All Adventures Must Come To An End

Greetings from...Calgary, Alberta!

Yes! It's true!  We are home and in the beautiful, amazing, wonderful country of Canada once again!  I could not be more excited!  Although I am beyond ecstatic to sleep in my own bed, eat something other than humus for breakfast, and have a reliable internet connection, I am very happy to have experienced the adventure that was my life in the Middle East for the past 30 days with my dad.

Our last 24 hours in Israel were a bit of a gong show.  It started on our final full day in Tel Aviv.  I awoke to the sound of drumming, children's music being blasted on loud speakers, and hundreds of kids yelling.  I couldn't understand what was happening.  We were on the 9th floor of an apartment building and it felt like I was standing right next to a gymnasium full of kids.  I thought to myself "Wow, I must have slept in if kids are already out for recess or something".  However, I looked at my watch and it was 7:00 AM.  The music blasted, the kids screamed, and the drums were pounded for over 2 hours, non-stop.  I went to take a shower hoping that the sound of the water would drown the noise out for a little while.  This was a futile exercise as there was no hot water and I could only endure the freezing cold shower for a few minutes before I gave up.  Needless to say, by 9:00 AM, I was irritable and not very much fun to be around.

I told my dad that if I didn't get out of the apartment I was going to go crazy.  I decided to go do some souvenir shopping.  I wasn't very successful because Bat Yam is a bit of a random place and there aren't have many options for gifts.  I walked around for a long time, trying to enjoy my last few hours in the Middle East.  My vision of this day included getting a coffee and sitting in the sun watching people.  In reality, it was me rushing around trying to find gifts that weren't total garbage while store owners glared at me and loud EDM music blasted in every store and on every street corner.  I have never considered myself someone who really values "quiet time" (it usually doesn't exist because I'm always the one talking).  However, after this trip, I am so much more appreciative of silence and the peace that comes with it.  My one moment of solitude came when I found an "Aroma Coffee Bar", a popular coffee chain in Toronto (which I just recently found out was started by an Israeli who moved to Canada and started it there after it was already established in Israel).  They had my favourite drink and it was ah-mahzing.  It was nice to drink something familiar and get a taste of home.  While I was out "shopping", Dad rode along the coast and enjoyed one last bike ride along the sea.

So happy in this moment!

"Shopping" in Bat Yam.  What a disaster.

This is a house/store LITERALLY made of garbage in Bat Yam.  What is life,

Dad's kind of shopping-everything you need in one place.  Too bad it's a challenge to find anything.

Cycling along the sea in Tel Aviv

Last day in Israel

The afternoon was spent taking apart the bicycles and putting them into the boxes.  This proved to be a challenge because we realized that the guy at the bike store gave us boxes that were different sizes even though he ASSURED us they were both the same size.  However, when we couldn't figure out why one of the bikes wouldn't fit, we realized one box was smaller than the other.   You can imagine Dad's frustration.  I heard a lot of "...This piece of junk.." being muttered under his breath between heavy sighs.  After many hours, we somehow made it work.  And by "we", I obviously mean Dad.

We were determined to have a nice walk along the coast before our last dinner in Israel.  Being that it was our last meal, Dad was willing to go to a restaurant that was a little fancier than our usual shawarma stand type of place.  He even suggested we have an ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE (gasp!) to celebrate!  We were able to get some great views of the sea just as the sun started to set.

Unfortunately, we were not able to find a restaurant anywhere.  Well, I should clarify: we found plenty of restaurants along the boardwalk, just none that wanted to serve us.  They were there to tease us.  Their doors were open, bright neon "OPEN" signs were flashing, but apparently, this was supposed to send the message that they were not interested in serving anyone food.  Certainly not any foreigners who didn't speak Hebrew or Russian (we were in the section of the city which was highly populated by Russian Jews).  We went into two restaurants that seemed like they were open for business (which would make sense on a Tuesday night along the boardwalk at 7:00 PM, may I add) but as soon as we entered, we were greeted with blank stares and the backs of restaurant staff members as they walked away in silence and never returned.  I do not understand this place.  Eventually, we ended up eating at a tiny pizza/pasta stand.  It seemed to be a fitting place to end our trip as it was nothing like we'd imagined our last meal to be.  Kind of like the theme of our trip.  I didn't get my alcoholic beverage, but maybe Dad will take me out for a cocktail now that we're home (fat chance, I know).

