bought me a ticket back on plane to spain by katy jane

hi hi hi! it has been some time, and i am still in israel, but as of 130 this afternoon, i am officially headed to barcelona. in two days! i am so so so excited to go back to spain (i was there 10 or so years ago) now that my spanish and travel skills are much better. i really haven't seen that much of europe, so i hope to run around and see as much as a can, even if it is just to get a wee taste of some places and whet my appetite for return. i leave israel on the 14th, which marks the 7th month of travel for the girls and i. also the last time i put up a blog post, but no matter! so much has happened in the last month. i have been in the north and the south of israel, i floated again in the dead sea, my cousin joined the navy and got a giant gun, i swam in the sea of galilee, the red sea, and the mediteranean. i spent some time in egypt, traveled with two really cool kids i met through couch surfing, read a new james bond book and ww2 thriller, got a tattoo (just kidding, mom!), spent some more time in jerusalem, went to the west bank, saw an awesome movie, went to my aunties clothing design studio, sat in on my uncles photo shoot for a movie poster, climbed two mountains, talked to tons and tons of israelis about the conflict and gained new perspective and formed new opinions, bought a damn ticket to spain, and have decided that it is time to think about heading back to the states. WOW!

oh, that list is big and full! most recently, in the last two days, i have seen my cousin sworn into the navy at a lively ceremony (with lots of singing) and returned from a few days in egypt. the induction ceremony, of course, made me cry, but i have come to realize that the military experience here is so different than that in the states. it is a different beast altogether and in some way, more humane than what i'm used to at home. before the swearing in, i spent several days in egypt with an awesome swiss girl aline who has come to israel to discover her jerish heritage. egypt is super unusual, very different from israel, and indeed very different from any placei have ever been EVER. i can't compare it to any place that i have been so far on the trip (hear that, fox? a comparison is JUST impossible). we traveled around the sinai penninsula, staying the first night in a hoosha (palm leaf hut) right right right on the beach. we drank tea, and played backgammon, and read books, and snorkeled. it was a slice of heaven. after that, we went south to dahab, and from there inland to st. catherines monestary and mt. sinai. public transportation is limited in the sinai, and busses sometimes just dont run. there is also little in the way of a bus stop, and more of waiting on the side of the road/at a check point until a bus comes along. sometimes this doesn't happen, and sometimes you have to take an expensive cab, and sometimes you find really nice hungarian tourists with rental cars that are going the same place as you. then, you are like me and aline, the luckiest girls in the world. we hiked up mount sinai at 2 am, in order to see the sunrise over the desert. this, not a slice of heaven. cold and hard and FULL of other tourists and camels and camel drivers. and dark. because the sun isn't up. but good at the end when you haven't sprained you ankle, died from exposure, or caught camel flu, then the sun comes up and you hike down for a hot shower and a free breakfast.

i took another trip, this time staying in israel proper (well mostly... we had a little diversion to the west bank) with an american guy called thayer. immediatley upon leaving the house here, we saved a baby kitten (so small its eyes weren't open and it couldnt really walk) that was somehow lost in the middle of a busy street; this act of good samaritanism granted us luck for the remainder of the trip. we rented a car, drove north to the sea of galilee, camped and swam, went to some hot springs and then on to the dead sea. we camped here too and tried to get up before sunrise to hike up to masada, but didnt quite make it. we did get the top though. it was good to drive around the country, as you really get a differnet perspctive than on a bus. also, there is more control over the music and let me just say, thayer whipped up some awesome cds. we made a side trip into jericho, a city in the west bank, which was really interesting.i stil cant figure out what exaclty is going on here, but the west bank is not actually part of israel, but palestine. we had to cross a border and immediately the difference was evident. the road was in bad shape, the street lights didnt work, and jericho, which is a fairly famous town, looked like a country village. nothing was in english and it looked like no part of israel i have been too. the juxtapozition of arab life and israeli life is striking, and makes me want to know exactly what is going on.

before this little trip, it was life as usual. lots of family time, good cooking, gardening, bbq's, and getting to know tel aviv. it is an awesome city, with really beautiful neighborhoods, fabulous beaches, and safe safe safe. it is an easy city to walk around and scenic. my time here has been so so so busy. and good. i think i have been here exaclty the perfect amount of time and am excited to move on, but am glad to have spent every second that i have here. israeli culture is unique in the world. sometimes, i can't get my head around it. the thing the affects daily life first and formost is the conflict, the war, the army, the constant threat of terrorism. tension here is palpable ALL THE TIME. but even so, folks dont walk around scared all the time. aprehensive, yes, on their guard, perhaps. day to day life is very pleasant here - the climate is great, the food is fresh and delicious, there are holidays all the time, and the people are really friendly and outgoing. also, public transportation is good. that said, there is a constant drought, everything closes down from friday at sundown to saturday at sundown, and people are not afraid to give you a peice of their mid, even if it is not pleasant or solicited. paradoxical place, this holy land. i don't think i could ever live here, but now i undsertand why people do. the whole mentality here is different, and i know i could never really relate, but, oh, it is refreshing sometimes. i suppose that when security more or less always hangs in the balance that one is forced to take full advantage of the good times. life is lived full tilt here, no doubt.

i dont know what else to say about life here. i have been trying to get a full grasp for 6 weeks, thinking and talking and going to museums and reading history. it hasn't always been easy, but i think that my unsease is indicative of the state of affairs. so it goes. i guess to conclude this thought - extremsism in ANY form is terrible. from hasidic jews to fundamentalist christains to suicide bombers to neo conservatives to violent anarchists to staunch racists... no matter left or right, if a person is to an exteme and unwilling to compromise, there will be a problem. i guess it is our responsibility, all of ours, as thoughtful folks with good values and relavant opinions, to be vocal against those we think are damaging civil and human rights, society as a whole, or the environment.

so in three days, i leave israel and go to spain. i have learned the most here of any place i have been on the trip yet. i am excited to run around europe for a little bit and in truth, am even thinking about heading home. the end is near! but that is for another post and another day. for now, i say shalom to israel and hola to espana.

i hope everyone is well and i love love love you all and miss you!
hugs and kisses, katy jane

ps pictures to follow!