Monday, February 21st-- from Maddy, Ilan and Sarah, UPDATED BY ILAN

Ilan and Maddy on the beach in Tel Aviv

A posting from Maddy:

I love Israel, and though I was worried I would be homesick, I don’t miss home at all, (In the best way possible.) In fact, Audrey and I are going to stay here forever, so feel free to visit. 

Today after a delicious chocolate breakfast, we met up at our peers’ school and sadly left our friends.  We then headed on a long bus ride-I fell asleep- to Tzippori.  We looked at mosaics made by Jews in 400 AD, and walked the same road our ancestors walked on a thousand six hundred years ago.

Tzippori Cardo

Making Pita at Kfar Kedem

After that we drove to Kfar Kedem at Mitzpe Hoshaya (donkey trails). First we dressed more appropriately for ancient Israel in head covers and tzit-tzit.  We learned how to make delicious pitas, cooked them and then ate them! Yum! 

Lunch at Kfar  Kedem

Let me just say, the pita here is so much better than it is in New York.  We had fresh pita and humus for lunch, sort of picnic style. 

On donkeys!

After that, we paired off and got ready to ride donkeys!   Gideon’s and Ilan’s donkey kept veering off to the side, almost knocking them off many time(which was very amusing.)  While Audrey’s and my  donkey was very slow.  We made it back just in time because it started to rain. 

And now were on the bus driving to Hula Valley (a nature reserve.)

A posting from Ilan:

So far, Israel is looking really really fun.  Yesterday, we went to Tel Aviv and did many things.  We went to Independence Hall and watched a movie and we all fell asleep (seriously).  

Rain in the Carmel Market

Then we went to lunch and had the best falafels ever!!  I didn’t have the chance to buy anything because it started pouring and we had to leave, but there was a lot of cool stuff. 

Ilan, Gideon, and Itai

On the way home, our bus got a flat tire and we had to wait by the side of the highway for an hour because it was too dangerous to get out and fix it.  Eventually, a big van came and picked us up and dropped us off at our peers’  houses.  My peer (named Guy) is very nice.  I’m sleeping in his sister’s room because she’s in London.  We played GTA (grand theft auto) and watched videos on Flix (flix is Israeli youtube).  It was interesting when we went to school with them for the morning so we could see what schools were like in Israel.  Maddy and Audrey say they really miss the Israeli kids, but they will probably get over them instantly when we meet the kids in Jerusalem and then say that the miss them.

Today we went to a place where we put on outfits that looked like Arabian outfits or something like that.  We also made pita bread (mucho delicioso) and had the chance to ride donkeys.  Gideon chose a donkey that was mad about something, because it kept trying to run away and nearly threw me off tons of times.  Later, when we went to the kibbutz, we were taken to a secret room underground with a bi g machine on top of it hiding the door that was used to hide weapons from the British.  After that we went swimming in the pool at the kibbutz.  Even though we could do that in Brooklyn, it was still very fun.

We are currently on the bus driving and I’m listening to music.  Mucho fun.

A posting from Sarah:

Ophoria Nature Reserve

We started at the Ophoria Nature reserve with a 30-minute 4D movie about bird migration from Europe to Africa. The birds take a “pit stop” at the Hula Valley nature reserve.  The 4D movie seemed like something  that the kids had never experienced—we wore 3-D glasses, the chairs moved, the floor moved, it sprayed water in our faces.  Shira and I were probably the biggest babies during the movie, screaming when things flew in our faces.  

Nutria in Ophoria Nature Reserve

After that we made our own pit-stop for some Israeli candy, and the kids finally got some time to stretch their legs and take a walk through the nature reserve where we saw water buffalo, very large catfish, papyrus plants, and turtles.   It was great to give the kids a chance to walk around in nature and catch up with other.  Our tour guide, Yishai, warned us of a long walk—a mile long! It was great to see the kids roll their eyes when they heard it was so short and asking if we could walk for longer. Yishai said that all of his other teen groups complain and ask when they can get back on the bus. Yishai pointed out the mountains of Lebanon in the close distance—we could see the snow on the mountaintops.  It was a great afternoon, and now we just arrived at Kibbutz K’far Giladi.  Time to go tour the kibbutz!