December 21 to January 2 - Israel

[reisen55]

I shall be away from this board for the next 2 weeks, trip to history and the spot where Mel Brooks brought down the 15 ... WHAM .... oy, 10, 10 Commandments.

Charlie will be in Camp Bow Wow along with Penny. Nessie not to worry.

[Duncan Edwards]

I shall be away from this board for the next 2 weeks, trip to history and the spot where Mel Brooks brought down the 15 ... WHAM .... oy, 10, 10 Commandments.

Charlie will be in Camp Bow Wow along with Penny. Nessie not to worry.

Ever been before? You're going to love it. Traveling to any place else in the area?

[reisen55]

Never been there before. My daughter went 2 years on the Birthright trip, got up at 3am to climb Masada and it was worth it, damn near killed her though.

[Duncan Edwards]

I did the Masada climb in July while carrying a camera store with me. You can do idiot things like that when your 22. I'd recommend the cable car now but don't miss it.

You're going to love it. Best advice I ever got was keep US$50.00 in singles on you for tips and misc. stuff. Take a good camera and good shoes. Don't buy anything you didn't plan on before you left. NEVER give Israeli security the tiniest bit of crap. The local Arabs in Jerusalem and thereabouts are cool if you are. Don't get into discussions about anything of substance with an Israeli because talking is the national sport and they will never give up. Don't try to photograph anything even remotely military related. Don't go in one of those eastern European/Kosher bakeries unless you can let your belt out a couple notches.

Regardless of your faith or even lack of it you will find plenty of a spiritual nature to groove on. That part of it may have become covered up with a lot of tacky commercialism but like a lot of things it's there if you look for it.

Have a good time. Be interested in hearing your thoughts on it all later.

[Fred588]

If you go to the resort at Ein Geddi, located on the Dead Sea and pretty much on the same bus tours that go to Masada, they have Mud. Its stinky, sulfurous, and black in color, but they also have a shower.

[reisen55]

Thanks for the advice, will honor it. I am a converted TO Jewish, nominally nothing before that, so I am at least on the 10 yard line. Will take care with security and political discussions, my daughter did the Birthright trip 2 years ago and loved it too. I have a couple of Clive Cussler books and also Colonel Roosevelt, the third Edmund Morris volume for reading time. $50 in singles is a great idea.

Will post some pics on our return and NESSIE, Charlie will be in Camp Bow Wow just down the road, joined by his semi-sister in a few days too. Camper Cams are there. You can go to www-dot-campbowwow-dot-com slash rockland and visit the dog pens, look for a little white fellow with a curled tail.