Last meal!

The following day, we woke up at 5:30 AM to meet the van we had arranged to pick us up at 6:30 AM.  This was an airport shuttle service that we had e-mailed before we even left Canada to arrange things.  We also called them the day before, and e-mailed them a second time to receive confirmation that everything was good to go.  All of the taxis here are small cars, so we had to make sure we had our transportation figured out beforehand.  Of course, at 6:30 AM there is no van.  Dad calls the guy and he says "Oh yeah, someone will be there in 20 minutes".  Of course Dad lost it and I was frustrated too because the guy kept asking "What time does your flight leave?".  Our flight wasn't leaving for 3.5 hours but since we had the bikes, we knew security would be a long process and with the terrorist attack in Brussels, everything was taking a lot longer at airports.  So of course the guy was saying "Oh, you have plenty of time to get there, don't worry".  Eventually I said "it doesn't matter what time our flight leaves, the point is we are paying you for a service and you said you would be here at 6:30 to take us to the airport and you think being 20 minutes late is acceptable which it's not.  WE LITERALLY HAVE A PLANE TO CATCH!".  Twenty minutes went by and there was still no van.  Another ten minutes pass, still nothing.  I had to get on the phone with the driver who said he was another ten minutes away.  Needless to say, we were stressing out, wondering if anyone was actually going to come.  FINALLY, the driver arrived and told us that he was only called after 6:30 AM to come pick us up.  It blows my mind that a business can be run like this.  I am telling you, inefficient operations management drives me crazy and Israel is full of ineffective and disorganized business practices.

Anyway, we made it to the airport.  We went through multiple security checkpoints, and eventually went to check our bags.  The lady at the counter didn't seem to know how to do this.  Surprising seeing as how she is an airline attendant.  This is literally her job.  Her supervisor came over and they started speaking in Hebrew for about 10 minutes while ignoring our presence entirely.  It seems the bicycles were causing some confusion.  Dad and I each had two pieces of checked luggage (the allotted amount for free luggage on an international flight on Air Canada) as well as the bikes.  We were expecting to pay $50 for each bicycle, but the luggage would be free.  The supervisor told us it would be $50 for each bike and $100 for each piece of luggage since we were only allowed to have one piece each making it a grand total of $300 for luggage.  Dad told her that we were actually allowed two pieces of checked luggage each.  When we came over to the Middle East on Air Canada, we had no issues.  She said "Well, if you can prove it, that's fine, but otherwise it will be $300".  Ummm...obviously this lady has no idea what she'd gotten herself into.  She clearly hadn't dealt with Keith Odegard, the KING of documentation.  Sure enough, Dad pulls out his file folder and shows her the clause that states we are entitled to two pieces of checked luggage.  Her response: "Sir, that says Feb. 22 and it is March 23 now so..." (My thoughts during this conversation: what? how does that make sense? You change your baggage policy on a monthly basis?).  Dad literally says "Ok, how about this..." and shows her, in writing, the policy for March 23rd stating that we were entitled to two pieces of luggage!  She says "Ok, I have to check the system to see if it is actually correct" (What? Who are you?) and eventually, without really admitting defeat says "Ok, yes, two pieces for free".  Obviously, I'm thinking at this point that my dad is awesome and that his preparedness has saved us on more than one occasion.  I'm also completely baffled at the fact that a supervisor at Air Canada does not know what the baggage allowance is for international flights.  I fly on various airlines all the time and I know each airline's baggage policy after a quick glance at the website.  HOW is it possible that this woman doesn't know this SIMPLE fact?? Again, it frustrates me to no end.

We went through what felt like 100 more checkpoints, showing our passports at each one, opening the bike boxes, taping them back up again and eventually made it through to our gate. I did a little shopping at the duty free store not realizing that the prices were in American dollars instead of shekels.  I got up to the counter and was about to be slapped with $400 USD bill (for three items of clothing, might I add...total ripoff) until I said "Ohh....I see.  Yeah, no thanks." and walked away.  Our flight to Toronto was delayed and ended up lasting 12.5 hours.  Thankfully, I was sitting beside a little baby who was adorable and never cried.  I got to hold him and squeeze his cheeks so that made things more enjoyable.

