[travels] cuba: tobacco, rum, and sugar

Brian and I unknowingly eeked in a timely trip to Cuba, returning stateside the very week Trump announced he would be reinstating travel and commercial restrictions eased by the Obama administration.  While tourism was never an approved purpose for travel from US to Cuba, the 'Educational Activities' visa category afforded us great flexibility to see and explore under Obama-era rules.

We followed a fairly standard itinerary that allowed me to knock off a few more World Heritage Sites!  We flew into Havana, explored caves and biked in the beautiful Vinales Valley, and visited sugar plantations and hiked in the Trinidad area.

First a couple of notes about travelling in Cuba:

There are two currencies used in Cuba, the CUC (pegged to the USD and used by tourists) and the CUP (used by locals).  Though the 1 CUC is equivalent to 1 USD, there is a 10% exchange fee for USD, which is not levied on other currencies.  Do your math to determine whether you should change your USD to Euros or Pounds to change to the CUC.

Bring all the money that you plan on using in cash.  At least when we went, we could not use US Credit cards, ATM cards, checks, etc.  Worse comes to worse, we've been told that it is possible to receive wire transfers; HOWEVER, the recipient needs to be a Cuban national.  

We booked lodging using AirBNB before arriving in the country for all but our final three days, for on the order of $15-20/night.  I unfortunately did not do my homework and assumed my buying power in other categories (food, transportation, activities) would stack up comparably.  Dining out in Cuba was cheaper than dining out in Boston, but on the order of 50%.  Drinks, beers and cocktails, however, were very affordable!  Taxis in Havana were as expensive as taxis in Boston, we found the tricycle motorcabs to be cost-effective.  

We found taxi collectivos (shared taxis) to be a cost effective way to travel between cities.  For just a couple bucks per person less than the state operated buses, you can get door to door service on your schedule.

While we opted to plan our own trip instead of booking a tour, we did find that certain day tours stitched together related sites in a very sensible way at a reasonable cost.  We also found that tour drivers were willing to do the same tours off the books, once you found the right one.

Stumbled out of the restaurant after the waiter handed me a BOTTLE of Havana Club rum for my DIY pina colada.

Vinales by Bike

First we headed west by taxi collectivo, to Vinales Valley.  Vinales, surrounded by mountains, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The valley is known for its agricultural production, particularly that of tobacco.  We rented bikes from a friend of our AirBNB host for $15/day and biked through the countryside.  The first night we visited the more touristy Cueva del Indio, where the walking trail stops and you finish your tour by boat.

The next day we filled up on a breakfast of eggs and fresh fruit smoothie before starting out for the Prehistoric caves and Cuevas de Santo Tomas.  

We were outfitted with helmets and headlamps to explore Saint Thomas cave.  Our tourguide pointed out all sorts of wildlife, played musical stalactites, and we didn't lose anybody.  Great success.

While the beauty of the valley is striking, it was the beauty of the people that left the deepest impression.  Our most memorable experience was when I got a flat tire and we stopped by a residence offering up their vistas for all to enjoy.  Our new friend went above and beyond, pedaling back into town, during the hottest time of day, to fetch a pump.  While we waited, we chatted with his wife in broken Spanish, about why she loved her home and their pace of life.  

Beautiful vistas from the home of a friendly couple.

Trinidad by Taxi

Our second destination was also another UNESCO.  Trinidad, together with nearby Valle de los Ingenios, was built up around the wealth generated by the sugar trade in the 18th century.  We were able to visit the famous Manaca Iznaga plantation and the San Isidro de los Destiladeros on a taxi tour.  We enjoyed walking around the plantation, but seeing the slave quarters and learning about their living situations and culture left an impact.  We enjoyed conversing with our tour guide, teaching him idioms and chatting about politics.

View from Iznaga Tower, built to watch slaves during the sugar trade era.

The heart of Trinidad has a host of carefully restored buildings.  The meandering paths, lined with colorful houses, lead to a beautiful town square and the musical steps.  In the town center, you can also climb the tower for sweeping views of the city and the valley.

Back to Havana

No Trip to Cuba is complete without spending time in Old Havana.

Broken-down car in front of the Capital Building

Looking back on Old Havana from the western side of the Harbor.

