Day 5

This morning we got up and our house mom cooked us omelets. They are big breakfast fans here I’ve noticed, and I really don’t eat breakfast; just popcorn….ask the office! Ha! So when your host parent insists on cooking you breakfast it’s kinda hard to refuse. I didn’t eat that much, just enough.
We toured a bit of Eilat. Eilat is celebrating 60 years this year, and the people here refer to it as the “First City,” because it’s the first area in Israel to be occupied by the Cildren of Israel after the Exodus from Egypt Duet, 2,8). Sort of reminds me of a small California. Beautiful, beautiful! Our first stop was the Historical Museum of Eilat…the short bit of history the town has is pretty interesting. While there we watched a short film over the “Kariem A” mission. If you haven’t heard of “Kariem A,” it’s the carrier ship that was bringing ammunition from Egypt to Israel in 2001 for warfare….all that war stuff…It was taken in to captivity by the Israeli form of “Navy Seals,” called “Bats.”
The video showed almost every detail of the story because the news cameras and documentary cameras were all around, plus…it was only in 2001, geeze. The ammunition that was seized could of destroyed so much. WOW! SO much more I could say on this subject, but time is short and my computer battery is slowly dieing.
Our next stop was the Water Observatory where we got to see “UNDA the SEA.” Little Mermaid comes to mind, ha ha! There were sharks, and turtles, blowfish OH MY! We took a quick tour around the observatory, and then we went to the most interesting visit of the day! It was at a Religious school for Jewish girls. I didn’t quite get the name because it was in Hebrew.
There we spoke with Jacky Pri-Gal a Consul for the Royal Norwegian Consulate. He is a Holocaust survivor who shared with us a bit of his life experiences. He was originally from Holland, and some of his stories kind-of shocked The Netherlands team (that’s all I am going to touch on that). This school has classes for the girls to study and learn about the Holocaust. They created a small museum area in one of the classrooms that depicts their outlook on the situation. It too was all in Hebrew so I didn’t get to read much of it. J Emotions were high in all of us while visiting here. I can only imagine what the Holocaust Museum visit will be like.
Aqua Sport was our last visit for the day. It’s a spot for locals and tourists to enjoy the RED SEA! We rented snorkels and enjoyed seeing the sea life as we swam. Aida and I got a little “freaked out” because at one point while we were wading in the sea we were completely surrounded by fish. They were trapping us!! We enjoyed the beach until the early evening.
Rest was next! How much we value our short rests!
Dinner was at a Bedouin tent. Bedouins…how can I explain Bedouins to you all -SHORT VERSION-They believe they are the true people land and they are polygamists. They live in their own settlements and most of them are then settlements, and they are usually very dirty and un-kept. I haven’t really heard any positive things about them until we had dinner in this tent.
Yoshif was our master of ceremonies, and he is a Bedouin. He was such an entertainer. The tent was beautiful! The tables were low and long, we sat on covered mattress with a back to rest on and ate on a short table. It was a feast for sure, as every meal is turning out to be, and if you tell them you are full…they think you don’t eat! It was homemade pitas, and chicken on a stick and lamb; as well as all of the salads and vegetables with the sauces. Followed with deserts. There was not a way for us to do our presentations so we had to improve. Just as I was starting my presentation, John walked up dressed as a Bedouin and served tea! It was hilarious! I am thinking about starting a photo blog on Flicker, so you all can see! Such a fun time, dancing and dressing up.
The finale of the evening was dancing at Monkeys, a pub owned by a Rotarian. We danced the night away to and Israeli cover band! I think The Netherlands team got a chance to see how much I sure do enjoy boogieing!
Eilat was wonderful, and if you get a chance to visit…this is a great place to come!

Tomorrow on the road north to Tel Aviv, with a few stops between.

Don’t worry if I don’t post everyday, Internet is hit and miss on this trip and time is scarce.

