TEL AVIV, ISRAEL 6/29/12




After a good night's rest, we decided to go have a typical Israeli breakfast. We needed to get groceries and see if I could get this intl' phone issue resolved. Breakfast was great! I had some eggs on a fryed tortilla shell and Israeli salad (cucumber, tomatos, cilantro).




Cellphone was a bust, I hate getting took!!!! Then we went to the Hakarmel Market to buy some groceries. It's a combinitation open air market, flea market, and LA alleys. That was an adventure, you got guys yelling out prices and trying to get you to buy from them, people are pushing you to get by, and you see all kinds of people from all kinds of places. A few of the people that were selling greeted us in Spanish, I guess we just can't hide the Nopal. 

After we picked up our groceries we went back to the apt. and had some lunch and took a nap. Still waiting to hear from Mom and Pablo, did they make it to Rome or Frankfurt?






So we’re in Tel Aviv with the Mediterranean just a few blocks away and we’re not going to take a dip, that would be a sin. So we went. The water was great but, the beach was packed with people. We then saw some lawn chairs and some umbrellas that were not being used. Thinking we were gonna sit down, order some drinks and hang out. Heck no! Not only did you have to pay for each chair and the umbrella but, if you wanted a drink that would be another charge, so we left. We found some shade behind a little cabana and hung out there. After taking a dip and enjoying the Mediterranean for the first time I went back where Leti was at. She was having a great ol’ time people watching. Here’s some pics of that, enjoy!

I had just taken a dip and started relaxing when we get the call, Mom and Pablo had finally arrived and were waiting for us at the apt. next door to ours. So we rushed back and met them at home. We exchanged war stories (airline, airport, immigration, customs and taxi ride stories) had a light meal and went to bed.

It was weird but the plane ride must of shrunk my shirt, cause I don't remember it being this tight.

ISRAEL 6/28/12
Firas, Mufasa's cousin was waiting for us. He took one look at us, he said, and I knew you were the Mexicans. Our drive to Tel Aviv was uneventful. Firas pointed out some sites on the way. Jericho, Jerusalem, Bedouin people (desert people), Palestinian territory, marked by barb wire and checkpoints.

 
Jericho in the distance, oldest city in the world.
The people and the tour guides love to brag that this city has been continually populated for over 10,000 years.

                                                         Bedouin camp

Palestinian territory, see the fence and barbed wire. Not safe to go without guides.




 
We get to Tel Aviv and Firas' GPS was not charged. So we found our apt the old school way, using a map, can you believe they still print those things? It took us a little while, nobody remembered how to use one, but we found it. Nobody around. We tried calling but our intl. phone didn't work, I GOT TOOK ON THAT ONE! Firas called and no answer. So we decided to go to the David Intercontinental Hotel and keep trying. This is where the bros. that got the tours with the travel agency are staying, 5 stars, really nice.

Firas drops us off, we get his info and he leaves. By now it's 1:30pm and we're starving. We eat lunch and the waiting game begins. What to do? I went to the apt. walking, around a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Again nobody there. When I get back to the David, Leti found out we could buy a calling card close by so we could try to call. Before buying the card I tried using my phone and sure enough the agency answered. We met the rep at the apt. and finally got settled in.

We were so exhausted, we decided to take a nap then go to the market and get some groceries. We woke up at 11pm. Story of my life, remember Acapulco anyone? Anyone know where Pablo and Mom is at?

AMMAN, JORDAN 6/28/12
What a difference when you're able to sleep completely horizontally. We slept till 5:30 am, woke up way before the alarm. I think we we're kind of anxious of the days activities.

7am breakfast and taxi pick-up. Hoping taxi was a little late, nope, right on time. Asked him if we could get some breakfast for the trip, he said yes. When we looked at breakfast served, we drank some OJ and left.

Taxi driver was in lobby smoking, we're thinking OH NO, he's gonna stink us up with his smoke. So I tell him we're allergic to cigarette smoke he answers, esta bien lo apago, Uds. Son de México, verdad?





WHAT???? A spanish speaking taxi driver in a Muslim country? So he tells us his name is Mufasa, he's half Venezuelan and half Jordanian and grew up in Venezuela. We tell him there's a Starbucks right around the corner from the hotel, WE NEED COFFEEEEEE NOWWWW!!!!! It was closed. He says don't worry I'll treat you to a typical Arab coffee w/cardamom an Indian spice. 


Meanwhile, on the road he starts to tell us what were looking at around us, all in spanish. He says, you know I feel a certain connection to people from Latin America, I feel they're my people, so I really try to take care of them.

I'll tell you, I didn't know the guy or could distinguish him from another Arab, but there is a certain feeling of calm, when someone talks to you in your language, specially if your in a country where there customs are so different from yours.

So we stop for the Arab coffee. A little kid takes the order, reminded us of those hard working kids we've seen in Mexico and other latin countries. Uuuuuiieee, talk about a spice in a coffee. First, the coffee looked like I was boiled in the same pot as roof tar. And that spice, SMACKED your taste buds. But you know, it wasn't that bad. Leti says it was little sweet for her. I thought it was a little to spicy, I mean the spice was a little too strong, but it was not THAT bad, that I wouldn't drink it again. I would drink it again but in a smaller cup, like in an espresso cup or maybe even a thimble.

Back on the road he pointed out Jerusalem, the Jordan, the Dead Sea. Of course, everything was so far away we couldn't distinguish any of it so we just nodded and agreed.

Over those mountains is the Dead Sea at least that's what Mufasa said.





On the way to the border he offers to take us to all the sites in Jordan when we come back, gave us his number and we told him we would call. He also asked where we were staying in Israel. We told him in Tel Aviv. And he asked about transportation from the border to Tel Aviv. We planned on getting a bus and taxi to get to the Apt. we rented. He said that's going to take you hours and it'll be expensive, let me call my cousin and he could pick you up and take straight there.

