A 20 hour day!

4:15 am. The alarm went off and we reluctantly got out of bed, took showers, and started packing up. We woke the big kids soon after (after all, it was their idea to do this sunrise hike up Masada!), but let Sylvia sleep in as late as possible (4:40 am). We packed lots of water & some breakfast foods, and checked out of the hostel. We made it to Masada by about 5:10 (by the way, the temperature on the car thermometer at that time was about 90 degrees) and started the climb up the snake path in the very faint pre-dawn light. The climb was harder than we expected (especially with a baby in a backpack on Abe’s back and 3 liters of water in a backpack on mine), but we kept on going. We reached the top in about 50 minutes, just as the sun peeked over the top of the mountains facing us. It was a beautiful sight and an amazing feeling of accomplishment (especially when you consider that we kept pace with kids 20 years younger than us). I still have mixed feelings about the whole idea of a sunrise hike, but I’m glad we did it.

Once we got to the top, we found a little ruined house with some low walls to sit on and had a secret breakfast (you're not really supposed to eat up there). The juice, bread, and fruit was very welcome after the long hike. Since we were planning to tour around with the Gold's tour group later, we just took it easy for a little while, waiting for the cable car to start running and bring up their group. They made it to the top around 8:30 and we all went to the ancient Beit Hamidrash (study house) for Noa's bat mitzvah (along with the other b'nai mitzvah kids in her group). The service was led by a wonderful rabbi (originally from New York, has lived in Jerusalem for 30 years) who did a really amazing job of making the relatively brief (1 hour) service meaningful, special, and warm. Noa was a star - she read Torah like a professional! She also did an English reading in the service. We were really proud of her and moved by the whole service. 

After the service and some photos, we joined the tour for their visit to Masada. Their tour guide is a very knowledgeable guy, tells good stories, some funny jokes. His main weakness is that he goes on way too long. We sat in a shaded area for him to tell us the story of Masada (I expected 20 minutes) and he went on for an hour and 20. He covered every emperor Rome ever had as the background to the Masada story. In a nutshell, Masada was originally a retreat for the Roman king of Judea, Herod. Later, when the Romans destroyed the Temple, a group of several hundred Jews camped out on Masada in revolt of the Roman's attempts to destroy their way of life. After a several month siege, however, it became clear that the Romans would take Masada soon. Nearly a thousand Jews committed mass suicide (actually, the drew lots to determine who would kill the others and only the last one committed suicide) rather than give themselves over to the Romans. Masada is considered a testimony to the Jewish commitment to our ideals and principals, which makes it a very meaningful place for a bat mitzvah. 

After the rather long background, the group went to walk around and look at the various remaining structures on the top. We decided to go our own way and walked to the southern end to see Herod's swimming pool and the amazingly deep water cisterns. We also went to see the ancient synagogue (it was a stable until after the destruction of the Temple). There was actually a man sitting in it (behind a glass wall) writing a Torah. We checked out a few other sites, and were ready to take the cable car down. We met up with the Golds at the bottom (in the extensive gift shop, food court area that has been built there recently) and had a nice lunch together. 

The drive back to Jerusalem was interesting. We drove back on route 90 and route 1 - roads which go through the West Bank, but are under Israeli control (which makes them ok for us to drive on in our rental car). It was very interesting driving this route, and I have to say, I don't fully understand it. There were check points at either end, but no real check (which might have had something to do with the Avis stickers plastered all over our car). I don't know how far on either side of the roads Israeli control extends. but we were surprised to see almost no development along the 90 minute route, other than maybe 1 gas station and 1 cafe cafe (which is an Israeli restaurant chain). We could see some (nice) housing developments in the distance. It would be interesting to understand more about the evolving relationship between these two governments and how they are managing this quasi-sharing of the region. 

We drove as close as we could to our *last* hotel in Israel - The Market courtyard, an awesome apartment/vacation rental place in an amazing neighborhood right across from Machane Yehuda (the shuk). The place is on a pedestrian street, with narrow alleys all around with a major thoroughfare (Agripas Road) at the end of it. Needless to say, it was not easy driving, but Abe did a great job, found a temporary parking spot in a nearby alley and we unloaded the stuff and brought it into our (very nice) apartment. We got the kids settled in (snack & wifi password and they're good to go) and headed out once more to return the car. The drive north to the car rental place went right through Mea Shearim, an ultra orthodox neighborhood, which made me nervous about the walk home (since I was wearing capris and a t-shirt). But, we found an alternate route, and has no problems. 

