Nazareth

After 3 days in Tel Aviv, I finally arrived in Nazareth. One thing that I have found disheartening about Israel is how run down and filthy everything is. For a country that is only 60 years old, I would expect a little more from it. Also dealing with being around people who smoke has been an issue as well. Today has been tough as I really, really want to go back to my Zion. Right now the prospect of 2 months here bothers me.

This morning was perhaps the most unsettling experience of my life: the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. Technically it is the "new" bus station, but using "new" to describe it is quite a stretch. It was new like 30 years ago. Supposedly this bus station is the largest in the world, but that did nothing to help ease my fear of being there. For me the most unsettling aspect was the military prescence there. The Israeli bus system, Egged, began as a way to transport troops, and it still does that in a big, big way. Israeli military people were everywhere, including their loaded AK-47s and cases of extra rounds. When one of the military guys was behind me as my luggage was searched, the second I saw his gun, mere inches from me, I thought I was going to be sick.

The Fauzi Azar Inn is quaint by American standards, and my living space is something that one might find in Middle Earth, very Hobbit-esque. I half expect Frodo, Samwise, Pippin, or Meri to pop out at any moment, though I would prefer Legolas. Fortunately, my friend Karina from Zion National Park has been here a month, and will be here a while more. I have someone to show me the ropes.