Rakevet, Rakevet --- Holchim al Harakevet - Autobusim, Gam Kein

I took a ride on the Israeli Railroad System.

I thought I was in Europe.

It was clean, timely and fast.

As you ride from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv you can see in the distance the tracks, tunnels and bridges being laid for the Modi’in – Tel Aviv route. You can see other construction as well. There are new roads and byways being built in and around Jerusalem.

Some roads have already been completed, to a major extent. I took the bus from Jerusalem to Tiberias. It went along route 6, the central Israeli toll highway. On your left are Israeli fields. On your right are fields as well. But many times the view is blocked by the security wall. But really, do I need to see Tulkarem so badly.

Using route 6, the ride only took two hours and 15 minutes, and that was with traffic and stops.

The train ride from Tel Aviv took little more than an hour. On the way back to Jerusalem we stopped in Tel Aviv’s Hashalom station. It connects right into the Azrieli shopping mall. You don’t even have to be checked by security since we were already checked when we entered the train station. The same holds true when we left leave the mall to enter the station.

I can’t wait for the light rail system in Jerusalem; It should be a lot of fun. But I guess I’ll have to. It’s not due for completion until 2008-2009 and even that’s not fixed in stone. For those in Israel who know what it is to wait, have Savlanut, have patience. Remember Ben Gurion 2000, the new Airport terminal, was not ready until the end of 2004.

Shucks; they never changed the name.