Random Observations

Random observations:  in the old city in Jerusalem, I watched a young boy pushing his bike up one of the roads, where there are steps, but ramps in the center.  He went about 50 feet, then turned around, got on his bike and barreled across the road, through the market to a big ramp on the opposite road - amusement for kids in a walled city.

We rented a car and drove northeast from J.  Along the highway there began to appear a lot of large pottery/garden ornaments places.  Suddenly, Mark said, look camels!  Sure enough in front of many those places was a camel, at rest on his knees, but with lovely decorations, bedoin-like.  Later on we saw camels grazing while a young boy attempted to round them up, but they were a bit less exotic in their plain state.

Typical Israeli breakfast: omelet with herbs, feta, thick yogurt, olives, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, several kinds of bread, hummus, fruit.  My kind of breakfast.

Check-in at the TelAviv airport:  note to self, 3 hours is reasonable.  We arrived at 1:30 for a 4:40 flight to Egypt.  We waited nearly 1/2 hr to be interviewed before baggage was x-rayed.  We were lucky not to be put in the open luggage and look at everything line.  It would certainly have been embarrassing to jump up and down on the bag to get it closed again.   So, next to the exray machine, then to ticket counter. Still no bag check for carry-on.  On to next security check, xray of all carry-ons and more interviews, then another check for passport and ticket.  Finally, a meal at the airport and on to our gate.  The Israelis are very thorough when you leave.   Egypt, here we come!