Day One: Arrivals

Yesterday morning our group assembled and departed for Tel Aviv--no major difficulties. Thanks to all the parents and friends in Stouffville who helped get us and all our things to the airport in good time. It doesn't feel like yesterday morning, it feels like that was today. That's the joy of international travel between time zones!

We arrived safely in Tel Aviv early this morning, amazed by the size and modernity of the Ben Gurion Airport. The sun was shining brightly as we stepped outside for our first taste of Israeli air. We bought our first New Israeli Shekels, filled our water bottles and boarded our coach bus. Our first destination: Nazareth.

The ride itself was fascinating--one and a half hours driving through countryside we barely knew how to imagine before we left. There are things growing in this country. Trees! Fruits! Vegetables and crops! It's their dry summer season now, and so many of the fields looked harvested, but we were surprised by the green that's here--it's not just all desert like our guide books make it out to be. The security wall passes nearby the highway in many places. Towns filled with three-story concrete buildings and frequent minarets cover the hillsides. Then we arrived, and began our look up-close.


This afternoon we took a short tour of the old city of Nazareth. We are staying in a lovely guest house, called the Fauzi Azar Inn, which is in a 250 year old building. We are very excited to be staying here, where the people are friendly and the coffee is strong. Already after an afternoon here, we've probably taken hundreds of pictures.

Stay tuned for more impressions, pictures and anecdotes as we have the time to write and share them.