Drinks with the Father of the Daquiri, Ernest Heminway, at the Floridita.

View of Havana from Castillo de la Real Fuerza- another World Heritage Site!

Other things we did

1. Rode a classic 1950's Chevrolet with red leather seats and an odometer registering 900,000+ miles from Trinidad to Cienfuegos.

2. Visited the historic center of Cienfuegos.

3. Personal salsa lessons in Vinales, followed by an evening of live music and dancing

[travels] Costa Rica- Livin' la Pura Vida

Costa Rica is a beautiful country full of smiling locals and beautiful drives.  We only had one week to explore as much of the country as possible, way too ambitious.

Arenal
The Arenal volcano region is every adventurer's dream.  The local economy is built up around ecotourism, with many different companies offering different canopy, ATV, and rafting tours.  I always find it difficult to justify expensive excursions, so I searched for cheaper alternatives.

First of all, a car is your key to freedom.  All the tours are willing to pick up and drop off at your hotel, however, you can see more, save money, and travel with more flexibility when you have your own car.  However, driving in Costa Rica is not for the faint of heart.  Many areas are unpaved, which can be problematic during the rainy season.  The areas that are paved are pot-hole ridden and two-lane roads will suddenly converge to one lane over a bridge.  Manual transmission and 4-wheel drive are definitely helpful.

Yes roads are rough, and I deserve a reward for braving the terrain, but it was well worth it (I might be singing a different tune if our rental agency had charged us for damage to the car).  Having the car allowed us to see Costa Rica on our own schedule.  My favorite hike in the Arenal area was the Cerro Chato hike up an ancient volcano.  We hiked up through primary forest, which entailed climbing over large root systems and ducking under fallen branches.  I enjoyed the intimacy and truly felt like we were guests in the forest.  It was a fairly steep hike up, after a few false alarms, we finally found ourselves at the rim.  Of course, we had to do the even steeper hike down to the lake.  It took some creativity to get down and back up, but it was well worth the effort and muddy butts.

View from the rim of Cerro Chato, looking down into the crater.

The hike to Cerro Chato, among many, start from the Arenal Observatory Lodge.  From the same starting point, we also did a hike through secondary forest to a seasonal waterfall and a hike down to a stream with volcanic rock.

After a full day of hiking, I wanted to relax in the area's famous hot springs.  Tabacon is a world-renowned resort that shows off the natural springs.  Less well-known, is that right across the street, there is a bubbling brook that feeds from the same hot water source.

The perfect spa.

Papagayo Gulf
The next few days were spent at the Papagayo Gulf.  We stayed at a beautiful resort with a private black sand beach.  There were so many beautiful vistas.

Papagayo Allegro Resort.  I usually don't like to advertise, but this view is gorgeous.

View of nearby docks.  Apparently, where the rich and famous launch their water toys.

Of course, we had to check out the famous local beaches.  Our favorites were Cocoa Beach and Hermosa Beach.

View from Hermosa Beach.  It's beautifully framed in green and is adorned by palms.

Another destination in the area was the Vieja de Rincon Volcano, where we finally saw an active volcano!  Sort of.  It was too active to allow visitors to hike, but we were allowed to take a loop trail at the foot of the volcano that took us to the mud pots, water pots, and fumeroles.

We might be smiling, but that sulfur-smell is sure strong.

Monteverde Cloud Reserve
One of the highlights of this trip was the Monteverde Biological Reserve.  One of the lowlights of the trip was getting there.  I had to drive through miles of unpaved road, up and down the mountains.  I prayed that the wet season had not brought pools too deep for my rental car to traverse (I had, after all, promised my car rental agent to not take the car for a swim).  I prayed that the low frame would be able to handle the deep potholes and the giant boulders.  So maybe you might want to consider a tour group, or maybe even an SUV, but however you get there, it's a worthy destination!  I enjoyed the 2 hour tour that took us through the forest.  Our guide not only taught us about natural history, but also about the different animals that dwelled in the cloud forest.  After the tour, we hiked some of the well-marked trails on our own.  We hiked towards the continental divide, however, we could not see much due to the cloud coverage.

Can you see the continental divide?  I can't!

