tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60370151311733538762024-03-13T14:26:53.222-04:00Adventures of Dori the ExploriA place to document all of my adventures!Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-72606700442027800222012-08-06T23:16:00.000-04:002012-08-08T20:38:22.992-04:00I have always wanted to go kayaking down the rapids without a kayak... haven't you?I think the title of this post says it all. Kayaking down rapids without a kayak is not as much fun as you think. I had a chance to experience that today, and as much as it wasn't so much fun, it makes for a great story ;)<br />
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8 friends, 5 hours, 2 cars, and 1 fantastic day! It all started a few months ago when my friend Kaila and I were discussing how we need to make this summer fun in Toronto. So we started a facebook group called 'Summer of Fun' and invited many of our friends. Quickly the news spread and now the group boasts 125 members. The point of the group was to bring people in Toronto together by planning adventures and posting them for all members of the group to join. The group has helped me reconnect with old friends and make new ones!</div>
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One of the suggested activities was kayaking down the Grand River in Paris, Ontario. My friend Mira planned this trip. It kind of reminded me of the organized trips I have done in Israel. We had an early wake up call since our aim was to be on the road by 7:30am. Naturally we were all running behind schedule, but we managed to make it on time. The scenery was stunning and we were only an hr and a 20 min outside the city. It is amazing how beautiful this country is just at our doorstep! I had a very proud Canadian moment today and felt like it would have been a great ad for Tourism Ontario/ Canada. </div>
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We leisurely paddled our way through the river as we learned/ practiced our paddling skills. We went through a few "frapids" (which was my nickname for fake rapids) lol. They were rapids, but I guess because of the lack of rainfall this summer, they just weren't flowing as much. After a while we found a cute spot to stop and park our kayaks for lunch. We pulled out our coolers and brought out our spread. We ate, lounged, and even went for a swim before we headed back out onto the water. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful Grand River</td></tr>
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Now here is where the story gets interesting, at least where I am concerned. At this point we have all gotten paddling down pat and nobody has managed to fall out of their kayaks... until I hit rock and get stuck in the middle of one of the more flowing rapids. I use my paddle to maneuver myself out and since the rapids were quite rocky, my kayak loses balance and I tip over! Thankful that I did not hit my head while falling out of the kayak, I quickly began thinking how I could remedy the situation. The rapids were flowing quickly so I went along for the ride, and aside from looking like my legs went through a cheese grater I was totally fine. Needless to say, I went through two rapids until there was a spot where I could get a footing and with the help of my friends got my kayak back in order. Thank god for teamwork! I could not have finished the course without them :)</div>
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After arriving home we ordered pizza and just sat around and relaxed. I think we earned that ;) It was an amazing day celebrating the long weekend we have essentially because all other months of the summer have one! </div>
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Wherever you are and whatever your budget is, there is always a way to create a little adventure in your life. Remember all mishaps on your adventures just make for better stories at the end of it so keep on adventuring!</div>
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<br /></div>Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-54596462152204915932012-02-27T22:41:00.002-05:002012-08-08T21:05:38.210-04:00para...para...paradiseIf you are ever looking for paradise, I think I found it. It lies somewhere in the Caribbean between the turquoise water and the lush islands that seem to appear out of nowhere. The scenery was absolutely spectacular, but the company was even better. I had the privilege of spending the week with members of my extended family for my cousin's Bat Mitzvah at the Synagogue in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.<br />
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Wow. It is difficult to put into words how I am feeling right now. Lets go back a week in time so I can recap the whole journey. Last Sunday morning I took an early morning flight from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale with my brother and sister in law. There we met my father and other brother and headed for the cruise ship. This was my first time on a cruise and my first time going to the Caribbean. Firsts in travel are always so exciting for me because there is so much beauty in discovering something for the first time. There is a different appreciation that returning to a place you have already been. After boarding the ship and finding my room, the first thing I did was wander around the ship trying to get oriented. It was such a big boat and there was so much to discover. Once on deck, up by the pools, I started bumping into different family members who boarded earlier than I did. That was the moment it all started to feel so real. I was going on this boat for 7 days and my family was all there to share it with me. Such an incredible opportunity (especially since they are usually sitting down and listening or reading about my adventures). I was also treated to a hot stone massage which was a nice way to start off my vacation. It really got me relaxed and as the boat drifted farther and farther away from Florida my mind relaxed until I thought of nothing else besides the ship. It helped a lot that I had no access to phone or internet. If I had wanted there was an internet cafe on one of the decks, but it was nice to unplug for a while.<br />
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The first night of the cruise was uneventful. Since my family had ordered kosher meals we had to wait a while until we received or dinner. If any of you reading have ever ordered kosher meals on a cruise, you will know that you get a menu of frozen dinners they have stored and they microwave for you. On the first night there seemed to be so many options, but by day 3 I think we were all growing sick of the frozen meals. Nevertheless we were seated by a window that first night and enjoyed a nice view of the ocean as we waiting for them to prepare our food. I have to say though we had a fantastic experience with the gentleman who took care of our specialty meals. He made sure we were taken care of the entire trip and organized a platter of freshly cut vegetables to start off the meal and a fresh fruit platter for dessert!<br />
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Monday morning our ship anchored just off of Princess Cays, Bahamas and we needed to take a tender to the Island. What was great about this island is that it is owned by the cruise line so we didn't need to bring any cash. Everything could be purchased on our cruise cards. very convenient. There wasn't much to do on the island so mostly we relaxed on the beach, went swimming in the turquoise water, and enjoyed some island drinks. It was a great first stop, and I was thoroughly exhausted by bed time. I was lucky Tuesday was an at sea day! Tuesday started off with a bang. I was so excited to see in the daily newsletter that they had a Zumba dance class. I started Zumba a month and a half ago and I am addicted. Starting my day off with a fun exercise class was awesome. Totally energized me for a day of lounging by the pool. Tuesday night my grandparents hosted a lovely party in one of the nicer restaurants. It also happened to be formal night, so we all got dressed up and had a blast.<br />
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Wednesday morning we arrived St. Maarten. We ported on the dutch side in the capital of Philipsburg, and I never made it to the French side. The morning I wandered around the city in and out of the duty free shops lined along front street. It was a nice way to explore the island a little. After I had an excursion booked with my brother, brother and sister in law. We were all going helmet diving which I had never done before. I have scuba dived before but helmet diving was very different. Instead of having the mouth piece and oxygen tank, they place a space looking helmet over your head that is attached to oxygen above water. You breathe normally in the helmet and you can focus more on what you see underwater this way. It is great for beginners who are apprehensive about scuba diving. Once under water there was a ramp with a railing to hold onto as you walk around looking at the beautiful coral and colourful fish. It helped that I went down with an underwater camera and we bought pictures from the underwater photographer. Always a good buy, since they see things and capture moments in a different way than the average tourist going down. In the end we have many fantastic pictures to remember this amazing experience.<br />