My buddy

He was so infatuated with his hands the whole flight

Our flight to Calgary was also delayed so we spent an extra 90 minutes sitting on the tarmac before leaving.  All in all, it was an exhausting day of travel but we made it home safely and we are so thankful!

A few final thoughts:

As I reflect on the past month, it is difficult to put into words the many things I've experienced.  I will forever cherish the trip despite the many challenges that Dad and I encountered.  I will have fond memories of Jordan, the kindness of the people we met there, and the incredible time we had with locals in the desert.  Although I was often frustrated by the attitude of Israeli locals and didn't necessarily feel welcome in the country, I will always value the opportunities I had to visit the geographical locations of Biblical events, specifically the places where Jesus spent His time.  Seeing these places provided me with an educational and spiritual experience that has had a great impact on me.  In both Jordan and Israel, I was able to learn about different aspects of each country's history as well as different aspects of their current culture.  Visiting Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem for example, was one of the most powerful moments of the trip and allowed me to learn about a chapter of Israel's history in a very meaningful way.

One of the things I was most surprised by on the trip was the exposure I had to three religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.  Before I left, I did not know that I would be experiencing places where these three religions intertwined.  I experienced these very different religions in such real ways in a short period of time.  Even if I wanted to escape it, there was nowhere to go!  I had to embrace the culture if I was going to survive and make the most of my time there.

In both Jordan and Israel, I learned a lot about the Muslim religion and its history, and was also able to see the way it manifests itself in today's culture.  I felt the impact of it the most being a woman in Jordan and having to adjust my wardrobe accordingly.  Thank goodness I can rock a head scarf. :) When I was in Jerusalem, surrounded by Orthodox Jews I was reminded of the Christian religion's history and its roots that lie in Judaism.  It is crazy to me how the two religions have so much in common, yet we as people are so different in our beliefs, customs, and share different perspectives on many things.  Although I was never surrounded by many Christians, this trip gave me the chance to focus on my faith, its role in my life, and the history behind it.  Now, more than ever, I am confident that Christianity is not based on blind faith.  It is amazing to see the places that I've read about in the Bible, and understand that Jesus' life and resurrection is not a made up story, but the greatest news for all who are willing to listen!  One of the most striking differences I noticed about Christianity, and Lutheranism in particular, in comparison to other religions (two of which I've experienced quite intensely in the past month) is that it simply DOESN'T MATTER what you wear, what your lineage is, if you're wealthy, if you're a man or a woman, how many pilgrimage sites you've visited, if you fit in with society etc. Instead, the gift of grace and love from Jesus is just that, a GIFT for all who believe.  This is seriously mind blowing to me!  Oftentimes, we get so caught up in the negative aspects of organized religion and the complications the come with a religious community.  However, when you get down to it, the unconditional, abundant, saving love of Jesus is AMAZING and I am so thankful that I have known that love all my life.  As Easter Sunday quickly approaches, I am looking forward to rejoicing like I've never rejoiced before!

In addition to the spiritual and physical aspects of the trip, a key component about a bike trip such as this one is the time that I got to spend with my dad.  Lord knows he is an odd duck, and the more time I spend with him, the more I appreciate the idiosyncrasies that make him so unique.  I take pleasure in the fact that we have some similar qualities (although I'm hoping that's never going to be the case when it comes to wardrobe).  For those who know my father, you are likely aware that he is extremely intelligent, adventurous, and values time with his family above everything else.  He is always looking for ways to spend more time with his children, and except for my sister Ingrid, we have all experienced a bike trip with him.  It is a real treat for me to get to spend so much uninterrupted time with him.  He may chew too loudly for my liking and I wish he would wear deodorant (at least when we go out to public places), but he is who he is and I admire him for his fearlessness and unencumbered spirit!  I also am grateful to him because not only did he organize the entire trip, pay for it, and provide me with a budget to spend at Lululemon on athletic wear before we left (I know, it was amazing), he encouraged me through my most difficult days.  At home, he continues to support and encourage me (in addition to all of my siblings), and whether it's on a bike trip or on good ol' Hollyburn Road, I know I can always count on him.

