"Brew-Jehzz" "Brooj" or "Breh-heh"

Soooooo Part 2 - Bruges. See above for possible pronunciations, depending on your dialect. 

We took a lazy morning for ourselves on Saturday, getting up around 9, going out at 10. For those of you giggling at the idea of 10 am being a lazy morning for yours truly... Shush. 

We started by walking around, snapping photos and playing tourist - we went to the Market square and the Burg, another open area nearby. We used one of our hostel maps to find the oldest bar in Bruges, dating back to the 16th century, but they were closed for holiday until february. (Frowny Face) still, we found a decent place for lunch, Only 1 euro for a bowl of soup and about 6 for a HUGE bowl of spaghetti bolognese.  I wasn't hungry, so the soup and a coke was all i needed. 

Side note - There's NO way to get a free drink in europe. Seriously, they don't do the American free glass of water thing. It's pretty frustrating for a poor college kid. 

Anyways, from here Cait, Kristen and I decided to try to rent some bikes to see more of the city. Thaaaaat didn't work out. We ended up walking for half an hour to a place that was closed. From there we blew off the idea of bikes and walked through a nice little park area. We ended up in a residential area and suddenly thought

 "Hm! Waffles would be awesome right now!"

So we whipped out our trusty map and followed it to De Straat, where there were supposed to be many waffle stands. They claimed the smell wafted into the open air a block away. So away we went. On our journey, we stopped at a little bakery, got some pastries. I know, pastries on the way to waffles? we laughed too.  We moved onward to find a cool looking cathedral being renovated. We went inside, and got weirded out by some room in the back that looked like it came from the Da Vinci Code. They had several strings hanging from ceiling to floor with white feathers attached to them, and some sort of diagram of a face and numbers and regions of the face in the front of the room - overall, very strange. From here we left, stopped again at a little fruit stand where we found some AWESOME apples - Pink Lady and Kanzi, I believe. When we finally got to our destination, we found that we had been deceived. there were NO stands to be found. 

We did, however, find a place called "Sweet Bruges." For the record, never ever ever ever go to a restaurant with the name of the city you're in and expect something authentic. The place was full of tourists, we were ushered to a table and given menus. The waffles were twice as expensive and when we finally got them, they were nowhere near as good as the first waffles we had purchased.

 The metaphor that best fits is that the first waffles we had were like true love - it was authentic and left me with a warm feeling inside. Meanwhile, these waffles were like watching a chick flick - the "Love" was crunchy, overdone, and halfway through, I only kept going out of an obligation to the money I had spent. 

After our Lame-ffles, we met back up for dinner at 6 with Jenna and Genny. We ended up at a sorta-italian place, the food wasn't too bad. After all this we decided to go back to the hostel for a little, because we heard the nightlife didn't really get going until about 11.

At around 10, we headed out to some of the bar/clubs near Market Square. We ended up having a great time at one called Cathedraak, which had 2 levels, semi-gothic decorations and was clearly sponsored by Bacardi. Our numbers grew as we found more emerson people, but dwindled again later. Eventually around 2 we headed back to the hostel and went to sleep. 

We woke up on sunday, got some breakfast at a very nice (but overpriced), authentic place. I got some crepes, but the waffles were really, really good. Not as good as brussels, but very good nonetheless. Afterward we hopped on our trains/busses and made our way home by 4. 

Overall, it was a great weekend and we're all looking forward to more adventures. Next week I'll be headed to Geneva, Switzerland!

Belgians really know Waffles

This weekend marked our first weekend out in Europe. Technically, our weekend started on Wednesday with American Night at one of the nearby bars. We got the chance to hang out, drink (responsibly) and really bond as a group. Then, after my one class on thursday and dinner at 6, Kristen, Cait, Genevieve, Jenna and I hopped onto a bus to Venlo, and then a train to Brussels. After arriving at 12:30 am, we realized that their "Tram" was no longer running. After being pursued by a crazy lady -  "Is Capital, Is Capital!" - we ran up the escalator and hailed a couple cabs nearby. One spoke english, so we had the other driver follow him and we arrived at our first hostel around 1. The 5 of us shared a room, but unfortunately there had been a 6th guy asleep when we arrived. We got ready all stealth-like, but no one could have anticipated the super squeaky bed frames. poor sleeping guy. 

Fast Forward to the next morning.

We went into the city pretty early, walked around and experienced the culture. We went to see the Manikin Pis (Peeing Boy) Fountain, which is exactly what it sounds like. The legend is a man lost his child in a crowd, only to find him peeing on a fire at the city walls. Supposedly it was set to burn the entire city, but in putting it out, the boy was a hero. It's a pretty awesome story, even though I doubt its truth. 