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Thursday was the day we had been all waiting for, the bat Mitzvah, which was the reason we all came on this cruise in the first place. After disembarking from the ship we all took cabs to the Synagogue. Walking into the synagogue for the first time took my breath away. Some back story on the Synagogue. <span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">Saint Thomas Synagogue, built in 1833, is the second-oldest</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"> synagogue (building) and longest in continuous use now under the American flag. The synagogue, fourth on its site, was built to house a congregation founded in 1796 by Sephardic Jews</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"> who had come to the Caribbean Basin</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"> to finance trade between Europe</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"> and the New World.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"> The congregation reached its zenith in the mid-19th century, declined in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the fortunes of the Danish</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_West_Indies" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" title="Danish West Indies"> </a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Virgin Islands</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">, and grew again in the late 20th century." (taken from wikipedia) The Synagogue has white sand floors and has a sense of history hanging in the air. One of the Torah scrolls held by the Synagogue is one Hitler was planning on using in a proposed museum of the "extinguished race". To know that scroll is housed in such a historic place which is still used today for services is so momentous. Truly incredible to witness. The service itself was beautiful and probably my favorite Bat Mitzvah I have ever attended. </span></span><span style="line-height: 19px;">Definitely</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"> the most interesting. After services and a beautiful brunch, we had a little bit of time left to explore the island. We found a taxi driver, named Mr. Two Pedal, who drove some of us around the island up to a mountain top with one of the most exquisite views I have ever seen. I think it was there that I realized I truly have found paradise on this trip.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Friday was our last port day and I was so excited to enjoy the few hours we had in Grand Turk. Turks and Caicos are known for their clear turquoise waters and spectacular snorkeling. Because of shabbat, we had to be back on the boat early, so we were limited in the excursions that could plan. We ended up finding a snorkel and hike excursion that would get us back to the boat an hr before shabbat which was perfect. The snorkeling really was the best compared to the other islands. The water was so clear and we had a great view of the coral and fish. After snorkeling for a while we swam to a little island for our hike. I was surprised to find a 16th century Spanish fort! It seems that wherever I go I seem to find archaeology. Even though our time was limited, it was an amazing way to spend our last stop on the cruise.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Shabbat on the boat was interesting only because it proposed a whole new set of questions and limitations. Friday night we ate earlier than the rest of the family so we could eat food that was somewhat hot since it could not be warmed up once shabbat started. Shabbat day (Saturday) we had cold turkey schnitzel because it seemed to be the only item on the menu that would be decent cold. Another one of the issues we faced was getting in and out of our rooms since the doors are all electronic and they had no real key they could give us. Our steward said he would open the door for us if he saw us in the hall but he was off duty for the last few hours of Saturday when we would likely be going in and out of our room. Instead, he advised us to take a business card and place it at the edge of the door where the lock pops out so the door appears to be shut but open enough that we could just push the door and it would open. So this was our solution. It ended up being an enjoyable day at sea. In the afternoon my father and brother and I played a great game of monopoly that we had taken out of the library. Next thing we knew we were witnessing the nicest sunset we had seen on the trip. Saturday night, after shabbat was over, we quickly packed our bags and headed to our last dinner with the whole family (all 48 of us who came for the Bat Mitzvah). We managed to get all our goodbyes in. It was sad because not only were we marking the end of a wonderful vacation, but also the end of a unique opportunity to spend so much time with friends and family when everyone was on vacation. It was truly a moment to appreciate how lucky we all were.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">If you though my adventures ended with the conclusion of the cruise, you don't know me very well. After the cruise I got to spend 2 days in Miami having a vacation from the vacation and spending time with the other side of my family. Sunday night dinner consisted of 13 of us: My father, brother and sister in law, brother, grandparents, great uncle, aunt and uncle, and a cousin and her husband. My aunt and uncle live in Los Angeles and we got lucky they were visiting Miami the same time as us so we could catch in a quick visit. Also my cousin and her husband live in NYC and we don't see them as often as we would like. Today I spent my last day of the vacation walking up and down Miami Beach and the boardwalk with a friend I haven't seen in a while. It all ends now as I write this post in Fort Lauderdale Airport waiting to board my flight. This trip ranks as one of my best adventures. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my adventures as much as I enjoyed experiencing them. I cannot wait to see where my adventures take me next!</span><br />
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<br />Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-76849440486117386542012-02-16T00:05:00.001-05:002012-02-16T00:12:39.920-05:00Stay tuned!Where does the time fly? I was discussing my blog today with a friend and realized I have not posted in months. It was only when I looked exactly how long its been that I started to wonder where the time went and how I had nothing to update. Well.... in my life there is always something to update so here is a quick catch up. The past couple months have been super busy. I had a fantastic summer with the most amazing friends. So much happened over the summer so I will just post a few pictures from some of my more local adventures.<br />
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Adventure in the distillery district</div>
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Summer was amazing, but it made way for an even better fall and winter. Here are some pictures of those adventures :)</div>
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The point is even though I haven't traveled to far off destinations in a while, I have had quite a few adventures along the way. I have to thank my friends for that because if it weren't for them my life wouldn't be as fun :)</div>
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Stay tuned for more adventures because I am off to the Caribbean in a few days for a week long cruise with my entire extended family. There should be some great stories and adventures on this trip!</div>
<br />Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-83840237320898721672011-05-29T23:46:00.000-04:002011-05-29T23:46:24.201-04:00Spring timeSpring is a time of renewal. I think of the blossoming trees, gushing streams, and just warm enough sun. I think of bright colours, cottage season, and good friends. I am very fortunate that since my return home I have been able to experience all that I associate with spring. Since I came home I have gone up to the cottage a few times since we are in the middle of renovating a bathroom, an outdoor porch, and switching a shower to a bath/shower in another bathroom. Each time I went up, for the day only, I had the chance to see spring emerge from winter. The first time I came up, the lake was still covered in ice and snow and although it was March, it felt like it was January. The next time I came up the snow was mostly gone and although the weather was still cold, you could feel the sun getting stronger. The streams along the road which disappear by summer were gushing at full force. Each time after that the sun got warmer, the trees got greener and you could literally smell spring. <br />
