Rob Ruby's Trip Notes

ISRAEL TRIP

December 22, 2008 Leave SFO

December 23, 2008
Arrive in Tel Aviv,
Rabbi Jonathan & Yuval (guide) picked up at airport, and met rest of tour group who arrived earlier
Drive to Tiberias, Stop at Rest Area on the way,
Check in at Gai Beach Hotel, Buffet dinner, Thunderstorms overnight and hear waves from room

December 24, 2008
Buffet breakfast, lots of cheeses, fruit, fish,
Drive to Tsfat (Safed), 1 of 4 Holy Cities (Jerusalem, Tiberias & Jericho), 2 old synagogues: Ha’Ari – founder of Kaballah & Joseph Caro,
Lunch at café on main street overlooking rain,
Drive to Golan Heights – rainy, foggy,
Drive to Katzrin – ancient city from 5th century,
Yarden winery tour
Return to hotel for dinner buffet

December 25, 2008
Buffet breakfast, check out of hotel,
Drive to Kibbutz Nehara, Yuval’s (guide) mother greets us,
Drive to Beit Sha’an – ancient city /archeological dig, first settlement 5th Century BCE
Visit Qumram / Kumran, location of Dead Sea Scrolls, first settled 8th Century BCE
Drive to Dead Sea, check in Le Meridian David Hotel, 10th floor room facing Sea, buffet dinner

December 26, 2008
Buffet breakfast,
Float in Dead Sea,
Check out of hotel,
Drive to Massada, walk up snake path and tour focused on northern section,
Drive to Kibbutz Yahel in the Negev Desert,
Check in room – small bungalow with kitchenette,
Dinner at Kibbutz – family style

December 27, 2008
Buffet breakfast,
Misplaced camera,
Tour of Date & Pomelo farm,
Tour of dairy farm,
Lunch at Kibbutz with ice cream (?),
Drive to wildlife park – Hai Bar safari,
Buffet dinner at Kibbutz Yahel,
found camera

December 28, 2008
Leave Kibbutz at 6am (no buffet breakfast),
Drive to Eliat border with Jordan, Cross border into Jordan – no real security,
Meet Jordanian guide Mamood and bus to Petra,
Drive thru Jordanian towns, looks like bombed out buildings, many empty, most with rebar on roof,
Arrive at Petra visitors centers – Indiana Jones gift shop,
Walking tour of Petra – incredible,
Return to border at 630 pm and cross into Israel – heavy security,
Drive back to Kibbutz Yahel for buffet dinner


December 29, 2008
Breakfast buffet at Kibbutz Yahel,
Drive to Timna / Solomon’s mines, walked up pillars,
Drive to Eliat, lunch at beach, shwarma, walked in mall, Underwater observatory, Eliat stone factory tour & purchase necklace,
Dinner buffet at Kibbutz Yahel

December 30, 2008
Buffet breakfast and Kibbutz Yahel check out ,
Drive to Crater – jeep tour, air force training? (yea, right),
Lunch at Mitzphe Ramon,
Drive to Ben Gurion’s tomb,
Drive to Jerusalem,
Check in Crowne Plaza & buffet dinner

December 31, 2008
Buffet breakfast,
Drive to Old City near Zion Gate
View of Mount of Olives, Upper Room (Last Supper), King David’s Tomb, Roman Cardo, shopping in Jewish Quarter, Lunch at Quarter Café,
Davidson Archeological Dig, Hulda Stairs, Western Wall & Tunnel Tour
Buffet dinner

January 1, 2009
Buffet breakfast, drive 10 minutes to Knesset Tour, heavy security, no cameras, no knife,
Drive to Ayalonin Rehovot, bullet factory tour,
Drive to Jaffa, lunch at city center, saw red car, walk to Abrasha Park, view of Mediterranean & Tel Aviv,
Roman Catholic Church, Muslim Tower, Rocks of Andromeda, Persius pissed off Posiden,
Walk thru Jewish Neighborhood,
Drive to Tel Aviv, Bow House Area,
Drive back to Jerusalem hotel for buffet dinner

January 2, 2009
Buffet breakfast,
Drive to Yad Vashem,
Historical Museum only 5 years old, very crowded,
Hall of Remembrance – remains of Holocaust victims, emotional,
Fighters & Survivors Memorial, Childrens Memorial,
Mount Herzel, Herzel tomb & Prime Ministers tombs & presidents’ tombs, military cemetery,
Jerusalem market crowd before Shabbat, shofar guy, closed early, Western Wall, high security & lots of hats
Drive back to Jerusalem hotel for buffet dinner

January 3, 2009
Buffet breakfast nothing cooked on Shabbat,
Hebrew Union College Shabbat service, Reconstructionist, mourners kaddish for Libby, Dad & Mark,
Visit King David Hotel, YMCA,
Old City thru Herod’s Gate, stations of cross 1 – 9,
Lunch at Papa Andrea’s overlook Holy Sepulcher & German Lutheran Church,
Only 1 entrance to Holy Sepulcher, stations 10-14 inside,
Center of church is dome of tomb #14, Muslim family has only key to church, status quo ladder,
Walk to Jaffa Gate, 2 builders of wall buried, tower of David built by Suleiman
Drive back to Jerusalem hotel for buffet dinner

January 4, 2009 Buffet breakfast, Check out, shuttle to airport, fly home