Love to you all!!!
~Katt

Day 4

Today was mostly traveling. Our host parents took us all to the meeting area where we loaded all of our stuff on a bus, because today we came to Eliat, it's the very southern tip of Israel, near Egypt, and right across the RED sea from Akaba, Jordan. It is an Israeli tourist spot.

On the way we had a few stops, the first was Ben-Gurion's hut, and the tiny museum there. It was exactly as he left it when he died. Alon and Sari, my host parents were our tour guides. They both have a lot of interest in starting settlements like B-G, because they helped start one long ago. After the hut we went to the Ben-Gurion institute and burial at Sde Boker. "You could see for miles and miles and miles," as the song goes! En Avedat was our next stop. Were we hiked 3km, 1.5 miles, to see where the water gathered in the desert. Ben-Gurion said there was so much water in Negev, that in order for Israel to exist they would need to move to the desert. This is why we visited this place so we could see the "pool that never ends."

Then we loaded the bus for a 3 hour drive to Eliat. The ride was hot and long through the desert. One stop we made between Sde Boker and Elait was the Dairy Farm, where the ice cream is yummy and the statues of the cows are anatomically correct...hello...ha! Then it was back on the hot bus. Our bus driver was great, we asked him about music and he played some of his favorites. It felt like we were driving through a movie scene with the music and the Palm tree farms scattered about. Palm trees were every where, at least on the side I was sitting on. All sizes babies, and big daddies! Just beautiful.

Upon arriving in Eliat we met our hostess and she took us to her home. It's 5 stories with lots of bathrooms! Dani and Caramelle Sagi. He sells furniture and she is some sort of gym teacher. Dinner wasn't until 8:30 and we arrived at 6:00 so we had some downtime to enjoy the view and take a power nap. Shirley and I are in the same house for the next two nights. They have a huge dog, his name is Homeless because they found him on the street, he's bilingual!

Dinner was at "The Gallery" it had art all over, and it was modern. Really neat! THE FOOD was OUTSTANDING, as John our leader, would say. It had 9 courses including dessert. 9 Vegetarian courses! The tastes and the flavors were ....I can't even think of a good word to describe it...plus, it's late.

Shirley and I are back at home, getting settled in. Tomorrow it's a tour of Eliat, and a swim and the ocean!

***I will say, there are so many things to take in here, and so many things I have learned. I haven't even organized my thoughts to tell you all about them. If I had to leave tomorrow I would be 100% satisfied. Our Rotarian hosts have done an amazing job so far of showing us their land, the land they are so proud of. It's truly humbling. So many to call our extended family and it's only our 4th day in to the trip. I can't wait for the next 24!!!***

Love to all!!!

~katt

Day 3

TODAY was the Dead Sea and Masada! An easy day! 

Masada is a symbol of Jewish survival. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masada <---for a little bit of history. I could explain it, but I would probably loose you because my thoughts would be all over the place. Herod the Great's Refuge. What an amazing site to see something like this built over thousands of years ago. Seriously, this guy would bathe all day in his steam room, he even had a room they worked out in.  We got there and had to ride the "SKI LIFT on steroids" to the top or we could of taken the snake trail, which looked like about a million steps. Yes, people were walking to the top,brave soles. HA!

It was breath taking at the top, we looked over the dead sea and all of the ruins. Just to be in a place where people stood, and people fought that long ago, it kinda makes you speechless. Not even to mention the view. Herod knew what he was doing when he built that refuge. Food storage to last a lifetime! WOW! 

 Next, the Dead Sea! We got to the Tsell Harim hotel, changed and of course put plenty of sun screen on. The sun here is different, and it doesn't get humid. Then we hit the beach. WHEW HEW!! Our Rotarian hosts guided us on sitting down properly in the sea. Apparently, you don't move fast in the Dead Sea! I would try so hard not to float, but it truly is impossible! I had to see it for myself.  I loved it...not to mention how wonderful my skin feels now. The hotel gave us beauty mud to put on, and then rinse off in the Sea.  You have to leave it on until it dries, and don't wash it off of your face in the Dead Sea, you'll burn your eyes. Eww, it didn't taste so good when I got a bit of it in my mouth. The route to the Dead Sea reminded me in a way of Palo Duro, minus the color. Roads were windy. I recommend everyone takes a visit to the Dead Sea!

