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General Category => General Talk => Topic started by: the_bub_from_the_pit on January 06, 2010, 05:26:51 pm

Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: the_bub_from_the_pit on January 06, 2010, 05:26:51 pm
I just came back from a trip to Israel, it was really incredible. Figured some of you might be interested in seeing the photos. I was really lucky and got a completely FREE trip to go there on a program called Birthright. (The program believes it is every Jew's right (by blood) to see their homeland -- a really incredible program).

--

Beginning of my trip. An Israeli shopkeeper who sold a variety of sunflower seeds and nuts asked me to take a picture of him. It made him really happy.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4250656015_353a217e94.jpg)


Northern Israel, an area notorious for being  bombed. Many of the buildings lie in ruins. I  was mostly on a bus for this, so I was unable to capture a lot of the abandoned schools and buildings full of graffiti.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4251429328_de1101bc1d.jpg)


The Golan Heights, located in Northern Israel.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2708/4251429842_1507ab5090.jpg)


Golan Heights.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4250657279_78b1276753_o.jpg)


Mount Bental, an ancient extinct volcano located in the Golan Heights, now used as an Israeli bunker. Used to be a Syrian bunker until Israel captured it in the 6 day war after Syria invaded. A key strategic point as it overlooks Syria, located only 60 km away.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4251430748_78a982cb62.jpg)


Syria. The right half of the snow-peaked mountain is Syria, the left (with less snow) is the Israeli border.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4250658095_d49b3960f2.jpg)


scenic view

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2567/4250658487_c14d78f3c3.jpg)


A little hike I enjoyed early in the morning at the Kibbutzim I was staying at.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4250658775_05df7c390d.jpg)


A bunker in one of the houses at the Kibbutz where I stayed. We were given a tour by one of the locals, a very typical Israeli man who would every so often mutter under his breath, "and every so often we have to get into the bunkers when rockets come down," ever so casually and continue on with another subject.

The Kibbutz itself is a very interesting small society. There are still a few scattered over the North of Israel. A perfectly socialist community in which all property and food is communally owned. If an individual possesses a piece of property that another does not (and is thus "richer" than the other) they must give it up to the community, where it would be placed where all may use it (an example of this is a piano).
All decisions are thoroughly democratic (for example, say someone wanted to increase their property and build another room it would have to go through a community panel).

Kibbutz were very popular near the time when Israel was created, as the whole country was poor and these communities allowed individuals to pool their resources and wealth together. Today, a very small minority lives in them as the country has become far richer.
(Also, I don't know how but the grass is SO GREEN EVERYWHERE)

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4250659471_27f48d5071.jpg)


There is no piece of land unused in Israel. The North is littered with farm fields all around. With such little land to use, it's imperative to use every piece of viable land possible.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4250660043_121cc7ce87.jpg)


Lebanese border, only a few hundred meters away from the location of where the Second Lebanese War broke out. Small sticks used to mark the border. Today, an electric fence followed by another fence protect the border.

A completely surreal experience sitting atop this mountain in complete silence and hearing dozens of Lebanese minorettes blasting early morning prayer in the distance.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4251433482_a02d05b554.jpg)

A synagogue in the ancient city of Tzfat.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4250661133_731d81827d.jpg)

Tzfat.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4251434442_cfcbd9c038.jpg)

Tzfat.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/4250662169_e0abc1c0a2.jpg)

Tzfat.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4251435418_87e69a738e.jpg)

Tzfat.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4250663001_7cb1810cfe.jpg)


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2706/4250663315_3f7825b435.jpg)


A nature conservatory in Northern Israel where hundreds of thousands of birds migrate through every year. Here, they are tagged. In this photo, a popular spot for cranes to amass (there were literally tens of thousands of them in this field).

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2801/4250663721_ba3db8ed53.jpg)


A bench in the ancient city of Caesarea, once a huge port city controlled by the Romans.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4250664085_bf395d72df.jpg)


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4251437132_74316939b5.jpg)


one of the few pictures I have of myself

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4250664593_4a623cf2cc.jpg)


Caesarea (what I believe may be oil rigs in the distance).

