Day One: Welcome to the Motherland

After an exhausting 12 hour flight to Israel, we finally touched ground in Israel. Though sleep- deprived and slowly adjusting to the new time schedule, we exchanged our money, received our Israeli cell phones, and boarded the tour bus. We were introduced to Yair, a former paratrooper in the IDF, but now serving as the Security Guard/medic. Our first destination- Caesarea. The newer area features grand mansions and views of the Mediterranean Sea. The bus took us to the ancient section of Caesarea. Yoni, aka John from Brooklyn, also the tour guide for this trip, first showed the Rutgers students a stone theater constructed by the Romans in 66 BCE. Through the greatly preserved ruins, we could easily see the coliseum-like style, that theater-goers would flock to view lighthearted shows and comedy acts. The next stop was a recently excavated amphitheater that originally served as an arena for chariot races. It was later converted into a battleground for gladiator fights. Sitting in the ampitheater, we could see Herod's palace, which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. The final stop in Caesarea was the Buthusian exhibit, where Yoni explained that Caesarea was originally built as a port city. Over time, the Nile River deposited mounds of sand and the Russians built a damn that prevented the sand from entering. We boarded the bus and departed to Zichron Yaa'acov, the first town established after the first wave of aliyot. We were able to explore this small village and have lunch. We sampled the local cuisine of shwarma and falafel sandwiches, and cooled down from the heat with a gelatto. The food was yummy and was a great introduction to the Israeli culture. At the conclusion of lunch, our group boarded the bus to check-in at the hotel for dinner. After a tiring afternoon in the heat,we took well-deserved naps during the entire ride to the hotel! Over and out until next time, Steph R and Mollie K!