Saturday October 29th

This will be brief as I'm exhausted.  I was picked up this morning at 530 and caught a 7am flight from L'viv to Kiev (actually the opposite way to Israel), changed planes and landed in Israel just after 1PM.  I got some money (Israeli Sheckels) from a friendly ATM and went in search of a taxi to my hotel for one night in Tel Aviv.  Because Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath, there are no trains or buses running to or from the airport.  Only some mercenary taxi drivers who seek to take advantage of people.  I encountered just such a taxi driver immediately upon leaving the terminal.  He said the fare to Tel Aviv is 180 Sheckels or $45  (Volunteers for Israel handbook says you should never pay more than 170 for the 10 minute cab ride).  I said that was too much and that I was looking for someone to share a taxi.  He said if I found someone he would only charge is 150 Sheckels or $37.50  EACH.  I resisted calling him a thief and told him I would find another taxi.  I walked a bit and found a friendly taxi dispatcher who understood what I wanted and seemed to react positively when I mentioned that I was volunteering with Sar-El.  He found a driver who would take two passengers to different destinations in Tel Aviv for 200 sheckels or $50 total.  I thanked him and realized I had to find a fellow passenger.  I turned around to look for a partner and there walking toward me was a tall beautiful woman and I thought this had got to be my fellow passenger.  I said "excuse me" in my best Hebrew and she responded in perfect English with a German accent.  She was going to Tel Aviv and mentioned that her company was paying her taxi fare.  I commented that now she has saved the company some money.  We chatted on the way....she's an architect with a project in Tel Aviv and I told her of my volunteer service.  When we got to her hotel she paid the driver 200 sheckels and I reached over to hand her a 100 sheckel note and she refused to take it and said it was her pleasure to treat me to the ride.  I think it was the "volunteer service" that caused her (or actually her company) to be so charitable.  On the way to my hotel I chatted with the driver about my need to return to the airport at 9am Sunday.  He said that another driver would take me for 100 Sheckels.  He gave me the driver's phone number and if this works out I will have gotten a round trip to and from the airport for $25.  Probably a new Israeli record.

I arrived at my Hotel/hostel and rested a bit and got cleaned up.  My relatives (my Mom's second cousin and his wife) picked me up and we went out to dinner.  It was nice hearing about their children and grandchildren.  

I'm fading fast and I better get some sleep because I have no idea what tomorrow has in store for me.  IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I WILL BE ON AN ARMY BASE THAT HAS NO WIFI FOR THE VOLUNTEERS AND LOWER RANKED SOLDIERS.  IF THAT'S THE SITUATION, I'LL TRY TO WRITE EACH EVENING AND ON THURSDAY WHEN THE WEEKEND BEGINS AND I GO TO JERUSALEM, I'LL POST SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY BLOG.   

Wish me luck.....