I'm here now. We landed at 5am in Tel Aviv, and it was easier to get through immigration control here than the in the US, which says something. The girl in Passport control was very smiley and gave me a blue ticket, which I'll need to get into the occupied territories. I'd been in Israel for fifteen minutes when a man in a big black coat and a strange hat asked me to help him find somewhere, at least that what I think he said, he was speaking in Hebrew. I said 'sorry English' and he smiled. I think he was lost in his own country. Maybe I look local, although my flat cap doesn't seem to fit in with the big black hats, and my beard feels inadequate. The airport is built to look like Temple Mount - inside, with massive rough stone walls, huge sloping marble walkways and stone columns - all new like. There's no doubt that Israel wants you to know you've arrived in the Jewish state. Oh and the pastries and cakes are amazing, I've had two already. It was wonderful to see the sun come up on my first day, it rises hazily and slowly with mist lying around the concrete tower blocks in Tel Aviv.
Folks have been very helpful, up to now. I got a Sim put in my Ipad at the airport so I can connect to the rest of the world, and a security guy asked me if I needed help when I was looking gormless at the rail ticket machine, he got me through it and held the train for me. So I'm now heading north towards Haifa where I'll find a bus to Nazareth and I can begin wandering about. And to cap it all Israeli railways have double decker trains ! No sleep but happy : )
Folks have been very helpful, up to now. I got a Sim put in my Ipad at the airport so I can connect to the rest of the world, and a security guy asked me if I needed help when I was looking gormless at the rail ticket machine, he got me through it and held the train for me. So I'm now heading north towards Haifa where I'll find a bus to Nazareth and I can begin wandering about. And to cap it all Israeli railways have double decker trains ! No sleep but happy : )