We checked in on the kids (more snacks, plenty of ipads) and went out one more time, this time to Ben Yehuda Street to do a few errands (bat mitzvah gift for Noa, reservation for dinner Saturday night, a couple of souvenirs we wanted, groceries). All errands were successfully completed - something I don't think has ever happened in Jerusalem before - at least not for us! 

Next, showers and dressed for Noa's bat mitzvah party. Sylvia had slept through the tour guide's lecture this morning, and the big kids had slept a little bit in the car, but we were all pretty tired. Nonetheless, the cool Jerusalem breeze, which we haven't felt in a long time, convinced us to walk the mile and a half to the Inbal Hotel (a nice, downhill walk through our "old neighborhood" from June). The bat mitzvah party was fantastic - really nice in every way. There was a great cocktail hour with an open bar and yummy passed hors d'oeuvres.  Then an awesome band who kept everyone dancing all night. Delicious food. A touching candle lighting ceremony where the kids lit candles for important and inspiring Jewish figures from history. In the lobby there was some Orthodox speed dating event, which led Amy and the kids to invent a game about Orthodox dating ("You like the Talmud? *I* like the Talmud!"). The Israeli band somehow knew all of the American Bat mitzvah classics (YMCA, We are family, Celebration, I've got a Feeling, etc). Each kid had their chance to be lifted up on a chair. Everything about it was perfect, and we had a blast. We finally left around 11:30, and took a fast bus home (we were the only ones on it), and put the kids to bed around midnight. Hopefully, we'll all sleep late tomorrow.

Catching up on photos (yesterday)...

Ein Gedi (Nahal David)

Post-hike popsicles

3rd century Ein Gedi Synagogue

Pooh pacis at Kibbutz Ein Gedi

Kibbutz Ein Gedi spring water

Dead Sea

Catching up on photos (2 days ago) ...

The place of the paci memory

"Ella Valley"

Masada from a distance

A beautiful day of swimming in the desert

When you think of the desert, probably the last thing you think of is swimming, but that’s exactly what we did today. After breakfast at our hostel, we drove about 100 meters to the parking lot of the Ein Gedi nature preserve. There are two main options for trails there and although we are ambitious, the 100 degree temperature (at 9 am) and the baby in the backpack on our back convinced us to choose the shorter, easier of the two, Nahal David. Ein Gedi is an amazing oasis in the middle of the desert, fed by an underground fresh water spring, which comes from the mountains near Jerusalem. As we walked into the park, we started to see some plants and small trees, and a few animals like birds and Rock Hyrax (an animal kind of  halfway between a squirrel and a groundhog).  The further in we walked the more lush and green it became and soon we started seeing pools of water and small water falls. They were tempting, but we decided to walk to the halfway point of the round trip trail (about ½ an hour in) before getting wet.  It was well worth the wait. The trail culminates is a gorgeous, cold waterfall rushing off the cliff above into a crystal clear pool of water. It was not very crowded, and we stayed and cooled off and swam for a long time, imagining what it would have been like to be riding through the desert on your camel thousands of years ago and suddenly find this spot!

As the sun was getting higher and it was getting even hotter, we reluctantly left the pool and hiked back to the entrance. Planning ahead for our early hike up Masada tomorrow, we stopped at the Ein Gedi Kibbutz grocery store. The Kibbutz is really spectacular. It is famous for its botanical gardens (which we could see some of from the road as we drove in) and for its water, which it bottles and sells under the Ein Gedi Spring brand name. The small, but well stocked grocery store had everything we needed (granola, bread, a little fruit), and much to our surprise, Winnie the Pooh pacifiers! So, we, of course, got those too – the paci collection is growing out of control! We then brought our empty water bottles over to the dining hall and refilled them out of the taps there, which dispense Ein Gedi Spring water. Very refreshing!

Just as we were trying to decide what to do next, we got an email from Grandpa and Jussara that they were nearby at the Dead Sea Beach, so we went over to say hello. They were just finishing up their float in the Dead Sea and getting ready to head back to their hotel. So, we made plans to meet up with them later for dinner.

We went to have our Dead Sea experience at Mineral Beach. This beach, on the northern part of the Dead Sea (which is actually 2 smaller seas now with a dry area between them since the water level has dropped so much in recent years), had everything we needed to make our experience complete. We first went down to the sea to swim (or actually float, since you can’t really swim). Ella, Jonah, and I all succeeded (Abe was resting with Sylvia in the air conditioning) despite the kids having blisters and scratches which stung a bit when they went in. Next step to a Dead Sea experience – the mud. Mineral beach had big barrels of mud in a little hut for us to use. The kids had a great time slathering it all over their body and hair, and marveled at how soft it left their skin (Jonah thought it even helped dry out his blister!) Finally, a shower and a swim in a fresh water pool to cool off (we decided to skip the sulpher pool  - it was just too stinky!

