Today we got to sleep in. Breakfast at the hotel is from 6:30 to 10:00am and yes we slept in but we did make it to breakfast. More of the same food...salads, hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, cheeses, fish, for some reason they had pasta and these cooked eggs in a marinara sauce. All of it is good but its weird having salad for breakfast. I'm sure if we ate more vegetables and salads for breakfast in American, Americans wouldn't be so fat.
After breakfast Aaron, Sergio and I walked down the beach just to take a look. Its maybe 10:30 am and the sand was hot. Very soft, white sand that is hard to walk in because it moves like silk under your feet. The sand thats near the side walk has some stones and shells and yes some trash so it doesn't look the best. But as you walk away from the hotels towards the water, the sand becomes unbelievable. There are sand volleyball courts, sand soccer courts (with goals) and footvolley courts (don't ask what it is...think about it first) right by our hotel. Now towards the water there are chairs and umbrellas for people to use. At this time there are a fair amount of people walking, running, playing, and sun bathing on the beach. We walk at the waters edge just enough to get our feel wet. The water is a bit cool as it splashes up to us. With the temperature outside reaching over 100 degrees at this time its was very nice to feel the water on our feet.
At 11:00am Sergio had to attend a coaches meeting so we headed back towards our hotel. I was talking to my friends last night and they referred to our hotel as the one that looks like a cruise ship. From a distance the hotel looks like the top 6 decks or so of a ship. Its an odd shape...I will take a picture and post it so you can see what I am talking about.
We met up with some of the guys back at the hotel and we just hung out and rested for the day. Some guys went to the pool and others walked a bit on the beach. But at 12:30pm ( even though we just had breakfast not to long ago) we grabbed a quick lunch and set out for our game against England. (We were given a booklet with 3 tickets for every day. The tickets are for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everything is included and if we miss a meal we miss that meal.)
We are all ready for the game. Everyone is in the lobby, England and US all ready to go. The bus is set to come at 1:00pm and pick us up at the hotel. Well...we sat and sat and sat...we talked to the other team and got to know them a bit. At 1:35 pm the bus showed up. We all got on and set off to the court. As we left the hotel, the bus driver almost hit a pole that holds the hotel together. Kind of funny but really scary. We all thought we were going to hit it...even the bus driver. It took us a bit to get the bus out so we were late to our own game. The best thing about going to the game with your opponent is that if your late, they are late and you don't have to forfeit the game.
We arrived at Marom Nave a little after 2:00pm. We all went inside, changed and got on the court to warm up. The facility had the actual balls we will use for the games so we used those in our scrimmage. To our surprise England wore Orange Jerseys and we were in white. Our team warmed up together and then Sergio set the line up. Aaron in goal, Josh at defense, Ian and Simon at midfield and Mike up top. (Ian Weinberg was named the captain of the team)
We start the game with the ball and start moving it around the court. We came out hard and fast and with in the first 8 to 10 minutes Ian scored our first goal, unassisted. Every player on the team got to play a good amount at this game. We all have the understanding that we will play to win and playing time in not guaranteed. 4 minutes before half time England cut through the defense and slotted the ball in the goal to tie up the game. At half time we worked out some things and pumped everyone up again to take the court.
We played a strong second half and scored again. This time it was Josh who scored to put us one goal up. England stepped up their game and works very hard to get that second goal to tie up the game. They step so far up that with one poke we get a break away and the ball is back in their net. This time the goal was scored by David so we are now up 3-1. England pushes their keeper up to get more of an attack and thats when we take advantage of the open goal with Mike stealing the ball and scoring our 4th goal to win the game 4-1.
Not bad for a team who has only played 1 game and has practice together for 1 week in Israel. I just hope this doesn't give us too much confidence and we go lightly into out other games.
After the game we get back on the bus with the England team and head to the hotel for yes another meal....We change and get ready for shabbot dinner. Now as I am getting ready to go to sleep I just heard that the girls softball team and the girls tennis team and coming to Tel Aviv to visit. I think we will be going out again tonight.
We have nothing planned for tomorrow and we were told that we could not practice because of the sabbath. I guess we will just have to go to the beach and suffer. OH WELL. Its a tough life.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday July 9th
Today we will pack up our stuff and move to the Marina Tel Aviv Hotel. Last night on the way to the Club we drove past the hotel and sow how close it is to the Beach. The hotel looks so cool from the outside....
So we went to bed this morning at about 6:00am. When I turned out the lights the sun was coming up. We called the front desk to get a wake up call for 8:00am so we could pack, get check out and get to the bus by 9:00am. When the phone rang...Aaron, Jeff and myself started getting mad but we all jumped out of bed feeling like a million bucks and get our things together. Every player on the team was packed and eating breakfast by 8:45am. All bags and players were in the bus before 9:00am. Everyone was so on the ball today despite only Kfar Maccabiah again but this time for the closing of precamp and a nice lunch. We get to Kfar about 10:00 and we found that the meeting is set of after lunch and lunch starts at 12:30pm. WE WERE SO MAD!!!!!!
So we did what anyone in our spot would do...we jumped in the pool. We went back to the bus, grabbed our bathing suit and as fast as we could we jumped into the pool.
We were joined by other people we have met since we have been in Israel. Some of the boys were sun bathing with the girls on the soccer team. But before we knew it lunch was about to start.
We walked into the lunch room which was a nice covered patio which looks like something you would use at a very large expensive wedding. Hundreds of tables and lots of food. In the middle of the room was a long table filled with vegetables, salads, and fruit. Past that table against the wall of the room was a 30 food long stretch of desserts. So far we are hooked. And then on both sides of the room, opposite the vegetable table was the main course. Pasta, chicken, potatoes, and green beans. Everything looked amazing...but the food was by far the worst we have had since we arrived in Israel. Oh well....you cant get everything perfect.
After lunch we went to the meeting. At this meeting they announced who was going to be the flag bearers, we were introduced to the American Ambassador to Israel along with the heads of the Maccabi Organization. They talked to us about our responsibilities of being an American athlete in and international competition, our role in the opening ceremonies, and our expectations as the American delegation. It was a nice pump up pep talk and the last time we will see some of our friends in the delegation.
We got back on our bus after saying good by and good luck to our new friends and we headed to our new hotel. We were on the bus with the Table Tennis team, the Beach Volleyball team consisting of 2 guys, and one other team that I can not remember right now. Everyone was dropped off and we were now headed with the Volleyball team to the Marina Hotel.
We finally arrived and checked in. Every futsal team in the tournament except for Russia and Argentina are with us at the Marina Hotel. As soon as we walk in we are greeted by the people in charge of the Futsal tournament (since this is the Futsal headquarters) and they told us we had to get on a bus and go to training. We quickly ran our bags to our rooms and get our gear together for training. We ended up going to Moram Nave which is one of the venues for the tournament...I think we have one game at this location. We ran a few drills got a sweat going and played a bit. We felt very good running around on the court.
We were there for about an hour and then returned to the hotel to rest. Some of the guys went to sleep after we all had dinner. A few guys went to the roof top pool / bar / night club located at our hotel. We were told its a very popular spot...we are so pumped. A few guys went walking around the area to check out whats around us. I went and hung out with a friend of mine from high school who moved out to Israel 9 years ago.
We all found the bed early that evening....we are so tired and run down. Its going to feel good to get some sleep and not have to tour in the morning.