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Last weekend was the May long weekend and marked the beginning of the cottage season. Each year Canadians look forward to that time of the year where they spend glorious weekends relaxing in the country. Since everyone in my family seemed to have plans, the cottage would be empty as of Sunday. I figured why let the cottage go unused so I invited a few close friends up. Nothing like the cottage parties of late, but still so enjoyable. In the end there was a total of 6 of us. There was some lounging, some amateur photographing, water falls sightseeing, brewery tasting, and a 90's music dance party, but the best part was being able to spend time with amazing friends. If this is spring I can only imagine what summer will bring ;)Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-66952595418030855192011-04-17T09:45:00.000-04:002011-04-17T09:45:53.970-04:00Home sweet home!WOW I cannot believe I have been home for over a month now. I never ended up getting to write a blog post about the end of my travels. I spent a weekend in Brussels and a day in Amsterdam on my way back to Paris from London. All amazing!!! I also managed to surprise my father by arriving home a day earlier than he expected and the look on his face when I walked through the door was priceless. <br />
As for being home I have mixed feelings. I love being home for the obvious reasons- amazing family and friends, but at the same time there is a certain let down when the whole journey is complete. How do you go from this amazing 7 month adventure around the world and be content to jump back into your old routine? The transition is something I am learning to work through and make being home feel more like an adventure.<br />
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Tonight was a classic example. It started off with catching up with a good friend in town that I have not seen in about a year. After I met a few other friends at Dave and Busters. We had an amazing night goofing off and really enjoying ourselves. I love my friends dearly for being able to put up with some of my crazy ideas. Since I have come home a few of us have been discussing going to Niagara Falls and as Dave and Busters was closing at 2 am, we came up with the idea to go. For most people that thought would be crazy! who would start diriving at that hour knowing that until we would all finally leave the city we would not get there until 4 am. Well, everyone went along with it and we ended up having two cars that went. Hours later, after what felt like another night entirely it was time to leave the casino and head for home. It was probably one of the funniest rides I have had in a long time. There was actually a first. Never before has anyone had to go to the washroom sooo badly that they actually went in a bottle! LOL. I thought I was going to die of laughter and puke. <br />
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After arriving home with the thought "I cannot believe this night actually happened" I realized that I didn't need to be off exploring a foreign country to find the adventures I was seeking, all I needed was some good friends who are always along for the ride. I love my friends and I am so lucky to be around people who want to live life to the fullest and experience as much as they can. They help make life interesting ;)Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-61970925240060225412011-03-10T06:49:00.000-05:002011-03-10T06:49:52.256-05:00Eurotrip: Day 19- 26 London, Bath, and StonehengeAfter an amazing trip in Italy, it was time to set out for London. I was realy excited to reunite with friends. In order to get there though I had to take a 15 and a half hour train ride from Rome to Paris and then switch train stations to catch the eurostar to London. Well all I can say was that was one interesting ride. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was having a heart attack. I get on the train and a man offers to help me with my bag. Perfect, that was so nice of him. When he looks at my ticket to see which room I am in, he says "oh your with me". Secretly I am starting to freak out. This is an overnight train where I get a bed and go to sleep. When I made my reservation, the agent failed to mention he had booked me in a mixed male/female room and I was feeling very uncomfortable. Now I thought the situation could not get worse, but of course it did. Next walks in a 450 pound woman who is crying because she does not really fit down the halls and it was a clearly a very upsetting and humiliating walk to our room. She proceeds to take out the worst smelling fish I have ever smelt and it stunk up the room. Just after the walked in came another woman who felt compelled to say only one thing to me when she walked in "Me, Arab". I was not quite sure why that was relevant, but she felt that was the only thing I should know about her, since we had no language in common and therefore it was really difficult to communicate. To make a long story short, in the end the man ended up moving (thank god) and that made the situation a lot better. The large woman stopped crying and screaming into her phone at somebody and that made it easier to sleep. And as for the Arab woman, even without verbal communication we managed to be friends. We made eye contact about the smelly fish and then she sprayed perfume in the room. We also figured out that we both had to change from Paris Bercy train station to Gare du Nord and ended up splitting a cab ride. Now that it is all over I look back at this insane experience, but hard to deal with as it was happening.<br />
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Now for the good part London! London was amazing and I cannot thank my friends there enough for the hospitality they showed me. A friend of mine who is originally from London had his parents host me while I was in town. What made it awesome was that he was also visiting for the weekend. His family welcomed me like there own and made it so comfortable for me to be there. Also, I had previously met some of his friends from London who had come over to visit Toronto over the summer so it was great getting a chance to see all of them again. My first day in London I spent at the British Museum. Four hours later I had still not seen everything, but I had seen the things that I had gone to see and it was amazing. I stood and stared at the Rosetta Stone for quite some time marvelling at how instrumental this stone was in deciphering hieroglyphics and all we have learned because of that.<br />
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After that was Shabbat and a great get together on sat night with old and ne friends. Sunday my friends took me siteseeing in the city. It was great fun, not just because I got a hance to see the touristy sites with local "tourguides" but I got a chance to hang out with people that make smile. We had a fantastic day starting at Buckingham Palace which we got to just in time for the changing of the guard plus the flag was up so we know the Queen was in residence. After that we walked to Whitehall, then Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the London eye. At that point it started to rain so we went into a market where I picked up a few souveniers and then made our way to Maple Leaf (the Canadian bar). After that we went over to one of their friends places and watched the football game Birmingham vs, Arsenal. My first real introduction to the world of football by people who really follow it. I honestly had a great day :)<br />
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The next day I was heading out to Bath and was lucky enough to get a ride to Bristol which is a city very close to Bath and an easy train ride. The company was much better than taking the train :). Bath was one of those places that might seem off the beaten path for the usual trip to London, but I had been dying to see the Roman baths and they did not disappoint. They were every bit of amazing I had thought they would be. Water still flows into the baths and it makes you want to just walk in. You could really get a picture of what the place would have looked like 2000 years ago. To really understand why this place has been so popular for thousands of years, I went and checked out the modern spa and spent time in the therapeutic waters. It was a perfect end to the day. The day after I went to stonehenge. I had wanted to do a whole day tour, but since it was winter and not many tourist go at that time, they were only offering the half day tour. It ended up being just perfect! I got to see stonehenge get guided around the area by someone who has spent his entire life in Bath and make new friends. I made friends with a girl around my age who was travelling around with her father. After the tour was over, we ended up going to one of the pubs in town and trying a pint of locally brewed beer. Even though I was travelling alone at this point, it didn't feel like it.<br />