We came home, showered and changed, and met up with my Dad and Jussara for a nice buffet dinner at their guest house, and some time hanging out on the deck watching the mountains turn pink in the setting sun. On the way home, we scouted out the parking, etc for Masada, since we are hoping to hike up it at 5 am tomorrow!

(Photos coming tomorrow when we have better wifi) 

Mini Israel & Back to the desert

This morning we packed up and picked up our rental car in Tel Aviv. After navigating our way out of the city (always the hardest part), we headed to Mini Israel. This adorable park features 1:25 scale models of about 100 of the most important sites in Israel. Oddly, when we got there, they sold us tickets and told us that the park is closed, but we can still go in. Huh? In August, we only open from 5 to 10 she told us (I can see why, as it was blazing hot, but still… huh?). So, what do you mean the park is closed. Well, we’re not open, but you can go in. Okay. Turns out it meant that the restaurant (and sadly, the popsicle stand) were not open.  But, the rest of the park was terrific. It is laid out, somewhat oddly, in the shape of a Jewish star (I might have chosen to lay it out in the shape of Israel, but no one asked me). The models were great - very detailed, often with moving people or parts, sound effects coming from nearby speakers (e.g., tiny people davening at the Kotel with the sounds of their prayers). The kids loved identifying the places we have been. It was a bit surprising though to discover how many places we had also missed! We felt like we had been nearly everywhere! 

You might remember when we were in Tsfat, and we went to the museum at Beit Meiri, and Sylvia dropped her paci into a construction area and we couldn't get it. Today at mini Israel, there was a model of Beit Meiri and (I am not making this up), Sylvia took one look at it and said, "member, me drop paci there. Struction area." Creepy.

Since the restaurant was closed, we went to nearby Latrun to the little rest stop cafe. We were hoping for just a little bite, but instead we ended up with a huge meal, such as I have never seen in a rest stop cafe. We ordered the large salad, which allowed us to choose 5 of their yummy salads. They charged a small cover charge which allowed you to take pita and pickled things from the condiment bar. Plus, we had our meals (luckily. Abe and I shared!)

The temperature on the car thermostat read 41 degrees (about 106 F) as we drove into the desert around 2 pm. The drive was beautiful and really interesting. We took smaller roads than we took the last time we drove into the desert, and the countryside was filled with interesting sites and people (mainly Arabs, we were driving more or less along the West Bank border). We passed a large military campsite (tents) packed with soldiers on an exercise. We drove through Arad, which had been described to us as a big slum where Israel had forced the Bedouins to settle. To our surprise, Arad was a mixed community (many olim, lots of hasidic families too) with big, nice shopping centers, new homes, nice roads. Arad's biggest problem seems to be its image!

We arrived in the late afternoon at Kfar HaNokdim, a faux Bedouin village. It was a friendly and laid back place. When we arrived, we were given some drinks (orange juice, water, coffee) in the shade, and then it was time for the camel ride. Our family rode along with 2 other families. Ella and Jonah rode together on one camel and Abe rode on another (I stayed with Sylvia who isn't quite up to camel riding yet). They rode out into the desert in a kind of caravan, led by Bedouins. Very cool! Meanwhile, Sylvia was planning to ride a donkey. However, as often happens for her, the reality of the donkey was a little overwhelming. So, the guy left the donkey attached to his friends (on a rope tied to the ground) and said we could just hang out with the donkey as long as we liked. Little by little, Sylvia warmed up to the idea (and the one donkey she was supposed to ride, clearly knew he was for her. He kept looking at her and trying to stay near her, even when the other donkey's he was tied to moved away). After a little while, she said she wanted to sit on the donkey, and she did, while screaming in terror.She came down and petted him some more, and after a little while wanted to go back up - this time with a serious expression, but no screaming. Definite progress.

After riding, we went into a tent for some Bedouin hospitality. The real Bedouins there served us first sweet tea and then coffee while telling us about Bedouin culture. We learned so many interesting things -- like how Bedouins can take up to 4 wives (when asked why they would want to, his answer was something along the lines of, "even if your favorite food is kebob, some nights you want hummus"), that because they can have many wives, and thus many children, Bedouins have very large families. After 5 generations, a Bedouin can change his family name to distance himself from whatever feuds or debts his large extended family may have. Bedouins are big on hospitality and have complex rituals to promote it and make sure welcoming a guest goes smoothly. When a guest arrives, they toast coffee beans over the fire (which he did for us) and then grind the coffee beans by hand in a rhythmic, musical way (which alerts nearby family members that there is a guest and they can come join in or help). They slaughter and cook an animal (even though most days they eat little meat). A guest who leaves on his shoes is indicating that he is just passing through, but if he takes off his shoes, he intends to stay. He can stay 3 days and be treated like a guest (served feast meals, etc) and asked no questions -even his name, but after that he will be treated like family. The guest is then served 3 cups of coffee - the first is a welcome, the second is that the tribe offers him protection, the third is for fun and enjoyment. Our host shared lots of information with us and then patiently answered any questions we had. Jonah asked how long it takes to set up a Bedouin camp when they move (they don't move often anymore, but when they do it goes fast, because the whole, huge family helps). He also asked where they get their animals (they breed them). 

