Finally arrived!

We left Minneapolis Tuesday afternoon around 2:00 and almost missed our connection in Detroit (ran through the airport to make it). We landed in New York and walked right into another boarding line. Luckily, though we were delayed a day my new seat assignment from JFK to Tel Aviv was in business class. What a delight! Spacious, better food and a small down comforter and a full-size pillow. What luck!

Even better luck was that my luggage actually made it all the way to Tel Aviv with me (not so with all of the travelers in our group). Once the other part of our group arrived from Paris (we couldn't all get on the same flights) we found the bus and headed toward Jerusalem. I keep having to remind myself that I'm in Israel. It seems very unreal.

Our guide, Carol Ann, is very knowledgeable and her commentary on the drive was an interesting mix of Biblical history and geologic history. We drove right between settlements in the West Bank on the way to Jerusalem--enclosed by high walls and barbed wire and patrolled by Israeli checkpoints. All Israeli citizens are required to complete military service so there was no shortage of guards.

Our first stop in Jerusalem was, believe it or not, the Brigham Young University Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Since we arrived around 6:00 after it closed, we got special permission to enter and take a look at the terrace, but couldn't step out. The center is located on a hillside overlooking Jerusalem and is absolutely gorgeous. Even at night we could see the Dome on the Rock and the King David Hotel from the Center. The Center hosts up to 170 students (must be enrolled at a BYU campus) each semester. It's a beautiful, clean campus and located in a wonderful area.

Then, we wound our way through Jerusalem to the St. Charles Convent Hospice. The whole way to the hospice Carol Ann was describing where we were--it's amazing to be in a part of the world that is so ancient and so unknown to me. I certainly am no Biblical scholar but hearing her rattle off names that seem mythical was really quite amazing.

Tomorrow we're back to Tel Aviv and when we return to Jerusalem we should have time to stop at the Holocaust museum...