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4251437744_783f8b1695.jpg)


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2732/4251438030_89e50c6fe8.jpg)


An apartment building in a small suburb in Tel Aviv.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4251438634_90f0849e7b.jpg)

A Chinese mother and daughter, waiting for an operation by a humanitarian organization Save a Child's Heart. Run by several heart surgeons, they voluntarily operate and save many children who are in critical condition and do not have the money for heart surgery in their home country.

Since the mother could only speak around 10 words of English and my Chinese is very elementary, it was really difficult to communicate, so I cannot say where exactly they are from. The most I got was a rural village/city in Eastern China. Taking this photo made them unbelievably happy, I'm going to e-mail it to them soon.

If I recall correctly, over 40% of the patients from SACH are Palestinian children.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2741/4251438994_fc344158ff.jpg)

An old man in Tel Aviv

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2786/4250666603_352517a459.jpg)


Israel is littered with interesting graffiti (for example I remember one saying "Know Hope").
This one refers to a very touristy street just a few meters away (this is located in an alley nearby), where a large marketplace boasts hundreds of small shops selling souvenirs.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4250666935_1eb826e1cc.jpg)

My tour guide, a very interesting character and an excellent teacher. In this picture, he is pointing to his grandmother's name on a monument commemorating the Jewish families who founded Tel Aviv more than a hundred years ago.

Where Tel Aviv lies now used to be large sand dunes, and these early pioneers envisioned a great city for where Jews and Arabs could co-exist as Jaffa's streets (where most people at the time were living) were very narrow and cramped.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/4250667263_4cb103cc62.jpg)

Formerly known as Kings of Israel Square (every surrounding street is named after a king), Rabin Square is a large public square which today is the most popular protest area in Tel Aviv.

Today it is named after Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in the square in 1995 (I still remember it to this day, this was when I still lived in Tel Aviv) for attempting peace talks with the Palestinians, which the ultra-orthodox were extremely against. The rally was a sign of massive support for the talks (the Oslo peace process).

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4250667719_3f9703d4b2.jpg)


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4251441032_a11dd6ffbd.jpg)


A fellow russian jew I met on the trip
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2780/4251441306_df8f9f079b.jpg)


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4250668971_0a0a8fa4b3.jpg)


Ceremony celebrating Israeli soldiers end of 3 weeks of training. After a speech they are handed their guns back as well as a Tanakh. We were very lucky to stumble upon it by chance.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4250669345_1336146619.jpg)


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2661/4250669895_0bf5717592.jpg)


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2759/4250670297_d81c33ca2b.jpg)


lacoste pizza? wha?

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2799/4250670695_9f40f8d27f.jpg)


Aroma, a great coffee shop that can be found all over Israel (also the reason for why Starbucks failed in Israel).

They opened two stores in Toronto (I've been to them before, but never knew they were Israeli!), highly recommend it.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4251443938_01895fc0f6.jpg)


The Negev Desert, picture taken from atop a camel.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2684/4251444272_911db6b5fb.jpg)


A Bedouin roasting coffee beans in a tent in the Negev Desert.

The Bedouins are an interesting nomadic Arab minority that can still be found in Israel. They hold good relations with the government, some even serving in the IDF.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4251444730_498b07de6e.jpg)


Bedouin tent where I slept for a night. Not a very comfortable place especially with the harsh winter desert nights (though nowhere nearly as bad as Canada).

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4251445216_362488e19f.jpg)


A Bedouin in the Negev desert, watching over his camels.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2718/4246046492_9375541cd0.jpg)


A wall in the ancient mountaintop city and fortress Masada. A famous historical site of the Jewish revolt against the Roman empire in the 1st century CE. Some 960 or so Jews committed suicide (rather than being taken captive) once the Romans built a giant ramp (still seen today) and began to lay siege.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2749/4251445490_d7625d69b8.jpg)


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4251445998_9d4b0c93f2.jpg)


The Dead Sea

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4250673485_62886151e1.jpg)


A bike that was left behind on the Dead Sea, now encrusted with salt.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4250674083_7342051187.jpg)


The Dead Sea shrinks a large amount every year. Today lies barren rock where once was a beautiful sea.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2783/4251447430_901b4c7965.jpg)


A cat gazes over Jerusalem.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4251447816_7840137690.jpg)


Arab quarter of Jerusalem.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4250675387_16ca6d5649.jpg)


Jerusalem.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/4251448732_e7991e970e.jpg)


Jerusalem.

