e-d-i-t

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[This message has been edited by InterflugIL62 (edited Mar 06, 2004).]

Alright people, before the big moment, and going to the plane to Israel for my first time was very, very special, does anyone have the words to Hatikvah, the Israeli National Anthem?

If you can get them, I would be grateful if you could please post it here on the trip.

That song makes me cry...

Just promise me one thing Michael - you'll get over it and not rake it up again in another year from now?!

Good luck, i'll look forward to the remainder of the report.

Does this help?

Hebrew lyrics of HaTikvah:
Kol od balevav penima
Nefesh yehudi homiya
Ulfatey mizrakh kadima
Ayin leTziyon tzofiya

Od lo avda tikvateynu
Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim
Lihyot am khofshi beartzeynu
Eretz Tziyon vi'Yerushalayim
<repeat last two lines>

English translation of Hatikvah (according to Encyclopedia Judaica):
As long as deep in the heart
The soul of a Jew yearns,
And towards the East
An eye looks to Zion

Our hope is not yet lost
The hope of two thousand years.
To be a free people in our land
The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

Thank you for the words to Hatikvah.

[This message has been edited by InterflugIL62 (edited Mar 06, 2004).]

Ok, here we go. This was a very special and dear moment for me.

I left the lounge and the terminal was dead empty, shops closed, kind of spooky.

We were leaving and thank you, from one of the closer in gates, saved me all that walking.

I approached the gate and they had all these people dressed in black clothes, hats, kippot,
and garb. You can tell, I am excited. Oh this is cool. It is so real.

I have waited a long time for this.

You have those special moments in your life. Graduation, wedding, mine is still pending, , but hey, I was very close(too close LOL ), but most of my special moments are travel related.

When we went to board the South African plane to Jo'burg, the Qantas to Sydney, my first trip to Asia, my first trip to the UK, then later Paris. Now this. This was special. When I was at the doorway to the SAA 747-300, was like a dream.

I went over to a seat to get ready and prepare. I took out a pin with a US flag and Israeli flag together and put them on my shirt. Already I had stares and many smiles. I bought this at the Israeli Independence Day Festival in LA.

Many Friday nights at Shabbat (don't forget, I am in a church on Sunday), the Israeli Film Festival, Seders with the family(been a while there), Israeli thiss and thats, now here comes the graduation. Oh my.

I am excited and you can see it, you can feel it.

I go to the check in desk. No security questions? huh? She took my BP and stared at my lapel pin. It shows love and a strong friendship between the US and Israel. I have one for the UK and USA, just didn't bring it, but it is appropriate as well, all my heritage. I also have a Switzerland/USA pin, you get the idea.

We walk down the hallway. Has to be 90% Israelis on the plane, speaking Hebrew, I look at the aircraft, a BA 767,
get the reg #, again, all will be provided later. Promise. chocolates, lounges, and all. LOL

Ok, do they do a security check down here? No... Walk on the plane. Wow, this plane is different.
The seats are different and nicer than the Euro version of the BA 767. Everyone is standing, yacking in Hebrew, many look at my lapel pin and smile. Should I have worn kippot? (I left it at home!)

I take my seat, carry ons in the overhead. Keep my book on the Israelis, figure it is in good company here ,
and say hello to my neighbor, not realizing at the time that he and I will become very close over the next 5 hours.

I asked him why no security questions? He said BA doesn't do it. Some airlines do, Air France and Lufthansa are some that do, but he said, ouch, when I leave Israel, I will get some questions, and I will remember them!
"When you leave Israel you will be asked questions and you WILL remember them!" and I quote

A very tall man, probably a Rabbi!?, with kippot, kept walking up and down the aisles. He didn't want to touch a girl who was in the aisle assorting her things, she is oblivious to him, he puts his hands just above her, trying to get by, and he goes back and forth. Sorry, but his big butt LOL is in my friend's face, and my new friend is ticked.

He pulls a face. I am laughing hard. I say it is intimate, well, let him be intimate somewhere else.

