it is in the United States, as there are few backcountry places that are open to campers...however, backcountry is not exactly what a couple with two little kids is looking for, so this was awesome.  There were showers, a place to build a fire, and a little stream than flowed right next to our tent.  Hannah and Ethan were free to roam around a little bit because the whole camping area was surrounded by a large "security fence".  I think it is there as much to keep out free-loaders (there is a fee to camp) as it is to protect any campers from would-be bandits :) !  It was all quite relaxing until the loud family who preferred to speak Russian showed up in the middle of the night!                We also stopped by the Nimrod Fortress in the Golan Heights on our return trip.  The photos are self explanatory, and the photo of Amanda and Hannah on the fortress wall gives the scene some perspective!

Shabbat Shalom! 24 August 07   We discovered a street vendor who sells Middle Eastern food specially prepared for Shabbat!  This is the third week we’ve enjoyed her fares, and all of us agree she is a great cook!  Even Ethan decided he likes stuffed cabbage rolls!  The best part is that the total cost is usually only about $12 for the whole meal...we don't have to cook, and everything tastes great.  We've made it a rule to go grocery shopping near her stand every Friday afternoon before Shabbat begins.   We also tend to try to check out the beach on Shabbat.  Obviously this is a popular choice with the little ones.  As you can see in the photos they definitely enjoy themselves, and since they are blonde-haired and blue-eyed, they tend to attract serious attention on the beach as well as on the street!  Even if they don't yet speak a whole lot of Hebrew!

Tel Aviv...The City We Call Home 17 August 07   Friday is one of the days off for Clint from the Ulpan at the University, so today we broke out the bikes and attempted to discover a little more about “our” city, Tel Aviv.  We intended to just check out HaYarkon Park (the biggest park in Tel Aviv) which is about a ten minute bike-ride from our apartment.  However, after arriving at the park we followed an awesome bike-path that took us right to a part of the waterfront boardwalk that we didn’t even know existed!  Apparently the city of Tel Aviv closed its port and converted the whole area into restaurants, shops, discos, and a sweet boardwalk for biking, running, and just strolling.  Ethan and Hannah loved the ride, the weather wasn’t too hot, and we got many, many interesting looks from people!  I’m not sure anyone here had seen a bike trailer before.  One kid even asked where we bought it, and how much it cost!  איפו קונים דבר כזה...וכמה זה עולה?   Ethan and Hannah were quite the sports, as neither one of them cried or got upset during the 1.5 hour trek.  Of course a sucker and some Cheerios helped our cause!  Hopefully it will always be like this.  Check out http://www.inisrael.com/tour/telaviv/ for more details

Haifa 28 July 07 We braved the heat wave (104o) in Haifa today to attend a Messianic congregation’s service in Kiryat Yam.  The drive from our apartment took about 1 ¾ hours, but about 15 minutes of that time was wasted wandering around the streets of Kiryat Yam looking for the congregation’s building.  The message was in Hebrew, but they had headsets that translate the message into English and Russian.  There is a link to their website imbedded here.     http://www.tents-of-mercy.org/                  On the way home we stopped at the famous overlook of the “shrine” in Haifa.  Apparently a famous and devout leader who believed there should be one world religion is buried in the domed building you see in the photo.  The gardens and shrine commemorate his life, and the whole area is immaculate.  The pictures I took do not do the view or the garden any justice.  I think this place might be one of the biggest tourist draws to Haifa…as the view from the German Colony at the base of Mt. Carmel is also awesome (see photos).  Check out the following link for more photos and some information on this shrine.  http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/haifa-bahai-shrine-and-gardens.htm     Israeli Messianic Home Group Amanda managed to find us a contact with a Messianic home group that meets in our neighborhood every Wednesday evening.  The meetings go like this: a little fellowship first, then worship, and then a message from the group’s leader, Ron Cantor.  Everything is typically in Hebrew…the music, the conversation, and the message, so this is a great place to practice our language skills!  However, almost everyone also speaks very good English, so we are not too far out of our comfort zone.  Amanda and I agree that it is extremely powerful to sing and hear contemporary praise music in Hebrew!  Here is a link to Ron’s website, it has some very good/insightful information on the Messianic movement in Israel.  http://www.cantorlink.com/