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After Bath I went back to London for a day to see a friend from university who had moved out there and then I went to Brussels..... Stay tuned for more!Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-39257154055958535152011-03-07T10:27:00.000-05:002011-03-07T10:27:01.120-05:00Eurotrip: Day 10-18 Barcelona, Venice, Florence, and RomeI have been so busy lately that I have not had a chance to update on my adventures, and there is so much to tell! After France I took a 12 hour train ride to Barcelona. This was the first time I have ever taken an overnight train and it was a wonderful experience. I had an amazing time in Barcelona. It was the first time I have ever been in Spain and I loved it. I was only in town for a day and a half but I managed to see so much. I wandered down Las Ramblas, saw the local marked, took a walking tour of the Gaudi buildings, and saw Roman Barcelona (an underground museum of the archaeologial excavations of the Roman city). It was a lot to pack in but it was so worth it! <br />
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After Barcelona I hopped on a plane to Venice. Venice is an amazing and beautiful city. Carnivale officially started while I was there so it was amazing to see all the costumes and everyone walking in the streets with their masks on. Of course I had to buy a mask and add it to my collection. Last year when I was in new Orleans I bought a Mardi Gras mask. In Venice I had the chance to spend Shabbat at Gam Gam kosher restaurant which is run by the Chabad of Venice. It was such an amazing experience to put Jews from all around the world at one table and see how many people we have in common. As I sat down I looked at a couple and said "Aren't you the couple who helped me out at the airport"? Turns out it was! How amazing is that. Also, Murano is now one of my favorite places. Watching the glass blowers do their craft is a must see on any trip to Venice and the pieces they make are incredible and beautiful.<br />
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After Venice I took the train to Florence for one day and a night. I fell in love with the city almost immediately. My first stop was the leather market. This is one of the best places I got to go during my travels. The scarves and the leather products are just amazing. I picked up a pair of torquoise leather gloves with rabbit fir inside for only 23 euros! This adds to the 2 pairs (pink and purple) of leather gloves I have purchased in Venice for 30 euros each. I picked up a few bright and colourful scarves which tends to be a conversation starter. I wandered through the streets and enjoyed the beauty as I tried (horribly) to find the Kosher market. In the end I hopped in a cab and five minutes later I was there. Florence is such a confusing city, but I loved having the time to just wander around. The next morning I had a few hours before my train to Rome so I hopped over to the Academia and had the chance to see Michelangelo's David. What a spectacular site to see. It is huge and amazing. Although my favorite sculpture is still Bernini.<br />
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After Florence I went to Rome for 2 days and one night. It was nice to wander the streets again after a few years since spemding 3 weeks living there on an exchange. I was surprised that even though I didn't know street names, I somehow managed to always know which direction I should be walking and make it to my destination. Since I only had a short amount of time I wanted to get in as much as I could. I showed a friend around Piazza Navona and Campo de Fiori on our way to the Jewish Ghetto for dinner. Honestly I think that dinner was the best food I have eaten on my entire trip. The gnocchi literally melted in my mouth. Amazing :). The next day I went on a tour of the Vatican Museums which is incredible but exhausting. It took longer than anticipated and after that it was time to go pick up food and snacks for the 18 hour train I was embarking on. More on that in the next post.<br />
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</tbody></table>Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-3303764587933730362011-02-15T08:29:00.002-05:002011-02-15T14:49:48.939-05:00Eurotrip: Day 5-9 Loire Valley and ParisMy eurotrip continues :) After a day trip to Versaille I went down to the Loire Valley for a few days to see see other chateaux. All |I can say is the area is spectacular. My friend and I decided to stay in the village of Amboise. It is a sleepy little French village and I loved it! In town there was Chateau D'Amboise and Cos Luce (which the place Leonardo Da Vinci lived in the last years of his life and is buried there). One of the other smaller villages (Chenonceaux) has Chateau Chenonceau which was grander than Amboise but less than Versaille. The scenery was gorgeous and it was nicle to be able to do things on a more relaxed pace. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Main entrance to Chateau Chenonceau</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chateau D'Amboise</td></tr>
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After spending a few days down in the valley we returned to Paris. Originally we were supposed to go further south down to Provence but timing just didn't work out for us. Instead we decided we were better off coming back to Paris, a city we were very much enjoying. We had been doing a lot of siteseeing up until that point and upon our return we spent our time wandering through the interesting shops in the Maraise. I was told I must find this clothing store called COS which is a higher end version of H&M (also owned by them) and I loved it! I only ended up walking out with one sweater but I could have bought ouot the whole store. The clothes were gorgeous but not super expensive and good quality. Canada really needs to bring in this store.<br />
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Last night I said goodbye to my friend Keren as I left for my train to Barcelona (12 hours but at least I gota bed). I hate saying goodbyes or see you laters when I have no idea the next time I will see the person. Keren was an awesome travel partner and is a great friend. Hopefully one day I will get the change to visit her in her home country of Australia.<br />
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The train ride was uneventful which is just perfect for me. I reserved a bed instead of a seat and it was great. I had a 4 person room but there only ended up being 2 of us which was nice. Seriously though, this should be the new way to travel. You get to close the lights and lie down in bed and get a good nights sleep and wake up in your destination fully refreshed. They give you a bottle of water and a toiletries kit that includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, and earplugs. You hardly notice the time pass. And now its time to enjoy Barcelona :)Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-45402564779519418652011-02-09T16:01:00.000-05:002011-02-09T16:01:30.939-05:00Eurotrip: Day 1-4 Paris<br />
Wow. I don't even know where to start. The past few days gave been amazing. On sunday I arrived in Paris after finishing 5 and a half months in Israel. As my sheirut (shared taxi) left Jerusalem on the way to the airport I couold not help but feel emotional. Even though I will be coming back to Jerusalem soon enough, I still felt the tears welling up as I saw the exit sign of the city.<br />
On a more exciting note my eurotrip has officially started. Paris is a spectacular city, even in the winter. Day was a travel day. By the time I got to my hotel and checked in it was about 2:30 in the afternoon. That evening, after my friend arrived, we went out looking for a kosher restaurant in the area. Turns out there is actually quite a few within a 15 min walk of our hotel - great for me :)<br />