National Bird.  Selected for it's intelligence, not it's beauty.
It would sing when the rainy season was coming, alerting the farmers.

Our guide telling us about orchids, in all their shapes and sizes.  

San Jose
Of course, we can't forget about the capital city.  We stayed in the nicest Holiday Inn I've ever seen, in the heart of the city.  From there, we were able to take an early morning stroll through the center of city, by the famous National Theater.  As an added bonus, we found China town!

Teatro Nacional
 

For the first time, I don't look so out of place.

Overall, this was a phenomenal trip.  I hope to be back to explore the southern part of the country.  Due to my laziness, I wasn't able to cover all the phenomenal/not so awesome aspects of my trip, but here's a quick list below:
1. Canyoneering- rappelling down waterfalls, jumping into narrow pools, and ziplining through the trees.  Worth the splurge.  And even saw a cute piglet that our guide had rescued from the canyon.
2. La Fortuna Waterfall- somewhat overrated.  But yea, I was there.
3. Kayaking around Papagayo Gulf-
    Me: So is there a limit on how far out we can paddle?
    Guide: Nope!
    Me: Awesome!
    Guide: Just be back in 20 minutes.
4. Shooting a BB Gun- one of the activities at the resort.  Didn't hit a single balloon.
5. Took a photostop enroute to Arenal.  Got the car stuck in the mud.
6. Shopping at Cocoa Beach.  They won't budge when you try to negotiate.  However, we met an awesome expat from Italy who owns a gallery.
7. Compliments.  We were told we looked like a 'smart couple' by a tipsy lady.  I'll take it!
8. Tilapia Dinner- nomm
9. Wanted to take a picture of a cow.  He got angry.  Cow 1: Lucy 0
10. Related to point 9, we did see a lot of happy cows grazing the green fields.
11. Make your own hot chocolate!  So much melty goodness
12. Coffee samples.  The best may be exported, but the stuff is still good.
13. Fried plaintains!  For breakfast EVERY DAY.
14. Fresh watermelon and the best pineapple I've ever had.
15. Comida Tipica is quite delicious!
16. Wind farms and hydroelectric plants!  Can I pass this off as a business trip?

[travels] Istanbul. Not Constantinople.

Ever since we learned about the splendor of the Byzantine empire in US history, I have yearned to visit Istanbul to experience the beauty for myself.  Modern day Istanbul is a very touristy place, and historic sites are clustered in Old City, making it very easy for the tourist to see the major attractions.  Three days is not nearly enough time to see all of Istanbul, but we sure tried our best.  We visited beautiful mosques, palaces, and even an underground cistern.  We took a ferry ride down the Bosphorus River to the Black Sea, leaving from the European side and landing on the Asian side.  We soaked in the culture from watching the whirling dervishes to taking a famous Turkish bath.  We enjoyed treats, like Turkish Delight, baklava, and stretchy Turkish ice cream (complete with show).  I took too many pictures to pick, so I've compiled some of my favorites into a video.

Turkish Bath

Bath houses were an important component of social life.  Not only could you unwind in the hot steam, relax with an olive oil massage, or clean up with an exfoliating scrub from your bath attendant, but you could also catch up on gossip.  It was a place to be seen.  It was common to visit at least a couple of times a week, and with all the offerings, I think I would have liked to just live there.  We visited a traditional Turkish bath to experience the offerings for ourselves.

Turkish Ice Cream
Not only is the ice cream delicious, but it comes with a show.  Here is a video of me trying to get my ice cream.  As a chemical engineer, I was also intrigued by the viscoelastic properties of this stretchy treat.

...more to come...

Israeli Summer: MISTI Weekend

   This past weekend was the MISTI seminar.  For those who don't know, MISTI stands for MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives.  It is a program that connects students to international opportunities to expose them to the global workplace.  For the past few months I've been placed at the Technion (think MIT of Israel) to do research in the Chemical Engineering department. But I digress.
   The weekend was packed from early morning to late at night with tours, speakers, and exploring.  For me, it was also an emotional weekend as I came to understand more about the Holocaust and the Arab/Israeli conflict.  So here goes a long entry taking you through the sights that I saw and the thoughts that I thought.