This evening we attend the Be'er Sheva Omarim Clubs speech tournament at the Air Force Academy. Five high school students participated. I am not sure what the criteria was for judging, and we couldn't understand a word of it. It was interesting though to watch the body language of the students and try to predict who the winners would be. It was obvious to us who had won even though we had no idea what they were saying. 

  This is our last evening with our first host parents. I think I have mentioned before, John and I are staying with the same family. Sari and Alon Bendet. They have 4 daughters and a bird Bambah (pronounced to us like La... BamBah) Their home is lovely, the beds here are different. No feather beds at this home like mine, still cozy though. They use a solar panel to collect heat for their water. SO COOL! 

We had dinner tonight with all of our hosts. The Be'er Sheva Omarium club has only been chartered for 6 months. WOW! I am so impressed with how this club functions and it's still so young. They are involved with the community in many ways, and they have a wonderful group of people who are members. Doctors, bankers, teachers, city council men...I am truly blessed to have met this club. Our teams were the first to be hosted with this club... What and honor. 

The Netherland team is great! Tons of fun was had at the beach, and we are warming up and beginning to understand each other. Absorbing everything!!!

Love to all!!

~katt 

 WOW! Let me just tell you, my skin feels baby soft! LOVE IT, could of floated all day...

Day 2

WOW!! It's only our first...REAL day of going out-in-about in Israel...and it's been a long one!

I started my day at the NETAFIM plant in Kibbutz Hazareim. It was amazing! Netafim is a drip line that was created by the Kibbutz Hazariem, and it's used ALL over the world. We actually use it at our tree farms, and in some new landscape construction. I met with Naty Barak, head of sustainable development. He has been there since...well the beginning.  I got to see the plant...where it's all made. It was amazing because this one little settlement created this company that is now world wide. Naty even told me that it used to be required that the Kibbutz Hazariem would have to work there at least one shift a week, even though they had other jobs. I can't even explain to you all how awesome it was to see it all!  www.netafim.com.

After leaving Netafim, my host mom took me to meet up with the rest of the crew at the Air Force Museum. I got in on the end of the tour, so I will get details from the rest of the crew. The next visits was a private Air Force Academy where the gentleman who is the head master is a Rotarian. He is also my host family's best friend that I mentioned in the previous post. He helped raise 30+ million to help build this school. The school specializes in technology. 3 different areas...can't tell you them off the top of my head, will post later. 

Sorok Hospital was our next visit. We spoke with a surgeon who showed us a slideshow presentation about the different aspects of the hospital, and what all they specialize in. They service most of the southern part  of Israel. Dr. Shlomo Bleiberg gave us a tour of the Pediatric Intensive Care unit, they used to only have 4 beds, and now they have 10. It was kind of unbelievable how we just got to walk in and see the sick and injured children. We ate lunch there, which is nothing like eating at NWTH or BSA. The cafeteria is small, they have a few proteins to choose from a salad bar, it's buffet style. When I say salad bar, I mean the stuff is already mixed together and they have all different kinds, corn salad, tomato salad, beets, and bread, of course is on every table. They don't go for seconds here like they do in Texas. Sorok is located across the street form Ben Gurion University. 

We were going to have a tour of the university, but we were short on time, and had to get to the Be'er Sheva courts. It was so different the architecture was well thought out for the courts. Some Israelis think it looks like an open book. When you walk inside you can see three stories, when actually the building is taller than that. Those three stories meet a brick column, and it is to represent the Menorah. (will post picture later so you can get a better idea) Sophie was our tour guide, and she did a wonderful job. You could tell she had a lot of passion in her country and for her job. We got to set in on a trial; one we wouldn't usually get to because it involved a minor, but since we all did not speak Hebrew they let us sit in.  Judge Nete, who is a Rotarian let us visit his chambers. In the courts of Be'er Sheva they have a secret entrance for criminals and judges, we also got to see that area as well. 