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Day 2 we walked to the Marais and got breakfast on Rue de Rosiers and got to see a little bit of the Jewish neighbourhood. After breakfast we walked over to the Louvre and had a fantastic day there. This is noy my first time at the Louvre but it was definately a more enjoyable experiene the second time around. Since it is winter there are a lot less people in the museum which made it easier to get closer to the things I wanted to see like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Mesha stele and Hammurabi`s law code. I was in museum heaven. After the museum we found a nice restaurant called Gaspard where I tried carpaccio for first time, too bad the plate had broken and my friend had a piece of plate in her food. Aside from that though we enjoyed the meal and the ambiance of the restaurant.<br />
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Day 3 we went to the Musee D`orsay which was amazing. I have never been before and I was just in awe of the collection of talent under one roof. Two paintings which stuck out in mind were Degas` La Class de Dance which I have framed in my room at home, Van Gogh`s Starry Night. After the museum we went to the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately the very top was closed that day, but we went up as high as we could and got to see the spectacular views of the city. I was worried that since it was a cloudy day that we would`t be able to see anything, but it just added a bit more mystique to the city. Once we finished with the Eiffel Tower we went to see the Arc de Triumph. We got another great view of the city from the top and we go to see the memorial for the unnamed soldiers. That night we had reserved tickets for Moulin Rouge which words cannot describe how amazing it was. I do not know exactly what I was expecting, but I don`t think I was expecting the nudity. Aside from that though the show was like nothing I had ever seen before. The costumes were spectacular and the show was extremely entertaining. There is a reason this place has been famous for a long time.<br />
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Day 4 we spent at Versaille. I have waited a long time to finally make it there. I have never been in Paris long enough to make the trip out there, but I am so glad I finally got there. Versaille is linked with absolute power, decadence, and the French Revolution. It was amazing to be able to bring the revolution to life by understanding the context in which it took place. Also, the place is just spectacular. I loved the coloured brocade walls, the gilded mouldings and all the ceiling paintings. The gardens literally took my breath away and I cannot wait to come back when it is summer time and I can have a picnic outside in the gardens.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ymJTMeNqXjI/TVMACxT_T3I/AAAAAAAAAFo/w2cMrGZXKyA/s1600/IMG_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ymJTMeNqXjI/TVMACxT_T3I/AAAAAAAAAFo/w2cMrGZXKyA/s320/IMG_1565.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-55709143646917724092011-01-22T17:31:00.001-05:002011-01-24T02:50:50.007-05:00Closing Seminar: reflectionsAs I sit here trying to put 'pen to paper' so to speak I am suddenly at a loss for words. How do I describe what I am feeling? On one hand I feel like I have been in Israel forever and on the other hand I feel like the program started yestereday. When I look back and think of all the amazing experiences I have had, I can see where the time went. I have made amazing friends from all the around the world who will be in my life for a long time. We lived together, we laughed together, and occasionally we cried together. There is a certain bond between us having experienced something like this together. We have had an incredible opportunity here and I do not take it for granted. Not only did I make amazing friends, but I had the internship of my dreams.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing Seminar group picture</td></tr>
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When I first started my internship I was not sure what to expect. Going in I had one simple criteria, to learn as much as I possibly could. At the end of it all I can say that it was a huge success. My supervisors made sure that I was able to get work in different aspects of the museum allowing me to learn something about everything. They helped foster relationships with people in the museum that would be able to teach me, and teach me they did. The experience that I have had is not something that you could buy. I came in a student willing to learn and now I feel I have come out of it with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the industry. I cannot possibly thank them enough.<br />
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As it all winds down, and we have had our closing seminar, I cannot help but feel sadness that everything is over. I really felt it as I was saying "see you later" to the Tel Aviv people on the program who I won't see before they leave.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top (left to right): Rivka, me, Alex, Shelby, Yael<br />
Bottom: Caryn, Joanne, Keren, and Ellie</td></tr>
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As much as I have had an amazing time, all good things must come to an end, and I am excited to embark on a new journey... A month in Europe!!!!! Stay tuned for the escapades of the Aussie and the Canadian do France, the Canadians take on Spain and Italy, the Torontian in London, and wherever else I end up!</div>
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</div>Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-79516592644830022552010-12-22T13:43:00.000-05:002010-12-22T13:43:22.827-05:00The latest adventures part 2I finally have a chance to sit down and document the rest of my adventures. It started with a day trip to Haifa with my program. I didn't have a great start to the day and from there I knew there would be issues. Issues turn into adventures. It is all in your outlook. Now you ask what went wrong? I get on the bus and just as we are about to leave I realize I forgot my ticket to Eilat. From Haifa I was travelling down to Eilat for four days with my father. So I run back to my apt to get it and while I am there I get my timesheet for my madricha which I had also forgotten in my apt. There I am thinking I am in the clear and have now gotten everything. Well guess what? An hour into the bus ride I realize I left my passport in my apartment and I am supposed to be flying back from Eilat. We were told in order to do so, I needed my passport. So after that start to the day I figured it wasn't going to get better. We arrive in Haifa and go straight to the Bahai Gardens which are actually spectacular! As we are walking around though we start to question why the clouds in the sky are such pretty colours. Hmmm I wonder why? We then find out that there is a fire in a Druze village, but nobody thinks much of it because this does happen sometimes when there has not been a lot of rain. As the day progresses though, we start to realize this is no small fire and this is not something that happens. Of course everyone now knows that fire went on for days and affected so many people. Aside from all the craziness that happened that day, it still was a wonderful trip and I was able to see so much of Haifa and realize what an awesome city it is.<br />
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After that it was time to catch a train from Haifa to Tel Aviv and a bus from Tel Aviv to Eilat. The next morning my father and I had scheduled snorkelling with the dolphins. I was so excited since it has been a dream of mine since I was a kid to swim with the dolphins. Turns out, it really was a dream come true. When we got there they gave us an explanation of what would happen. We were told that we were entering the dolphin's habitat and therefore should not expect them to act like show dolphins since they are not. We would be able to see the dolphins doing what they felt like. We were also told that even if the dolphins came up and touched us, we were not allowed to touch them back because they would not be expecting that. If they wanted to be touched they would go to the trainers. We got really luck and the dolphins were really playful that day and came right up to us. Not only do you have these fantabulous creature swimming around you, you also have the natural beautiful coral around you and all the fish that are in the area swimming around you. The rest of the trip was awesome. We saw the underwater observatory and took a 4 hour jeeping tour of Timna Valley and I got to see ancient Egyptian temples and hieroglyphics. It was incredible.<br />
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Now you might be wondering what ever happened to not having my passport and getting home. After attempting to express mail my passport to Eilat and being told that they could not guarantee its arrival for when I needed it, I decided to take my chance getting on the plane without it. I had my birth certificate and my license. I was hoping that would be enough. In the end, after 3 levels of interrogation I was allowed to board the plane!<br />
