What’s Wrong with Israelis, Anyway?
On the last day of Chol Hamoed, we decided to take a bus from the Central Bus Station to Mini Israel. Unfortunately, there is no bus to this well advertised ‘minor’ tourist attraction.
At the ‘misinformation’ counter of the Tachana Merkazit, we were told that we could take a bus to Latrun and that Mini Israel is only a few minutes down the road. The bus driver, who actually would be passing by the site but said he couldn’t stop because there was no stop there, also agreed that it was a few minutes down the road. He did, however, assure us that we would see a bus stop for the return trip right in front of the site.
Well, needless to say, everyone was selling us the Brooklyn Bridge, though there was no water in sight. In fact, the bus stopped in area which looked like the cornfield in ‘Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest.’ I didn’t expect to see Cary Grant but I was wondering if a crop duster was going to fly over us and try to kill us.
No need to worry about that, though. The heat and the THIRTY minute walk were more likely to be the culprit of our demise.
After arriving at the site, we were in for more treats. First, they overcharged us. I guess that’s what the ‘Special Rates’ for tourists were all about. Then, the lack of shade and water always leads to a good time. I guess if they have to bury you in one of the models, you won’t go home and complain about it.
When we asked about the bus stop to go home, they said the closest one was up the road. I didn’t ask them how far it was, since I already knew that it was FOURTY-FIVE minutes up the steeply inclined road. They did, however, give me a telephone number for a taxi which would charge me at least 140 Shekels to go back. They, however, wouldn’t actually make the phone call for us; that was our problem.
Luckily we met some people whom we barely knew and they procured a ride with their tour bus which was organized by Yeshiva Ohr Samayach. They graciously offered to take us back to Yerushalayim.
As a bonus, they stopped at a beautiful lookout on Har Adar, a few kilometers west of Jerusalem. The view, especially from on top of the monument, was stunning.
You just never know how things are going to work out, sometimes.
On the last day of Chol Hamoed, we decided to take a bus from the Central Bus Station to Mini Israel. Unfortunately, there is no bus to this well advertised ‘minor’ tourist attraction.
At the ‘misinformation’ counter of the Tachana Merkazit, we were told that we could take a bus to Latrun and that Mini Israel is only a few minutes down the road. The bus driver, who actually would be passing by the site but said he couldn’t stop because there was no stop there, also agreed that it was a few minutes down the road. He did, however, assure us that we would see a bus stop for the return trip right in front of the site.
Well, needless to say, everyone was selling us the Brooklyn Bridge, though there was no water in sight. In fact, the bus stopped in area which looked like the cornfield in ‘Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest.’ I didn’t expect to see Cary Grant but I was wondering if a crop duster was going to fly over us and try to kill us.
No need to worry about that, though. The heat and the THIRTY minute walk were more likely to be the culprit of our demise.
After arriving at the site, we were in for more treats. First, they overcharged us. I guess that’s what the ‘Special Rates’ for tourists were all about. Then, the lack of shade and water always leads to a good time. I guess if they have to bury you in one of the models, you won’t go home and complain about it.
When we asked about the bus stop to go home, they said the closest one was up the road. I didn’t ask them how far it was, since I already knew that it was FOURTY-FIVE minutes up the steeply inclined road. They did, however, give me a telephone number for a taxi which would charge me at least 140 Shekels to go back. They, however, wouldn’t actually make the phone call for us; that was our problem.
Luckily we met some people whom we barely knew and they procured a ride with their tour bus which was organized by Yeshiva Ohr Samayach. They graciously offered to take us back to Yerushalayim.
As a bonus, they stopped at a beautiful lookout on Har Adar, a few kilometers west of Jerusalem. The view, especially from on top of the monument, was stunning.
You just never know how things are going to work out, sometimes.
posted by judah h | 6:13 PM
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