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/4250676217_448a9fb7fc.jpg)


The Western Wall (Wailing Wall), located in the Old City, Judaism's holiest site.

Visitors to the wall are divded by gender, the left (a much larger area) is dedicated to men, and on the right (not seen in the photo) the women are able to pray.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4250676821_4318b2685d.jpg)


Mount Herzl, named for Theodor Herzl, father of Zionism. Fallen IDF soldiers are buried here, as well as several Israeli leaders (such as Rabin)

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4251450312_1b226b83c3.jpg)


Shlomi, an Israeli soldier that I was fortunate enough to have as my roomate for 5 nights. Commander of a unit currently deployed in the Gaza strip that specializes in disarming IEDs.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4249456886_4a6ed29719.jpg)
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Death Gulp on January 06, 2010, 05:32:33 pm
those pictures are really impressive and i would give anything to get to travel right now, although $$ is an issue.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: the_bub_from_the_pit on January 06, 2010, 05:48:39 pm
Quote from: Death Gulp on January 06, 2010, 05:32:33 pm
those pictures are really impressive and i would give anything to get to travel right now, although $$ is an issue.

same, which is why i'm so lucky to have gone. apparently it costs them around 5-6000 per person. i can't even describe how awesome the trip was, there was not a single moment in which we were not doing something. birthright is seen very positively in israel, so in areas where it may take someone half a day to get a ticket to see something, so long as we say "birthright" we are given instant access. I've also never eaten so well for 10 days straight in my life.

oh, another thing i didn't include in this set is the Holocaust museum because we weren't allowed to take pictures, but it is very very powerful.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: crone_lover720 on January 06, 2010, 06:07:19 pm
cool neat, nice And Good Pics.

so you're saying if I convert to judaism I still can't go? do you have to swear to uphold zionism?
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: im_so_tired on January 06, 2010, 06:10:35 pm
these photos are awesome! it makes me wanna travel realllly badly :)
do you feel closer to adonai?

also:
this is beautiful did you photoshop it to get the shallow depth of field? that's hard to get with so much light.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: the_bub_from_the_pit on January 06, 2010, 06:23:32 pm
No photoshop for any depth of field. I basically use 3 lenses and they're all very fast so I could get a shallow DoF if I want to. I really like how that one turned out, too!

earl: No, you have to be jewish by blood, which is why they don't care if you're religious or not (ie me). You don't even have to support Israel, but it'd be very hard to get along with almost everyone on the trip and you'd be the idiot yelling shit out during every history lesson (which was surprisingly objective, we had a great tour guide).
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: ThugTears666 on January 06, 2010, 07:22:37 pm
I've been before it's fuckin awesome, the Bedouins are really interesting. I think we did a massive hike to find them. Did you have an awesome roast meal with a huge platter of food?


Also did they tell you a story where they tell it using a beat from coffee beans?
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: `~congresman Ron paul~~ on January 06, 2010, 07:44:48 pm
wow! israel is prettier than i thought.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Swordfish on January 06, 2010, 08:24:28 pm
huh, so i could do this too? *shrug* i'm not that interested in going to israel tbh, i don't like hot climates that much.

Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: JMickle on January 06, 2010, 08:31:55 pm
part of me wants to quote the picture of you and write 'yah you look like a jew' but man those photos are absolutely beautiful, man. some of them really amazed me.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Mince Wobley on January 06, 2010, 08:36:45 pm
Quote
No, you have to be jewish by blood

