Thursday, November 17th after a day at home

The last flight from JFK to Fort Myers was an easy one.  Less than 2 1/2 hours, no customs, no immigration, no currency to change, most everyone spoke English and I slept most of the way, even missing the free snacks and beverages on Jet Blue.  Here's a photo of me taken yesterday at the airport in Fort Myers, similar to the one taken on October 15th when this blog began.

I might look a little worse for wear.  A bit tired, somewhat in need of time to process the experiences, and happy to be home, if only until next Monday.

Regarding travel, Phyllis and I have enjoyed writing this blog and we will look back on it periodically as we have the last year's blog.  I recommend you learn it before your next nice journey.  It's easy to learn, at least the Google blog system was, and I found it enjoyable reviewing the day of traveling abroad for friends and family.  

This was almost certainly my last visit to Ukraine and Moldova, and hopefully, my second of many visits to Israel.  I seem to be understanding more and more of the importance of Israel to me and to so many other Jews living in the Diaspora.  I know that even before my first visit to Israel last year that if there were no Israel as a safe haven for all Jews, life would not seem so comfortable for me as it does.  I expect, as many Sar-El volunteers do, to volunteer again and again to do my small part in maintaining the continued existence of the State of Israel.

Some tips about traveling and blogging not in any order of importance.

1.  As soon as possible after taking pictures (we all take three of the same picture), delete the one's you won't want in your blog.

2.  Write every evening so as to avoid it becoming a burden of information that's piling up in your head.

3.  To pack efficiently I used the vacuum bags from Dollar Tree stores.  They work well to compress clothes and somehow they don't come out too wrinkled.

4.  To avoid getting sick from breathing the same air as all those other people on  the plane, I had with me the following items:

a.  Antibacterial wipes to wipe down the seat, armrests, tray table and back of the seat in front of you.

b.  Triple antibiotic ointment (from the dollar store, not Neosporin because it contains some inhibiting ingredient).  I learned this one from my doctor.  Before board or when you take your seat, wipe some of this stuff inside your nostrils.  My doctor swears that it will catch a lot of airborne bad stuff before it gets into your respiratory system.

c.  Ear plugs if you hope to get some rest on planes and trains and buses.

d.  Dust masks, the ones that are virus proof if you are feeling susceptible to illness more than usual.

e.  Pre-dose with zinc, vitamin C, Airborne, or other concoctions to strengthen your immune system.

f.  Wipe down all surfaces you may come in contact with in hotel rooms including the phone and the TV remote.

g.  Apply for Global Entry.  It costs $100 for five years.  PreCheck cost $85 for five years but only helps on domestic flights.  Global Entry makes re-entry to America so easy you won't believe it.  It's well worth the time it takes to apply.

That's all  I can come up with for now.  I want to thank you all for following along and for your comments.  it's been a pleasure writing this blog.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels,

Vic

Wednesday, November 16th, Back in the USA

My connecting flight in Frankfort didn't leave me any time to blog.  The German security personell also didn't like the way my excessive number of refrigerator magnets looked on their fancy equipment.  Also, they had the more powerful x-ray machines instead of the metal detectors.  I opted out as I have always done and recommend you to do also, and I was "hand inspected", putting it mildly by a German guy who was all business and his method of checking me for dangerous devises on my person I would not recommend to anyone.

By the time I got to the gate for the flight to JFK they were beginning to board.  The aisle seat that I felt lucky to get was in row 45.  There were 46 rows total.  By the time I got to my seat I thought I had walked across the Atlantic.

The flight was as good as more than 8 hours in the air can be.  The Lufthansa food was okay and the free wine was nice and the cognac after dinner was even better.  I watched some forgettable movies and old TV shows and arrived at about 830pm Eastern time.

I recommend anyone traveling abroad apply for Global Entry from the TSA.  It allows you to bypass the long lines at Customs and Immigration and go to a kiosk, have your passport  and fingerprints scanned, and answer a few questions on screen.  You're through in two minutes and for me the wait was for my checked bag.  Once I got it I caught the air train to the shuttle stop and I called the hotel for the shuttle to pick me up.  The driver was a friendly guy with a West Indian accent.  Upon inquiry I learned that he grew up in St. Thomas and he was thrilled that I had lived in St. Croix.  He regaled me with the inside scoop on Virgin Islands politics to this day.  I got my room which is okay and got some sleep but woke up before 5 with plenty of time to make my 930am flight to Fort Myers.  I'll enjoy the complimentary breakfast that is included in this $125/night room in the Bronx and catch the shuttle at 730am.  The thought of unpacking and packing again to visit Phyllis in California for Thanksgiving isn't too appealing, but two weeks in Northern California should be adequate time to decompress and appreciate this month long trip.  I'll say goodbye from New York for now thank you for reading the blog.

I plan to write more about travel tips and what I've learned about blogging when I get home.  I haven't said it before and its time to say it feels good to know that friends and family have followed me and Phyllis through New York, Ukraine, and Moldova, and have followed me on my Israeli adventures.  I thank you all for your interest.