But the best part of this street was right next door, at a little waffle stand, where I tasted the most amazing Waffle ever. Really, it was like heaven - Warm and crispy and soft and fluffy inside.... ooh so good. From here we continued to walk around, we gazed at the Grand Palace, which is now a super-ritzy hotel, and eventually got some overpriced sandwiches for lunch. 

Later, we headed to the chocolate museum for 4 euros - it was pretty interesting, definitely worth the money, and we even got some free chocolate out of it. We spoke to a chocolatier who taught us how she makes pralines. Yum.

Anyyyways, we walked some more, saw a few cathedrals, and then headed to the Atomium - a giant Atom built for the world fair in the 50's - be sure to check out the photos to see it, as well as the view from the top. 

From here we took the train out to Brugges and checked into our hostel. We were all very hungry, and eventually settled on an amazing Greek place called "El Greco." Oh man... so good. I almost want to go to greece JUST for the food. Afterward, we went out to a bar, tried a belgian beer, then called it an early night around 12:30. 

To Be Continued.

In the Bathroom, European.

It's the first monday after arriving the Castle, and already I can happily say that everything is amazing.

Now, a quick recap - On Thursday I woke up in my swanky boston hotel room at 4 AM, after passing out after a small soup and pita chips dinner at 6 the night before. I chilled, talked to Kirk since he was the only one online at the time, and eventually got up and ready for everything. A little before 9, I lugged my 100+ pounds of bags to the lobby of Emerson's Little Building. 

    "Luggage" finally makes sense to me. 

Anyways, from here, we sat around hearing about what exactly was going to happen in the next 24 hours. Then we got a 90 minutes to take care of some last minute things, so I decided to walk around boston a bit. I stopped in for lunch at a place called B. Goode, a specialty hamburger place on Newbury street. Everything is handmade, and it was pretty good, although I don't think I'd get that particular burger again. It certainly wasn't as good as 5 Guys. 

After that, we had a brief time-killer lecture about Anne Frank and Edie... Edie something. The name escapes me and Google isn't helping right now.  Anyways, then we went to the airport, got on the plane, where I promptly fell asleep. Thank god I was still on Israeli time, it saved me from jet lag. 

After another 3 hour bus ride, we arrived at the Castle gates and it finally hit me - I'm in Europe! 

The last few days have been a mix of orientation, meeting people/socializing, getting accustomed to our new home. It's a freakin' castle. When I got here, I didn't quite know what to expect, but its truly amazing. I think I'll go take some pictures between my classes tomorrow, just to capture the essence of the Kasteel in all its glory. 

Oh right! Today we had our first classes. I woke up at 9, got showered, got a small breakfast and went to Art History: Renaissance at 10. It's amazing how Duckers (the Duke) is able to make it all so clear and engaging at the same time.  Then after lunch at 11:30, it was time for Literary Foundations with Karen Lindsay - another very cool teacher. She clearly knows what she's talking about and loves her job and what she teaches, which is always awesome to see. Then after a 15 minute break, it was time for Intercultural Communication with Chester Lee. This class seems interesting, but I don't feel like Chester is as knowledgeable as Rob and Karen were. Still, the class isn't pointless.  My only other NEW class is Visual society, which I have for 3 and a half hours tomorrow - fortunately there's a break for dinner from 6:15 - 7:00. 

So that's my life right now. American Dan is ready to see the world. 

Jews should stick to EATING chinese food.

Our final day was spent in Tel Aviv. Most memorably, Adam, Steph and I took some time and wandered the streets and the open air markets. They were pretty impressive, and we got some fantastic deals. Steph got a skirt for $7, I got some pomegranate seeds for a dollar or two, and adam snagged some jerusalem bread for a couple shekels. Overall, a great experience. 

Untilllllll...

Dinner was at a chinese food restaurant, run entirely by white jews. This is not a good idea. See, just because you ENJOY a certain kind of food, doesn't mean  you can make it well. That said, after our lame Chinese food experience and Steph's allergic reaction to the pineapple in her dessert, we went back to the hotel and talked about our feelings about this trip. Everyone was very positive, and it was a great way to end the excursion. About half-way through I started feeling uncomfortable, and by the time I made it back to my room I passed out in exhaustion and stomach pains. Adam woke me back up a few times, finally getting me up long enough to pack my bags. Then at 2 am I fell asleep again. I woke up at 7 the next morning feeling much better and we all went to breakfast. Then we left for the airport and got onto a 12 hour flight to NYC. 

CamelCamelCamelCaramelCamelCamel

After we woke up at the Bedouin campsite, we got some breakfast, then rode on camels. oh yes, you read correctly. CAMELS. C-to-the-A-to-the-M-E-L, CAMELS. 

side note - Camel is just a weird word when you read it over and over again. CamelCamelCamel.

also, Caramel Camels would be an awesome candy. Get on that, Willy Wonka. 

