Rhodes: top to bottom

 In case you didn't notice my blog is still f'd up and won't let me properly place photos....

The next morning (breakfast was gross as expected) we did find hot water and towels, much to our relief and we waited for our tour leader to give the low down on the tours for the following days. She arrived late and explained what was available for some outrageous tourist prices so we decided to rent a car and go it on our own. As the cars were all taken for the day, we chilled by the pool and snack bar which had nice cookies and drinks before we took a walk along the beautiful beach with the sea green crystal waters. We enjoyed our tour around the neighbourhood, which was mostly deserted as tourist season doesn’t officially start until May. It appeared that the only people traveling to Rhodes at this time were Israeli’s and a few Europeans. The dining hall was packed with Hebrew and a few people even brought their own matzo’s (as bread is not allowed during Passover)!

The next day, picked up our new Volkswagon Polo and decided to take a tour of the island. We followed the somewhat illegible map and explored the countryside and coastline running into tourist monuments and amazing sites along the way. The ocean is amazing and there are so many beautiful spots to stop and enjoy the views. Our first official stop was in Lindos, a town an hour down the coast and once the main trading centre before the city of Rhodes made it redundant. We walked downt he hill and into the adorable town packed with souvenirs and tourists. We enthusiastically explored the white city with its hustle and bustle before heading to the ruins. At the top of the city loomed the impressive acropolis of Lindos which was built and maintained by the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Knights of St John and the Ottomans making this site difficult to deduce the archaeological findings. That being said the view from the top is outstanding as you look out over the ocean for miles and miles. There were many interesting structures still standing and numerous smaller pieces roped off on the ground for viewing.

We shopped our way through the tourist district and picked a rooftop restaurant for some traditional Greek food. The boys all opted for meatballs and fries while Ariana and I shared a chicken souvlaki and vegetarian moussaka. Delicious and a great change from the hotel!! We walked back to the car and decided to head to the tip of the island to see the meeting of the seas! It took us an hour to make it to Prasonisi at the very bottom where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean. You can actually see the two oceans colliding as the two side come to meet in peaceful opposition. Many people were out walking the sandy route to take pictures and marvel at the beauty. We enjoyed drinks and baklava at a restaurant overlooking the water before returning to our hotel. We ate dinner at the hotel again and I vowed not to do it again! Even Zeev who tried the vinegar yogurt salad was left with a bitter taste in his mouth (literally)! We enjoyed playing cards and drinking free beverages in the bar post-dinner while watching the sad magic show before bed.

The Rhode to nowhere

Ariana, Zeev, the twins and I made our way to the airport the day after Passover began for our escape to the island of Rhodes in Greece. After clearing major security to leave the country, we waited patiently at the airport for our flight that ended up being delayed by three hours with no explanation or apologies. We were not expecting the delays and were stuck eating airport food. I ate a kosher for Passover burger from McDonalds that was disgusting and I suspect the meat was made the day before and reheated. As I previously explained the general outline of Shabbat, I must mention that the eve of as well as the day of the holiday are governed by similar rules. So no fries with my meal either!

When we did finally board the plane, we realized the stupid woman at check-in (and I mean stupid) had seated us accordingly to last name. One person seated in row three, one in row 21 and one in row 29 despite the fact she knew we were all traveling together. She also harassed me by going on and on about whether I needed a visa to get into Greece. I not so politely told her this was not my first trip and that Canadians did not require a visa. Everyone seemed to think it was unusual that I was Canadian and traveling to Rhodes for a vacation. I understood soon enough after arriving in our hotel!

Once in Rhodes, we endured the regular customs routine, grabbed our bags, signed into our package and took a seat on the bus to our hotel. We arrived at the Ocean Blue three hours later than expected and while we waited to check-in two young Israeli’s gave us the low down on the disgusting food, the lack of hot water and towels and how they had waited eight hours for their flight the day before and were now paying 150 euros to leave that night! Great way to start the trip! We optimistically threw our stuff in the room and headed to the main dining room to the all inclusive buffet included in our package.

We were hoping for the best and sadly we were left with much to be desired. I have to say from traveling the globe through 27 countries, a cruise and numerous local buffets that this was by far the worst food I have ever been forced to endure. The vegetables that were there were mostly caked in mayonnaise and topped with chunks of ham and the other vegetables were definitely not fresh! I won’t get into specifics on the hot food (if you can call it that)! Zeev and the boys thought the food was fine and grabbed whatever looked appealing. I ate what I could and tried not to heave. We all finished off the night with some TV and much needed relaxing.

Israel: Tradition and Fun!

Over the next week we continued to tour Joe around two of the main tourist attractions in Israel: Old city Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.

We drove into Jerusalem early Thursday morning to meet with my uncle Asher for a tour of the old city as well as the building where he works as a teacher and rabbi. I always love coming to the old city, the most religious and important place in the Jewish faith. The narrow alleys, sandstone buildings and cobblestone walkways ooze history mixed with modern living. The old city has eleven gates to enter by, seven of  which are currently open. The Golden Gate which is above ground and below the Temple Mount is only visible from outside the city and was sealed during the Muslim rule of Suleiman. According to the bible, when the Messiah comes for the Jews, he will enter through this gate. I don’t think a sealed gate will really stop him!