We've certainly had some amazing cycling trips together:

Mississippi River Trail: 2009

Las Vegas to Lakeside, MT: 2012

Fagernes, Norway: 2015

Israel and Jordan: 2016

Each trip has been unique and I am grateful for all of the adventures we've had on those bicycles.

  Back at home, things have already returned to normal.  Dad is working at his desk and I'm distracting him with my singing while Mom takes pictures of it all.  Dad and I have eaten an entire loaf of bread and can't help but scarf down anything in sight.  We have become so used to the idea that when there is food, we have to eat it because we don't know when we will have it next!  I've assured Mom that this won't last forever.  

Before I sign off for the final time, I would like to express my deepest thanks and gratitude for all of your encouraging words and prayers.  My heart was full each time I opened a message from any of you readers (or when you sent your regards through my mother).  It felt like you were all alongside us for the journey!  Some people have inquired about what's next for me.  I'm sure you will not be surprised to hear that I am only home for ten days before I head out of the country again.  This time, NO BIKE! On April 8th, I will leave for Florida where I will join a Holland America ship, "The Zuiderdam" and make my way through Central America and then over to Europe for 25 days.  My mom will be joining me for the transatlantic crossing and ten days in Europe.  Maybe I should get more friends because I seem to do a lot of traveling with my parents...However, I figured if Dad took me on the trip to the Middle East, it's only fair that I take Mom with me on a cruise to Europe.  Dad doesn't see how the math adds up on this one...

Mom took this picture and said "Oh Annika, you've GOT to put this one on the blog".  Not really sure why, but there ya go, Mom.

It's been a pleasure documenting our trip and I cannot wait to look back on it in years to come.  We thank God that we made it home safely without any injury and will hold the memories of this adventure in our hearts for years to come.  I am sure my life will continue to be filled with new experiences (around the world as well as at home), incredible people, and interesting stories.  I'll let you all know if I decide to write a blog about any of them. :)

Final Night!  Victory In The Air!

Love always,

Annika

Never A Dull Moment

Hello from Tel Aviv, our final destination in Israel!

Our trip has certainly been full of adventure.  Yesterday was no exception!  We left our hostel at 9 AM and walked our bikes down the many steps to the city centre of Nazareth.  It was quite a challenge to lift the bike with the panniers on them over every step, but there wasn't really another option to get out of the city.  Unless we wanted to ride up a very steep hill similar to the one we walked up the day before.  No thank you.

Getting out of Nazareth required a lot of patience.  Patience which I didn't really have.  Navigating our way through the city took some time, but thankfully we had some helpful strangers that gave us directions along the way.  We even had a fireman come over to us and tell us that he was also a cyclist.  He said if we needed a place to stay, a place to shower, eat etc. we were welcome to stay at the fire house.  So that certainly lifted my spirits!

We were cycling on major highways which had wide shoulders which was good.  However, there was SO MUCH TRAFFIC; lots of big trucks and buses.  When we stopped to take a break, true to his form, Dad looked over the cement barrier and saw oranges in the dirt.  Sure enough, he hopped over and became a little scavenger, gathering food for our snack break.  At least oranges have peels so I didn't have to eat the dirt like I've had to in the past with the tomatoes Dad has found on the side of the highway.

This is honestly like finding gold for him.

We were able to see Mount Carmel in the distance, the place that many Christians associate with the prophet, Elijah.  Jewish and Muslims also view Mount Carmel as a sacred place.  Dad and I were both picturing a singular mountain, but it turns out Mount Carmel is actually a coastal mountain range.  Although different religions have pinpointed spots on top that they believe are where Elijah had a contest with the prophets of Baal.  There is no biblical reference to an actual spot so...I didn't feel the need to cycle up and across a range of mountains to see a spot where some people believe this happened.  So we kept on riding and, instead, flanked the mountain.  Don't get me wrong, we still had to do some climbing, but it was nothing in comparison to cycling up the mountain itself.  However, I still got frustrated.  As per usual.  I seem to lose my patience just before we get to the top.  Dad seems to have a better sense of what is coming next and he basically started laughing at me (and taking picture) while I had a meltdown because I think he knew that we were about to go downhill for a few kilometers.