Kesariyya Beachfront
The weekend started off in Caesarea (Kesariyya in Hebrew).  We arrived at the Caesarea train station a couple of hours before we were expected (don't blame us for wanted to leave work early!) It was not the most welcoming place as it is located in the middle of an industrial complex.  Being the adventurous college students that we are, we decided to walk from the train station to the hotel.  This was a terrible idea because the distance between the industrial complex to the beachfront hotel was essentially a long stretch of highway with little shoulder.  Luckily for us, we hardly got out of the complex before we were picked up by a kind gentleman.  After dropping our luggage off, we were beach bound with cameras in hand.

Sunset and seashells

   The Caesarea beach is beautifully adorned with a plethora of seashells that glistened in the setting sun.  Mothers were scurrying after their energetic toddlers and the youth were paddle surfing in the tiny waves.  There were ledges that extended out far into the water, which kept the water shallow, inviting us to walk into the water and get splashed by the incoming waves.  A young girl saw us walking and greeted us with a cute bow and a "Ni Hao".  Our new friend and her dog, Lady, taught us how to avoid the rocks along the ledges so that we avoided "ouchie ouchie".
   For me, one defining thing about the beach was the tremendous coal-fired power plant.  This particular plant generates most Israel's of electricity, which is an important part of a discussion to come.


Kesariyya National Park
Our walk that evening ended when we stumbled upon the ruins of Caesarea National Park.  The unexpected find excited me, and I ran around as excited as if I were the first to discover the ruins.  The next morning we went on an actual tour of Kesariyya National Park, and to my surprise we entered the park via the same questionable route taken the night before.  It was fascinating to learn about the history of the area through all the different periods and to tie it back to the AP World History tidbits that I managed to remember.

Druze Hospitality
For lunch, we visited a nearby Druze village.  The Druze are a group of Arab people who practice their own religion.  The people regularly welcome visitors into their homes to learn more about their culture.  We enjoyed a fine meal of hummus, pita, eggplant and other delicious dishes accompanied by sweet tea.  In general, the experience led to a lot of questions about the religion and unsatisfying answers, which left me unsettled.  Though we were not able to identify with the religion, this visit started the conversation about the different religious groups within Israel and the conflicts that we have come to hear about.

Tech
Outside Tel Aviv, we visited companies and were exposed to Israel's entrepreurial spirit.  As a treehugger, I was looking forward to going to a Better Place.  Better Place's vision is a world where traditional cars are replaced by electric cars.  Their goal is to achieve their vision by building charging stations for everyday use and switching stations for those longer drives.  Their business model is impressive, as is their marketing. 
   But does it provide for a Better Place?  Sure, there are pros.  Emissions are now concentrated to power plants that are easier to regulate (compared to millions of cars on the road).  No exhaust means the air we breath is cleaner.  But unless the energy mix for electricity generation changes from predominantly coal and natural gas, we're just hiding our footprint.

Image courtesy Rand, 2007. 
Electricity generated is 69%  from coal. 
More recently, natural gas has probably replaced some of the coal.

Western Wall during Shabbat
That evening we arrived in Jerusalem and made our way to the Western Wall for the start of Shabbat. I had never realized how joyous an occasion Shabbat actually is.  There were people praying and chanting and dancing!

Busy before Shabbat

Bethlehem
The next morning, we had some time off, and we took this as an opportunity to visit Bethlehem.  It was a quiet border crossing into Palestine by taxi, and we were dropped off near a giftshop where we were picked up by a tourguide who showed us the Church of Nativity. (Of course the tour ended back at the giftshop...)  This church was built over the stable where Jesus was born and is comprised of the Catholic component, the Greek Orthodox component, and the Armenian component.  The three were vastly different, but I appreciated different elements in each.  I like the intricate light fixtures, and the incense, and the mosaics. We were not allowed to enter the stable because there was a special ceremony going on and viewing was limited as the church had a special guest.  We later found out that this special guest was the ex-President of Romania when we saw her leaving with her entourage and body guards.

