In Tiberias (Israel) !!!

My flight got in three hours late last night. There was a three hour delay in Newark (connection flight) after boarding the Boeing 777. Since there is a special security check for flights arriving in Israel, we were not allowed off the plane. They said it was because of a weight and balance issue - they finally unloaded all the cargo and luggage, reloaded the luggage, and left the cargo. I think it was a security issue but they refused to say. It wasn't too bad except for the delay getting into Israel.

Everything I read said Israel customs profiles women traveling alone - but they never even asked me anything. Passport control consisted of them scanning my passport - which was scanned before boarding in Seattle and then by extra security at Newark (which really did not consist of much) It actually was not anything compared to the horror stories I read (including the US Government travel advisories)

Since I got in three hours late last night (remember I'm 10 hours ahead of Seattle time) it was dark by the time I rented the car. Then the traffic was horrible due to road construction and Jerusalem had a concert so traffic was horrible even at midnight - think I-5 closure x 10

Traffic signs in Israel are in Hebrew, English, and Aramaic so there was no problem in reading the signs. Most people areound the cities speak english (at least enough to communicate with) and most places take US dollars as well as Shekels (and other currency) although I did change dollars to shekels on arrival (and you can change currency anywhere or use ATMs)

I spent the first night in Jerusalem and today (friday) met some friends in the Galilee after driving up the Jordan Valley - along the border with Jordan and through an Israeli checkpoint (they looked to make sure who was in the car and wave you through) The Jordan Valley had a lot of date plantations - and bananas and mangos. Much of the citrus is grown near Tel Aviv - and I will be in that area in a couple of days.

I spent time at the Jordan river with my friends near the Sea of Galilee - and I was Baptized there! :) There were lots of people (tours) that stopped there to be baptized (including several groups from Russia and the Ukraine) The Jordan river was WARM - especially compared to water around Seattle.

We then went for coffee at Aromas (an Israeli coffee chain) which was the coffee chain that chased starbucks out of Israel --- MUCH better coffee (MUCH, MUCH better) plus free wireless. Starbucks could not compete with them in Israel I spent Erev Shabbat dinner with my friends and with some new friends. It is now after 9:00 PM on Friday in Israel (still friday morning in Seattle)

Tomorrow I plan on going to Megiddo and the Golan with at least one of my friends (and maybe Nazzareth and Haifa) - and spend sunday in Jerusalem (I did see some of the city when I arrived although it was after some sort of festival was going on and there was no parking and traffic was awful)

I don't know how often I'll get to post although I did want to post tonight to say I'm (FINALLY) in Israel.

Shabbat Shalom from Israel! :)