Waiting for the train

Our plans was to cycle to the town of Benyamina and take the train to Tel Aviv.  We were under a bit of a time crunch because bikes aren't allowed on the train from 3:00-6:00 PM and it was an hour long train ride, so we were racing to catch the 1:57 train.  We were able to get there on time with no problem and, although getting our bikes on the train was a hassle (mostly because nobody moves out of the way and just stares at you), we eventually made it to Tel Aviv.

Then, we had to navigate our way to the "apartment" we were staying at.  Instead of searching for a hotel (which is usually difficult enough), Dad had arranged for us to rent some lady's apartment for our two nights in the city.  This sounds simple enough, but when the owner doesn't speak English and the address listed is actually an entire block of buildings, it can be difficult to figure things out.  After waiting for a bit on the street, I had to start sending text messages to her saying things like "I am wearing a bright neon jacket.  I have blonde hair.  My father is wearing a bright orange shirt and a yellow helmet".  How she could possibly miss us I have no idea.  Eventually, she arrived with her daughter who spoke a bit of English.  Before we got to the room, we entered the apartment buildign which is falling apart.  There are large puddles on the floor simply because the roof is leaking and...nobody cares enough to do anything about it.  We were staying on the 9th floor and the elevator only fits one person (it is a tiny square), so getting our bikes up there was a challenge.  It involved a lot of maneuvering and strategic planning.  Dad and I had to come up separately with our bikes and then the owner's daughter had to carry the panniers.  I don't think these ladies were expecting to do so much physical labour that afternoon.  Anyway, the apartment itself is nice.  I am sleeping on a pull out couch while Dad sleeps in a queen bed in his own room.  Interesting how that worked out.  To be honest, I'm just thankful I don't have to deal with his snoring and heavy breathing anymore.

It was now 4:30PM and I was thinking "Great, finally time to relax", but I was wrong.  Since we had one more day in Tel Aviv before leaving, we had planned on renting a car the following day so we could drive around and find bike boxes somewhere.  This is one of the most challenging parts of a bike trip-how to get the bikes home on the plane without any boxes.  It usually involves calling bicycle stores in the city and hoping that we can find something that works.  Somehow, Dad is always able to make something work using multiple boxes, mailing tape, and his experience in the field of makeshift bicycle boxes.  However, the ideal situation is to find large, cardboard boxes that are made to carry bikes.  The problem is transporting these boxes back to our hotel to eventually put the bikes inside.  Hence, the rental car plan.

Before we came on the trip, I had e-mailed the owner of a bicycle shop here in Tel Aviv and he told me to message him once we arrived and he would be able to tell me if he had any boxes.  So, Dad said I should call him to see if he had any boxes that we could pick up the following day once we had the car.  I called him and sure enough, they had two boxes! FABULOUS!  I asked him if he could set them aside so we could pick them up the following day with the car.  He replied with "We're closed tomorrow".  WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK.  I have just come from Tiberias where everything was closed on Friday and Saturday due to Shabbat.  Then in Nazareth, everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) was closed because it was Sunday.  Now, I'm being told that this bike shop is closed every Tuesday.  How does anyone make any money here??

Anyway, he told me that if we wanted the boxes they were open until 6:00 PM.  This put us in quite a predicament.  I looked up where the bike shop was in relation to the apartment and it was about 7 km away.  Dad made an executive decision to ride to the shop and get the boxes and...well figure out how to get them home after the fact.  The important thing was to get the bike boxes.

So, off we went.  I rushed out of the door so fast I was just wearing a tank top, didn't have my sunglasses or rearview mirror attached making it difficult to deal with the traffic.  I felt like I was on "The Amazing Race", pedaling as fast I could, quickly stopping to check my map, and yelling at Dad "turn Right, turn Left, ride on the sidewalk because this is a one-way street and we are going in the wrong direction".  The street the shop was on was an absolute gong show.  Semi trucks were trying to parallel park, there was a fish market, and many pedestrians walking everywhere.  However, we made it to the shop!  And he had the boxes!  Great! Now, what to do...