Israel Museum
The Museum celebrates the history of the land and the artwork throughout that history.  It contained an impressive collection of artifacts that were laid out in excellently planned exhibits which took us chronologically through time.  The Israel Museum is also home to the Dead Sea Scrolls which contain the text for the Torah. The modern architecture is stunning and the sculpture garden is also worth checking out.

Holocaust Museum
The Holocaust Museum was also well designed.  Everything from the architecture to the floor plan was meaningful.  The main walkway is triangular with the walls closing in at the top. This is to symbolize the oppression and how trapped the Jews felt.  The display winds along chronologically from the seeds of antisemitism, to the ghettos, to the death camps.  Near the end, there is a room for the heroes of the Holocaust.  At the end, the walls open out and you can step outside into fresh air and take in a scenic view of Jerusalem.  The very presence of the State of Israel is the greatest victory that the Jews can hold over the Nazis.

The Final Scene

   This particular museum touched me unlike any previous Holocaust Museum that I have been to.  It not only presented the cold hard numbers and described the dispicable conditions of the camps, but it humanized the entire period with personal accounts and other anecdotes.  The tour guide also reminded us that there were decisions to be made by several parties, and when presented with those questions, I always asked myself how I would have responded.  I will share two anecdotes that defined my experience. 
   The first is about a girl and her doll, Leta.  This young girls mother was helping smuggle Jews out of Poland, so she had to leave her daughter in hiding.  As she leaves, she reminds her daughter to never open the door unless she speaks the code: A mother never leaves her child.  When she realizes that it is no longer safe, she sends a friend to get her daughter.  The daughter takes much convincing to leave her hiding spot, but the friend eventually coaxes her out and hides her in a sack, carrying her as if she were a bag of coals.  A short while later the girl starts screaming, wanting to go back.  The friend is confused, but opens the bag to question why she is attracting attention to them.  The girl responds I left Leta, A mother never leaves her child.  We must go back for her.  And they did. 
   The second anecdote is about a survivor.  A lot of couples were married shortly after being rescued in a desire to return to normalcy.  One particular lady got married and soonafter started feeling ill.  She went to the doctor and found out that she was 3 months pregnant.  Her response was terror.  Doctor, I can't have this child.  Please abort it now.  I can't stand to hear the screams of a child at night any longer.  When the doctor replied that he would not do the abortion, if she couldn't pay, she tried extreme methods to self-abort.  Luckily her measures failed and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. I prayed that he would stay healthy.
   Our trip to the museum was followed by a talk by a Holocaust scholar.  She spun a beautiful narrative combining her years of knowledge, her mother's survival anecdotes, and some fiction to tie loose ends together.  This talk helped me get into the minds of the Jews, and it saddened me to realize that the Jews intially blamed themselves for the Holocaust.   


Understanding the Arab/Israeli Conflict through Mifgash
The Hebrew word Mifgash literally translates to encounter, and that is what we did to understand the different positions in the conflict.

Armymen
On Sunday night we had dinner with soldiers in the Israeli army.  Citizens are required to serve in the military after high school (boys for 3 years, girls for 2).  There are exceptions for Hacidics and Arabs, but for the most part, everyone does it willingly because it is a rite of passage into the real world.  No service, no job. 
   It was interesting to interact with them because mostly everyone in the army is our age.  We bonded over our family lives, and hobbies, and even pop culture. 

Arab woman
Monday morning we had another mifgash, this time an Arab woman spoke to the entire group.  She told us about her experiences living as a Muslim in Israel and how she felt discriminated against, but stays for her family and her love of the land. She was able to answer all of our difficult questions and it was a rather eye-opening experience.  She was saddened by the association of the Muslim religion to terrorists acting in the name of Jihad ("Striving in the way of God").  We are peaceful people.  Bombing buildings and other acts of terror is not Jihad.  Explaining about the Quran and helping people understand us is.
   Comic relief came when a male asked why women dressed so conservatively and covered their hair. Woman are sexy, and YOU are not. We must cover ourselves because our beauty is a gift that we only want our husbands to see.  When we are around only women, we like to show off.

Obviously the conflict is deep rooted and more complicated than I can imagine.  I will not attempt to reconcile the politics in my head, but I think understanding the people is a good start. 

