Is anyone interested in going to Israel?

[In Medias Res III]

I'm asking people in my Jewish guild as well.
My goal is to go backpacking for Hanukkah this year, although, this is dependent on a few things.

I had a job interview yesterday and if I get this job I will not be allowed to take any weekends or holidays off (how messed is THAT?) but I kinda plan on putting a two weeks notice in before December, this is also because I plan on going to shul every Saturday morning and I think it would be rotten if I was not allowed to go to Temple because of work!

Annd, if I am able to go to Temple and work doesn't get pissy and if I like this rabbi, I'm going to see if he will work with me.

Now, I may not be able to miss a traditional Hanukkah in the process of conversion.

All in all, my goal is to go backpacking in Israel, including going to Caesarea and hopefully climbing Masada.  

[Britomartis-the-Valiant]

I WANT TO!!

But I have school, no money, and protective parents. One of these years I definitely will though.

Good luck with the job and conversion!  

[In Medias Res III]

Brit! You're still here! heart

Are you going to start sewing professionally yet?

Sell your stuff! Save up, and come to Israel mrgreen  

[Im A Little Pea]

I could show you around if you're coming to Jerusalem. I have school too, but that's where I'll be...  

[In Medias Res III]

Im A Little Pea

I could show you around if you're coming to Jerusalem. I have school too, but that's where I'll be...

That would be so cool!
I have to convince my mother I won't be blown up.  

[Im A Little Pea]

In Medias Res III

Im A Little Pea

I could show you around if you're coming to Jerusalem. I have school too, but that's where I'll be...

That would be so cool!
I have to convince my mother I won't be blown up.

Now is a great time. I can't recall the last time something blew up... XD

Generally you might want to keep away from towns surrounding Gaza Strip. I mean places you'd probably not visit anyway, like Sderot. There's just nothing to see over there. Just small towns and villages and nothing more.
If it happens to be very tense when you come here it's probably best not to go too far north (like Kiryat Shmona). Normally it's not a problem. Again, I don't think you'd plan on going there as it is.

As for the rest of Israel, it's all pretty well... guarded. I've seen Canadian airports that are not as protected as the central bus station in Jerusalem, with their x-ray machines and metal detectors. There's someone at the entrance to most places (like restaurants, museums, malls, office buildings, and any place of business that could afford that) to get your bag checked and make sure you're not carrying anything suspicious. Besides, again, it's very quiet now.

Please don't be like one of those (few, but existing) tourists who carry a rifle around, that's so silly. I know some people think it's probable you'd have to use it but you really won't.  

[Verderbnis]

Maybe I can pump some money for that trip from my mother, I'd push it on my urgent need of a hiatus from almost everything around me and a distance of about 1000 km to anything which appears to need something from me.

I only need the tickets, the rest is my problem...

...and I think I also may have some family relations to there, such as to Iran, Brazil, Lithuania...

...at least for seeing the landscape, the other spiritual stuff comes later...  

[In Medias Res III]

Im A Little Pea

In Medias Res III

Im A Little Pea

I could show you around if you're coming to Jerusalem. I have school too, but that's where I'll be...

That would be so cool!
I have to convince my mother I won't be blown up.

Now is a great time. I can't recall the last time something blew up... XD

Generally you might want to keep away from towns surrounding Gaza Strip. I mean places you'd probably not visit anyway, like Sderot. There's just nothing to see over there. Just small towns and villages and nothing more.
If it happens to be very tense when you come here it's probably best not to go too far north (like Kiryat Shmona). Normally it's not a problem. Again, I don't think you'd plan on going there as it is.

As for the rest of Israel, it's all pretty well... guarded. I've seen Canadian airports that are not as protected as the central bus station in Jerusalem, with their x-ray machines and metal detectors. There's someone at the entrance to most places (like restaurants, museums, malls, office buildings, and any place of business that could afford that) to get your bag checked and make sure you're not carrying anything suspicious. Besides, again, it's very quiet now.

Please don't be like one of those (few, but existing) tourists who carry a rifle around, that's so silly. I know some people think it's probable you'd have to use it but you really won't.