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This past week my program did 3 days in the Negev which was amazing. I love the desert! I decided to take it easy since its been a bit hectic lately and didn't hike. Still there were soo many things to do and see and I am kind of obsessed with Nubian Ibexes which get soooo close to you. They are amazing! Instead of one of the hikes those of us who opted out ended up at an awesome park inYeruham with kiddy ziplining and all. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nubian Ibex</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">riding the rooster</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love!</td></tr>
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I am kind of glad things have calmed down a little. Everyone needs a break from adventure for a little bit :)Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-23536353882249362642010-11-30T16:12:00.001-05:002010-12-01T16:53:28.984-05:00The latest adventuresSo many adventures have happened since the last post. I think I wil start with my shabbat in Neve Daniel, which is a settlement in the West Bank. My program gave the option of participating in shabbat in the land. They gave two options- the Old City of Jerusalem or Neve Daniel. A few of us decided to spend shabbat in the latter since we wanted to see what life is like for those living in a settlement. It was a lovely shabbat. We all got set up with really nice families and we had a great oneg on friday night. The adventure though was trying to get back to Jerusalem after shabbat. We were all waiting at the bus stop for the first bus to arrive. We were aware that the first bus would be full and not all of us might get on, but the bus did not even stop! One of my roomates had a flight that night to go visit her family in new york, and needed to get back to our apt in order to get her stuff before she got picked up. We knew the next bus would not come for another half hour so find someone who is driving to Jerusalem and not too far away from our apt so she hitches a ride with them. The rest of us kept stopping cars to see if we could hitch a ride but none of them were going remotely where we needed them to go. The next bus finally arrives but when it stops he tells us he is full and cannot take any of us. We argue with him that the next bus would not come for another hour and we were not going to wait. So the bus driver calls his boss to see if he can go over capacity to take us. In the end we made it on the bus, but needless to say it was an intersting experience to fight our way back home.<br />
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The next advenure was my trip to the ancient city of Zippori and Nazareth. I had the opportunity to go on this trip with the volunteers at work. I had never been to either city and it truly was an amazing day. We started the day leaving Jerusalem and driving to Zippori in the Lower Galillee. We explored the ancient synogogue there and more stunning mosaics than I can count. The famous one though is called the Mona Lisa of the Galillee because like the Mona Lisa, her eyes follow you. I was completely fascinated by the history of the city and the beauty of the finds. One of the most amazing things is that the ancient cardo is still intact. <br />
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After touring around the site for a while we headed into Nazareth for lunch and a tour of the Church of Annunciation. I was surprised that the hotel in Nazareth was kosher. The church was really interesting to see.It is built over the ancient house which they believe is where Mary was told she was going to have a child. one thing that was really cool was that communites from different countries around the world sent in mosaics representing their country and christianity to be displayed around the courtyard. Inside the actual church they had bigger and better ones that were all the different countries interpretations of the madonna and child. The most striking was the Korean one since it depicted a Korean madonna and a Korean child. <br />
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The next day my father came in and he wanted to start touring the following day. I set up a four hour walking tour of the Old City which was amazing. We toured the Kotel tunnels, the southern wall excavations, the Wohl archaeological museum, and the archaeology park. Half of those things I had never seen before so it was really exciting for me. </div>
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On sunday my dad and I went to tour the City of David. Right now the site is controversial because the archaeologist claims she has found David`s Palace. Aside from the controversy the site is incredible. One of the main attractions is Hezekiah`s tunnel. This is a tunnel that kept the water source of the city hidden in case of a siege. In this tunnel archaeologists had found an inscription that conveys the excitement of the workers when they met. There had been a team of workers cutting through the mountain on one side and another team on the other, and it is a miracle they managed to meet. As part of the tour we got to walk through the tunnel. In many spots the ceiling is extremely low, almost needed to crouch to get through, and very narrow. Sometimes the water got as deep as my upper thighs. It was quite an experience being able to walk through this water tunnel that was never meant for people.<br />
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As if all the other adventures were not enough, I think tonight was one of the highlights of my trip. Late in the afternoon I get an e-mail invitation to a gallery opening at work. What was really cool for me was that I helped with the online component of the exhibition. I originally had other plans for the night, and felt terrible for cancelling, but this really was worth it. After work I raced home to shower and change. It was my first gallery opening and I really had a great time. There was a reception to mingle in the beginning and then an introduction by the director of the museum. He announced that this gallery was the first of the temporary galleries to open since the renovation of the museum. It was a wonderful moment to be apart of. The grandson of the artist spoke as well as the associate curator. Just another one of the perks of having such an awesome internship.<br />
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If all this happened in the last week and a half, I wonder how many more adventures I will have.Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-22172691478205107182010-11-16T16:06:00.001-05:002010-11-16T16:20:09.120-05:00Aliya, Archaeology, and everything in betweenSo much is going through my mind right now and I feel like I need to get a few things off my chest. About a week ago I started my aliya application with Nefesh B'Nefesh. For a while I have been thinking about aliya, but I was always a little aprehensive about the commitment. After spending the past 2 and a half months living and working in Israel, I realized that this is the only place for me. I feel so much more at peace here, and the opportunities in my line of work are greater. This evening, as I was giving a friend a tour of the archaeology wing at the museum, I got a call from Nefesh B'Nefesh about my application. I guess this is the first moment where it felt real. It was something tangible and no longer just a dream or desire. I just had one of those moments where you realize the gravity of the decisions you make in life. It is a crazy but awesome feeling.<br />
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Yesterday I also had a crazy freak out moment in the gallery. I had been sent upstairs to look at something in the gallery and noticed on display is the ostracon found at Khirbet Qeiyafa. Two years ago, I made the lat minute decision to join the excavation, and have never looked back since then. Aside from the Indiana Jones complex, my desire to go on a dig was to see how objects go from being buried in he ground to being on display in a museum. I was extremely fortunate to be involved with the dig at the time of the discovery of the ostracon. When I finally saw the ostracon on display I had that feeling that things had finally come full circle. I had finally fulfilled that desire to see an object from its finding to its display. <br />
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I have been on a personal and professional journey for some time now, and it is great to be able to stop and positively reflect on all that is happening to me. <br />
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Keep the adventures coming :)Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-27352267199964110562010-11-11T17:23:00.000-05:002010-11-11T17:23:28.885-05:00Touring the Old City of Jerusalem<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
