Israel Trip
So over winter break I went on a birthright trip to Israel. The trip was great. I don't know how to do a big write-up on it, but I'm posting these pictures (http://photos.yahoo.com/sacredcowburger2000) and some stuff about the different locations in the pics. They're going to be sending a disk which will have everybody's digital pics, so there'll be more to come. I didn't bring or use the camera nearly everyhwere I could've, and in some spots the camera went underused anyway.
Dan Reserve - A nature preserve. According to Jewish tradition it is the location of the Garden of Eden. Because it is Israel it also has ancient ruins, some of which date to pre-Israel times (3000 BCE or so)
Golan Heights - These pics aren't mostly from the Golan Heights proper, but from a jeep ride we went on up to it. We are still in the country in this part of the trip, and I hellof liked this landscape even though a lot of it is so landmined that people and livestock can't go there.
Masada - Ancient Jewish palace on a giant cliff in the Judean desert. Last stronghold of the Jewish rebellion against Roman occupation. Hella nice view.
Old Jerusalem - Perhaps my favorite spot. New buildings in Old Jersulam are from the 1500s. But it is a living place. We got a couple of hours to wander this area (our time on this trip was mostly very heavily controlled, with free time only at shopping spots like this), and it is a labrynth of of ancient narrow alleyways and staircases. Me and Jessica ended up in the Arab section which was off-limits to us. These pcitures also have the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall, the most holy sites of Islam (besides Mecca) and Judaism respectively.
Tel Aviv - The most happening city in Israel by most accounts. I took a video there which came out shitty of these orthdox Jews who travel around in this van, play hella loud trance music and dance in the streets.
These pics also have repeated cast members, people who were my tight friends on this trip.
Jessica: Hella cool, smart, fun feminist stoner girl.
Matt (with the goatee): Sociable, funny, ex-tweaker, current alcoholic, super talented musician, involved in labor organizing. Matt's story is illustartive of how little one needs to know about Judaism to go on this trip. His father was Jewish, but left the family when Matt was 8. Matt didn't like his father at all so he neither submitted to doing much Jewish stuff when his dad was around, nor did he much pursue contact once his father was gone. Thus Matt had pretty much no knowdleg of Judaism.
David (with the curly hair): Chill ass dude. We were both drawn to the natural beauty of the Israeli landscape. He was an avid hiker and a big fan of psychedelics. Threatened with a big ticket for climbing on an ancient wall in the Dan reserve.
David C (buzzed hair, thin stripe beard): Cool fellow. We got along hella good despite his distaste for Bay Area radicals (he is an anarchist-turned-conservative from Philly who goes to school in SF). Plays guitar, piano, and harmonica.
Michael (tan skin, blue coat): Each birthright bus is accompanied by soldiers on break from the Israeli army so we get to meet Israelis our age (in Israel all guys serve 3 years and all girls serve 2 years). Mike was born in the USSR, but had lived in Israel a long time. A passionate and intersting guy, not eager to go back to the army although he thought the work was important.
Dan Reserve - A nature preserve. According to Jewish tradition it is the location of the Garden of Eden. Because it is Israel it also has ancient ruins, some of which date to pre-Israel times (3000 BCE or so)
Golan Heights - These pics aren't mostly from the Golan Heights proper, but from a jeep ride we went on up to it. We are still in the country in this part of the trip, and I hellof liked this landscape even though a lot of it is so landmined that people and livestock can't go there.
Masada - Ancient Jewish palace on a giant cliff in the Judean desert. Last stronghold of the Jewish rebellion against Roman occupation. Hella nice view.
Old Jerusalem - Perhaps my favorite spot. New buildings in Old Jersulam are from the 1500s. But it is a living place. We got a couple of hours to wander this area (our time on this trip was mostly very heavily controlled, with free time only at shopping spots like this), and it is a labrynth of of ancient narrow alleyways and staircases. Me and Jessica ended up in the Arab section which was off-limits to us. These pcitures also have the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall, the most holy sites of Islam (besides Mecca) and Judaism respectively.
Tel Aviv - The most happening city in Israel by most accounts. I took a video there which came out shitty of these orthdox Jews who travel around in this van, play hella loud trance music and dance in the streets.
These pics also have repeated cast members, people who were my tight friends on this trip.
Jessica: Hella cool, smart, fun feminist stoner girl.
Matt (with the goatee): Sociable, funny, ex-tweaker, current alcoholic, super talented musician, involved in labor organizing. Matt's story is illustartive of how little one needs to know about Judaism to go on this trip. His father was Jewish, but left the family when Matt was 8. Matt didn't like his father at all so he neither submitted to doing much Jewish stuff when his dad was around, nor did he much pursue contact once his father was gone. Thus Matt had pretty much no knowdleg of Judaism.
David (with the curly hair): Chill ass dude. We were both drawn to the natural beauty of the Israeli landscape. He was an avid hiker and a big fan of psychedelics. Threatened with a big ticket for climbing on an ancient wall in the Dan reserve.
David C (buzzed hair, thin stripe beard): Cool fellow. We got along hella good despite his distaste for Bay Area radicals (he is an anarchist-turned-conservative from Philly who goes to school in SF). Plays guitar, piano, and harmonica.
Michael (tan skin, blue coat): Each birthright bus is accompanied by soldiers on break from the Israeli army so we get to meet Israelis our age (in Israel all guys serve 3 years and all girls serve 2 years). Mike was born in the USSR, but had lived in Israel a long time. A passionate and intersting guy, not eager to go back to the army although he thought the work was important.