here's a new slideshow of pics

Advice to...whoever wants it

So after my adventures these last couple of days, I decided i would share a helpful list of things that would help anyone wanting to travel, ok mostly if you wanted to travel to Israel, but some could apply elsewhere:

1. At a bus stop always sit on the side of the road going in the direction you want to go, if it's facing the opposite way it means the bus has already come from there and you'll have to ride around for an hour until you realize you have to change bus routes to get back where you wanted, or until they kick you off at their last stop, then you know for sure you have to change routes.
2. Don't stay at the new palm hostel across from Damascus gate, unless you are a boy or in a group, and don't care about what's in your luggage... or have no luggage
3. Pandora does not work outside the USA... sad.
4. Sometimes places close by about 5 or 6, even though their website says 11pm
5. Don't eat your cold leftovers for breakfast at the bus stop on the way to the Hebrew U, they have microwaves in the common areas
6. Don't have batteries in your luggage, they will search your bag, open the package, and delay your luggage
7. Going to libraries to research is the same all over the world: you still fall asleep half the time and end up only getting about half of what you want done
8. Become a boy, its basically better (definitely easier) everywhere exept maybe the airport
9. Find a Genie so they will magically make you able to speak hebrew and arabic fluently
10. Sometimes they food right from the street guys isn't always the most sanitary, don't inspect it, just eat :)

Don't worry, if I ever discover any more I will let you know.

Whoa, so I finally figured out how to post after clicking enough links, the page is all in hebrew and i don't know computer hebrew yet. So back by popular request (ok actually like 3 people) i'm continuing by blog once again (though there's really nothing to do with Egypt or Africa, except maybe that i've met a couple people from there). I finally made it here to Israel after 2 days and 2 transfers and 3 days of no sleep and a lost bag! And yep, i still love it here!! I got a sherut (van taxi thing) straight to the center for church on Saturday and managed not to fall asleep during sacrament, definitely a great feat. Crazy enough, as i was sitting outside the center I happened to meet a tour group which turned out to be the Naegles'. So I got to tour around with their group for the next three days. It was wonderful, I went to quite a bit of places around Jerusalem I hadn't been able to go to last year like the baptismal site on the Jordan, Wadi Qelt (traditional site of the good samaritan), hezekiah's tunnel ( so cool, imagine slot canyons with water and a roof that half that time makes you bend over), the pool of bethesda, rabbinical tunnel (amazing, tunnel that runs alongside the western wall underneath the city to much of the original stones form herod's time, yad Vashem (holocaust museum), and some sites of the Via Dolorosa. The group were so nice, buying me lunch and for some of the places, and it was nice to go to places with other people, to be able to discuss spiritual insights and learn more of the gospel together. I also made a new best friend, i started speaking to the driver in hebrew and now he loves me, he gave me gum every time i left the bus, free water, and bought me a popsicle (that is if he actually bought it, i don't really know if he did...), and spoke very slowly for me to understand him. Yesterday I went to the Tell with Jeff to help a little, i didn't do much, but at least i got to hear what was going on this summer. Yesterday I had to go into the New City, Givat Shaul, to pick up my phone. I was very excited that I succeeded in getting there and back, figuring out the bus system and not getting on the wrong one once !!! It is pretty great, and I even managed to fool a few people into thinking I was Israeli (or at least that I knew Hebrew). Today I'm going to the Hebrew U to do some research, at some point I'll have internet on my own computer and put up some pictures. Congrats Erica, that's exciting!!!!! Mozel Tov!!! -lahitraot