The Old City of |Jerusalem is a spectacular place to explore. Last sunday a few of us decided to go check some sites we had never visited before. Of course there were so many places on our list that we did not get a chance to see them all, but it is ok since we do not live to far away. The places we did get a chance to see were the Broad Wall, the Burnt House, and Time Elevator.</div>
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It all started last saturday night when we went to an amazing light show at the Tower of David in the Old City. It was a history of Jerusalem from the time of King David t o the modern day. This was done with a projection of images on the actual tower and no audio. It was extremely well done. This inspired us to come back the next day and check out some of the other amazing attractions the Old City has to offer.</div>
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We started our morning off with the Broad Wall. It was really interesting to see since I had never heard of it before and yet I have been to the Old City countless times. The Broad Wall is from the time of King Hezekiah's reign in the end of the 8th century.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">map of Jerusalem at the time of the wall</td></tr>
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Next we went to check out the Burnt House of Kathros. I have walked past this musem so many times and never had the chance to go in. When I did, I was so surprised at how amazing it was. I was really blown away. The building was built around the archaeological site that was the house of the priestly family of Kathros from the time of the Second Temple. You get a chance to walk around and see the area and some of the findings and then you sit down and watch a movie that describes the family and the time that they loved. It is a great way to add context to the stories that seem so distant.</div>
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After that we left the Old City and walked to downtown Jerusalem where we got a chance to experience the Time Elevator. It really was so cool. Once you enter the room you sit down and get locked in like a roller coaster. I was veery excited when I found out the seats would be moving around like we were actually in an elevator. The movie we were watching was a history of Jerusalem throughout history. What made it amazing was that we were moving and when the elevator crashes you "feel" it or when you "land" in water, water spritzes out at you. It really makes you feel like you are going on this journey as opposed to watching it. I would definately recommend this to anyone coming to visit the city.</div>
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There is still so much for me to explore in the Old City, but it will just have to wait for another day!</div>Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-19916637499287339342010-10-23T20:09:00.000-04:002010-10-23T20:09:23.240-04:00Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!It has been about two and a half weeks since I have moved to Jerusalem and I am loving the change of pace. Now that I started working and have gotten into a routine, I feel less and less like a tourist and more and more like I live here. One of the things I love of about living here is the Machane Yehudah market. Being able to go to the market and bargain over the freshest, fruits and vegetables, spices, and everything you could possibly need is truly amazing. The market is loud and busy, but that is what makes it amazing.<br />
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Starting work has also been really good. Finally working in the museum of my dreams and I am loving it. Everyday being able to walk around the collections just makes me really happy. I have great co-workers which makes the day go by faster even when I am doing boring computer work.</div>
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This past thursday was my birthday and I could not have asked for it to turn out better. The day started off with two of roomates waking up at the crack of dawn to catch me before I left the apartment and sang me happy birthday with a cake and all. It really was such a nice surprise. Then I got picked up to join an archaeological survey of a new site. Being able to spend my birthday doing archaeology was so awesome. We found some really cool things, and it just reminded me how much I really love it. After coming back exhausted from the survey, I cleaned up and went to downtown Jerusalem with my new friends to celebrate. It truly was amazing how many people showed up and I was so honoured. If I had to be away from my closest friends and family on my birthday, this was the only way to do it. To top it all off, I hosted shabbat for a few of the people who came in from Tel Aviv for my birthday and it was really nice to be able to see people I haven't in a couple of weeks, and we all know how much I love cooking for a crowd :)</div>
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</div>Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-5459729709000035132010-10-14T13:24:00.001-04:002010-10-14T13:42:07.996-04:00Golan/GalileeThere is soooo much to update! the past two weeks have been crazy. We moved from Tel aviv on October 4 in the evening. October 5th at 7am we were boarding a bus to the golan and the galilee. We were in the north for 3 days of hiking and touring and then we left on friday morn with enough time to get back to Jerusalem for shabbat. The first day our whole group went on a hike together. It was challenging but felt so good and the view was spectacular. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baily (and her awesome hat) and I during the hike</td></tr>
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After the hike we went to a site called Rosh Hanikra. Again the view and the sunset were spectacular.The really cool thing about this place is that you are right on the border of Lebanon. There is an Israeli army base, a UN base, and then you are in Lebanon. It really makes you understand the complex issues of middle eastern politics when you are the centre of it. At the border there is a sign that shows you are only 120km from Beirut and 205km from Jerusalem.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">amazing sunset</td></tr>
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Day 2 was our break from hiking, but no less eventful than day 1. We started off the day going to a city called misgav am which is really almost at the very tippy top of Israel, again on the border of Lebanon. There were heard a lecture from an american who moved to Israel and has lived in the city for 30 years or so. He was helping us understand who was sending rockets into Israel from Lebanon, why, and what exactly we were looking at across the border. Essentially we were looking at a Hezballah run city. It was intersting to learn that all of south Lebanon is controlled by the Hezballah which are not only a terrorist organization, but they are also the government. Again you start to feel like the politics you read in the newspapers are a lot more realy, and start to hit closer to home. After Misgav am I was in a group that went to an Arab-Israeli high school to interact with Arab-Israeli`s as part of a co-existence. It was a really eye opening and unique experience. As if that were not a long enough day, we went to tour Tzfat after that. We toured the area and then had some free time to get some dinner. Once we got back to the hostel (Tel Hai) we had an optional excursion to the open photography museum, which of course I went to.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other side of the fence is Lebanon</td></tr>
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<br />Day 3 was just as packed as the first 2 days. This was the day we had a choice of the hikes we wanted to do. I chose the Jilabun hike which was considered to be the medium hike. It was amazing! Instead of bordering Lebanon, this time we were bordering Syria, but we were hiking thorugh pre - 1967 Syria. We started at the top where there used to be a Syrian army base. You can see the remnants of all the destroyed buildings. Interesting enough, the only building that is left fully intact is the mosque. This is because Israel will not bomb or destroy religious buildings.I just thought it was a really interesting cultural fact. We hiked down the mountain until we reached a stunning waterfall and we were able to go swimming at the bottom. After the hike was over, we stopped in a druze village to try some food and just relax a little bit. On our way back to the hostel, we stopped at the Naot factory... and no, I did not buy a pair.<br />