We had already checked prices online for that service and the cheapest was $310.00US from hotel in Amman to Tel Aviv apt. So we were going to wing it, on the buses for most of the trip and just taxis where necessary, of course that would probably eat up most of the day and be a hassle moving from bus to bus to taxi etc, with the luggage but it would be cheaper. He was charging us $30JD about $42US. His cousin was charging us $150US, the choice was easy.

BORDER CROSSING
Talk about a ridiculous system, get this. So you get to the border crossing, not the border, and you have to go through some kind of wannabe immigration/customs line. You fill out a paper with your name, passport #, and nationality. The man in the first window checks your passports and stamps the paper you filled out. Then there is a little opening between the two offices, so the first man gives your passports and the little paper he just stamped to the man in the second window through the little opening. Then the man in 2nd window looks at your stamped paper, your passport and gives it back to you. After that you get your luggage scanned through a machine you could tell was an airport reject from 1986. Then you have to wait for a bus to take you over the bridge to the Israeli border crossing. Oh right, you have to pay $4JD per person plus $1.60JD per luggage, you pay that to your bus driver.

While we're doing all this Mufasa is still waiting on us. He told us he would help us get through. He was even hurrying up the wannabe immigration guys so we could catch the bus that was about to leave. The bus left, he complained a bit the they said there was a VIP bus leaving we could catch a ride with them. We boarded the VIP bus which online is an additional $100 to use. Of course, we were kicked out of the bus as another of the regular buses had arrived as we were sitting waiting to leave. So we board the big bus and sit for another 1/2 hr.

We finally leave, we get to a checkpoint a soldier comes to the door, the driver tells him that we're all tourists. Sit and wait for about 5-10 mins. then we leave. Another checkpoint, sit and wait another 5-10 mins. then we get to the crossing. There's a ton of people with lots and lots of luggage. You go through the line if you have luggage or bulky items, like a full double kitchen sink, REALLY A KITCHEN SINK, you get that checked in then you go to a window. The man on the window looks at your passports and puts a sticker on it. Then you go inside the building, another line to go through, a metal detector and whatever bag you have on you will go through there xray machine. After that you get yelled at by some guy to take out your laptop and remove your shoes and take off your coat. You go through the metal detector and you go to a window. The same guy that just looked at your passport and put a couple stickers on it, came inside and is now looking at your passports AGAIN. Same guy.

You now go to the actual immigration officer. We get directed to a window and he asks the usual questions. Where you from, where you going, where you staying, how long, yada, yada, yada. We get a our Israeli stamp and we're off. At least that's what we thought. Now you get in line to pick up your luggage. But we get yelled at for not making a single line. We go to the counter and the girl looks at our passports, and I kid you not, she threw them across the counter at us. We now go to another window so our passports can be looked at again. We get waived through, now we pick up our luggage. One more x-ray machine, an official waived us through. FINALLY we were officially in ISRAEL.

6/26/12
Flight from Houston to London was delayed a bit and it was a long flight. Of course, the airline was not going to bother in putting Leti and I in the same aisle.

The 9 hour to flight to London was a nightmare for my long legs. My legs cramped up so bad I had to stand in the galley for over an hour to get uncramped. I was so tired that after forcing myself to sit down I just knocked out.

Leti sat next to a girl who was already liquored up before we even left the ground. And the drinking continued during the flight thanks to her own liquor stock she brought on the plane, the good thing she just fell asleep, although Leti thinks she was guilty of RGWS (Releasing Gas While Sleeping).

6/27/12
The layover was short in London, thank God!

The flight to Amman had it's own joys. We had a window and middle seat. In the aisle seat, sat a lady with 3 little girls across the aisle. One was a cute little girl, not only literally but because she was quiet. The other 2, OMG, they needed some Nyquil. They were crying and yelling from the start to the end of the flight. My noise canceling headphones didn't help. We survived, bearly.

Immigration and Customs were a breeze.

We picked up an intl' phone and a taxi driver offered to take us to our Hotel. A little hesitant because he had no taxi signs or meter in his car I politely asked him if he was a taxi driver and if he had any ID. He showed me what looked like a bus license and some other ID. We took the chance. He was polite and took us straight to the hotel. Spoke very little English but I had the hotel number so he called and got directions.

I asked about taking us to the border with Israel, he said he could take us there pick us up and take us to the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba (Red Sea). At the hotel they offered taxi service to the border for less $ than our taxi driver. Before he left I asked if he would match the price, he said he couldn't, so we parted ways.

Crystal Hotel
Hotel was just like it was described on the website. Small modern boutique hotel, we liked it. Room was clean and modern looking, bathroom was nice. Would stay there again. Walked at night around the hotel for a quick bite to eat. We felt safe in the area. While walking through one of the streets we noticed that all the patrons at the restaurants were men. We went up another street and found women in a certain cafe, so we ate there. A lot of the customers that were I this cafe were smoking a sweet smelling tabaco out of what looked like a fancy vase. We learned the smell is sweet because they add fruit and they smoke them through what's called a water pipe.
The food was not something to brag about but we were hungry and just wanted a bite so we could finally sleep on a bed, after 38hrs of only sleeping in small increments and sitting down.

Finally a night of rest.

Monday wake up 6:30am finish packing and final preparations

Tuesday 1am: Drive 2hrs. to LAX

5:30 am: Get through security and finally arrive at gate

Waiting 23 hrs. to finally take a pic of Leti, PRICELESS

Well, here we go again. We're about to head to Israel in 8 days and counting. We've yet to pack. Getting excited!!!! More updates coming soon.