So we went to bed this morning at about 6:00am. When I turned out the lights the sun was coming up. We called the front desk to get a wake up call for 8:00am so we could pack, get check out and get to the bus by 9:00am. When the phone rang...Aaron, Jeff and myself started getting mad but we all jumped out of bed feeling like a million bucks and get our things together. Every player on the team was packed and eating breakfast by 8:45am. All bags and players were in the bus before 9:00am. Everyone was so on the ball today despite only Kfar Maccabiah again but this time for the closing of precamp and a nice lunch. We get to Kfar about 10:00 and we found that the meeting is set of after lunch and lunch starts at 12:30pm. WE WERE SO MAD!!!!!!
So we did what anyone in our spot would do...we jumped in the pool. We went back to the bus, grabbed our bathing suit and as fast as we could we jumped into the pool.
We were joined by other people we have met since we have been in Israel. Some of the boys were sun bathing with the girls on the soccer team. But before we knew it lunch was about to start.
We walked into the lunch room which was a nice covered patio which looks like something you would use at a very large expensive wedding. Hundreds of tables and lots of food. In the middle of the room was a long table filled with vegetables, salads, and fruit. Past that table against the wall of the room was a 30 food long stretch of desserts. So far we are hooked. And then on both sides of the room, opposite the vegetable table was the main course. Pasta, chicken, potatoes, and green beans. Everything looked amazing...but the food was by far the worst we have had since we arrived in Israel. Oh well....you cant get everything perfect.
After lunch we went to the meeting. At this meeting they announced who was going to be the flag bearers, we were introduced to the American Ambassador to Israel along with the heads of the Maccabi Organization. They talked to us about our responsibilities of being an American athlete in and international competition, our role in the opening ceremonies, and our expectations as the American delegation. It was a nice pump up pep talk and the last time we will see some of our friends in the delegation.
We got back on our bus after saying good by and good luck to our new friends and we headed to our new hotel. We were on the bus with the Table Tennis team, the Beach Volleyball team consisting of 2 guys, and one other team that I can not remember right now. Everyone was dropped off and we were now headed with the Volleyball team to the Marina Hotel.
We finally arrived and checked in. Every futsal team in the tournament except for Russia and Argentina are with us at the Marina Hotel. As soon as we walk in we are greeted by the people in charge of the Futsal tournament (since this is the Futsal headquarters) and they told us we had to get on a bus and go to training. We quickly ran our bags to our rooms and get our gear together for training. We ended up going to Moram Nave which is one of the venues for the tournament...I think we have one game at this location. We ran a few drills got a sweat going and played a bit. We felt very good running around on the court.
We were there for about an hour and then returned to the hotel to rest. Some of the guys went to sleep after we all had dinner. A few guys went to the roof top pool / bar / night club located at our hotel. We were told its a very popular spot...we are so pumped. A few guys went walking around the area to check out whats around us. I went and hung out with a friend of mine from high school who moved out to Israel 9 years ago.
We all found the bed early that evening....we are so tired and run down. Its going to feel good to get some sleep and not have to tour in the morning.
Wednesday July 8th
Today marks the last day of our pre camp training. We woke up and grabbed some food for breakfast. We jumped on the bus and headed out to Kfar Maccabiah. This is where the mens and womens teams were staying. It was a nice facility but again the futsal court wasn''t the best. It was hard and an old tennis court. So we played a bit got a nice sweat going and then jumped in the pool.
The bus picked us up again and like every other day we headed back to the hotel for lunch.
So as soon as we got back, I went to see if my laundry was done. I went to pick it up and as it turned out all my clothes were cleaned, folded, and really smelling nice. The best part of it was I wasn't missing anything either. What a deal. It just costs 50 shekels which i think is about $12 maybe. Oh well.
So today was a bit different. We went to get lunch but they didn't have lunch set for us. We were told to get on the bus at 11:15am and we would have lunch on the bus. Everyone was hungry and very tired. We find out that we will be eating not on the bus but in a Druze village up north. The ride is about 2 hours or so and we spend most of that time talking to the softball team and listening to the tour guide.
Finally we show up at the Druze village. A young Druze women gets on our bus to show us the area. Her name is Hanan and no we did not hit on her. She was cute but she told us a story that she could not be involved with someone who is not part of the Druze culture because if she were to marry some out from the outside she would be thrown out of the village and perceived as being dead to her family. Yeah...thats a little heavy and she ended by telling us that you can not convert to be a Druze so we had no chance with her.
We walked from the bus threw the village to where we were going to have lunch. It was a nice little room that looked like a normal living room. One coffee table in the middle of the room and the walls were lined with couches. We sat down and talked about her culture and what its like being in Israel as a Druze Women. After about 20 minutes or so she had the food brought in for all of us. We were set into groups of 4 or 5 and we were given a large medal plate with humus, pita, nan bread with zatar, rice, salad, meat and beans. When we were finished they gave us some cookies and very sweet hot tea.
Our tour guide got us together and we were on our way to the bus again. As we are driving she told us more about the area and where we were heading. We were on our way to the Sea of Galilee also called the Kinneret. We were headed there for a delegation beach bbq. The Galilee is sitting right on the Golan Heights so we are surrounded by nice high mountains so the view of the area was amazing.
We get out of the bus and see the Kinneret. Even though it is called a Sea it is really a very nice size fresh water lake. This body of water, just like the Dead Sea is evaporating. We don't really think about it much. We pick a spot, drop our bags and walk to the waters edge. Thats when it hits us. We see the old docks and the old walkway to the water. They had to extend the walk way about 100 yards or so to reach the new lower water level. The beach is covered in shells and sand. The water is warm but very nice to sit in. They have boats running all over the lake and dragging all kinds of inflatable toys all for us to play with. This is a public area but the only people there are the USA Maccabi teams. We swim in the water and jump off the docks. We ride the banana boats and get thrown off when they turn sharply. There are also some water slides at the park which really makes us question things. Why, if there is a water shortage in Israel, are there so many water parks? Kind of strange right.
We hang out here for a very nice long time. We go in and out of the water, getting sun all day long. We are talking to our new friends wishing them luck in the games and wishing we could have been playing in the water more. This is what we all really wanted to do. Its great walking around Israel and seeing history, but we really enjoy spending time with all the players in the delegation and most of all spending time in the water and not on a bus.
We have dinner and not long after finishing we got back into our bus groups and recapped the week we have spent together. Everyone had a chance to say something about the trip that made an impression on them. It took about 45 minutes but it was nice that the overlying theme of the group was that spending time with Jewish athletes in Israel is an unbelievable experience that we are all very fortunate to be apart of.
We had a nice long day and the only problem is that we had a very long dive back to the hotel. We all fall asleep and as soon as we get back we get changed and head out to catch a cab and go out for the first time.
We hooked up with the girls soccer team at a place called Clara Fashion Club. I can honestly say that I have never been in a place like this before. Its a very large club on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. We had to get chosen to enter the club in the old style of Studio 54....I only know because I sow the movie. So we get to the front of the group and tell them we are part of the USA delegation here for the Maccabiah Games. Thats all we needed to say to get in. I didn't think anything of it but it makes things really cool...at least for us.
We walk into the club and its packed with people everywhere. One of the guys works it out with the bar and we get a table with bottle service. I didn't really know what that meant until he told me thats the only way we can sit down and have our own table with couches...pimp LA style. So we did it up and had a blast dancing and hanging out with everyone. At 3 in the morning people in the club started to leave. Yes, 3 in the morning people started to go home. It was a Wednesday night and our team stayed at the club until 5:00am. We figured we would have some fun since we didn't have training in the morning. I'm telling you....we picked a great team to hang out with....all the boys on the futsal team get a long great and we all enjoy spending time together. I just hope we play that well too.
