Jerusalem. Istanbul. Ankara. Tel Aviv. Bahad 7. Eilat. Taba. Cairo. Alexandria. Ein Gedi. Tiberias. Majdal Shams. Katzrin. New York. Boston.
These are only a couple of the places I've been to this summer. I last blogged before I left for Egypt. I traveled to Cairo overland from Jerusalem. I left on an overnight bus to Eilat, and then spent the day getting an Egyptian visa at the consulate in Eilat. I crossed the border the next morning into Taba, and then took a long, long bus to Cairo.
And then promptly fell in love with Cairo. And then promptly fell out of love with Cairo. It was a never-ending cycle the entire time I was there. There is something so compelling about Cairo that is hard to pinpoint, but it is also such a overcrowded, dirty, overwhelming and exhausting city. I loved seeing old synagogues, mosques and churches. I'd never been in a majority Muslim country before that was as religious as Egypt (Jordan and Turkey, at least the parts I visited, were pretty secular.) It's amazing to see huge prayer mats set up on the subway and in other public places for the afternoon prayer. But after a few days of Cairo's charms (of which there were many, my favorite being the fresh-squeezed sugarcane juice), I decided to do what the Egyptians do, and went to Alexandria for a much needed break.
In Alexandria I visited the Alexandria Library, walked through the markets, enjoyed the beach, and searched in vain for the one synagogue there. Then it was back to Cairo to visit the Pyramids, do some frantic shopping, and visit some friends studying Arabic there for the summer.
My trip back to Israel just seemed like it would never end: I caught a 9am bus from Cairo that got into Taba around 4pm (with just one break!). While I had a great time in Egypt, I definitely felt relief at being back in Israel again. Twelve hours later, 2 buses, one train, and one missing wallet adventure, I was at Ben Gurion Airport waiting for my family to arrive!
The next two weeks can basically be summed up as: it was lovely to see them, and lovely to have them in Israel with me. We stayed in Tel Aviv for the first week and a half and did some day trips from there. We then spent Shabbat in Jerusalem, a night in Ramallah, and a night in Tiberias. Every place was different with my family. But after two and a half weeks, they left to return to Boston, and I stayed in Israel.
I spent my remaining two weeks in Jerusalem and in the Golan. I marched in Jerusalem Pride, did lots of shopping, and hung out with friends. Then I went backpacking in the Golan. I hitchhiked around, camping near the Kinneret or in National Forests. I spent some time in Katzrin, Tiberias, and a lot of time in small towns and kibbutzim along the Kinneret, but my favorite town was Majdal Shams. Majdal Shams is a Druze town, home to Shouting Hill, and was a fascinating mix of Israeli and Syrian (with some delicious food thrown in!). I loved doing what other Israeli teens do during their summer vacations, and I loved being able to see and experience Israel in a new way. I didn't love having my sleeping bag stolen, or the people who played loud music late at night, or the sketchy man who gave me a ride into Tiberias one day. But there were so many more wonderful people who gave me rides, offered me hospitality, and helped me when I needed it.
Next up: a one week road trip down to North Carolina to visit some friends and family, and then Hampshire College!