Golan Heights
Sunday morning we toured the Golan Heights.  We visited a fort to learn about how the area was militarily significant.  From the top of the volcanic rock, we could see the vast expanse to the Syrian border.  Scouts could easily detect military activity and mobilize the Israeli army and reserve forces.  Lacking this resource would be disastrous for Israeli defense.

View of Golan Heights Looking Towards Syrian Border

Rapid
Rafting down the Jordan river was the perfect way to end the weekend.  The river was very calm, and "falling" into the cool water was very refreshing.  Rafts were toppled, boats were commandeered, and splash wars ensued.  And we even hit a rapid!

Visit my facebook gallery to see more photos from this weekend.

Israeli Summer: Weekend of Little Sleep

Sleep deprived is not an unfamiliar state, but here goes a post about the extraordinary things we did through lack of sleep.

I'm on a Boat

   Wednesday marked the last day of classes at the Technion, and what better way to celebrate than on a boat leaving from Haifa Port.  The view of Haifa from the water was beautiful, unfortunately we saw little as technical difficulties prevented us from leaving the dock (more disappointing than Boos Cruise).  The DJ remixed familiar tunes and the bartenders served vodka generously from a bottle with a squirt nozzle (the ones that dispense the same amount each time you push on the nozzle, like for hand sanitizer)

White Night

   The arts came to Tel Aviv this Thursday for White Night.  It was a music celebration found in different pockets around town.  In the main square, you found people with headphones; they were all tuned to the same station so they all listened and danced to the same beat. The reasoning behind this was to encourage the shared enjoyment of music in an environment where others could still converse freely.   It was amusing to watch people sing along.  

   In other pockets of town, we found drumming sessions, and local bands, and artists doing covers (and a man dressed as a jellyfish...)  The streets were lively with people watching the Eurocup, enjoying food at different establishments, and of course the free music.  Art galleries were also supposed to be open, but we only came across one.  There were wild parties and swing dance sessions along the beach.  The festivities went on all night, but our crew turned in early to catch the early bus to Ein Gedi.

Ein Gedi: Desert Oasis and Waterfalls

   We caught the early bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  I have never fought so hard to get on a bus in my life.  Everyone was up against one another as the horde of people struggled to fit through the narrow bus door.  After securing a seat, we all fell asleep.  We made a transfer at Jerusalem, and headed towards the desert.      

   First stop was Ein Gedi, the desert oasis.  We hiked up the beautiful trails to see David's Waterfall.  It was no Victoria Falls, but it was amazing to see such lush greenness and flowing water in the desert.  Wading in the water was relaxing and cooling in the heat.  Once we hit the top, we turned off the falls trails, and headed towards the Ein Gedi Oasis.  This involved hiking in the beating sun up the side of the mountain.  We came across a small patch of green with a small pool (more like puddle) and took a break.  Hikers that arrived shortly after informed us that we had arrived at the Ein Gedi Oasis.  Considering that Ein Gedi is a large bottled water company, I was underwhelmed by the oasis, but it was beautiful nonetheless.  We continued hiking through the desert to get to the Ein Gedi Kibbutz.  This kibbutz dispelled the image in my mind that kibbutzes were solely agricultural communes.  This particular kibbutz housed a beautiful botanical garden and a hotel and spa.  We enjoyed a fine lunch there before taking a sherut to Masada.

View atop Ein Gedi

Masada

   Needless to say, it's difficult to get around the desert without a car.  On Shabbat, it's near impossible, so we relaxed at the Masada Guest House, which have been our most comfortable accommodations by far. We ate like kings at the "all you can eat" dinner, and rested early in preparation for our hikes up the mountain.  The 4am wake-up call was not the most pleasant start to the day, but it was necessary to hike up the mountain in time to catch the sunrise.  The hike was grueling, with a lot of steps and loose rocks, but at least the sun was not beating down on us.  Once at the top, I situated myself on a wall on the Eastern side and waited for the sun to rise.  The sun rising over the Dead Sea and salt dunes was a magnificent sight and slowly lit up our surroundings, helping us appreciate the Snake Trail, which we had just hiked up. 

   But there was more to see atop Masada, for on this rocky plateau, there had once been a palace and fort.  It was fortified by Herod the Great as a refuge in case of a revolt.  It was overtaken by Jewish rebels and the myth is that when the Roman army came to lay siege, Masada's some 900 inhabitants committed mass suicide. Now it is a World Heritage Sight.  

