Tiberias, Hamat Gader, Shoes and Mad Massage,Zefat

We had quite a day today. We started out going to Rosh Pinot and Zefat. I knew Zefat
as Safed. It is a hill top city where Kabbalah has been studied throughout the ages.There is also an artists colony. Or the guidebook said there was one.. all we found was one art studio, David Friedman. Since he was originally from Colorodo he actually talked to us. We went in our finest \'sneeas\' fits and ditched them on the\
way down the hill because it was SO HOT! Sarah bought a few cards and I bought a melon..we could see syria, lebanon and Jordan..
Then we drove into Tiberias and the sea of Galilee.. we stopped for lunch in crazy
tiberias and had oh my gosh, falafel.. since I moved so slowly through the topping line a sweet Israeli woman just reached over me, grabbed what she wanted, etc.. as though I was invisible.. Israeil's are like that.. \i guess their parents were too busy fighting wars to teach their children ANY MANNERS at all. The day got better after lunch, we bought dates and candies and SHOES! Yes, fabulous shoes! Mine are\
white sandals with fab diamonds etc! Sarah bought some adorable white sandals..Okay there are absoultely no Vietnamese living in Israel so how am I suppossed to get my nails done? I mean if we don't find a nail shop soon I might have to do my own nails..ugh
After shopping we made our way to Hamat Gader. This was suppossed to be an alligator farm and there was also a Roman Spring. The guide books was KINDA vague about the road out. Once we passed the banana and date farms it was razor wire and
double fences because we were on the Jordan border. Just when we thought we were going to have to cross into Jordan the sign appeared and announced we had reached
Hamat Gader. What it actually was was a Zoo and a hot springs resort.Okay it was about 1100 degrees when we arrived and were greeted by AK47 toting guards with glocks
in their back pockets. Sarah and I did have another moment in the heat but it was
all good. She went first for the massage. I had mine after a hot swim in the hot pools..let me close with the only other massage I had like today's \i had in Morocco..lets just say I won't need a breast exam for awhile..We're back at Mannie's
and chillin we'll be heading to Jerusalem tomorrow and to pick up Marylin. Hopefully,
Sarah will help me post some photos later.

Water

I just checked my blog from last summer and it seems that I was in the east bank last
summer, right around this time. I have some photos of sea of galliee and comments about the water situation in Jordan. Let me please say that Israel doesn't seem to have this problem. There seems to be plenty of water. Could it be while Jordan begs for water, the Israeli's seem to have plenty. Today at the Kibbutz they laid new
sod around the pool area, and then proceeded to water it for an hour or so. HHHHHMMMMM I don't remember seeing any grass at all in Amman. MMMM could that be what really is going on in the Golan, the sea of Galilee is the prize? In the end\it will all really be about the water!

Left over farm implements

There seems to be a lot of leftovers from the time this kibbutz was actually a collective. There doesn't seem to be any farming going on now. There is a chicken processing plant behind the kibbutz but no on seemed to really know the \'what\\\\\\\\ about it.

View of Lebanon from Kibbutz Pool

Garden in the Kibbutz

Tel Aviv's answer for formal wear

This is for Becky and Sarah, my two girls who work for Selix

golan heights

We are in A'yellet hashar aka Golan Heights.. tomorrow we will go to the border of\
\israel and lebaon..I could see jordan and syria on the drive up. We had quite a little mother daughter moment pulling out of TelAviv, but we managed to pull it togehter and get out of town. \it was a two hour drive from Tel Aviv to hear and I
was the navagator using a map. I am having some trouble with this computer as \\I am unsure what key is the shift key so please excuse all typing erros. We wil postpictures later tonight. Tonight we're going to Rosh \pina to see the sunset \last\ night we went to Jaffa.. we actully had our first falafel.. \israel really closes down pretty good for shabbos.. with stores and shops closing friday afternoon and not really re opeing till sunday morning.
\now politics.. if you are \'arab\' you are underover. We did see a few muslim women\ in \jaffa but not many, if any in Tel Aviv..The mentality of the \israeli's we've encounterd is mind boggling. no hello, no excuse me and most will not even say\
hello or great you in any way. Its pretty much Hebrew or the highway. But no worries we are still getting our party on and having fun \i hope all is well and once again sorry for all the typos..