I would never carry a rifle! Remember, I've been to the Middle East before mrgreen

Mother is making this really hard on me Verd. I reallly want to go backpacking but she's going on about how I have to find a tour.

Inbar, how expensive is it to travel in Israel?

Verd, airfare for me from Buffalo is around 1400. I have a Jewish friend who wants to go to Israel too, and we would have to find a girl.  

[Verderbnis]

-___-

I could pretend! >_>  

[Im A Little Pea]

In Medias Res III

I would never carry a rifle! Remember, I've been to the Middle East before mrgreen

Mother is making this really hard on me Verd. I reallly want to go backpacking but she's going on about how I have to find a tour.

Inbar, how expensive is it to travel in Israel?

Verd, airfare for me from Buffalo is around 1400. I have a Jewish friend who wants to go to Israel too, and we would have to find a girl.

Not too expensive, it's cheaper than North America for sure, although you can't expect it to be as cheap as, say, Jordan...
A train ticket from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv costs 13 NIS. That's abut 3 USD's, I think.
A bus ticket from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem costs 19 NIS, that's like 4 or 5$.
Israel Railways English Homepage
English Homepage of Biggest Bus Company
I don't know about plane tickets.

You could always find cheaper places to stay. There are simple, fairly cheap hotels, as well as field schools. I could look something up, depending on where you're going.  

[In Medias Res III]

Im A Little Pea

In Medias Res III

I would never carry a rifle! Remember, I've been to the Middle East before mrgreen

Mother is making this really hard on me Verd. I reallly want to go backpacking but she's going on about how I have to find a tour.

Inbar, how expensive is it to travel in Israel?

Verd, airfare for me from Buffalo is around 1400. I have a Jewish friend who wants to go to Israel too, and we would have to find a girl.

Not too expensive, it's cheaper than North America for sure, although you can't expect it to be as cheap as, say, Jordan...
A train ticket from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv costs 13 NIS. That's abut 3 USD's, I think.
A bus ticket from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem costs 19 NIS, that's like 4 or 5$.
Israel Railways English Homepage
English Homepage of Biggest Bus Company
I don't know about plane tickets.

You could always find cheaper places to stay. There are simple, fairly cheap hotels, as well as field schools. I could look something up, depending on where you're going.

Ooh, transportation is quite cheap.

Airfare is expensive at around 1400, but airfare always is.

I've been looking up tours for the hell of it and they're so expensive :S it seems unnecessary.  

[Im A Little Pea]

You don't HAVE to join a tour. I think it's best to plan it out yourself, besides, it's not that fun travelling in a very big group. It's much better to set your own rules, you know?
Where else are you planning to go? For how long? By the way, airfare is much more expensive at this time of the year, prices will probably go down when it's "off season".

Verderbnis, I have a close friend who moved to Dresden last year, she's pretty experienced with this - I even considered going up there for a visit so I looked it up. She said that if you travel by an Israeli company, you'd better pick Israir over El-Al because it's much cheaper. Flights to Prague are very cheap, so you could take a train to Prague and then fly to Tel Aviv. That's very uncomfortable but it's great if you're broke. XD  

[In Medias Res III]

Im A Little Pea

You don't HAVE to join a tour. I think it's best to plan it out yourself, besides, it's not that fun travelling in a very big group. It's much better to set your own rules, you know?
Where else are you planning to go? For how long? By the way, airfare is much more expensive at this time of the year, prices will probably go down when it's "off season".

Verderbnis, I have a close friend who moved to Dresden last year, she's pretty experienced with this - I even considered going up there for a visit so I looked it up. She said that if you travel by an Israeli company, you'd better pick Israir over El-Al because it's much cheaper. Flights to Prague are very cheap, so you could take a train to Prague and then fly to Tel Aviv. That's very uncomfortable but it's great if you're broke. XD

Considering I have been to Egypt and Jordan, Israel is the only country I would be going to.

Tel Aviv
Jerusalem
Golan Heights
Masada
Caesarea
Haifa
Bethlehem
Tiberias
and Ramallah are my top go to places.  

[Einllikoach]

If you would like to visit Tel-Aviv accompanied by a soldier.. perhaps we can arrange that. xd