Dad had brought some rope with him and folded the boxes so they would be easier to handle.  We still wouldn't be able to ride with them, but it made it easier to walk the bikes.  As we started walking and the sun started to set, Dad said "It's going to be a long walk home...".  And it really was.

Dad working his magic

Along the way Dad said "if you see any place that sells mailing tape, let me know".  Of course the boxes were useless without mailing tape, so this was also on our list of things to get.  After going into a few stores, Dad eventually found some in a hobby shop.  I don't think he's ever felt so victorious.

Look at that smile!

Soon enough, the light had gone and we were in the dark.  We thought walking along the sea would be better but there wasn't really any light so it was kind of sketch.  At this point, Dad decided to try riding with the boxes.  He used a bungee chord and a piece of cardboard to brace his shoulder and basically started riding his bike with these giant boxes on the side of him, carrying them like a purse.  It was hilarious and amazing all at the same time.  My dad is actually so smart and really does always have some sort of "angle" to make things work.

Tried to enjoy the sunset while also trying to get home as quickly as possible

Working his angle

Trying to diffuse the stress by taking a selfie

And...he's off!

I literally could not stop laughing at Dad while also being amazed at the same time

Cue the rainfall and the wind

We rode for awhile, but then it started to rain, the wind picked up, the streets were abandoned and we were essentially in complete darkness.  I was periodically checking my phone to make sure we were headed in the right direction but it kept dying, then coming back to life for 10 seconds, and dying again. Ah, the joys of technology.  I was pretty cold at this point because, like I said, when we left the apartment so suddenly I was just wearing shorts and a tank top.

At about 7:00 PM, 2.5 hours after we'd left the apartment, we made it back.  WITH the boxes and WITH the mailing tape.  All in all, a successful mission.

We quickly showered and went out to eat.  For some reason I thought being in Tel Aviv would mean lots of restaurants, people everywhere, more of metropolitan area of Israel.  However, we are staying in Bat Yam because it's closer to the airport and...it's pretty dreary and shady.  We ate at a falafel/shawarma place and stopped at a bakery and the supermarket on the way home.  We had pastries and tea once we got back to the apartment and went to bed!

Today I am planning on doing some souvenir shopping (although I don't have high hopes for the merchandise available in Bat Yam from what I've seen), Dad will ride his bike, and we will go to the beach.  Since we don't have to spend the day renting a car and looking for boxes, we just get to relax!  What a concept!

Stay tuned for one last post before this adventure comes to an end!

A

This trip is filled with literal and emotional ups and downs...

Hello from Nazareth: the most underwhelming place I've been.

Maybe I'm just in a bit of "mood" because we've had a very tough day.  It's been three days since I last posted, so first let's start with our last two days in Tiberias before I get into the frustrations of today.

On Friday, our plan was to cycle up to Mount Tabor.  This is a site that is believed by many Christians to be the place where the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ took place.  The mountain is located 575m above sea level (Tiberias, where we were starting is -165 m).  The good news was since it was just a day trip, we didn't have to carry the panniers which made things easier.  Getting out of the city was quite a hassle because it is a very steep climb on very busy city streets.  We had to walk for about 40 minutes before we were even able to ride.  After 40 minutes of walking uphill, we got to a sign that said "Sea Level".  Again, I am tormented by this whole "sea level" thing.  It seems we go up, down, up, down, and after what felt like forever of climbing uphill, I realized that we had just reached "0". Disappointing.

Dad just loves taking my picture whenever we see these signs.  Only 575 m to go!

We made it onto the major highway and we were finally able to actually ride (even though it was still uphill).  We saw a a sign that said "Nazareth, 25 km" and that's when I realized that when we were leaving Tiberias two days later, we would have to do that ALL OVER AGAIN.  We were actually making good time on the highway and after a few hours of riding, Mount Tabor was in view.

Mount Tabor on the left.  My thought at the time was "How in the world am I going to cycle up THAT??"

When we reached the bottom of Mount Tabor, the real climbing began.  Switchback after switchback.  100 times over.  I suppose the views we had on the way up and at the top made it worth it, but boy, was it hard work!