WAAAWWWWWW

None of my electronics are working and since its Shabbos we haven't been able to
connect with a sim card etc. Oh and getting an internet connection has been a trip too. We have been holed up at our hotel, the lovely Basil international. Fab. 3 stars
and it deserves everyone of them. Great Kosher breakfast. So far no falafel but that's tonight. We are going to Yaffo, the old city that was before it became part
of Israel. Okay, the sea is warm and the sand is soft. Sarah and I have both been
gently nipped by jellies but they are kinda like mosquito bites. I am typing at
the Crown Plaza. I had to "ask" to be let up to their business center because their
public computers cut me off. And well, you all know how I can "bs" my way into the best places. This actually seems to be a real connection.
Prices are out of sight here. We get 3.2 shekels to the dollar. Okay so for lunch
we had 3 slices of pizza and 2 sodas, at a beachside stand. It was 64 shekels! I won't get too political now but you know I am not a happy camper. Israelis are a total trip, I don't think I've ever been in a place were people are so unfriendly, rude and pushy. Wait its a whole country full of me. We meet some nice people on the
plane that have invited us to Ramallah so we will proably visit there when Marylin
shows up on tues. I have no idea where we'll stay but I'm sure it'll be fun.

10 Goals for the Millennium

The cousins

Alex Ellson, Bill Tucker, ME, Jane Tucker.. the big question why do we all (not counting Alex) have the same color hair?

10 Goals for the Millennium

This is a copy of the United Nations 10 Goals for the Millennium. We saw these goals posted in many NGO's in Jordan, last summer. The building that houses the UN is very impressive but it has not been remodeled since it was built in the early 60's.
Barcelona chairs, old carpet and plenty of "modern" furniture. However, their art and photo displays more than make up for the
dreary decor. THe UN is all about peace. We saw many displays on how much money is being spent on WEAPONS and how
much is spent on health, sanitation and education. 6000 children per day die of diarrhea because of a lack of clean water.
And guess what country hasn't signed the ban on IED's??? Yes we still make, sell and stockpile those cute little land mines.
When will the US start working for peace instead of death and destruction? Our tour guide, CECE, is a friend of Sarah's so we
got to see some other floors of the UN too! We had our own VIP tour. Time for a nap, as you can read, this blond has done
way too much thinking today.
Peace

United Nations

Today I toured the United Nations ! Very impressive. This is a photo of a Chagall Window, in the main library.

NYC The Journey Begins

I arrived in NY today. Our flight was only an hour late because we had to circle and wait out a storm. I took a bootleg car service
to Sarah's house. Sarah and Sabia were home and we got busy getting dressed to go to cousin Jane's for a dinner. Jane
lives in a fab co-op in the upper east side. We had dinner on her rooftop. Not only was Jane there but so was cousin Bill, his
wife Sheila (we got a copy of her new book) Bills children, Zak and Jed and Sally's children Thomas and Alex Elson. My Dave
also joined us. We had a blast catching up on life. Tomorrow Sabia and I are going for a tour of the UN and lunch with one
of Sarah's friends, CECE! Yeah, I'm too pooped to pop so I guess I will download the photos tomorrow. I promise to behave at
the UN and not harass or antgonize any of the representatives from countires whose politics I don't like..
Oh, on another front I did not have to pay for my checked bags today, since I bought my ticket before the policy went into effect. Delta still serves sodas and peanuts without a charge but everything else costs you $$, including watching movies. Good
thing I brought my ipod, but I think I need a book for the Israel flight.

Suzi and Sarah in the 14th St Subway Station

Packing, is this 50 pounds?

Opps, I think I might have packed too much already and I haven't even packed undies, nighties or swim fins. Off to do some
things on my "to do" list. Going away is a lot of work. I talked to Marylin today, she was shopping when I called. We are so
going to have fun. All credit card systems have been notified and I'm such a genius, I realized I can get email on my ipod touch
so no need to carry a big computer with me! Yeah me!

Me and my son Jacob at his College Graduation

Planning

I just got off the phone with Sarah. She is busy making no reservations for our
trip to Israel. We are thinking of getting a hotel for one night and then renting
a car and traveling through Israel. Marylin will be joining us around July 1. I'm so
excited. I moved money into my bank account and paid bills yesterday. Last night
I found alot of my headscarfs, from last summer to pack.Let's see how plans stack up
with reality. Right now we have only 3 nights of hotels booked. One night at the Marriot Dead Sea, in Jordan and two nights at the Kempinski in Amman. Yeah to being
61 and traveling "hippie" style, free and easy.

Planning

I just got off the phone with Sarah. She is busy making no reservations for our
trip to Israel. We are thinking of getting a hotel for one night and then renting
a car and traveling through Israel. Marylin will be joining us around July 1. I'm so
excited. I moved money into my bank account and paid bills yesterday. Last night
I found alot of my headscarfs, from last summer to pack.Let's see how plans stack up
with reality. Right now we have only 3 nights of hotels booked. One night at the Marriot Dead Sea, in Jordan and two nights at the Kempinski in Amman. Yeah to being
61 and traveling "hippie" style, free and easy.