Day One--MSP to Tel Aviv

Our 12:30 departure got us to MSP with plenty of time for a quick pre-boarding beer. Found a few fellow travelers who imbibe--so relieved! Assuaged my fears I might have to drink alone on this trip. USAir flight to Philadelphia was uneventful and the long walk to the international terminal gave us a chance to stretch the legs. It was when I got to gate A19 that I knew things would be a bit different. First we encountered a second security check. Then as I entered the secluded waiting area, I noticed a sea of black--mostly men, probably mostly Jewish men, in black pants, white shirts, black long coats and yarmulkes or hats. Several held prayer books and swayed or seemed to bob back and forth as they recited their verses in a corner of the room. I heard unfamiliar languages, noticed unique cultural clothing (like covered heads, shawls) and felt a bit of tension as the plane boarded. Extra security, extra scrutiny. We were, after all, flying to Israel.

I settled into my seat in the A330 Airbus, whose 2/4/2 seat configuration afforded me a 4 in 8 chance of snagging an aisle seat, and an aisle seat I got. Close to the bathroom, and the emergency door just across the way offerred a bit of comfort I have to admit. The ten-hour trek gave me time to read, watch two movies (Jack Ryan and Reese Witherspoon's The Good Lie), and try to catch some sleep. The unfortunate thing about being so close to the bathrooms was that the slap/snap of the bathroom door closing and locking, then unlocking and opening was distracting and kept me awake. Oh well. Play another movie. Read another chapter.

My first glimpse of Israel wasn't really a glimpse at all--rather a brilliant, piercing light, one that sneeked in from a nearly closed window shade, hitting me square in the face. It was 3 pm and we'd awakened in a bright, green land that smelled sweet. I basked in its 70 degrees.

Deplaning, customs and finding the tour host were painless. As we gathered around our tour bus with our luggage, I noticed 8-10 girls, probably of high school age, all dressed in longer skirts and cardigan sweaters holding prayer books and praying on one side of the busses--and there must've been 5-7 tour busses in that area. Our guide told us these ladies were praying for our safety, and given the current political situation, it felt darn good to know we were blessed, a humbling but oddly beautiful act of kindness.

From Tel Aviv, which really is the main commercial center of the country--drives 80% of its commmerce--we drove north to Netanya on the Mediterranean for our first night. Along the way we noticed orchards in the midst of construction zones, and crowded highways at rush hour, just as in the US. Our guide explained that Israeli roads given even numbers run north/south, and those that run east/west are given odd numbers. Also, single digit-number roads (1,2, etc.) are the larger main road (freeways) and those with 2 digits are main 2-lane highways. Three digits will find you on a more "country" road.

So my first experience with an Israeli hotel? OMG--so very nice. A big king-sized bed, very modern sleek design and unique lighting. A great buffet-style dinner, walk along the beach, and oh...did I forget the gelato bar? Way too luscious.

So we're 8 hours ahead of you in Minnesota, and my fitibt is still on MN time, so it's recording midnight to midnight central daylight time and not Israeli time. Oh well. Have to make the best of it, but my thought of recording thousands of steps/day seems thwarted. It'll essentially keep track of my steps as I sleep, but maybe I'll be trekking around Israel in my dreams anyway!