On the temple mount, also known as Mount Moriah, currently sits the Muslim Dome of the Rock. This is the holiest site in Judaism and the direction in which Jews turn towards during prayer. It is the site of two previous temples and where the third temple will be built again one day. The Sunni Muslim’s consider it to be their third holiest site and it is the biggest bone of contention between the two religions. The temple mount has been under the control of Israel since 1967, although Israel has since turned over its management to an Islamic council that forbids non-Muslim visitors to pray there. It is rumored that the Muslim’s are afraid of the mighty Jewish prayer and you can be arrested for openly praying there.

Along our tour, my Uncle Asher was able to pull some strings and we got a private viewing of the newly rebuilt Hurva synagogue (pictured above) in the old city. It was the main Ashkenazi (European Jews) synagogue from the 16th to the 20th century and it was demolished by the Jordanians during the 1948 war.

Another big highlight of our visit to Jerusalem was the tunnel tour under the western wall. A journey back in time gives the history of how the wall was built, the changes over time periods and where we stand today regarding our patient waiting to rebuild our temple. Although the tour was a little claustrophobic and smelly, it was very interesting as we went down the long staircases followed the underground world around bends and down a long hallway. We really enjoyed our first tunnel tour! Joe inserted our prayers into the Western wall (a tradition for locals and visitors alike) as it is the closest place to God.

We finished off our day in Jerusalem with dinner with two of my cousins at one of Israel’s many fabulous restaurants. Really delicious and a great way to end the day!

The Saturday following our trip to the old city, Zeev, Ariana and I took a much anticipated trip to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is best known as the body of water containing so much salt that nothing can live in it. It has 8.6 times the salt content of the ocean and a density of 1.24 kg/L making it very difficult to swim, but enjoyable for a float. Many people bring a newspaper and hang out as the salt and healing properties work on the skin. The salt is amazing and a dip in the Dead Sea helps heal psoriasis and other skin problems. I always enjoy a visit and best of all covering my body head to toe in mud and waiting for it to dry before washing it off. My skin always feels soft and refreshed after to trip there. 

After Joe's  two weeks in Israel, he caught a plane and headed home leaving me unsupervised for two weeks!!

Adventures in Israel

In between meeting and mingling with family, we took the time to show Joe around Israel as this was his first trip to the holy land. My cousin Nadav took him on an up close and personal tour of The Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum in Latrune, a memorial to fallen soldiers as well as an extensive and diverse tank museum. Joe really enjoyed himself and got inside every tank/vehicle possible and the two of them took endless pictures of every army vehicle there!

Joe and I also enjoyed a tour of the Sorek Stalactite Cave near Bet Shemesh (about an hour away). The cave, which is 60 metres wide and 82 metres long was accidentally discovered when workers were blasting at the quarry next door. Long, short, fat, thin dripping stalactites and stalagmites filled the cave along with the glow of the yellow and orange lights. The cave was just as impressive as the first time I visited and Joe also really enjoyed it!

Friday night we spent our second Shabbat at my Uncle Asher’s house with my Aunt Leah and four cousins. This is always an interesting experience, especially for Joe who has not previously been exposed to very religious Jews (not that he was complaining). Shabbat is a weekly holiday that is observed by religious Jews on Friday at sundown until Saturday night at sundown. It comes from the Bible when God built the world in six days and on the seventh day he rested. The religious tout this as a time to relax and enjoy your family without the burden of working or other distraction! The Talmud gives 39 categories of work that are not allowed to be done on Shabbat including washing, baking, tearing, cooking, writing, tying, making or extinguishing fire and many more that make up the 39 thing that are considered as general labour. It can be quite a hassle, but the religious have their systems down pat and prepare in advance.

I think the idea in theory is a nice one, but not particularly practical (say for a farmer) and not something Joe and I plan to put into practice in our home. Interestingly, Israel is definitely a religious state and there are no buses and many stores are closed on Saturdays. You also cannot get married civilly in Israel unless you sign a document stating you have no religion (which I believe is a recent change). Another interesting fact about Judaism is that there is no mixing of meat and milk during meals,  which means no cheeseburgers or meat pizza and many other food items we take for granted. The rule comes from the passage in the bible that talks about not cooking a calf in its mother’s milk. You would be surprised at how many Israeli's abide by this rule (which is a total pain in the ass) religious or not. When Joe ordered a meat sandwich and a coffee with milk at a restaurant, they gave him a to-go mug so as not to un-kosher their cup! I am used to all of these rules as this is my fourth trip to Israel, but I still have to think twice every time I want to cook something. No meat in my lasagne here!!

Other highlights to our time here were the numerous great restaurants which included my personal fave Achla, a meat restaurant that serves tons of little dishes of salads (egg salad, coleslaw, corn, a variety of pickled salads) along with hot fresh bread and meat of your choice. They keep refilling the salads and it’s hard to say no! Ariana and fam also took us to a nice restaurant in Kfar Saba where Joe enjoyed a three mini burgers with fries, which he had been craving for some time!

We were also treated to a private performance during practice time for Ariana and her band. Unfortunately they did not have a show scheduled during our visit because of the holidays. It was in a sound proof room and was really rockin!