We are moving to our new hotel in Tel Aviv in the morning...see you then.
The bus picked us up again and like every other day we headed back to the hotel for lunch.
So as soon as we got back, I went to see if my laundry was done. I went to pick it up and as it turned out all my clothes were cleaned, folded, and really smelling nice. The best part of it was I wasn't missing anything either. What a deal. It just costs 50 shekels which i think is about $12 maybe. Oh well.
So today was a bit different. We went to get lunch but they didn't have lunch set for us. We were told to get on the bus at 11:15am and we would have lunch on the bus. Everyone was hungry and very tired. We find out that we will be eating not on the bus but in a Druze village up north. The ride is about 2 hours or so and we spend most of that time talking to the softball team and listening to the tour guide.
Finally we show up at the Druze village. A young Druze women gets on our bus to show us the area. Her name is Hanan and no we did not hit on her. She was cute but she told us a story that she could not be involved with someone who is not part of the Druze culture because if she were to marry some out from the outside she would be thrown out of the village and perceived as being dead to her family. Yeah...thats a little heavy and she ended by telling us that you can not convert to be a Druze so we had no chance with her.
We walked from the bus threw the village to where we were going to have lunch. It was a nice little room that looked like a normal living room. One coffee table in the middle of the room and the walls were lined with couches. We sat down and talked about her culture and what its like being in Israel as a Druze Women. After about 20 minutes or so she had the food brought in for all of us. We were set into groups of 4 or 5 and we were given a large medal plate with humus, pita, nan bread with zatar, rice, salad, meat and beans. When we were finished they gave us some cookies and very sweet hot tea.
Our tour guide got us together and we were on our way to the bus again. As we are driving she told us more about the area and where we were heading. We were on our way to the Sea of Galilee also called the Kinneret. We were headed there for a delegation beach bbq. The Galilee is sitting right on the Golan Heights so we are surrounded by nice high mountains so the view of the area was amazing.
We get out of the bus and see the Kinneret. Even though it is called a Sea it is really a very nice size fresh water lake. This body of water, just like the Dead Sea is evaporating. We don't really think about it much. We pick a spot, drop our bags and walk to the waters edge. Thats when it hits us. We see the old docks and the old walkway to the water. They had to extend the walk way about 100 yards or so to reach the new lower water level. The beach is covered in shells and sand. The water is warm but very nice to sit in. They have boats running all over the lake and dragging all kinds of inflatable toys all for us to play with. This is a public area but the only people there are the USA Maccabi teams. We swim in the water and jump off the docks. We ride the banana boats and get thrown off when they turn sharply. There are also some water slides at the park which really makes us question things. Why, if there is a water shortage in Israel, are there so many water parks? Kind of strange right.
We hang out here for a very nice long time. We go in and out of the water, getting sun all day long. We are talking to our new friends wishing them luck in the games and wishing we could have been playing in the water more. This is what we all really wanted to do. Its great walking around Israel and seeing history, but we really enjoy spending time with all the players in the delegation and most of all spending time in the water and not on a bus.
We have dinner and not long after finishing we got back into our bus groups and recapped the week we have spent together. Everyone had a chance to say something about the trip that made an impression on them. It took about 45 minutes but it was nice that the overlying theme of the group was that spending time with Jewish athletes in Israel is an unbelievable experience that we are all very fortunate to be apart of.
We had a nice long day and the only problem is that we had a very long dive back to the hotel. We all fall asleep and as soon as we get back we get changed and head out to catch a cab and go out for the first time.
We hooked up with the girls soccer team at a place called Clara Fashion Club. I can honestly say that I have never been in a place like this before. Its a very large club on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. We had to get chosen to enter the club in the old style of Studio 54....I only know because I sow the movie. So we get to the front of the group and tell them we are part of the USA delegation here for the Maccabiah Games. Thats all we needed to say to get in. I didn't think anything of it but it makes things really cool...at least for us.
We walk into the club and its packed with people everywhere. One of the guys works it out with the bar and we get a table with bottle service. I didn't really know what that meant until he told me thats the only way we can sit down and have our own table with couches...pimp LA style. So we did it up and had a blast dancing and hanging out with everyone. At 3 in the morning people in the club started to leave. Yes, 3 in the morning people started to go home. It was a Wednesday night and our team stayed at the club until 5:00am. We figured we would have some fun since we didn't have training in the morning. I'm telling you....we picked a great team to hang out with....all the boys on the futsal team get a long great and we all enjoy spending time together. I just hope we play that well too.
We are moving to our new hotel in Tel Aviv in the morning...see you then.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday July 7th
Tuesday July 7th
Last night when we were at dinner we were told that we would be training on an actual hard wood Futsal court. So we were a bit excited but with the way things have been going we didn’t want to get to excited because it might not happen.
So we wake up again in the morning and go for breakfast. Every day we have had very similar meals for breakfast, eggs, bread, salad, fish, vegetables, and cake. We got on the bus this time with the Judo team. These guys are really cool. One guy was an alternate on the USA Olympic team in Beijing. Then there is Barry…
We finally arrive at Hadar Yoseph which is the Olympic training ground we were at when we played on the grass field. This court was perfect. We should have been training here all week. We felt great running, training, and playing on the hard wood. We scrimmaged and we are really starting to play like a team. It’s a shame that we couldn’t get together before the games and play. As we are leaving we get a chance to watch the USA gymnastics team work out a bit, the USA Judo team finish training, and an Israeli dance class work out. I don’t need to say it but you know what most of us were watching.
We are finally happy with the facility we played at so after practice we happily get back on the bus and go back to the hotel. Since we are leaving early on Thursday to have lunch at Kfar Maccabiah and then go to our competition hotel, most of us got our dirty clothes together and took it to the laundry room. The hotel set it up that for 50 shekels they will wash all our clothes. 50 shekels is about $12. It takes a full day to get the clothes back so we wanted to make sure we had them before we left on Thursday. Smart right…let’s just hope it works out the way it should.
We had about 20 minutes to grab lunch before we set out on a 2 and a half hour drive to the Dead Sea. On the way to the Dead Sea we stopped off at a gas station to use the restrooms. When we got off there just happened to be a camel sitting in the parking lot. Of course, being Americans we jump all over it and take pictures and pose with it some people even got rides. We finally got our things together again and back on the road. We cross over the green line and stop at 2 different check points. The armed guards let us through no problem but you should have seen the guns they were holding.
As we get to the Dead Sea we can see that the water level has been dropping. We were told that the water source that flows into the Dead Sea was been cut off and is being used by the people in the region for their everyday living. It’s sad to see that one day, because of human interference; the Dead Sea will be gone.
We are heading to a spa called Ein Gedi. This place had everything you would expect at a spa on the Dead Sea. Sulfur baths, steam room and sauna, a fresh or “sweet” water pool, message area, and lots and lots of showers. We went outside and covered ourselves in mud head to toe and then walked our way to the heavily salted water. On the walk they posted markers from the spa to the sea to show what the water level was at a certain year. It’s really sad to see how much the water level has dropped since 1996. Once at the water we put our towels down and walked into the water. The beach was covered with a 5 inch hard salt shell. You must wear shoes or sandals while on this beach because the ground is so hot and because the amount of salt. We walked into the warm salt water and the smallest of cuts, rashes, or opening in the body started to burn. If you can get over the salt “sting” then you submerge your body in the water and you will notice that your feet well start to rise to the top of the water. The next thing we knew we were all floating in the water. It’s a really cool feeling because you can just lay back and rest or read a book without an inner tube. The water of the Dead Sea has a very oily residue which is very good if you have dry skin. So all of our skin is now nice and smooth but very salty. We don’t get to stay there to long since we have to head off to Masada and then to the Bedouin Tent for dinner.