Next we went in to dinner. We were seated around a low table on which we found drinks, bread, and many salads and appetizers. Next, they brought out a huge platter of rice, lentils, other grains, stuffed artichokes (amazing!), grilled onions and peppers, and more. Next they brought out skewers of kabob and chicken (also delicious). Finally, they brought out dessert - melon and pears, pastries, and jello (which, if you're wondering, is not a traditional Bedouin food!) It was completely delicious and our leftovers could have fed half the Israeli army.

Finally, we drove along a curvy and beautiful road (past occasional camels heading home for the night) to Ein Gedi. Our ears popped as we approached the lowest point on earth. We could just see the Dead Sea in the fading light and we are excited to see what we wake up to in the morning!

Note: Photos are uploading very slowly on our Ein Gedi Youth hotel wifi, so here are just a few and we will post more for this day and the next tomorrow from our (hopefully) better Jerusalem wifi.

Feeling like we're back at home by the King David hotel in Mini Israel
(our apartment was right across the street)

That's them...way out in the desert on camels!

Not so crazy about the donkey at first

Doing a little better the second time

Digging in to the Bedouin feast

Last day in Tel Aviv

With just over a week left in Israel, I suspect a lot of "lasts" are coming. Today was our last day in Tel Aviv, so we made sure to get in a few things we've been meaning to do (or do again). This morning Abe and I got up early and the kids stayed home while we went to the Palmach museum (museum date!). It was every bit as good as we had heard. The exhibit is underground in a series of about 30 little rooms, each of which depicts some episode in the story of a group of about a dozen young Palmachniks. The Palmach soldiers were Jews in Palestine originally recruited and trained by the British to be ready to defend Palestine in case the Nazi army advanced that far. When the tide turned in WWII and it was clear the Nazis would not invade Palestine, the British told the Palmach soldiers, "It's been a pleasure. Now, give us back our guns and go home." But, the Palmach soldiers wanted to remain an army on behalf of the Jews, and they did so, in secrecy. They mostly lived on Kibbutzim, worked 1/2 of the month and trained the other half, and in this way were self supporting. In the exhibit, we watched the Palmachniks as they trained, fought, became friends, fell in love, and in several cases were killed. It was a very touching story and over the course of the 90 minute presentation, we became rather invested in their (fictitious) lives. The only odd thing about the exhibit was that the Hebrew narrative was mostly made up of conversations among the Palmachniks themselves, from which the listener gleaned the history. The English version (which we listened to on headsets) was mostly history and background, occasionally interspersed with what the characters themselves were saying. I'm not sure if they thought that they needed to dumb it down for the English speakers, or what.

We had lunch at home to finish up the rest of the food in the fridge, and then set out for a long beach afternoon. The kids played in the water and the sand and had a great time. Abe and I watched them in the shallow water, ordered a beer from the little restaurant behind us, and eventually watched the sunset. A very nice beach finale.

On the way home we picked up burgers and fries to go at a little beach restaurant (it was a typical Israeli balagan [chaotic mess] with an inefficient system where they took orders and people paid, but they kept poor records about who ordered what, so when the time came to make your burger, they didn't know what you wanted and weren't sure if you had paid).

Finally, after living 2 steps away from it for weeks, we finally took the kids out to see the fountain show at night. The multicolored fountain on Dizengoff Circle does a little show where it lights up, spins around, plays music, spouts water high into the air, and shoots fire out of the top. It's pretty impressive for the 2 year old crowd! As it began, Ella took a photo of the fountain, and a 20-something Israeli man came over and asked her what she was photographing. Over the course of the next few minutes, he got flirtier and closer to her. I suggested that Abe get a little closer to what was going on. Abe approached and the guy looked at him. Abe told him that he was Ella's father. Mr. 20-something said "you have a very beautiful daughter." Abe told him, "Thanks. She's 13." Mr. 20-something looked shocked and dismayed "13?! Really?! I'm very sorry" and he hurried off. Uh-oh
!

The fountain dance!