Road Riffs (or Blackberry Bus Blogging)

Heading North towards Galilee, the Golan Heights, and the northern part of the West Bank.

Every speaker thus far has talked without notes. Very impressive.

At one point, Israel is just nine miles wide. Think Mt.Vernon to Alexandria.

Nearly all Israelis speak English (along w Hebrew and, often one or two more languages. Some of our speakers have thick accents, but their English is better than my Hebrew (as in I don't have any).

Seeing the minarets of the mosques is beautiful. Yet weird. We're on the West Bank right now.

In a land of strange juxtapositions, left a modern settlement started in the 1980s and looking like Scottsdale AZ. On the way down the hills, passed both a sheepherder (and his sheep) along w a goatherder (and his goats). They were both wearing throwback uniforms that looked more like the time of Jesus than the time of Hugo Boss.


Food is so amazing I skipped breakfast and ate the Kiwi in the room.

The folks at AIEF worked the weather well. It poured on Tuesday, which was a day chock full of meetings. The days outside have been beautiful. Good work on the weather!

The group has bonded pretty well, having rollicking discussions about American politics.

Camel sightings!!!

The folks at AIEF know what they are doing. Great program, impressive speakers. Only two suggestions thus far -- one less speaker on Tuesday, and have tissues on the bus after Yad Vashem. (More on that later).

On my run this morning, went past the bar that was bombed next to the American Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Settlements here aren't what I expected to see. And, it's like a Century 21 ad -- location, location, location!