We take a 10 minute drive from Ein Geti to Masada. If you know nothing about Masada…go onto google and check it out. Masada is the Palace of King Herrod about 3000 years ago. Did I mention it was at the top of a mountain? Yeah that’s really the cool part. The last 2 trips I have been on made us walk up Masada. There is a “snake” path up the side containing thousands of steps. When we come with the athletic group we take a gondola up. Go figure. So once we get to the top we walk around looking at the storage areas, the cisterns, the living quarters, the open areas and the spa. Yes the spa. Apparently King Harrod felt it necessary to build a sauna at the top of the mountain. I asked the same question you are asking now…WHY would you want to have a sauna in the desert!! The answer I got was…Because he could. The place is amazing, the construction, the details in the mosaics, the inhabitants, and the destruction. The entire story of Masada is long and detailed but it’s all about doing what others could not, power, and death.
So now it’s time for dinner. We walked down Masada right to the busses. But on the way down a group of us bumped into Gold Medal Swimmer Jason Lezack ( I hope I spelled that right) Nice guy, took some pictures with him…of course this is the one time I didn’t bring my camera. Oh well.
Now let me tell you this….when we were told that we were going to a Bedouin tent for dinner we thought we were going into the middle of the desert and sitting on the ground and eating dinner. Sounds fair right? Well we did go into the middle of the Judean Desert and we did sit on the ground to eat dinner. What we didn’t expect was the Bedouin store, the dance club and the light up club style bar (without alcohol). We walked up to the complex on a nicely laid out carpet with torches lighting our way. Once inside they have set up 7 or 8 different stations with many kinds of fruit, appetizers, and desserts. We walked around a bit and took samples of everything. (on a side note: the watermelon here in Israel is so absolutely sweet and delicious and we eat some every day) Behind all the appetizer stations they have set up hundreds of tables for us to sit at and eat. We find our way into the back of the complex and take 4 tables under a tent. Most of the tables are in the open air and with the desert wind blowing the dust was everywhere so choosing to be under the tent was by far the best choice. Now, each table sits 8 people…then why did you take 4 tables Jared? Well so we could sit with the girls open soccer team of course. I know what I am doing when it comes to this kind of stuff. So the girls join us for dinner, coach and all. Since all the soccer teams are at Kfar Maccabiah and the Futsal team is at Shefiyem, we have not gotten to meet any of the other players. So we talked and ate. Not to freak anyone out but as we were sitting and eating one of the girls, Mike Coakley’s sister Raleigh, felt something crawling over her foot. She jumped up and screamed bloody murder. So this made everyone else freak out. People started screaming that it was a big spider but no one saw it yet. The next thing we know a 4 inch white scorpion darts out from under the table. (read that again….yes a scorpion) This brought over the Israeli soldiers that are with us along with the people running the dinner. One of the soldiers saw the scorpion and stepped on it. Most everyone was freaking out about that as well, but after 6 or 7 hard stomps and a long drag of his boot the thing was dead. Before we could pick it up and get rid of it, a cat ran by and took it for us. Just a little excitement before we eat.
So back to the meal, we have humus and pita and salads and drinks and vegetables and such to start our dinner. The next thing we know a large metal plate has placed in the middle of the table. There were 4 pounds of rice along with 3 different types of meat, more vegetables, and I think some raisons, enough food to feed 12 to 14 people easy. (um….that’s per table not for all 4 of our tables)
So we eat like typical Americans, grab and grab and grab but can’t finish anything. We have been working out every day and eating a lot of vegetables and fresh foods. Our eating habits have changed a bit so our stomachs are not as big as our eyes any more. So we leave a lot left on the table. Before we could get comfortable sitting on the pillows on the ground, music started to play which attracted everyone. As we approached we sow 3 belly dancers. We are all thinking hot, hot, hot baby….yeah. But in reality it was like holly crap, what the heck, and is that a guy?
We stayed for about 30 more minutes before getting back on the bus for our 2 and a half hour ride back to the hotel. We all fell asleep on the way home….that was a long day.
Last night when we were at dinner we were told that we would be training on an actual hard wood Futsal court. So we were a bit excited but with the way things have been going we didn’t want to get to excited because it might not happen.
So we wake up again in the morning and go for breakfast. Every day we have had very similar meals for breakfast, eggs, bread, salad, fish, vegetables, and cake. We got on the bus this time with the Judo team. These guys are really cool. One guy was an alternate on the USA Olympic team in Beijing. Then there is Barry…
We finally arrive at Hadar Yoseph which is the Olympic training ground we were at when we played on the grass field. This court was perfect. We should have been training here all week. We felt great running, training, and playing on the hard wood. We scrimmaged and we are really starting to play like a team. It’s a shame that we couldn’t get together before the games and play. As we are leaving we get a chance to watch the USA gymnastics team work out a bit, the USA Judo team finish training, and an Israeli dance class work out. I don’t need to say it but you know what most of us were watching.
We are finally happy with the facility we played at so after practice we happily get back on the bus and go back to the hotel. Since we are leaving early on Thursday to have lunch at Kfar Maccabiah and then go to our competition hotel, most of us got our dirty clothes together and took it to the laundry room. The hotel set it up that for 50 shekels they will wash all our clothes. 50 shekels is about $12. It takes a full day to get the clothes back so we wanted to make sure we had them before we left on Thursday. Smart right…let’s just hope it works out the way it should.
We had about 20 minutes to grab lunch before we set out on a 2 and a half hour drive to the Dead Sea. On the way to the Dead Sea we stopped off at a gas station to use the restrooms. When we got off there just happened to be a camel sitting in the parking lot. Of course, being Americans we jump all over it and take pictures and pose with it some people even got rides. We finally got our things together again and back on the road. We cross over the green line and stop at 2 different check points. The armed guards let us through no problem but you should have seen the guns they were holding.
As we get to the Dead Sea we can see that the water level has been dropping. We were told that the water source that flows into the Dead Sea was been cut off and is being used by the people in the region for their everyday living. It’s sad to see that one day, because of human interference; the Dead Sea will be gone.
We are heading to a spa called Ein Gedi. This place had everything you would expect at a spa on the Dead Sea. Sulfur baths, steam room and sauna, a fresh or “sweet” water pool, message area, and lots and lots of showers. We went outside and covered ourselves in mud head to toe and then walked our way to the heavily salted water. On the walk they posted markers from the spa to the sea to show what the water level was at a certain year. It’s really sad to see how much the water level has dropped since 1996. Once at the water we put our towels down and walked into the water. The beach was covered with a 5 inch hard salt shell. You must wear shoes or sandals while on this beach because the ground is so hot and because the amount of salt. We walked into the warm salt water and the smallest of cuts, rashes, or opening in the body started to burn. If you can get over the salt “sting” then you submerge your body in the water and you will notice that your feet well start to rise to the top of the water. The next thing we knew we were all floating in the water. It’s a really cool feeling because you can just lay back and rest or read a book without an inner tube. The water of the Dead Sea has a very oily residue which is very good if you have dry skin. So all of our skin is now nice and smooth but very salty. We don’t get to stay there to long since we have to head off to Masada and then to the Bedouin Tent for dinner.