Tuesday November 15th...the wait continues

I guess my last entry flowed into this morning.  The Lufthansa counter opened and I was lucky and got an aisle seat for the flight from Frankfort (I mistakenly thought I was going to Munich....an you tell how exhausted and jet lagged I am?).  I got through security after a thorough examination and unpacking of my carry on bag which set off alarms due to the excessive number of souvenir refrigerator magnets contained therein.  They unceremoniously unpacked my bag which also contained underwear and socks (in the event that my checked bag travels to somewhere other than New York).  They didn't attempt to repack it and left me to figure out just how I had originally packed it.  I ate a terrible airport sandwich which I never do because I always carry something better, but not this time.  Hopefully, the transatlantic fligh
t will have something to eat.  I have some items in my hand luggage which I'll avoid eating and describing  because they're going to Thanksgiving at my Sister's next week.  I'm rambling and the charging stations at this airport are all being hogged.  I'll write again from New York tonight.  Here's the view out the Kiev airport window.

It's quite cold outside but I shouldn't have to be outside until I get to JFK.  It will feel good to return to America, regardless of how crazy things are....

Sunday night Nov. 13 through Monday Nov 14th.

THIS ENTRY IS BEING WRITTEN ON TUESDAY MORNING AT THE AIRPORT IN KIEV UKRAINE WAITING FOR THE SECOND OF MY THREE FLIGHTS TODAY TO GET BACK TO NEW YORK

On Sunday evening my Cousin Ephriam came to my hotel and we walked to a Mexican restaurant in the area.  The food was great but the waiters and waitresses spoke no Spanish at all, only Hebrew and some English.  We said goodbye and I told him that I will probably be back next year as a Sar-El volunteer.

On Monday, the first of my flight to Kiev and then Lviv Ukraine was scheduled to leave at 2 pm.  In Israel you have to get to the airport 3 hours before your flight due to the enhanced security screeneings for you and your luggage.  I checked out of the Abraham Hostel/Hotel and caught a taxi.  By the way, for anyone traveling to Tel Aviv on a budget, the Abraham Hotel private rooms are excellent.  Perfectly clean, free breakfast, and about $75 per night and they give a 10% discount for Sar El volunteers.

My flight was late leaving and I worried that I would miss my connection in Kiev but all went well and our Ukranian guide Alex was waiting for me at the airport when I arrived at 930pm very tired and cold (it had snowed a lot in Ukraine and the temperature was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit).  

Roads were icy and Ukranian drivers were even more adventuresome.  I stayed over at Alex' and met his wife and two children.  They live in an old building that looks like its out a a spy movie in Russia.  The inside is different.  They joined two apartments together and modernized it completely.  Chicken soup, mutton and chicken awaited me.  The food and company was great and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.  5am came too quikly and Alex made some breakfast and we were in his car back to the airport by 530am.  My flight from Lviv to Kiev was on time at 7am and I slept soundly for the one hour ride.  Now I have 6 hours to pass.  The lufthansa counter doesn't open until 11am and I don't have a seat reserved yet on the Munich to New York flight.  It'll be a much longer flight if I can't get a window seat.  There was some explanation regarding "code sharing" as to why I couldn't reserve a seat in advance.  So, I wait and wait and wait....

Saturday, November 12th to Sunday November 13th

After being up too late Friday night with my Cousins, they agreed to pick me up at the later time of 930am for a trip to Caesarea, about 70 miles to the North.  Because Israel is a small country and, for many reasons including your own personal safety, you can't drive across any borders into Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, or Jordan, a 70 mile drive is considered to be real road trip.  Even though it was Shabbot in Tel Aviv, many less observant Jews go on such excursions so the highways were pretty crowded.  Caesarea was a complete surprise to me.  I hadn't heard of it at all.  Caesarea is an Israeli National Park containing ruins from as far back as 500 BC.  I'll present pictures instead of lecturing and putting you to sleep.  Anyone who wishes to see the brochure can stay after class:   

We spent more than two hours walking among these amazing ruins which included deluxe accomodations and a seaside pool for King Herod.  From Caesarea we drove to the town of   Zhiron Y'acov, a quaint small town established by Baron Rothschild, complete with it's own vinyard.  We had a bite to eat and headed home.  I slept comfortably most of the way.

Sunday, November 13th

I awoke, still with a bit of a cold sapping my chi, but determined to make something of my last day in Tel Aviv.  With my trusty map (provided by the Abraham Hostel/Hotel, basically a very well run hostel with a bunch of private rooms with baths) I headed for Jaffa, a small old city adjoining Tel Aviv.  On the way to Jaffa, as I walked the streets of Tel Aviv, I continued my charitable donating to the poor.  Pictured below are a Russian woman who tries to make a living as a street entertainer.  The next person, Richard, is a disabled Israeli Elite Force soldier who was injured in Iran in 1979 in a failed attempt to capture a scientist in Iran just after the Iranian revolution.  While looking like many other down and out people on the street, Richard was very smart, knowledgeable in world affairs and involved in civic matters in Tel Aviv.  I am better for meeting him.

 Jaffa has ruins of an old walled city, a famous clock tower, park area and narrow streets with shops and a flea market. Jaffa has a beautiful beach on the Mediterranean as shown below. 

 

Tomorrow I say goodbye to Israel until the next time....

WHILE I LEAVE MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR HOME, I WON'T GET HOME UNTIL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.  I MAY STILL BE BLOGGING AND I EXPECT TO RECEIVE SOME MORE PICTURES FROM MY SAR-EL MATES WHICH WILL CAUSE MORE WRITING, SO PLEASE KEEP ON CHECKING UNTIL I LET YOU KNOW THAT THE BLOG IS FINISHED.