Kibbutz Tzuba--a Kid's Wonderland 22 July 07 We ventured into the Judean Hill Country today to visit Kibbutz Tzuba—a place that is somewhat famous for its theme park for kids.  This particular kibbutz is situated at the top of a small mountain in the foothills surrounding Jerusalem.  It really is a paradise for very young kids because there are indoor jump castles, padded obstacle courses, bumper cars, a small electric train kids can ride, and a “farm exhibit” that has all sorts of goats, sheep, birds, camels, etc.  The most enjoyable thing for parents is the view of the surrounding countryside.  The photo does not do the view justice, because there is basically a 360o panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and villages.    We plan to stay at the hotel during the off-peak season when rates are a little lower.  The site includes a fully functional kibbutz complete with communal dining area, grocery store, Ulpan, and a variety of other things.  The hotel is only 8 miles from Jerusalem, so it is also a good location from which to explore the Holy City.   The following link is to the website for Kibbutz Tzuba if you are interested in the activities the place offers...just in case you want to come see us!  http://www.tzuba.co.il/index_eng.asp

Our Local Beach 21 July 07 Here are a couple of shots of the public beach we recently discovered.  It is ridiculously close to our apartment, and we now realize that we actually live closer to the beach here than when we were in Charleston.  Fortunately for us as well as our visitors, this is not a “banana hammock” beach like you might find on the French Riviera.  Other than an alarmingly large number of naked little kids running around, the beach is kind on the eyes!  There is a restaurant, and it is possible to rent chairs and a sun-shade for a small sum.  Hannah has already classified the beach as her favorite spot in Israel, so I imagine we will spend a fair amount of time there. Visitors will like the beach as well we think!

Caesarea 21 July 07 We braved the sun and heat to see the ruins of the ancient city of Caesarea today.  It’s about a 25 minute drive from our apartment to the gates of the National Park.  Most of the old city was built by King Herod (of Christ's time) as a sort of tribute to the Romans.  Herod was the King of Israel, but was subject to the rule of the Roman Empire.  Herod modeled the layout of the city after a typical Roman municipality.    The park includes the remains of a number of very interesting sites, and the kids actually enjoyed the place as well...which made the visit much more enjoyable.  There is a theater that seats 4,000+ and is still in use as a venue for concerts today.  An amphitheater is carved out of the rock cliffs that border the Mediterranean.  Here Herod held chariot races--you can see the remains of the course in the sand at the base of the amphitheater in the photo.  The remains of a fortress from the Crusader era also overlook the water, and a number of houses and passageways built of stone can be explored by visitors.  Hannah had a great time climbing on every stone wall or ledge she could find.  Ethan preferred the times when Dad decided to stand in the shade.  The photos below are from Caesarea, and the one on the right shows some locals taking a swim in the Med!  The following link will take you to the Israel National Parks web page for more information on Caesarea.  http://www.parks.org.il/ParksENG/company_card.php3?CNumber=855319.

Our Building, Street, and Parks! Here are a couple of photos that give a glimpse of what our neighborhood is like.  Palm trees, high-rise apartment buildings, boutique shops in the nearby shopping center, and parks with rubberized flooring are the norm.  Our apartment is on the 4th floor of the high rise in the large picture.  Though a bit spartan looking on the outside, the building really is a great place to live!  Come visit us!

Hannah and Ethan having a great time at the children's park right outside our building!

The First Week       19 July 07 The first week here was pretty good even though it took a while to recover from jet-lag--you can see from the picture that we made it to the beach once!  To our delight, we moved right into our apartment (thanks GSO housing office)!  Our place is a 15 minute walk from the University, a 20 minute drive from downtown Tel Aviv, and a 10 minute run or 20 minute walk to a nice public beach.  The apartment is a 4 bedroom place with stone floors and lots of windows, and Amanda is a huge fan of the open living room/kitchen area.  For those of you who thought we were taking on a “hardship” by moving to Israel, please come visit us so that you can change your mind!

19 July 07 From the picture to the left you can see that Hannah quickly found a way to "assist" around the house.  She likes to help with the dishes, and Amanda and I like to get a little assistance (עזרה) once in a while...no matter how much longer it takes when the little ones decide they want to take part!