We take a 10 minute drive from Ein Geti to Masada. If you know nothing about Masada…go onto google and check it out. Masada is the Palace of King Herrod about 3000 years ago. Did I mention it was at the top of a mountain? Yeah that’s really the cool part. The last 2 trips I have been on made us walk up Masada. There is a “snake” path up the side containing thousands of steps. When we come with the athletic group we take a gondola up. Go figure. So once we get to the top we walk around looking at the storage areas, the cisterns, the living quarters, the open areas and the spa. Yes the spa. Apparently King Harrod felt it necessary to build a sauna at the top of the mountain. I asked the same question you are asking now…WHY would you want to have a sauna in the desert!! The answer I got was…Because he could. The place is amazing, the construction, the details in the mosaics, the inhabitants, and the destruction. The entire story of Masada is long and detailed but it’s all about doing what others could not, power, and death.
So now it’s time for dinner. We walked down Masada right to the busses. But on the way down a group of us bumped into Gold Medal Swimmer Jason Lezack ( I hope I spelled that right) Nice guy, took some pictures with him…of course this is the one time I didn’t bring my camera. Oh well.
Now let me tell you this….when we were told that we were going to a Bedouin tent for dinner we thought we were going into the middle of the desert and sitting on the ground and eating dinner. Sounds fair right? Well we did go into the middle of the Judean Desert and we did sit on the ground to eat dinner. What we didn’t expect was the Bedouin store, the dance club and the light up club style bar (without alcohol). We walked up to the complex on a nicely laid out carpet with torches lighting our way. Once inside they have set up 7 or 8 different stations with many kinds of fruit, appetizers, and desserts. We walked around a bit and took samples of everything. (on a side note: the watermelon here in Israel is so absolutely sweet and delicious and we eat some every day) Behind all the appetizer stations they have set up hundreds of tables for us to sit at and eat. We find our way into the back of the complex and take 4 tables under a tent. Most of the tables are in the open air and with the desert wind blowing the dust was everywhere so choosing to be under the tent was by far the best choice. Now, each table sits 8 people…then why did you take 4 tables Jared? Well so we could sit with the girls open soccer team of course. I know what I am doing when it comes to this kind of stuff. So the girls join us for dinner, coach and all. Since all the soccer teams are at Kfar Maccabiah and the Futsal team is at Shefiyem, we have not gotten to meet any of the other players. So we talked and ate. Not to freak anyone out but as we were sitting and eating one of the girls, Mike Coakley’s sister Raleigh, felt something crawling over her foot. She jumped up and screamed bloody murder. So this made everyone else freak out. People started screaming that it was a big spider but no one saw it yet. The next thing we know a 4 inch white scorpion darts out from under the table. (read that again….yes a scorpion) This brought over the Israeli soldiers that are with us along with the people running the dinner. One of the soldiers saw the scorpion and stepped on it. Most everyone was freaking out about that as well, but after 6 or 7 hard stomps and a long drag of his boot the thing was dead. Before we could pick it up and get rid of it, a cat ran by and took it for us. Just a little excitement before we eat.
So back to the meal, we have humus and pita and salads and drinks and vegetables and such to start our dinner. The next thing we know a large metal plate has placed in the middle of the table. There were 4 pounds of rice along with 3 different types of meat, more vegetables, and I think some raisons, enough food to feed 12 to 14 people easy. (um….that’s per table not for all 4 of our tables)
So we eat like typical Americans, grab and grab and grab but can’t finish anything. We have been working out every day and eating a lot of vegetables and fresh foods. Our eating habits have changed a bit so our stomachs are not as big as our eyes any more. So we leave a lot left on the table. Before we could get comfortable sitting on the pillows on the ground, music started to play which attracted everyone. As we approached we sow 3 belly dancers. We are all thinking hot, hot, hot baby….yeah. But in reality it was like holly crap, what the heck, and is that a guy?
We stayed for about 30 more minutes before getting back on the bus for our 2 and a half hour ride back to the hotel. We all fell asleep on the way home….that was a long day.
Monday July 6th
Monday July 6th
Today is our 3rd full day in Israel and marks the 3rd field we have trained at. Like every day, we wake up really early and have breakfast. We are quickly rushed onto a bus, this time with the fencing team. We are on our way to Yahud. Most of us are trying to wake up when we arrive at the field. To our surprise we got the chance to watch the women’s open and youth soccer teams training on the field turf pitch. The field is surrounded by a very strong and heavy metal fence. There is also a mini field that is separated from the main field by a long net that just misses hitting the ground. The only other thing at this facility is a somewhat decomposing basketball court. The court is worn with years of use. The facility is small and hot. The air only circulates when you turn on the 8 large fans located on the walls. The court has a large somewhat lifted square on the key which looks like it was replaced years ago which contributed to the unusable nature of the court. To add insult to injury, there are spots of bird poop on 3 or 4 different spots on the court.
Since there was only one gym and two teams who needed to use it, we asked a man working at the facility where the futsal court was. Before I say anything, I am sure you all know what I am going to say. He told us that we are to play on the mini field. Again, for the 3rd day we are scheduled to play on a field that is not conducive to futsal.
So we worked it out with the fencing coach that we would split the gym. We took the first 45 minutes in the gym and then ran some drills and fitness on the field turf. We dealt with it but we were not happy.
After training we jumped back on the bus and headed to the hotel for lunch. At 12:00pm we loaded the busses again and headed to the other side of Jerusalem. Our first stop was Mt. Hertzel Military Cemetery. This is a large cemetery that houses every member of the military who has died along with politicians and some other very important people. We stopped to see Yitzak Rabin and Golda Miear. This cemetery is not like anything I have ever seen in the US. It is built almost as a living art form. Trees, plants, flowers and shrubs are everywhere. Almost every grave is designed to look like a bed. Not just a head stone, every grave stone bed is raised out of the ground about 1 foot. Inside the beds are living shrubs that are watered and manicured daily. Since the cemetery is on a hill, there are many different levels. Each level is designed a little different but on every level you will find generals buried next to privets and so on.
Now to make the day even more downtrodden, our next stop is Yad Vashem which is the holocaust memorial museum.
We walk into the entrance of the center which is a beautiful Israeli stone building that is constructed with glass so the entire building is bright and open. There is no artwork or signs in this building; it’s just somber and clean. We pick up our headphones so the guide can talk to us through the museum. Our first stop is the children’s memorial. We walked down a stone path into a dark room. We were greeted by large pictures of 10 to 12 children. As we continue walking we hear a voice that says a child’s name, their age and where they were from. As we entered the next room all we can see are candles. The room only contains 3 candles but the dark room is covered floor to ceiling with mirrors so it looks like millions of flames all over the room. It was told to me last time I was in Israel that if you played the tape of all the children’s names constantly for 24 hours a day 7 days a week, it would take over 3 weeks to listen to them all.
Our tour continued into the museum. It is so overwhelming that I could not do it justice talking about it. If you have never been you must see it at some point in your life and if you have been you know what I mean.
To lighten the mood of the day, we are scheduled to go to the Hebrew University to have a Bnai Mitzvah and a dinner party. But on the way we stop at the West Bank to see the security fence and talk about why it’s there and the problems with it.
Now we head to Hebrew University. It’s a very nice spot on top a hill overlooking the city. We are led into the amphitheater which is huge and made from Israeli stone. A large stage sits in front with the back of the stage overlooking the beautiful hills and valleys of the area. As we sit there singing with the rabbi and the 900 some athletes, the sun sets and the full moon rises. The lights of the theater illuminate the crowd as we join together singing “love your neighbor as you love yourself, that’s what the torah says.”