How do they find that out, do they test mitochondrial dna or something? Or do you just have to have a pedigree?
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: ThugTears666 on January 06, 2010, 08:41:21 pm
When I saw that you'd posted here I knew you'd say something like that. I know how they do it but I don't wanna get suuuuucked into a discussion
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Mince Wobley on January 06, 2010, 08:44:03 pm
I don't want a discussion just an answer
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: big ass skelly on January 06, 2010, 09:40:58 pm
They make you send a passport-sized photograph showing your hook nose and greedy eyes
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: ThugTears666 on January 06, 2010, 09:50:48 pm
shouldn't you be playing your Nintendo ds lol
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: big ass skelly on January 06, 2010, 09:56:15 pm
>.> If you read the topic you'd know I need games before I can play ¬_¬ stop flaming -.- reported to mods .__.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: ThugTears666 on January 06, 2010, 10:03:24 pm
:fogetrolleyes: Nintendo fans are so defensive
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Frisky SKeleton on January 06, 2010, 10:05:29 pm
the wailing wall looks massive. how was it in terms of cleanliness? i heard one of the great things about that sort of desert area is that it feels really clean, but your pictures make it look kinda grubby.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Sludgelord on January 06, 2010, 10:13:55 pm
why don't they just rebuild the temple of solomon? i mean they've got like a fourth of it just sitting there, they wouldn't need to cry about it if they just rebuilt it..!!
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Frisky SKeleton on January 06, 2010, 10:27:09 pm
LOL they wouldn't cry about it, i take it you've never met a jew!!!!
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: DS on January 06, 2010, 11:04:20 pm
man, those photos are awesome. now i wanna go to israel!
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: the_bub_from_the_pit on January 07, 2010, 03:22:03 am
Quote from: Afura on January 06, 2010, 07:22:37 pm
I've been before it's fuckin awesome, the Bedouins are really interesting. I think we did a massive hike to find them. Did you have an awesome roast meal with a huge platter of food?


Also did they tell you a story where they tell it using a beat from coffee beans?

haha yeah, that thing with the horsetracks, right?

Quote from: Mince Wobley on January 06, 2010, 08:36:45 pm
How do they find that out, do they test mitochondrial dna or something? Or do you just have to have a pedigree?

you need a letter from the jewish community verifying it, or they trace back your family tree
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: the_bub_from_the_pit on January 07, 2010, 03:24:09 am
Quote from: Frisky SKeleton on January 06, 2010, 10:05:29 pm
the wailing wall looks massive. how was it in terms of cleanliness? i heard one of the great things about that sort of desert area is that it feels really clean, but your pictures make it look kinda grubby.

Desert area? Are you asking about the desert or the Wailing Wall?

The Wailing Wall is extremely clean - when I looked on the floor I couldn't find a single piece of litter or cigarette butt or anything. If you're asking about the Negev desert it's just full of rocks and shrubs with the occasional cigarettes near settlements.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Frisky SKeleton on January 07, 2010, 03:36:44 am
oh it was two seperate things
1) the wailing wall is massive
2) how was israel in terms of cleanliness

i had just figured the main reason why it was so clean is because everything is sand rather than DIRT, but i guess israel is right next to the ocean and inbetween two rivers maybe???
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Parker on January 07, 2010, 03:51:08 am
Wow, man. REALLY impressive pictures! I envy your travels. Seriously, that's amazing.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Terrorantula on January 07, 2010, 03:55:34 am
Mazel Tov to Bub for having made Aliyah. I'm too old for Birthright now- it's mainly for HS students if I remember aright-= but perhaps I'll go to Israel someday- my attitude has changed a bit.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: ThugTears666 on January 07, 2010, 04:07:42 am
Tel Aviv beach is kinda dirty Climbtree but its still beautiful, just alot of people.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Sapsuker on January 07, 2010, 04:12:17 am
these are such great pictures. i am jealous of your ability to take pictures and to travel.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Frisky SKeleton on January 07, 2010, 05:12:55 am
Quote from: Afura on January 07, 2010, 04:07:42 am
Tel Aviv beach is kinda dirty Climbtree but its still beautiful, just alot of people.

yeah but does the place feel exceptionally clean? people always hassle me when i say i'm not interested in travel so i decided if i were to travel just for kicks or whatever, israel/egypt is where i'd like to go and the main draw was that it's meant to feel really clean.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: ThugTears666 on January 07, 2010, 05:16:37 am
I wouldn't say it's overly clean compared to New Zealand, that is a weird question.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: im_so_tired on January 07, 2010, 05:24:03 am
isn't singapore supposed to be very clean? go there climbtree. that is a weird stipulation for traveling though.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Frisky SKeleton on January 07, 2010, 07:50:52 am
singapore is tidy, the desert is meant to feel clean and it makes sense! between the sand and the sun very little can live. besides that israel and egypt have some really old places.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Boosh!!! on January 07, 2010, 09:24:27 am
 Those are some really great pictures.
Title: so i just went to israel
Post by: Massy2k6 on January 07, 2010, 03:38:56 pm
Do you have a larger resolution for the salty bike picture by any chance?