   Walking around, you can only see the ruins, but you can imagine the splendor of the palaces and bath houses and churches.  Walking to the North Face, turning the bend into the palace, you are dazzled by the view of the sun streaming in and the vast expanse of desert on the horizon.  

   We returned from Masada in time to be the first patrons at breakfast.  We enjoyed a traditional Israeli breakfast of colorful salads, fruits, yogurts, and cereal.

Sunrise atop Masada

Dead Sea

   The Dead Sea welcomes you with warning signs.  Do not drink the water, do not dunk your head, do not swim for more than 15 minutes.  Sounds like unnecessary warnings, but you come to understand why.    

   The shore is rocky and covered in salt deposits.  You can even pick up hot salt rocks.  Walk into the water and sit back is the proper way to get your float on.  It is quite amazing how much more buoyant you are.  Floating is effortless, in fact, more effort was used trying to settle lower.  Water in your mouth is a terrible experience; the taste and sensation of the extreme saline solution is unbearable.  Even worse is water in your eyes, which stings and temporarily blinds you.  This in conjunction with the 41+ temperature probably justified all the warnings. 

Getting back

   After our wonderful desert adventures came the biggest adventure yet.  Sheruts do not run in the desert on Shabbat, so an expensive taxi was becoming an attractive option to get back.  But hitchhiking is a cheaper and viable option.  We situated ourselves at the bus stop next to two fellow hitchhikers.  As they were there first, we did not compete with them for rides.  We waited patiently, and found out that they had been there for a couple of hours.  They eventually landed rides, so Esme and I were next up.  We were down on luck for a while, but the situation got worse when a crew of 6 boys situated themselves 20 feet in front of us and started hitchhiking as well.  We got sympathetic waves from people in cars, but the sketchier looking boys were ruining our chances as people were unwilling to stop.  We eventually landed a ride to Tel Aviv, so the girls headed off.  The boys have their own crazy hitchhiking stories because they had to go back to get Kenny's cellphone at the Hostel (long story), but that's their tale to tell.  

All in all, I would do it again!

For more pictures, check out my facebook album.

Israeli Summer: Tel Aviv

Our Tel Aviv weekend was action packed from the start.

   Action packed meaning scurrying around the bus station, trying to figure out how to get to Tel Aviv University further north.  We see the info kiosk and I show the attendant the map on my phone.  "How do we get there?", I point.  "Buses don't go near there" is her response.  Frustration.  Several more stopped, disgruntled travelers later, we are directed back to the same attendant at the info kiosk.  This time we have a surefire stop.  "How do we get to Ramat Aviv Gamel?", I ask. "Oh, simply take the 105, and then transfer to the 171 at the mall." Two buses and two blocks later, we find ourselves by Tel Aviv University, where we meet up with Ani and Emily, fellow MISTI students.

The first night we went crazy.  And by crazy I meant we paid 50 NIS to go clubbing.  There was dancing, loud music, and napkins thrown into the air that fluttered down.  That was it.  So much for crazy nightlife.

The following morning we embarked on the walking tour of Tel Aviv.  Here is the route.

   We started off with the Palmach Museum, commemorating the soldiers from the Israeli Independence War. I equate the Palmach to Minutemen of the American Revolution.  Freedom fighters that were not always the best equipped, but served with great passion for their Zionist goals.  We missed the tour, but were able to see the extensive photo gallery free of charge.  Here we found an impressive record of the different troops and expeditions.  We were lucky enough to meet one such solider who served, and he showed us his section.  We saw photos of him before and after his injury and heard his account first hand.  The Palmach played another important role in Israeli history, similar to those volunteers who comprised the Underground Railroad.  These brave soldiers helped Jews escape from the German concentration camps.  While the end goal was Israel, most were detained by the British, but most found their way to Israel after Independence.  It was a very touching way to start the morning.

