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Nice airport! Big airy circular shopping area, international arrivals come out in another big airy circular area with a fountain and tons and tons of people waiting for them. I was totally lost, but managed to get someone to help me buy a train ticket to Herzliyya and figure out where to transfer. Can't believe I was that brave, frankly. Soldiers on the train with huge guns- a much harsher bit of culture shock.
Got to the hotel somehow, and barely had an hour there before Ilan called to pick me up and bring me to the site. Nothing strenuous, luckily- I got there just as they finished digging, in time to help wash and sort. Roommate is Jenny, very nice mother of five from Western Washington who seemed to be suffering from a bit of heatstroke. She had also lost her luggage and was pretty distraught about that. Lots of Israeli students but only a small group of foreigners, most notably D and Rhondi, who are both fascinating people with extraordinary life histories, and very friendly. The locals are rather cliquish. Their English is all perfectly good, but they speak Hebrew among themselves and most seem to know each other from school, so that's not exactly an easy break-in.
Already making possible plans to go to Petra with D- that would be an extraordinary bit of luck, to have someone to go with. Finished up the day with an absolutely lovely walk back to the hotel along the beach, dinner. The dinner is with all the foreign students, and it's incredibly enjoyable.
Got to the hotel somehow, and barely had an hour there before Ilan called to pick me up and bring me to the site. Nothing strenuous, luckily- I got there just as they finished digging, in time to help wash and sort. Roommate is Jenny, very nice mother of five from Western Washington who seemed to be suffering from a bit of heatstroke. She had also lost her luggage and was pretty distraught about that. Lots of Israeli students but only a small group of foreigners, most notably D and Rhondi, who are both fascinating people with extraordinary life histories, and very friendly. The locals are rather cliquish. Their English is all perfectly good, but they speak Hebrew among themselves and most seem to know each other from school, so that's not exactly an easy break-in.
Already making possible plans to go to Petra with D- that would be an extraordinary bit of luck, to have someone to go with. Finished up the day with an absolutely lovely walk back to the hotel along the beach, dinner. The dinner is with all the foreign students, and it's incredibly enjoyable.