European Adventure

To get an appreciation for all that I saw on my 4 day adventure I am going to make things contrast. Our first night on the Boat was so much fun since we had a crappy day getting onto it. We all ate dinner together for the first time and I was honored to give the speech. I made it short and simple that I was excited to share the next 4 days of fun with these people. We spent the rest of the evening just hanging out on the ship’s top deck looking out to the endless water. The night gave way to our exhausted bodies and soon sleep took over us all. Then next day however was the beginning of insanity. I could not help but wake up early since we had a full day ahead of us. The schedule was to eat breakfast, hang around, eat lunch, and then get off the ship as quickly as possible as soon as it was supposed to dock in Rhodes at 1:30. The entire group is ready to go and waiting on the lower decks at 1:00 sharp to get off and make the most of our time there. Of course being an Israeli cruise we were not let off at the right time and being Americans we waited until they told us what to do. Apparently, there was some problem with the security clearance and we were not allowed to leave the ship until 7:00 that night. Needless to say we were furious and it put us in a bad mood. We took it out on the staff unfortunately and it was not very pretty. Eventually we get off the ship and try touring the city but it is dark and everything is closed. I enjoyed what I could of the old city and walked through the beautiful cobble stone roads. It was very sad that I did not get to appreciate the city but hey not I will have to go back sometime later. That night on the ship we decided to take out our frustrations on the casino and needless to say it was a futile attempt. For the most part we walked away losers except for Sarah who rocked the slots and walked away with a pretty penny.

The next day was much better except for the fact that we had a route change. Instead of our scheduled stop in Crete, due to inclimate weather we changed ports to Marmaris Turkey. I was a little sad since Crete is said to be an incredible city but I just wanted to see something it didn’t matter really what. So we got off the ship at 10:00 which was so much better than the last time that everyone was in good spirits. We walked around the port seeing the beautiful boats and making our way to the boardwalk area. It was such a sight that made you lose your breath. We walked around, climbed on statues, called into shops to buy things, you name it. Slowly the group began to separate and make their own path into the town. We all split up at the bazaar and scheduled to meet back in 2 hours. I got out of there as quickly as I could to explore. I did not care to go shopping but instead wanted to see what the city had to offer. I immediately spotted a mountain and made it my goal to climb it. As I approached it I saw a fence guarding it and soon found out that it was a military complex that did not allow visitors. I settled for a neighboring mountain that was a little up the road. Luckily for me, this mountain already had a semi made trail and I did not have to wade through the nature and destroy it. My trek began and I felt invigorated. I was in a foreign country climbing a mountain that would give me a vantage view of everything around me. I even encountered 3 land turtle that decided to say hi. It was the perfect day that made the entire trip worth it. We all met back up and shared stories and listened to a live band that was performing for free. The next was a great wrap up day where we all relaxed and enjoyed the peace of the water around us. We got back to Haifa on Sunday morning and of course coming back into the country was even more security that leaving the country(random screening my butt). No time to whine since I had to get myself to Kiryat Ono by that evening for the beginning of Pesach and my family seder!!

Do we look like terrorists?!?!?!

Cruises were the smartest concept of the past decade for vacationers. They are the combination of food, sights, relaxation, and the sea. So anyone looking to take a little R&R I highly recommend taking a little boat trip. HOWEVER, apparently Israeli cruises are not the same thing as the aforementioned getaway. A group of 8 of my friends decided that for break we would go on a little 4 day cruise from Israel to Greece(Thank you Adam Weiner). Sounds too good to be true right…well my wonderful readers it was. Don’t get me wrong I had an incredible time on the ship and loved the adventure but let me retell a tale of the high seas.

We begin our journey on a Thursday morning at 7:00 as my alarm goes off to get me up and moving. Our ship was scheduled to board at 11:00 and then would depart at 1:00. It takes roughly 3 hours to get to Haifa from Jerusalem. So waking up at 7 seemed like plenty of time to get there and not worry at all. I of course forgot that I was traveling with the lovely girl pack and timing apparently does not apply the same to them as it does to us guys. So instead of getting on our 8:00 bus to Haifa we waited for the 9:15. We arrived at the Carmelit station in Haifa around 11:30 and still needed to get to the Namal(port). We are sitting around not sure how to get there so I take charge look at the map and get us on the bus. I ask the driver if it goes to the port and he says yes. We all hop on and are super stocked about our adventure to begin. We arrive at the port security at 12:00 giving us an hour to get through the line and board the ship. The line was short and it looked like smooth sailing was ahead of us. Once again don’t count your chickens before they hatch. As I collected the passport, boarding documents and luggage for the group at the counter the group was asked to step to the side. I immediately asked what the problem was and if everything was okay. The security said that they had to check something with their boss and we should be patient. It seemed just like a minor inconvenience that would take 30 secs and we could then board. Well 10 mins later and 3 more security officers we were informed that we would have a “random” interview process to ascertain the reasons we were taking this cruise. Each person had a private 10 minute conversation about what they were doing in Israel, if their parents were jewish, when they were leaving, if they packed their suitcases personally, etc. It was actually the biggest joke of my life since when do 9 American Students with visas automatically become number 1 terrorist suspects. It is now 1 o clock and the ship was supposed to set sail. After our interviews we had a bonus of getting a private screening of our luggage. Each piece was put through the x-ray machine and we were interrogated as to the exact contents of the luggage. Needless to say they found nothing that was suspicious or confiscated. Finally at 1:30 we had our luggage checked and we were off to the ship. But wait we had to go through a customs check also, all our passports were inspected and stamped to make another security check. What more could be waiting for us but of course we can’t get on the ship without a pat down from the ship security. At last we have stepped foot unto our maiden voyage after the most ridiculous episode of security that has ever happened to me. Needless to say we were upset and exhausted but we got out ship cards, put our stuff away in the room and began the cruise.

In the next 4 days I saw 2 countries, got closer to 8 friends, gained 5 pounds, and climbed 1 mountain. It was an unforgettable experience filled with memories and exciting moments. I appreciate the opportunity I received to go on the trip. Most great things just happen to fall into people’s laps.