The Move (cont) 12 July Since we stayed at the Airport Steigenberger Hotel right outside the terminal (see the kids loving the sweet room in the photo!), we thought we’d have plenty of time in the morning to catch our flight if we showed up 2 hours before departure.  We were wrong.  I started the day off terribly by mistakenly returning our rental car to the wrong terminal.  That meant we had to locate the train to the correct terminal while carrying our bags and two tired and nearly delusional children.  We then had to locate and retrieve our stored baggage and find the right line for the flight to Tel Aviv.  The Frankfurt airport is huge, so all of this was not an easy process.    When we finally reached the Lufthansa counter, the clerk who checked/tagged our bags told us that each passenger is allowed only 20kg of luggage on the flight (for a total of 80kg).  When we left the U.S. we had ~40kg/per person (total of 155kg)…so this was a large problem.  At this point the flight to Tel Aviv was already boarding, but the clerk sent me to the “excess baggage” line to pay an extra fee anyway!  I sent Amanda and the kids to the security line, and I ran to the line for the “excess” counter.  When I reached the front of that line, another clerk told me that there was a mistake.  Because our flight originated in the U.S. two days earlier, we were allowed 160kg total, and there would be no fee.  She apologized and wished us luck in catching the flight.  To make a long story short, we did get on the flight (tired and covered with sweat from running around like crazymen), but only because it was delayed due to the insane boarding process they have for flights to Tel Aviv from Frankfurt.    Our arrival in Tel Aviv was by far the most enjoyable part of the trip.  Matt Yocum (the Assistant Air Attache), Ranni (one of the DAO drivers), and Ann Marie (Matt’s wife) met us at the airport, escorted us through passport control, loaded our bags, and took us to our apartment.  They’d stocked our fridge with necessities and made us a casserole dinner that simply needed to go in the oven.  I cannot over emphasize how awesome it was to walk right into our place, see a welcome kit with blankets/pots/cutlery, and enough necessities to last a few days, and enough basic furniture to survive with until the arrival of our household goods!

The Move 9 July 07 Our last day in the U.S. was a hectic one.  We left D.C. to begin our two-year adventure in Israel at 5:45pm, but not before ensuring our apartment was professionally cleaned and our updated wills were signed, witnessed, and notarized!  All of that took some major effort, especially since we stayed at a friend's house on Bolling AFB the night of the 8th.  So…everyone was in a tired and irritable mood when we finally made it to Dulles to check in.  Especially Dad.    10 July We arrived at Frankfurt’s Airport at 7:30am after sleeping hardly a wink on the plane.  All of us were exhausted, and we looked like gypsies carrying our 12 bags (see photo) through the terminal with two very unhappy kids.  Fortunately Frankfurt’s airport has a location to store excess baggage for a few days or we would have had to rent a huge vehicle to get all of our stuff to Ramstein AB (where I had to in-process).  We left our biggest bags plus the stroller at the airport, rented a car, drove the hour and a half to Ramstein AB, and then promptly went to sleep.  I had intended to in-process on the 10th, but that did not happen.   11 July We met Kerré Meffre and her husband Ludo for breakfast at our TLF at Ramstein.  Kerré was Amanda’s roommate at the Academy when we first started dating, so it was pretty cool to catch up with her.  They’re about to bring a new little boy into the world as well, so we’ll keep in touch with them to see how well the little guy learns English and French at the same time!  Ludo is a Mirage 2000 pilot in the French Air Force and Kerré flies F-16s for the U.S.   I also finally made it to the Personnel, Finance, and Flight Records offices to turn in all of my stuff for the PCS.  As usual, it was an arduous process to fill out my travel voucher in order to receive the payments to which I am entitled for the PCS.  In the end, I think all worked out correctly.

Travel in Israel Web Log - '07 In 2006, we were awarded an awesome opportunity to study abroad by the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation and the Air Force.  First we studied Hebrew for an entire year at the Defense Language Institute in Washington D.C.  We moved to Tel Aviv on the 9th of July of 2007, and our family will live in Israel (הארץ) for two years while Clint attends graduate school at Tel Aviv University (www.tau.ac.il).  Periodically I will try to write some stuff on this page in Hebrew!  Please re-visit this site for updates whenever you want.  What follows is a web log of our travels during the two-year adventure.