Israel for Beginners

  Who would have thought that you could take a boat ride on the Dead Sea?  But one tour operator does exactly this.  In addition to learning about the geology of this special place (including the real reason for its diminishing state), this ride is just plain fun - including standing on salt islands and taking solidified salt rocks home. Dead Sea Boats - Orit 0524333050 OR Jacky 0524398931

Sometimes a cultural experience here in Israel is so well-done and world class that it makes me happy that I live here. Last night's performance of Verdi's opera, Nabucco, conducted by Daniel Oren at Masada certainly did the trick. The experience is not for the faint of heart. The opera began at 10 PM and ended at approximately 1 AM. There were three ways of getting there and back: By bus, by buying a hotel package at one of the Dead Sea hotels or by driving. We opted for the bus option which meant that we left Tel Aviv at around 5 PM and did not return until 4 AM. And, being that Masada is located in the desert, it was quite a warm evening. Finally, the seating in a temporary open-air theater was not the most comfortable. Notwithstanding all the inconveniences, the event was extremely well-organized from start to finish with some very nice touches such as the distribution of fans, seat cushions and ices. The space outside the theater was set up with couches, tables an...