Halfway up the mountain

Getting closer...

One of the views from the top

At the top, there was a Franciscan monastery and church as well as a place we could eat lunch outside.  We had QUITE a feast (not).

Thrilled to be at the top...

Franciscan Church/Monastery

Beautiful view!

Preparing lunch

This was it.  

It's sad how excited I am to eat one square of dark chocolate at the end of every meal.

We took a different route back which would allow us to spend some time riding along the Sea of Galilee (Dad's basically obsessed with it), so our ride back was relatively enjoyable.  Of course there were difficult parts, but we made it back before the sun went down and, although my body was tired, I was happy to have experienced a relatively smooth day of riding.

That moment when you're about to ride down a hill 

On Saturday, we had a rest day.  Finally!  Being that it was a REST day, I didn't ride the bike at all.  And it was glorious.  I walked around the streets of Tiberias, hoping to get a few souvenirs but of course everything was closed because it was still Shabbat.  Not even my coffee shop, Cofix was open!  I did manage to find a gelato shop that was open right along the Sea of Galilee.  It was delicious, but unfortunately, I had to eat it as quickly as possible to avoid a guy that sat down and started talking to me (and wasn't going to leave until I was finished).  He couldn't really speak English so it was a lot of me nodding my head and smiling while eating very quickly.

This picture was taken 5 seconds before the guy sat down.

Dad decided to spend the day riding around the Sea of Galilee AGAIN.  He said it was amazing.  So I was happy for him.  

Yup.  There it is.  Again.

We went out for dinner at "Big Ben's Burgers and BBQ" (talk about an alliteration, wow).  We ate fish and it was a nice change from the food we'd been eating for the past month.

This would've been a great picture for St. Patrick's Day but I was a few days late!

Our nightly treat while in Tiberias included store bought chocolate chip cookies with a carton of milk each night.  I didn't realize how much Dad loved milk until we came on this trip.  I asked him what he ate for lunch on his bike ride that day and he said, "Oh I had a litre of milk".  And it wasn't weird to me. 

Then, today came.  Nazareth day.  I was not expecting today to be so difficult, but hey, it is our second last day of riding, why WOULDN'T it make me want to throw my bike off a cliff?  I knew the first part of the ride would be tough because I had already done it the day we went to Mount Tabor.  Obviously, the climb out of the city that required us to walk with our bikes was more difficult with the panniers on, but that was not the most difficult part of the day. 

Back at my favourite sea level sign again...

I don't even think the cycling itself was really hard today, but I am just so fed up with everyone in this country that I literally can't take it anymore.  I have been to over 75 countries (including Russia) and I have never encountered such rude people in my life.  It makes it hard to stay positive when everyone around me is bringing me down.

Instances where people make me want to cry and/or punch them:

1. A guy on a dirt bike rode past me on the highway and gave me the finger.  Awesome.

2. Four guys on four wheelers rode past me on the highway and put their hands up as if to say "What are you doing?"  and I wanted to say "What am I doing?? You're riding a four wheeler on a major highway and I'm the weird one??"

3. I got off my bike to walk it across a pedestrian crossing when the walking sign was lit up.  As I'm walking across, the guy honks his horn at me.  At this point I was so fed up I yelled at him "I AM LITERALLY CROSSING THE STREET".

4. Any restaurant we walk into, the waitresses look at us like we have interrupted their private party.  They don't say anything, they just stare at us.  Yesterday, we walked in and weren't even acknowledged and then the waitress threw our menus on the table while talking on her cell phone.  Sorry that we are trying to give you business.  

5. Every time I get honked at for, well, just existing, I throw up my hands and yell "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM??? SHUT UP!"  (not to the actual person in the car, just yelling at the air in front of me while they drive past, of course) As a child I was never allowed to say "Shut up" in my house (and it is still not allowed to this day), but Dad lets me say it here,  So, that should speak volumes about how frustrating it is for both of us.

6. I was riding down a hill on a street without a shoulder and a semi truck behind me just started honking at me like crazy.  Do you know how loud that horn is when its right by your ear? He blasted it over and over again and I just had to scream "I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO! HONKING IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT, YOU IDIOT!"  He didn't hear me, but I don't think he would care anyway.