From here, we drove out, took a hike to a "secluded desert pool" which was more or less just a tiny body of water. The hike was pretty fun though, we even got to do some rock climbing! 

Drive drive drive, look around out the windows, rappel down a crater...

Oh right. We rappelled into a crater! It only took a couple of minutes, and we only could go 3 or so at a time, but it was an amazing view. 

Finally, we drove the last leg to Tel Aviv. It was pretty late, and we were all exhausted so getting to the hotel rooms became our priority. Then after everyone showered and rested up, several of us went out on the town. After a little bit of bar-hopping, a few of us came back at around 12:30. Then it was bed time before our final day in Israel. 

I Guess the Bedouins make their own Kool-Aid...

Today,  we started our day waaaaay too early, around 4:30, and drove about an hour to ascend Masada. Without a doubt, this was the most exercise I had gotten all week - by the end of the trek I was sufficiently sweaty, but not entirely exhausted. From the top, we did a little exploring, along with some education about the history of Masada. I won't lie, I got much more out of walking around the rocky stairways and looking out over the canyon than I did from the history lesson.

From here, we had a quick lunch, then traveled onward to David Ben Gurion's burial site. I actually found this history lesson to be much more interesting! Ben Gurion really was a fascinating person, someone I could see myself looking to for inspiration. 

From here we drove to the Negev Desert to experience life with the nomadic Bedouins. After an introductory speech from one of the Bedouin men running the campsite, we had a feast of chicken, pita, rice, hummus and deliciousness. Oddly enough, the drinks they served us were reminiscent of Kool-Aid, but what do I know?

After the feast, we had a bonfire which turned into a bunch of American and Israeli jews gathering to sing pop songs from the 80's and 90's. I can't complain, it was actually very nice. 

Finally, it was bed time, where we all gathered into a giant tent and slept together. (wink wink)

 

Israel's not all Fun and Falafel

Today we went to "Har Herzl", a famous Israeli cemetery. We walked around and saw the graves of political figures and war heroes, but it wasn't until we got to the military graves that everything really hit me. Everyone in Israel has to serve for 3 years after they turn 18, so there were plenty of graves marking 18, 19, and 20 year olds. It was a little hard to think about, considering how many graves there were, but we got through it. The soldiers were pretty visibly shaken, but they seemed to be doing alright by lunch time.

On a positive note, it was a really awesome looking graveyard - lots of great floral decorations and interesting architecture.

Anyways, from there we went to Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust Museum.

Side Note - This was NOT a happy day.

walking around the museum, seeing everything they had, it was a little, well, alot overwhelming. There was just so much to see, so many testimonials, I wish we'd had more than 2 hours. Maybe someday I'll get a chance to go back, or I could just go to the one in DC.

better yet, no more museums for a while.

Spell Check doesn't work on Transliterations

The Last couple days have been spent in Jerusalem, living in the beautiful Shalom Hotel. On the first morning in Jerusalem, we met 6 soldiers from various factions of the Israeli army. Together we all went to an open marketplace to buy food for our picnic lunch. With Maya, one of the soldiers, in my ear, I was able to order some Jerusalem bread and pita from a vendor! Its hard not to feel accomplished when people can understand you in a foreign language. 

From here, we drove to Old City Jerusalem, doing a walking tour and eventually ending up at the Western Wall. It was actually a pretty amazing experience, being at the wall, even in the rain. Unfortunately there were a few over-zealous orthodox jews pestering our group for tzedakah and "suggesting" we wear teffilin. (damn you, spell check!) I had hoped for a strong religious experience, but it was hard to focus when in the corner of my eye I could see my friends being poked and prodded by the "men in black."

Afterward we headed back to the hotel, celebrated shabbat with a nice dinner and a short service. Then, since it was only 8 or 9 PM, we were left to do... well, to do whatever college kids do in foreign countries with a lowered drinking age. 

On Shabbat we got to sleep in and went out into the city around 11 or 12 on a walking tour. It felt weird being a large group walking through these quiet neighborhoods, especially with Adam and Kenny talking about figuring out the scores from the football games the night before. Still though, it was humbling to experience an entirely different culture just in seeing how much shuts down on the Sabbath. We came back to the hotel for a havdallah service and then all left for Jerusalem. 

Shwarma. Oh My God, Shwarma is potentially the greatest food ever. Kenny had been talking about it for days, and when Adam and I, Shwarma virgins, finally had it... wow. We were truly amazed. It occurs to me that we didn't get any pictures of the Shwarma, but they wouldn't have done it justice. I love Shwarma. 

Shwarma - thin slices of hot lamb on top of lettuce, hummus, cucumber, and french fries, all wrapped in a pita. AMAZING. 

