Who Knew?
My sister emailed our travel documents to me. As most of you know, it has been a while since I have done any serious international travel (exclusive of Mexico and Canada). Wow, 25+ pages of info and things to do.
First thing, contact the Public Health Department to see if we need any immunizations. I would not have thought of that.
Second thing, let my fingers do the walking on my Amazon app to get other necessary "stuff" for the trip.
I did some research on our plane. Yikes, it is an Airbus 380 and holds up to 800 passengers. It has lounges, bars, showers, beds--a regular traveling city!!
Take a look at these accommodations in first class.
Sorry Julia, that won't be us. We will be back here in coach. Maybe if we are good, we will get bumped up. Here is our section below.
Can this thing really fly?
I did some research on our plane. Yikes, it is an Airbus 380 and holds up to 800 passengers. It has lounges, bars, showers, beds--a regular traveling city!!
Take a look at these accommodations in first class.
Sorry Julia, that won't be us. We will be back here in coach. Maybe if we are good, we will get bumped up. Here is our section below.
Well, looks like I will need to get an immunization shot. Add that to the list of things to do. Check out the CDC website under Travelers' Health Julia.
ReplyDeleteWell the month of March has flown by and our trip is just a few weeks away. I have been to the public health dept to get my immunizations, yeah. I have been on Amazon many times ordering what I consider necessities for the trip. All those goodies will be shipping today. You know, important stuff like selfie stick, sun blocker hat, converter/adapters for electrical outlets, walking stick and all those goodies. Measured and determined which suitcase I could take. Made copies of my passport and ID. Yup, doing a little bit each week.
ReplyDeleteToday I will go shopping with my mom to find some clothes to wear for the trip. I am in Southern CA this week so the shopping is a must. We don't have that kind of shopping in my area.
Also, I continue my reading on the cities we will be visiting, tracking the weather (which is amazingly similar to CA) just trying to get mentally prepared for the trip.
I have a student who just returned from a trip to Israel. He took the same plane we are taking out of LAX to Israel. He said it was an amazing trip. He literally got off the plane and came to class so I got to hear what a great time he had.
One thing my student mentioned was the amount of walking and climbing they did. He said they literally had to do a lot of climbing. So bring good shoes--oh wait, maybe I will just go shopping and buy some new ones!!!!
Well, we are exactly one week away from boarding our flight to the Holy Land. Julia and I have been in touch. Both of us are excited and apprehensive at the same time. So much to do and so little time.
ReplyDeleteI have read a book called "Jerusalem, The Biography" by Simon Sebag Montefiore. It explored the history of the city from the beginning of recorded history until the present. There was so much I did not know. I now have a new appreciation for both the Palestinians and the Jews. It was incredibly interesting. I will now begin a book called "Israel, A Concise History of a Nation Reborn" by Daniel Gordis. There is so much to learn and appreciate about this region. It makes me that much more excited about seeing all the sites about which I have been learning.
As stated earlier, a student of mine returned from Israel a few weeks ago. He provided me with lots of tips in order to make our trip easier. I have listed them below in no particular order:
1. Take plenty of $1 and $5 bills. You can use these to purchase many things without exchanging them into shekels. The vendors have priced their items and readily accept these denominations.
2. Avoid carrying large denominations of dollars. Use credit cards instead (be sure to notify your credit card company that you are traveling).
3. Items in the Jewish Quarter are of much higher quality--shop there. You may spend a bit more but you will be happy with the results.
4. Daily lunch costs range between $15-$20, plan accordingly. Our tour includes breakfast and dinner but we are on our own for lunch.
5. When buying leather products, always look for the "Made in Israel" marking.
6. Women's scarves are a good deal. About 7 for $20. Always review the material to ensure they are not from China. Many fakes on the streets.
7. Be wary of the street vendors trying to get you to touch/hold an item. Their policy is, once you touch it, you must pay for it.
8. Camel rides are fun and you can get them for about $5. Try to pick a spot where you can get photographed by a nice backdrop/view. Word of advice--lean back when the camel rises as you may become off-balance as their back legs go up first.
9. Expect to pay the following:
a. Camel Skin Purses--priced at $80, you can expect to settle between $30-$40.
b. Camel Skin Luggage - priced at $85, you can expect to settle between $30-50.
c. Camel Skin Wallets - priced at $70, you can expect to settle between $15-$25.
When they show you it is genuine camel letter by putting a lighter to it (and it won't burn) make sure they do it to the actual item you are buying. There is a lot of bait and switch going on there.
Julia, I hope you found this useful. Let's stay in touch. And please, pretty up this blog site for me. Make it easy on the eye.
Love all the insights! I almost never carry cash but it looks like I should. I am open to almost anything but camels??? We'll see!
DeleteAhhhh Julia. You simply cannot go to the Middle East and not ride a camel. We have to acclimate in so many ways. Yes, we are going camel riding--with bells on!!!!
DeleteWhen in Israel... :)
Delete