Then it was time…the Rabbi calls us up by teams to say the blessings over the torah. He calls up all teams A-F but leaves us off. We get excited because we will start the next one. He calls for the second and starts with G-S. Again we are mad but a few of us go up anyways. As we are up on stage, I told the Rabbi that he forgot to call the Futsal team up to the stage. He looks at me like I’m speaking Chinese. So he hands me the microphone and invited the entire Futsal team to join us on stage. I would like to add that every member on the Futsal team came to the stage, said he blessing over the torah and received a Bnai Mitzvah. Congratulations everyone.
After the 3rd group got up to say the blessings we all stood up, sang some more and then headed up the steps to have dinner.
Once again we had an American meal in Israel with the entire delegation. At least this time it wasn’t hotdogs and hamburgers. There was a band that played typical American Bnai Mitzvah music. People were picking up others in chairs, dancing and singing the hora.
We finished the party at 11:00pm and headed back to the hotel. Today was a very emotional day for everyone involved. But as always, we are looking forward to tomorrow.
Today is our 3rd full day in Israel and marks the 3rd field we have trained at. Like every day, we wake up really early and have breakfast. We are quickly rushed onto a bus, this time with the fencing team. We are on our way to Yahud. Most of us are trying to wake up when we arrive at the field. To our surprise we got the chance to watch the women’s open and youth soccer teams training on the field turf pitch. The field is surrounded by a very strong and heavy metal fence. There is also a mini field that is separated from the main field by a long net that just misses hitting the ground. The only other thing at this facility is a somewhat decomposing basketball court. The court is worn with years of use. The facility is small and hot. The air only circulates when you turn on the 8 large fans located on the walls. The court has a large somewhat lifted square on the key which looks like it was replaced years ago which contributed to the unusable nature of the court. To add insult to injury, there are spots of bird poop on 3 or 4 different spots on the court.
Since there was only one gym and two teams who needed to use it, we asked a man working at the facility where the futsal court was. Before I say anything, I am sure you all know what I am going to say. He told us that we are to play on the mini field. Again, for the 3rd day we are scheduled to play on a field that is not conducive to futsal.
So we worked it out with the fencing coach that we would split the gym. We took the first 45 minutes in the gym and then ran some drills and fitness on the field turf. We dealt with it but we were not happy.
After training we jumped back on the bus and headed to the hotel for lunch. At 12:00pm we loaded the busses again and headed to the other side of Jerusalem. Our first stop was Mt. Hertzel Military Cemetery. This is a large cemetery that houses every member of the military who has died along with politicians and some other very important people. We stopped to see Yitzak Rabin and Golda Miear. This cemetery is not like anything I have ever seen in the US. It is built almost as a living art form. Trees, plants, flowers and shrubs are everywhere. Almost every grave is designed to look like a bed. Not just a head stone, every grave stone bed is raised out of the ground about 1 foot. Inside the beds are living shrubs that are watered and manicured daily. Since the cemetery is on a hill, there are many different levels. Each level is designed a little different but on every level you will find generals buried next to privets and so on.
Now to make the day even more downtrodden, our next stop is Yad Vashem which is the holocaust memorial museum.
We walk into the entrance of the center which is a beautiful Israeli stone building that is constructed with glass so the entire building is bright and open. There is no artwork or signs in this building; it’s just somber and clean. We pick up our headphones so the guide can talk to us through the museum. Our first stop is the children’s memorial. We walked down a stone path into a dark room. We were greeted by large pictures of 10 to 12 children. As we continue walking we hear a voice that says a child’s name, their age and where they were from. As we entered the next room all we can see are candles. The room only contains 3 candles but the dark room is covered floor to ceiling with mirrors so it looks like millions of flames all over the room. It was told to me last time I was in Israel that if you played the tape of all the children’s names constantly for 24 hours a day 7 days a week, it would take over 3 weeks to listen to them all.
Our tour continued into the museum. It is so overwhelming that I could not do it justice talking about it. If you have never been you must see it at some point in your life and if you have been you know what I mean.
To lighten the mood of the day, we are scheduled to go to the Hebrew University to have a Bnai Mitzvah and a dinner party. But on the way we stop at the West Bank to see the security fence and talk about why it’s there and the problems with it.
Now we head to Hebrew University. It’s a very nice spot on top a hill overlooking the city. We are led into the amphitheater which is huge and made from Israeli stone. A large stage sits in front with the back of the stage overlooking the beautiful hills and valleys of the area. As we sit there singing with the rabbi and the 900 some athletes, the sun sets and the full moon rises. The lights of the theater illuminate the crowd as we join together singing “love your neighbor as you love yourself, that’s what the torah says.”
Then it was time…the Rabbi calls us up by teams to say the blessings over the torah. He calls up all teams A-F but leaves us off. We get excited because we will start the next one. He calls for the second and starts with G-S. Again we are mad but a few of us go up anyways. As we are up on stage, I told the Rabbi that he forgot to call the Futsal team up to the stage. He looks at me like I’m speaking Chinese. So he hands me the microphone and invited the entire Futsal team to join us on stage. I would like to add that every member on the Futsal team came to the stage, said he blessing over the torah and received a Bnai Mitzvah. Congratulations everyone.
After the 3rd group got up to say the blessings we all stood up, sang some more and then headed up the steps to have dinner.
Once again we had an American meal in Israel with the entire delegation. At least this time it wasn’t hotdogs and hamburgers. There was a band that played typical American Bnai Mitzvah music. People were picking up others in chairs, dancing and singing the hora.
We finished the party at 11:00pm and headed back to the hotel. Today was a very emotional day for everyone involved. But as always, we are looking forward to tomorrow.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Team pictures
This is our first team picture. Taken on the Black Top court at Wingate Sports Complex. Our first practice on Saturday July 4th.
This is a great picture of the team at the western wall. We are sporting our shirts that are in support of Ethan Zohn who is ill. Taken July 5th.
This is the team sitting on a tank at the War Memorial on July 5th
Sunday July 5th
Sunday July 5th, 2009
After a nice day and bbq with the entire US delegation we wake up for our second full day in Israel. The only problem so far is that we are working on maybe 5 hours of sleep. We got back from the bbq about 12:00am and have to get up for breakfast by 5:45 – 6:00. We all stumble into breakfast a little before 6am and again have a lovely meal once again.
Yesterday we told you about the outdoor futsal facility we trained at, how nice it was even though it was a black top court and all. Today we didn’t go back to Wingate we went to Hadar Yoseph. This is one of the Olympic track and field facilities in Israel. It really is an amazing place. A huge stadium with every possible field event training ground, a nice large track, great indoor facilities but no Futsal court. The coordinators thought we needed a grass field to train and that’s what we got. So we played on the grass with goals we found in a corner. We were not happy but we dealt with what we had. We found that since we were playing on the grass with flat bottom shoes we were skating more than running. But we played and then we complained. A few guys got hurt from the field because we couldn’t cut or stop like we needed to. (This is the current injury report) Aaron Bernstein our goal keeper hurt his hand when Jesse Goldberg slipped into him. Both are fine but it did give us a bit of a scare. Also Sergio our coach over extended his hamstring and sat out of practice. He too is fine but he is taking it easy.
At the end of training it started to rain…when I say it rained in Israel it was more like when someone washes their hands and flings the left over water at you to dry them. That’s the amount of rain we had.