After our culinary experience, we wandered the streets and spent time soaking in the culture. It got pretty cold, and by 11 we were ready to head back to the hotel when the bus arrived to take us there. 

Not every day earns a witty title.

We started off the day in Tzfat, the birthplace of Jewish Mysticism. Walking the stone streets, visiting the old, small synagogues, seeing the awesome candles in the candle shop - it was all pretty awesome. I learned that to the mystics, blue is a protective color and as a result its painted onto everything. Seriously - EVERYTHING. There was blue cement on some of the stone walls!

From here we went to the village of Peki'in, walked around a little and went to a Druze tent for lunch. The Druze are a subset of christianity and judaism, following the teachings of Jericho, but i'll be honest - that didn't really matter to me. Fact of the matter is, they made an AMAZING lunch. hummus, pita, sliced beef, chicken, wild rice, vegetables - it was a feast, and we loved every bite. 

Of course, all good things must end, so after the feast we drove to Jerusalem for the birthright Mega Event. 

I'll keep this part short - after a 3 hour bus ride, we arrived just in time. It was about 50,000 birthright participants from all over the world gathering in this auditorium, screaming and shouting, hootin' and hollerin'. 

It was a little overwhelming. 

Still Though, a decent event, but we were all ready to crash when it was over. We drove out to our hotel, waited in the lobby to get our room keys, then went upstairs to sleep. 

Day 3, DONE.

"Eifo Ha Sherutim"

After a much needed sleep, we got up around 7 for breakfast at the hostel. Eggs, toast, Cream Cheese, Cereal, nothing out of the ordinary, except for the cold fish. Eww. Someone said that it was probably herring, all I know is it was NOT yummy. 

From here, we hopped onto the bus for our second hike. On the way there, Yuval taught us our phrase of the day, as seen in the title, which means "where is the bathroom?"

  This hike  started at the top of a look-out, and after a brief history lesson regard the 6 day war and the Yom Kippur War, we descended down along a canyon - incredible views and actually a pretty solid hike. 

Fast Forward after lunch, and we traveled to the Yarden Winery - a world class, award winning winery in the Golan Heights. After a brief film and a tour, we had a tasting. Then several of us bought bottles of wine as gifts for our parents... or ourselves. More about that later. 

After the winery, we went to a hot spring - everyone went swimming, relaxed in what can only be described as a big, smelly hot tub.  Turns out the hot spring is heated by sulfur. Smelly, Smelly Sulfur. 

At this point, we went back to the hostel and spent the night relaxing and bonding as a group. Some of the gift bottles of wine didn't make it back to the states, but everyone had a great night. 

Overall, the whole group really bonded and it was great to see everyone getting along so easily.  Its true what they say about jews - we just don't seem to hesitate when it comes to making new friends. 

Sleeping Pills Don't Work

Read the title, because if there's anything I learned today, that's it. 

We left for Newark from Steph's house around 8 AM, arriving at the airport and meeting our group around 10. From there we waited in line, went through customs/security and got some food before the flight. 

 Side Note - Israeli Customs loves to ask strange questions. "What was the name of your Synagogue?" Ok, I guess its sorta relevant.

So after a brief ice-breaking name game to pass the time before we boarded our flight, we walked onto what turned out to be the coolest plane I've ever been on. In seat TVs with On Demand style movies, TV shows, Music and Video Games is AWESOME for a 10 hour flight. We even figured out how to make seat-to-seat calls, which would have been cooler if Adam and Steph weren't right next to me. Adam and I were able to play against each other in Tetris though, which made everything even better.  About an hour into the flight, we popped our Over-The-Counter sleeping pills and I sat back with The Simpsons Movie in hopes of sleep. 

No Such Luck. 

What ended up happening was the three of us couldn't get comfortable enough to stay asleep for more than 30 minutes. Trying to fall asleep is almost exhausting by itself.

At 7 AM Israeli time (Midnight in Maryland), we touched down and got on a bus. We drove out to a beautiful hostel in Northern Israel, near the Golan Heights. We went to our rooms, cleaned up, and had lunch until about 2 pm.

From here we went on a hike down a mountain, which was great until around 5 pm when being awake for 24 hours started to catch up with me. Adam will vouch that Dan says some weird things and stops making sense when he's exhausted. 

We drove home at this point and I passed out on my bed until 7, when we had dinner. Then we all met for a brief discussion about being Jewish in Israel, what we hoped to get out of the trip, What it meant to be Jewish in general, etc. It was interesting to get so many different perspectives, and there seemed to be some common bonds connecting all of us together. 

After this, it was about 9 PM, about 10 of us went down to the convenience store/bar at the hostel, had a beer and went to sleep. 

Day 1 was looooooong, but a great start to the trip.