Heading South

From Tiberias I took a bus to Jerusalem, my first time setting foot there, though this time I didn't stay long. My friend Anne a recent immigrant from America met me at the bus station and took me to her home. She was helping lead a concert by youth ensembles in her community, about 30 minutes outside the city. There were two string ensembles (that was Anne's part), a percussion ensemble and a chorus which sang Israeli songs (shir Israeli). The kids performed twice and were even better the second time as they warmed up.

Next time I come here, I might be less hesitant about moving from place to place. It turns out to be quite easy to get around Israel on the bus, and everybody does it. The buses I've been on are usually pretty full, you hear four or five languages being spoken. Generally there is at least one soldier in uniform carrying a fearsome sidearm. These are a sight as common as pita bread, date palms and olive trees and you get used to it.

From Anne's house we took a bus to Eilat, at the very southern tip of Israel. Israel narrows down to a point here on the Red Sea. From the beach you can see Jordan on your left, and Egypt on your right.