We jumped back on the bus and rushed back to the hotel because we had to get changed for our pictures. We put on white socks, white shorts and our blue tops for the team and individual pictures. I do not know if we can get copies but I am sure they will be available somewhere at some time.
We grabbed a quick lunch and we went on our way to Old Jerusalem. The first thing we stopped at was the Haas Promenade. This is at the top of a hill which overlooks all of Jerusalem. We took some pictures, said some prayers and got back on the bus. I must say it was a very cool site seeing all of Jerusalem from that view point.
Our next stop was the Kotel which is the Western Wall of the second temple. We got some pictures together as a team in front of the wall and said some prayers for our friends and family. And I made sure to slip one in there for the team to win big in this tournament. I figured it couldn’t hurt. We continued to walk around the wall and saw the Southern Wall and Davidson Visitors Center which talked about the temple mount and the way of life centered around it. They showed us what it would have been like 3000 years ago, the history behind the temple, the people, the community and the pilgrims. They showed us what it would have been like to come to this area, get a sacrificial animal and take it to the temple for the sacrifice. It was really neat…sort of like something out of the movies. As we were walking out we got a chance to hear the Muslim call to prayer. It was interesting.
Once we were done there they took us to the City of David where we walked through the Hezekiah’s Water Tunnel. It’s a fresh water spring that was under ground and gave water to the City of David 2700 years ago. Yes we walked in the water. Yes it was cold. And lastly yes it was dark. There were no lights in this tunnel so they gave us all flashlights. The tunnel was big enough for one person to walk at a time in a single file line. Sometimes we had to duck and other time we could stand up but at no time could we turn around. The water was up to our knees at some points and as low as our shins at others.
I did forget to mention that it was about 500 yards long…almost like Andy Dufrain in Shawshank Redemption, but we had clean water and not escaping from prison.
At this point it’s about 6:00pm. We got back on the bus and headed back to the hotel. We were all so tired that every single person on the team fell asleep. We share a bus with the men’s and women’s softball team and I was told that they took pictures of us sleeping…I told them it they played a real sport they would have been sleeping too. They really didn’t find that funny.
We got to the hotel, had dinner and were informed that from all our complaining about the pool costing us money, they would open it for all of us for 2 hours that evening. So almost everyone headed over to the pool. Some of us hung out and tried to fix the internet and as soon as it worked again I was too tired to write anything.
It was sleepy time again. This time we hope to sleep a bit more and get rested for tomorrow’s adventure.
After a nice day and bbq with the entire US delegation we wake up for our second full day in Israel. The only problem so far is that we are working on maybe 5 hours of sleep. We got back from the bbq about 12:00am and have to get up for breakfast by 5:45 – 6:00. We all stumble into breakfast a little before 6am and again have a lovely meal once again.
Yesterday we told you about the outdoor futsal facility we trained at, how nice it was even though it was a black top court and all. Today we didn’t go back to Wingate we went to Hadar Yoseph. This is one of the Olympic track and field facilities in Israel. It really is an amazing place. A huge stadium with every possible field event training ground, a nice large track, great indoor facilities but no Futsal court. The coordinators thought we needed a grass field to train and that’s what we got. So we played on the grass with goals we found in a corner. We were not happy but we dealt with what we had. We found that since we were playing on the grass with flat bottom shoes we were skating more than running. But we played and then we complained. A few guys got hurt from the field because we couldn’t cut or stop like we needed to. (This is the current injury report) Aaron Bernstein our goal keeper hurt his hand when Jesse Goldberg slipped into him. Both are fine but it did give us a bit of a scare. Also Sergio our coach over extended his hamstring and sat out of practice. He too is fine but he is taking it easy.
At the end of training it started to rain…when I say it rained in Israel it was more like when someone washes their hands and flings the left over water at you to dry them. That’s the amount of rain we had.
We jumped back on the bus and rushed back to the hotel because we had to get changed for our pictures. We put on white socks, white shorts and our blue tops for the team and individual pictures. I do not know if we can get copies but I am sure they will be available somewhere at some time.
We grabbed a quick lunch and we went on our way to Old Jerusalem. The first thing we stopped at was the Haas Promenade. This is at the top of a hill which overlooks all of Jerusalem. We took some pictures, said some prayers and got back on the bus. I must say it was a very cool site seeing all of Jerusalem from that view point.
Our next stop was the Kotel which is the Western Wall of the second temple. We got some pictures together as a team in front of the wall and said some prayers for our friends and family. And I made sure to slip one in there for the team to win big in this tournament. I figured it couldn’t hurt. We continued to walk around the wall and saw the Southern Wall and Davidson Visitors Center which talked about the temple mount and the way of life centered around it. They showed us what it would have been like 3000 years ago, the history behind the temple, the people, the community and the pilgrims. They showed us what it would have been like to come to this area, get a sacrificial animal and take it to the temple for the sacrifice. It was really neat…sort of like something out of the movies. As we were walking out we got a chance to hear the Muslim call to prayer. It was interesting.
Once we were done there they took us to the City of David where we walked through the Hezekiah’s Water Tunnel. It’s a fresh water spring that was under ground and gave water to the City of David 2700 years ago. Yes we walked in the water. Yes it was cold. And lastly yes it was dark. There were no lights in this tunnel so they gave us all flashlights. The tunnel was big enough for one person to walk at a time in a single file line. Sometimes we had to duck and other time we could stand up but at no time could we turn around. The water was up to our knees at some points and as low as our shins at others.
I did forget to mention that it was about 500 yards long…almost like Andy Dufrain in Shawshank Redemption, but we had clean water and not escaping from prison.
At this point it’s about 6:00pm. We got back on the bus and headed back to the hotel. We were all so tired that every single person on the team fell asleep. We share a bus with the men’s and women’s softball team and I was told that they took pictures of us sleeping…I told them it they played a real sport they would have been sleeping too. They really didn’t find that funny.
We got to the hotel, had dinner and were informed that from all our complaining about the pool costing us money, they would open it for all of us for 2 hours that evening. So almost everyone headed over to the pool. Some of us hung out and tried to fix the internet and as soon as it worked again I was too tired to write anything.
It was sleepy time again. This time we hope to sleep a bit more and get rested for tomorrow’s adventure.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Saturday July 4th
Saturday July 4th.
There is a silent buzz around the team. Today is the first day of training and no one can sleep. We have a wake up call at 6:00 am but almost everyone is up before that. We all get changed for training and set out for breakfast. Breakfast consists of vegetables, salads, bread, eggs, cakes, cheese and the richest chocolate milk known to man. Some of us ate responsible and others not so much. But since we are athletes and know how our bodies respond to food we are all good. We take our time and have a nice breakfast and then we are quickly placed on our respective busses. No surprise to the Futsal team we are assigned to the wrong bus. Of course we correct the problem and get on the correct bus. We are heading to the Wingate which is one amazing sports facility. I was told that it is among the top sports education facilities in the world. I can see why as soon as we get there. The grounds are built for sports and the training of athletes. Statues line the grounds as we enter. They have facilities for gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, judo, cycling, along with a few very nice soccer fields and a really cool black top covered outdoor futsal court. Regulation size and everything. There are seats built into the side of a small hill so spectators can watch the games. We start to warm up and as soon as we stepped onto the court we were attracting people who were interested in watching. We could have had at most 8 people watching…except for the 30 little kids who were walking to the pool so it really wasn’t a large gathering. But it was nice to have fans.
By the way….the answer is YES…the team looks good and we do have a chance to upset some teams in this competition. Sergio ran a very nice training session and we got a chance to scrimmage at the end. We need a bit more time working together but we are starting to come together as a team and look good doing it.
