i know, i need to update.

pics from various end of may activities

I'm currently wandering around between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and traveling to other places that I haven't seen yet/want to see again before I leave. Living out of a backpack I repack every couple of days or so. Saying goodbye to everyone at school last weekend was really hard, and being in Israel without all of them is kind of weird.

Last week I went to the Dome of the Rock in the old city which was amazing. I thought it was much harder to get in but it's not. You can't go inside the "dome" though unless you're Muslim but it was still cool to be there. Jews are forbidden to go there by Rabbinic law because some areas used to be only for the high Jewish priests called Kohen's and everyday people couldn't go there. Since they don't know exactly where this area was they just say stay away from all of it so as not to be in the wrong place. This works for me though, since my dad is a Kohen so that half is good, and my mom isn't Jewish so...it's also fine to be there. haha. Then I went to the Dead Sea and hiked in Ein Gedi with Michelle and her friend Ariel. Ein Gedi is one of the natural wonders of the world, its an oasis of springs and waterfalls in the desert. pictures of both those things to come once I find my camera cord.

A few weeks ago I went to a restaurant with some friends called Blackout. The whole restaurant is run by blind or partially blind people and it's in the pitch black. You pick what you want before hand or you pick "surprise" and then you all go in, your waiter brings you to your table in a train-like line and tell you where everything is set up on the table and stuff. At first it was pretty uncomfotable with your eyes always trying to see something or make something out but gradually got more and more comfortable as dinner went on. We ended up eating a lot with our hands since that was the easiest, it was a great experience. There are only 11 restaurants like it in the world.

Last weekend I went to visit my friend Daniel at the army base he was at for the weekend. He's in an elite unit and the base he's usually on I can't visit, because he can't even tell me where it is, but this past weekend he was in a course at a different base near Tel Aviv. It was interesting to see the soldiers families and friends all visit on Shabbat and to actually see a base. It makes the army a little more real, although most of it is still so beyond my understanding/comprehension which is frustrating, but such is life.

Other than that I've just been going out a lot and pretty busy everyday doing some thing or another. I have ideas for the upcoming two weeks but nothing solidified yet. Two weeks is not enough time left...

I'll post more pictures and update again when I can.