I hope I am not boring you, these blogs are very long ( sorry Brock) But I hope you still read on because usually they have more than one day in them, like this one, since I couldn't write on Shabbat. Internet cafe's are not as frequent in Jerusalem as they are in Europe, plus our free/rest time is spent in Neve. So sorry for the blog overload. Let's see...where did I leave off...Oh yes it must be at 3am on Friday morning when we got up to see sunrise at Mesada. We just missed the sun actually rising but it was still beautiful to look at those few times I dared turn around as we ascended up the Roman Ramp. Now everyone has and is still trying to scare me about the Israeli sun and it's ridiculous heat. But Hashem has granted us Americans more comfort on our trip. I mean have you ever heard a Jew complain?, let alone an American Jew climbing Mesada...it's like the ultimate whine fest. Anyways after a too windy bus ride, I guess I still haven't learned that the third row doesn't count as the front of the bus...and I threw up...again. What little food I had within me was now not, and I began this famous climb. Now surprisingly it wasn't that hard. And it was basically as magnificent as everyone told me it would be and more. At the top we got a tour of the ruins and the story that gave this place some serious soul. We learned that Mesada was the perfect get away/hideout. It is so high up that no one would really bother to attack. So King Harod and other Jews began to live there, of course this pissed some Romans off as they wanted to conquer so they planned an attack. So here the Jews were, facing the question of fight or flight, once again, a question that would come up a couple more times in Jewish history. So I had to think if I knew hundreds of Roman soldiers were coming to rape and kill me and my family....would I fight? or turn myself in? I don't mean to sounds like a wuss...but really think about it. What would you do? well the people of Masada decided to die a "Nobel" death at their own hands. There were a few that "chickened" out, but thank G-d for that they did so they were able to tell the story. But seriously...what would you do? I would have to say I would turn myself into slavery. I would like to tell you a Nobel reason why. But really...plainly...I'm scared of death.
So I didn't believe Hannah when she said the snake path down was harder than up. But it was! it really was! I lost the group, so I went down alone which was actually kinda of nice, not so peaceful when neither of my feet were on the same level of ground at any given time...oy...vey. 45 minutes or so pass and I have done Mesada it's probably 7 or 8am when we do some breakfast and get on the bus back to Jerusalem for first Shabbos! This was actually the first time I didn't throw up! YES! okay can I say one thing? they do not stop feeding us here! I am in pain from so much good so don't be surprised if I come back and I have gained 20lbs.
So here came Shabbat 1 as the sun set and with it came Sara! Finally! Of course G-d made it so we could have Shabbat together, if not anything else this week! So we get ready in our most nice and religious garb. I can't wait till you see the pics! I am straight out of Fairfax, tights and all. Then we were off to Maalot Dafna and such for Shabbat with Families. I was paired with Morgan, a sweet girl from San Francisco, who I guess looks a lot like me... hahaha. And we ended up being the perfect pair for the weekend. We had host families that took us in to sleep. Mine being a young couple no older than 25 with a two year old Hadasa and one on the way...Sometimes I find myself counting the gaggle of children following the mothers up to 10, 12 or even 14! We also had dinner families. I shared my first dinner with Morgan and Sara and a few others it ws beautiful! The food was incredible from plumb crumble, to Quinoa, and salads. Not to mention Challah...Which I need to learn how to pace because if eat a shit load of Challah you won't be able to eat the next 3 courses let alone the next three meals! Dinner and conversations on Torah and JCrew went till 11:45pm which then we were suppose to go eat more food at the oneg! So we climbed 6 flights of stairs. ( there are a lot of stairs here.) Around now I am the most painfully full so when we get there we basically turn around and descend those same 6 flights and walk back to our Sleep Family. After getting a little lost we finally made it back and managed our way through the dark to our beds and went to sleep immediately.
One of the great things about Shabbat is that you get to sleep in! Well at least we got to sleep in! till like 11! which was very much needed at the end of this week. And by the time we got up it was time for second meal. We traveled a small distance to our 2nd meal family ( which is basically like brunch)...but you are still full from last night. The lunch was smaller in guests but not in the amount of food.AHHHH! I am sooo pufffy.
After that we enjoyed the park for a few hours and then headed off to our THIRD MEAL! With all of JAM. We enjoyed singing and dancing so basically it's like Thanksgiving every week. As we closed with Havdallah it was like instant stress again as we had our "free night" And everyone wanted to go out. But first we had to go back to our family where we got lost, to the bus were we got lost and missed...but another one came!! BLESS G-D! And we were on our way to Neve which was moody and dramatic ride for everyone. Against my will I decided to join everyone at Ben Yahuda knowing I should have done coffee bean but went to a bar and Hookah followed by a club. OYYY. They are so crowded and the floors where wet...with I don't know what...It was overall a little ridiculous if you know what I mean. So somehow we made curfew and everyone is safe...not so fast...so I wake up this morning thinking I'm hungover but really...throwing up everything you eat and more for hours does not sounds like hungover. So I have to go to an Israeli Hospital called Terem and wait for 2 hours puking by brains out only to have a nurse in a dirty "hospital" I mean this REALLY isn't America people. BLOOD ON THE FLOOR! Needles in open trashcans...everything is dusty or broken BIGGG OYYY!!! The nurse tried to put a needle in my arm even though I told her she would have to put it in my hands, she ignores me and of course we have to move to my hand and I get an IV and some meds and lay on a "bed" till my IV is overdone and I am bleeding out...and mostly...no one cares. It talks about four hours for me to go through all of this missing my programs for the rest of the day to learn... I have a virus...SO to Neve I go sad I am missing out but happy I have food staying down and sleep.
After everyone came back at 11 I feel like I should stay longer because they went to Rachel's Tomb...basically the one things I wanted to do here! I mean really! I heard from Sara it was magical. I guess this means I am coming back to Israel! G-d would have put me on that trip if I was suppose to be on that trip, so I will trust Him.
I pray tonight that I do not throw up anymore on this trip :)
No comments:
Post a Comment