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The trip was truly amazing. Saw some spectacular views and had a chance to understand the complex political siutation in Israel a little bit more. It was a unique experience to be able to share with such amazing new friends I have made :)Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-43879043926776709072010-09-28T10:03:00.000-04:002010-09-28T10:03:00.024-04:00UpdateWow it has been a while since I have updated here. Soooo much has been going on since Rosh Hashana. Every other day has been a holiday so it has been really hard to settle into a routine, but I am still having a blast with my new friends. <br />
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The program itself is still going well. We have had some amazing speakers. I didnt always agree with everything they were saying, since a lot of it was politial, it was still really important to have the chance to hear speakers from radically different perspectives. One example was an Arab-Israeli who came in to speak to us about what life is like for Arabs living in Israel. It was quite a controversial lecture based on what he was saying,but to me that was not the important part. what was important was that we were getting to hear his perspective, whether we agreed with it or not. <br />
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It is getting to the point that we are finishing ulpan. We move to Jerusalem next week, go on a hike in the Golan and then finally start to work. I cannot wait to start working and find out what exactly I will be doing. It should an amazing experience :) I will keep everyone posted <br />Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-46857747580995065522010-09-12T10:41:00.000-04:002010-09-12T10:41:47.061-04:00Rosh HashanaI cannot believe I have been in Israel for almost 3 weeks. The time seems to be flying by. This past week/end was Rosh Hashana. I had an amazing time visiting with family and friends. Every day on my way to synogogue I passed a tent full of people supporting the return of Gilad Shalit. As on most weekdays, Gilad's parents were sitting in the tent. Many people were walking up to them and wishing them shana tova (a happy new year). As much as I wanted to, I just couldn`t face them and hope that their year will be good. It made me think about my own life and how I should be happy with everything. It could always be worse and we all need to appreciate what we have. <br />
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Aside from that, ulpan is going great and my Hebrew is really improving. The holidays definately make me feel a little homesick, but it truly is an amazing feeling to be in Jerusalem. I hope everything continues to go as well as it already is.Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-3638156954005049822010-09-05T16:29:00.000-04:002010-09-05T16:29:43.448-04:00OrientationWow! what an incredible whirlwind since starting Career Israel. Today was the last day of orientation and then we moved into our apartments in Tel Aviv. Since I will be doing my internship in Jerusalem, I am only in Tel Aviv for 3 weeks for Ulpan (which is a Hebrew language intensive course). Since the program started on wednesday, I have had the opportunity to make 120 new friends. Does that sound overwhelming to you? Well it was! But by putting myself out there and pushing myself to be social, I have already met some amazing people.<br />
I am really enjoying everything so far. I finally took the kotel tunnel tours and my mind was blown. Being able to touch the western wall as it was built by King Herod and walk on the ancent street with the columns from the market is pretty incredible. In fact, all of the tours we have done so far have been so good. I cannot wait for more :)<br />
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I cannot wait for Ulpan to start and me to improve my hebrew.Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-60010745416952128912010-08-25T15:58:00.000-04:002010-08-25T15:58:11.045-04:00It begins!And the trip begins! So happy to finally be in Israel. I left Toronto monday night and arrived in Paris tueday morning. It took me forever to figure out where the train was to leave the aiport. Once I found the train, it took me about an hour to get to my station just outside the marais (the jewish district). I had a very me moment when I got out of the train station on rue du rivoli and realized I knew exactly where I was because I remember the stores that were around me. in essence, H&M was my landmark and from there I knew exacty where to go. I went for lunch at a shwarma place on rue du rosier and just wandered around the streets. As I was walking I saw sign for the holocaust museum and decided to check it out. Turns out it was free, and I really enjoyed my time there. After that, I remembered there was a starbucks near by and went to just sit and relax and surf the web. After a while it was time to go back to the airport tocatch my flight to Israel. I landed in Tel Aviv around midnight and got into jerusalem around 2 am. At that point I pretty much crashed since I barely slept on the airplane. The next few days are my chance to get anything I forgot at home, and to reaquaint myself with the city, since my orientaation starts on tuesday!<br />
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Stay tuned for more updates :)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ymJTMeNqXjI/THV0AZvdd0I/AAAAAAAAAC8/EFhRUr8Sljo/s1600/188_1046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ymJTMeNqXjI/THV0AZvdd0I/AAAAAAAAAC8/EFhRUr8Sljo/s400/188_1046.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-55007576930254328212010-08-23T02:11:00.000-04:002010-08-23T02:11:38.221-04:00All the world's a stageI am leaving for Israel later today and I am reminded of a quote by Shakespeare from <em>As You like It</em> "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances". <br />
If this statement would be true, what would my life be? A comedy? A drama? A tragedy? In real life, I think we exist in a little bit of them all. We have our laughs and we have our tears. The people we meet in life have such a great impact on who we are in life. I have been truly blessed with an amazing set of friends (new and old) and family who have all played a helping hand in making me, well, me. <br />
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This past week has been so gratifying. Spending time with my amazing friends has made me see the quality in the friendships that I have made so far. Our friendships go beyond our mutual love for shopping, enjoying life, or even the intense debates we sometimes get into. These friendships are for life, and whether life is giving me ups or downs, these are the people I want to share those moments with. My hope is that on this adventure I will make even more new and amazing lasting friendships.<br />
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I am not only taking an emotional journey, but a physical one as well. As most of you know, travelling is a huge passion of mine. At times it seems as if I am in a game of <em>Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? </em>Never knowing which location will be next. Over the past year there have been some long and some short trips, but in short they have been plentifull. LA, New Orleans, Miami, Key West, New York, and buffalo and niagara are all places I have been in the past year that have produced some incredible experiences. I cannot wait to share with you all the new experiences that occur, and stay tuned for where in the world I am. Next stop Paris for the day before finally arriving in Israel!Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6037015131173353876.post-31936866818225686192010-07-28T23:57:00.000-04:002010-07-28T23:57:05.143-04:00WelcomeWelcome to the first post of my travel blog!<br />
In less than four weeks time I will be embarking on a six month trip to Israel and a stopover in Europe on the way home. I will be spending my time in Israel on a program called Career Israel. This is a program that helps university graduates find internships in their field in Israel. I am extremely fortunate to have gotten my dream internship at the Israel Museum. There will be lots of travelling throughout the six months that I will be in Israel. The program itself take us on tours, but I know that I will make an effort to travel as much as I can on my own time.<br />
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On my way home in March, I will be spending 10 days in Europe. As if the first part of my travels were not enough, I was able to extend my Air France flight for 10 days for only an extra $15! When I saw that I knew that I had to take advantage of this incredible opportunity. In life we never know what will happen, and therefore need to jump at every opportunity that arises.<br />
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Stay tuned for more adventures!Dori the Explorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08516413681679576729noreply@blogger.com0