Catching up ...

Yes, it's been a while. A couple of whirlwind weeks. Besides being very busy with Morrie, we had internet problems for the last 5 days and I was not able to post. This isn't a complete update on our recent activities ... so stay tuned for more, hopefully this week.

My brother-in-law Morrie arrived on Sunday, February 22. When we went to the airport to pick him up, a group of Sar-El volunteers was in the arrival lounge getting their orientation. It was nice to see a fairly large group about to embark on a great working vacation, as we've done over the past few years. I said hello to Pam, the volunteer coordinator, and promised that we would be back next year.

Morrie was in great shape after his trans-Atlantic flight, so we took a long walk and kept him awake until 8PM when he felt he could expect to sleep thru the night. We spent the next couple of days touring Jerusalem with him. In fact, this was our first time at the Wall. Hard to believe we've been in Israel for 3 weeks and hadn't been there yet. It's always an emotional experience. The Wall is so powerful all by itself, but when you add the human dimension, so many people of all religions and backgrounds, it's overwhelming.

On Thursday we left for a week trip around the country.

Our first stop was Dori's base. She's a drill instructor, and the soldiers had a swearing-in ceremony that we were able to attend. It was a very impressive afternoon, notwithstanding the difficulty we had getting onto the base. We had given Dori our names, passport and vehicle license numbers, and we were supposedly on the guest list. Our first hurdle was when we were told we were at the wrong entrance to the base. When we got to the right entrance the guard with the list couldn't find our names. I called Dori, who spoke to the guard, who told her to have her CO call him to get this sorted out. Meanwhile we were to park and wait. About 30 seconds later another soldier came over to the car, asked if we were attending the ceremony, and waived us in. Go figure.

The afternoon was enlightening. It began with a presentation to the parents of the soldiers by the base commander about the transition from civilian to army life, the next training phase, and the relocation of the base to a new facility in the Negev which is being carried out over the next year or so. He was very sincere and approachable, taking questions from anxious parents, and giving out his personal cell phone for anyone who wanted to reach him at any time.

Then on to the swearing-in ceremony itself, which took place on a parade ground. The soldiers who do their basic training at this base are not the best and the brightest. They come from some rough backgrounds - low on the socio-economic totem pole, discipline problems, lack of motivation, etc. In fact, out of the 110 inductees, 8 were in the brig because of various infractions and have to repeat basic training. But for the soldiers who completed the course (and their families), the ceremony was very moving.

We spent some time after the ceremony with Dori. She introduced us to her CO and her fellow drill instructors and we saw her office. She wouldn't bring us to her quarters, so I can only guess as to what kind of shape her room is in. Everyone we met was cordial and gracious, and it was a pleasure to see how they all interacted. We were especially pleased to see how well Dori fits in.

We left the army base at 5PM, heading for the Galilee. It should have been a two hour ride, but somehow or other we took a wrong turn, got caught up in Tel Aviv traffic (which is in a perpetual state of rush hour), got lost in a neighborhood somewhere around Herzlia where I asked directions and the guy had to draw me a map. We finally made it to Tiberias where in desperation we stopped at a hotel so we could hire a taxi and follow him to the kibbutz where we were staying, only to find out that A) Tiberias doesn't have a lot of taxis, and B) being a Thursday night, which is a big event/wedding/ party night, they all get chartered. The doorman was very nice about attempting to help and he called a cab-driver friend of his who said he would be able to get to the hotel in 15 minutes. And do the job for 100 shekels. Fine. But 10 minutes later the driver called and said he was still busy driving people who had reserved him. The doorman tried another driver but no luck. He (the doorman) kept telling me how easy it was to find the kibbutz, showed it to me on the map, but after all the wrong turns we had already taken I was not willing to go out in the countryside. He kept assuring me it was a no-brainer and we couldn't get lost. Since it was already 10PM, we were tired, frustrated, hungry and upset, so we decided to go for it. My other concern was that we wouldn't be able to get on the kibbutz, since they all have locked gates and don't stay open 24 hours like a hotel does. Well, we did manage to find the kibbutz and the gate was manned by a guard who gave us directions to the office. We finally found the office but it was dark. So back we went to the gate and the guard called the person who was in charge of the hotel operation who assured me that our keys were in envelopes on the door of the office. And they were. Then it was only a matter of finding the location of the rooms in the dark. But we finally made it. It was probably the worst day of our lives. The 2 hour drive took over five. It felt like Gilligan's Island in a car.

The next day was a lot better. We went on a tiyul (a day trip) to a beautiful hiking area called the Hexagonal Pools. A lovely 2 kilometer hike to the pools and back. But the hike was vertical. Not terribly steep or challenging, but not the same as walking on a flat surface.

We did another day trip to Rosh Pina on the Lebanese border and Akko on the Mediterranean coast.

We've stayed at kibbutz hotels in the past and they have all been very nice. Not fancy, but very comfortable. This one, Shaar Hagolan, was a notch down. Maybe two. But after staying for 3 nights I had a realization. This was our first time staying at a kibbutz hotel that was a genuine kibbutz experience. We ate in the same dining room with the kibbutzniks, not in a separate dining room just for guests. It felt authentic. And the staff was very nice. I would stay there again.

The next stop on our trip was the Dead Sea, a place we never tire of. We stayed in the newly-named David Hotel, which is the fourth iteration of what used to be the Hyatt. They've put a lot of money into renovations, but still have a way to go. But it's greatly improved since the last time we stayed there, and the spa is still fabulous.

The following day we continued to Eilat, which is a world apart.

More to come ...