We spend 2 hours training and the jump on the bus to head back to the hotel. We arrive and decide to go jump in the pool to cool off and hang out. The only problem is the water park wants 30 shekels (about $7.50) to enter. We laugh and head to the FREE beach. It takes about 15 minutes to walk there only because the path looks like something out of an Indiana Jones movie…you know the one when they are looking for the cup in the cave…the only difference is there is nothing to cut our heads off and we are not walking in a cave.
Now I’m sure you are asking…was the walk worth it? To be honest…NO. Yes it was the Mediterranean ocean but the beach looked like the ones we have in Cleveland. Rocky, dirty and at times scary. I can tell you that we will be spending the 30 shekels in the future.
We head back to the hotel for lunch. The food here so far has been very good and this lunch was no exception. There are so many options and no one goes hungry. Its good to be an
American.
At 1:00pm we are scheduled to get on the bus to start our first day of site seeing. They schedule us to go to Morasha National Park and walk in the footsteps of the Maccabees. (yes the guys from Hanukah) This park in an archeologists dream. Every step you take is a step into history. We follow our guide into a dark hole and now we are crawling on the ground and fitting threw small holes leading from room to room. Some places we can stand but others we can’t and have to get dirty. We follow the trail of candles and the person in front of us. Everyone went in and everyone came out...most of us wanted to stay because it was nice and cold compared to the desert heat waiting for us outside. They showed us a few other caves, these we didn’t have to crawl around in. We got a first hand lesson on what it took to make olive oil 3000 years ago. It is amazing how people survived without modern technology…it really makes us wonder if we could handle as well as they did.
We again get on the bus and head to the National Military Monument which is located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. We are told stories about how a Jordanian group occupied this building and made it impossible to get past them. Bombs, snipers and road blocks would cover the area and made it hard to pass. Many people died…until the Jews got smart and built a bypass. Smart right… Eventually the Jordanians left and it became a military outpost which turned into a police station and now a monument. Its covered with old tanks and remnants of a time past which we all know is not that far from where we are today. There is this wall with the names of every Israeli soldier who has died engraved into it. It really puts things into perspective since our guide showed us the name of one of her friends.
After that sad realization of our mortality we are driven to the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel and had a large BBQ with the entire US delegation. All 903 athletes and another 100 people or so who made this trip happen. Of course they have a band dresses up like cowboys playing country music since all Americans are country folk…they also feed us hot dogs and burgers. Kind of disappointing but they did have humus and pita bread so it wasn’t a total loss. (you can see they feed us well hear…its not to bad)
We get a chance to hang out with the open men’s and women’s soccer team. We are exposed to the other 88 teams from 27 different sports that the US has brought to Israel. It really is an amazing sight. Seeing all these Jewish Americans in Israel for the sole purpose competing in the games. This is unlike any other trip most of us have ever been on. I can honestly say….THIS IS AN AMAZING TRIP. And we are only on our first full day here.
There is a silent buzz around the team. Today is the first day of training and no one can sleep. We have a wake up call at 6:00 am but almost everyone is up before that. We all get changed for training and set out for breakfast. Breakfast consists of vegetables, salads, bread, eggs, cakes, cheese and the richest chocolate milk known to man. Some of us ate responsible and others not so much. But since we are athletes and know how our bodies respond to food we are all good. We take our time and have a nice breakfast and then we are quickly placed on our respective busses. No surprise to the Futsal team we are assigned to the wrong bus. Of course we correct the problem and get on the correct bus. We are heading to the Wingate which is one amazing sports facility. I was told that it is among the top sports education facilities in the world. I can see why as soon as we get there. The grounds are built for sports and the training of athletes. Statues line the grounds as we enter. They have facilities for gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, judo, cycling, along with a few very nice soccer fields and a really cool black top covered outdoor futsal court. Regulation size and everything. There are seats built into the side of a small hill so spectators can watch the games. We start to warm up and as soon as we stepped onto the court we were attracting people who were interested in watching. We could have had at most 8 people watching…except for the 30 little kids who were walking to the pool so it really wasn’t a large gathering. But it was nice to have fans.
By the way….the answer is YES…the team looks good and we do have a chance to upset some teams in this competition. Sergio ran a very nice training session and we got a chance to scrimmage at the end. We need a bit more time working together but we are starting to come together as a team and look good doing it.
We spend 2 hours training and the jump on the bus to head back to the hotel. We arrive and decide to go jump in the pool to cool off and hang out. The only problem is the water park wants 30 shekels (about $7.50) to enter. We laugh and head to the FREE beach. It takes about 15 minutes to walk there only because the path looks like something out of an Indiana Jones movie…you know the one when they are looking for the cup in the cave…the only difference is there is nothing to cut our heads off and we are not walking in a cave.
Now I’m sure you are asking…was the walk worth it? To be honest…NO. Yes it was the Mediterranean ocean but the beach looked like the ones we have in Cleveland. Rocky, dirty and at times scary. I can tell you that we will be spending the 30 shekels in the future.
We head back to the hotel for lunch. The food here so far has been very good and this lunch was no exception. There are so many options and no one goes hungry. Its good to be an
American.
At 1:00pm we are scheduled to get on the bus to start our first day of site seeing. They schedule us to go to Morasha National Park and walk in the footsteps of the Maccabees. (yes the guys from Hanukah) This park in an archeologists dream. Every step you take is a step into history. We follow our guide into a dark hole and now we are crawling on the ground and fitting threw small holes leading from room to room. Some places we can stand but others we can’t and have to get dirty. We follow the trail of candles and the person in front of us. Everyone went in and everyone came out...most of us wanted to stay because it was nice and cold compared to the desert heat waiting for us outside. They showed us a few other caves, these we didn’t have to crawl around in. We got a first hand lesson on what it took to make olive oil 3000 years ago. It is amazing how people survived without modern technology…it really makes us wonder if we could handle as well as they did.
We again get on the bus and head to the National Military Monument which is located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. We are told stories about how a Jordanian group occupied this building and made it impossible to get past them. Bombs, snipers and road blocks would cover the area and made it hard to pass. Many people died…until the Jews got smart and built a bypass. Smart right… Eventually the Jordanians left and it became a military outpost which turned into a police station and now a monument. Its covered with old tanks and remnants of a time past which we all know is not that far from where we are today. There is this wall with the names of every Israeli soldier who has died engraved into it. It really puts things into perspective since our guide showed us the name of one of her friends.
After that sad realization of our mortality we are driven to the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel and had a large BBQ with the entire US delegation. All 903 athletes and another 100 people or so who made this trip happen. Of course they have a band dresses up like cowboys playing country music since all Americans are country folk…they also feed us hot dogs and burgers. Kind of disappointing but they did have humus and pita bread so it wasn’t a total loss. (you can see they feed us well hear…its not to bad)
We get a chance to hang out with the open men’s and women’s soccer team. We are exposed to the other 88 teams from 27 different sports that the US has brought to Israel. It really is an amazing sight. Seeing all these Jewish Americans in Israel for the sole purpose competing in the games. This is unlike any other trip most of us have ever been on. I can honestly say….THIS IS AN AMAZING TRIP. And we are only on our first full day here.
sorry for the delay
We have been having some internet problems at the hotel so I have not been able to post anything. When we get back to the hotel tonight I will post the blogs for yesterday and today. I will also post the injury report along with all pictures. So you don't worry no one is injured just a few bumps. Please don't worry. Later...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