After we left the courts our host mom took us to the Negev Brigade war memorial. It is an abstract art depiction/sculpture with tunnels- of the paths the war took. It's on a hill that over looks Be'er Sheva and the surrounding settlements. The view was awesome!! 

Finally, we had rest time after we got home it was around 6:00pm here. We rested until 8:00pm. Our resting time went quick, it was time to give our first presentation.... Our team rocked!! The Netherlands team was extremely interesting to watch. They speak more on the history of their tiny country, while we speak more about ourselves.  The club was so generous and the food was delicious....they cooked hamburgers!

I am home now, about to hit the sack...it's a little after midnight here...gotta get up early!

Visiting the Dead Sea and Masada tomorrow.

Our host and the people here have been so welcoming. They truly want to make this as special as possible. It's so great.  Shlomo Blieberg also a Rotarian who works at Soroko (I mentioned above) and is a host parent for Aida, Fernando and Shirley, told me this evening..."We all have life in common, and we need to live our lives, and I want to help you live your while you are here!" 

WOW! 

Good Night!

Love to you all!!

~katt

The top picture on top is Shirley and I pretending to kiss a statue of Ben Gurion, next Soroko Hospital Heli-Pad, and the bottom is me with Naty Barak of Netafim.

P.S. Ben Gurion is Israel's first prime minister.

Day 1

The day has finally come! After 4 months of preparation and 16 hours on a plane...two more than normal because of external power problems on the plane, WE'RE HERE!! In Israel! 

We left Amarillo at 1:05 Saturday May 9, got to Houston about 2:45, left there at 3:55, and arrived in Newark at around 9:00 est. Our was supposed to leave at 10:50, but we encountered some electrical problems. It took the system 5 reboots, and two hours to start working properly. Our plane arrived in Israel at 5:55pm Israel time, which was about 10:00am central time.

I sat next to a guy named Tom, he had be traveling around South America for the last 11 months. He was on his way home to Hafia. He was 23 and had gotten out of the army at 21, because all Israelis are required to go into the military when they are 18. He explained to me how he worked for 1 year after the military as a bar tender, and then he took a year off to travel.This is common for Israelis, he said about 90% do the same thing after the military. I thought that was interesting. We chatted about music, and where to go. It kind of reminded me of Will and I, he has a sister that is 25, and she was the only one who knew he was coming home early. I think it is because the day will was walking across the stage to get his diploma, Tom was going home to see his family.

When we arrived at the airport we were greeted by Yael Lazarus D2490's governor, Menashe Livnat the Israeli GSE chair, and their recording secretary as well as D1600 from the Netherlands. From the airport, our bus driver got a little lost, and we made a few back tracks, but we made it to our hosts homes, that's all that matters. John Kanelis is also rooming at the same host family's home as I am. We are staying in the village Lahevim, it's 10 minutes from Be'er Sheva. John and I and two members from the Netherlands team are staying in the same area. Dinner was excellent. We ate at our host family's best friend's/neighbors house which is literally right around the corner from our home. It was wonderful, and a lot more normal than I thought. Some scalloped potatoes, veggie salad, bread, wine, a tomato pasta, and rice! I have been trying to take it easy on the on my tummy because it wasn't so happy with me on the way here. I think it was just nerves and there was a bit of turbulence on a couple of our flights. The conversations were interesting, and all of the culture that was sitting around that one dinner table. It's quite a lot to get into right now, because I am SO tired and need to get some rest. 

I will fill you all in more tomorrow!

I get to visit NETAFIM tomorrow! I am so excited they got me a visit! 

Love to ALL!!

~katt