   Next on the agenda was the famous Tel Aviv boardwalk.  After walking down California-esque streets lined with hotels and palm trees, we stumbled upon a ritzy part of the boardwalk.  We found an upscale farmer's market that embodied the feel of Whole Foods and enjoyed fresh fruit juice!  From there, we continued down the boardwalk first observing fancy people eating brunch, and regular beachcomers further down.  

   Stops along the way included a yummy lunch at a cafe, shopping in the antiques shuk, and eventually meeting up with the rest of the group (who slept in) at the giant Tel Aviv shuk.  The antiques shuk had a lot of hidden gems from the Russian army, alongside other not so interesting tidbits.  I enjoyed perusing the uniforms, regalia, and equipment.  The Tel Aviv shuk reminded me of Canal Street in Chinatown, NYC. 

   Back to the boardwalk, we powered on to Old Jaffa.

Sun setting over Old Jaffa

   On Friday, I turned 22.  Yikes.  I was sad that I couldn't be back to celebrate with friends and family, but I had a fantastic time with the MISTI group.  Kenny purchased the most awesome cake ever, and assembled a photobook with messages from friends back home.  I can't thank him enough for making my day so great!

[Corresponding photos here]

Israeli Summer: Jerusalem

   So this past weekend, the crew headed up to Jerusalem.  From the Hof Hacarmel station, we bussed to the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem.  We headed off in search of our hostel, only to find that we had gone off in the wrong direction.  Making the best of our mistake, we took a nighttime tour of the government buildings.
   Take two, we taxi to the Jaffa Gate and wander through the most magnificent mall I have seen.  Thursday nights are very busy with families and friends out to dinner.  In Old City, we encounter the festival of lights.  It was a brilliant display of lights in every which way.  There was a dome of light, and cool fixtures from above, and lights along the walkways.  The one downside was that the most direct route to the hostel was blocked off to clear Old City.  After asking several individuals for directions, we saw the glorious Citadel Hostel sign.
   We had booked the tent rooms on the hostel website as they were the cheapest option.  After we checked in, we were ushered up to the roof.  No tents were in sight, but there were pads on the floor.  It dawned on us that we were sleeping on the roof with no covering over our heads.  The night was surprisingly and uncomfortably cold.  But we were troopers, and the beautiful sunrise and view made the night worth it.  We were within sight of Dome of the Rock and had a birds eye view of all of Jerusalem.

   Starving from the previous nights adventures, we went out in search of breakfast.  We settled on pastries at Sam Booki, which is quickly becoming our favorite place to eat.  Everything there is freshly made in the back.  There is a huge selection, and everything is affordable.
   The first destination was the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall).  I believe this wall is the oldest standing structure in Jerusalem, and was also given the name Wailing Wall because people come to the wall to pray (wail?).  It was a very conservative sight, so those exposing too much skin were given wraps.  The fervor with which people prayed was moving.
   But the sun beat down incessantly, so we moved into the small walkways of the Jewish Quarters.  The walkways are quiet in the morning, but as time passes, they become more and more lively as vendors open shop and people start perusing.  Different streets have distinct odors, some of spices, some of flowers, and some less wonderful.
   The Mount of Olives is our next destination.  We take the lazy way out and taxi to the top.  Here we see a magnificent view of the city.  We start walking down and encounter the Garden of Gesemene.  We reenter the Old City through the Zion Gate.
   The Jerusalem Shuk is a bit of a walk from Old City.  We walk alongside the new tram and stop frequently for froyo (deliciously tart!) and water.  We hurried along because we were informed that it closed at 2:30.  But it was still very crowed even though we arrived late.  Stand after stand sold fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, spices, and even meats.
   Things started shutting down in the afternoon for Shabbat.

Dome of Light

Hostel View

Picturesque View of Jerusalem

Random Trip Tidbits
Clubs (according to a German tourist)
"You meet a boy.  You talk real loud.  You find a corner and smoochi smoochi. It's fun!"

Lady at the Hostel
Is an archaeologist, excavating at a site in Ashkelon.  Digs up human bones and attempts to do facial reconstructions.  ==> Conclusion: She is like a real life BONES!

Israeli Summer: Haifa

Shalom!
I am comfortably situated in Haifa, Israel, where I will be living for the next 10 weeks.  Haifa is the third largest city in Israel, situated on a hill next to the Mediterranean Sea.