These are only a few instances of the many, many times a difficult day has become more frustrating.  It is a challenge to maintain a positive attitude in such an environment.  Today, after a series of people were honking at me and I had just walked up a huge hill, Dad asked me how I was doing and I said "I JUST HATE EVERYONE".  

I'm really showing my true colours here.  Please don't judge me.  I am trying my very best to enjoy the last few days I have here in Israel, but it is proving to be a challenge.  After we arrived in Nazareth, we had a fun time trying to find the hostel we were staying at.  And by fun, I mean it was awful.  No street signs here (surprise, surprise) which makes it nearly impossible to find anything!  Nazareth is also completely disorganized.  There isn't really a city centre, streets are chopped up and just end suddenly, not to mention the insane hills.  Streets are so steep it is crazy trying to ride/drive/walk on them.  After trying to find the hostel for over an hour, we were 2.0 km away.  I thought to myself "Well, this shouldn't take long now.." but boy was I wrong!  The switchbacks we had to ride UP to eventually ride DOWN on the other side were the steepest Dad had ever seen.  Tires on cars were spinning out because it was so steep.  

If only we knew what was around the corner...

Switchback 1 of 1,000,000

Thank goodness Dad was there to help me with my bike.  The grade itself is crazy, but because we were wearing cycling shoes (which are kind of like cleats), I was constantly slipping and my arms just got so tired that I physically couldn't get up the hill.  Half the time, Dad was pulling my bike in addition to his while I cried and tried to push my bike up as best I could.  At one point, we had to take a break ever few metres or so, walking from side to side because it was simply to steep to walk up directly.  WHAT A MESS.

At the top of this crazy street, we were still lost.  Thankfully, three gentlemen actually helped us out! It was amazing and their kindness lifted my spirits.

The first smile of the day came from these wonderful men who helped us

Eventually, we made it to our hostel. The entrance was a tiny little hobbit door in the middle of a wall...no idea how we were supposed to find it without having to ask someone. 

Home Sweet Home

Our plan was to go see a number of churches that were built based on the locations of events that took place during Mary's (mother of Jesus) life.  However, most of them were closed.  A lot of Dad's time was spent examining locked doors that prevented him from entering said churches.

The best moment was when the gates were open to a church (that was supposed to be open according to our guide book), and a man just came up to Dad and closed the doors and told him we couldn't go in. 

One of the churches that was open was the Church of Annunciation.  This was a Catholic church built on top of Mary's house.  This is where Catholic tradition states Mary was given the message from the angel, Gabriel that she would bear a child, the Son of God, Jesus.  (Hence the name, "Jesus of Nazareth").  I actually liked the church a lot (still had to deal with tons of tourists taking pictures of the remains of Mary's house), but my favourite part of the complex were the mosaics that were made by Catholic communities in various countries that hung on the walls outside.  Each country's take on Mary was expressed artistically which I found really interesting.

My life in one photo

Church of the Annunciation

And now for some of the many mosaics:

Ok Germany: this isn't your best work, I'm not going to lie

Happy Palm Sunday!

We also saw "Joseph's Church" which was built where Catholic tradition states Joseph lived/where his carpentry workshop was located.  

We walked around for a bit, but by 4:30 we were so hungry we had to eat dinner.  We found a cute little cafe (where I had a great cappuccino, my favourite part of every day), but I could hardly keep my eyes open during the meal.

I tried to take some pictures as we walked through the streets of Nazareth but..there wasn't much to take pictures of.  I have not been impressed by this city and it is my least favourite place out of all the cities we've been to on this trip.  I still snapped a few shots during our walk.  

#artsy

A view from outside the gate of one of the many churches that was closed

View from our hostel

Tomorrow is our last day of riding as we head to Tel Aviv.  I am hoping our last day on the bikes is an enjoyable day of riding.  I think after this much time on a trip, it wears you down.  However, I am reminding myself that tomorrow is a NEW DAY and I'm hoping to have a positive attitude that carries me through to the end of this adventurous journey Dad and I have been on for the past few weeks.  

That's it for now!

A