It is too, too funny, oy, ya had to be there. Everyone is talking fervently and mostly in Hebrew. A very lively crowd, I am loving it. This is so exciting, probably one of the most exciting moments in my life.

Our neighbors in the seats in front of us yack constantly in Ivrit, though later exchange pleasntries with us in
English, but have their seats all the way back.

Final checks and we push back after a small delay, pulling away from Terminal 4. I have always dreamed of this event, you can't even imagine. Sometimes the dreaming is part of the fun, right?

They did the safety video, same as other BA 767s, but the plane is nicer, a different seat material, headsets, and in the same package, comes a small coach amenity kit, nice touch. BUT they need more legroom. While not AA and the guys in front had their seats back, and the crew doesn't say anything!?, there could be more legroom.
During the long and protracted announcements, oh he is boring!, not a word of Hebrew, that is rude.

As we taxi out, BA 744 to Singapore and Sydney, they kept paging the last passengers. SQ 744, Emirates 777, probably that gorgeous stewardess was on there. The other BA 767 which I am sure is to Athinai, Athens.

Then who is directly across from us but the ELAL 777. Too funny. This plane is full, who is on ELAL?

It was great to see it, however, they would go before us and hence, be at customs before us, ugh.

ELAL goes, then we turn around, oh my gosh I am going to Israel, time to scream. So many songs to go through my head. What do I sing to myself? Havanagila. Spelling? Havanagila is perfect for a takeoff. It starts out slow, builds up, then goes fast, which you match to take off.

And away we go. Hava Nagila Hava, Nagila Hava.....................lift off...........................

Fly over Terminal 4, cheers, and some lights, and into the clouds.......................................

sorry, I have to go soon, but I will write a little bit and then Shabbat tonight will prepare me to write about Israel. promise

thank you all, this has been wonderful and very inspiring... and I made a new friend today... my heck

I need chocolate! and I need it now!! LOL

Ok, over the clouds. I am over the (freaking) Wing, so can see squat. When I called in it was all they had. Normally, I would say shame on me for not changing the seat assignment, but when you see the wonderful seatmate I have, I am happy.

No map and no airshow. No watch, so I have no idea what time it was, left it at home and the watches on sale at Heathrow, ick.

Over dark clouds, with wing below, kind of drove me nuts.

They started showing tv shows, wasn't bad. Started with the BBC news which I watch everyday, if possible, thanks to BBC America. I would die without it.

Then they went to a program of different sitcoms. One UK show I have never seen, most interesting.

I pulled out my Israeli book and did some cramming for the final. I learned so much about Israel and the Israeli people from this wonderful book, you have no idea.

I would have liked to have had a prayer book, in English of course, but that was not to be and my Christian Bible was home. Oh well.

My seatmate and I start casually yacking. So, where are you from?

I forget his name, awful? He is a dual citizen from Israel and the US and lives near Washington D.C. Hey,are you on flyertalk? LOL

I feel good about him and we talk. He is a fellow worldtraveler and the guy has been everywhere. We swap travel stories and experiences.

The man is a romantic. He took his wife to Italy as a surprise, but told her they were going to Niagara Falls. He then invited their friends. She was touched. I was touched! That is something I will do for my wife.
Hey, I have surprised women with some nice gifts, it is a good start, and my brother took his wife to New York as a surprise, so it runs in the family. smile

I told him at the end of the flight how lucky his wife is. He smiled.

Dinner came. My first real BA meal, vs. the little baggy they give you with not much in it.

Quite impressed. A full platter, much bigger than American, a delicious chicken curry, which was mentioned on flyertalk, some salad I was, ahhhhhhhh, the apple pie, Brian, take it! but the bread and accoutrements and all was good. I don't remember all but the chicken was good and I have snacked all day, bad on me. Kitkat was nice as well.

We do more talking and comparing stories, explaining it is my first time to Israel. He, like an Israeli friend who visits the Synagogue, told me they were very proud of me making the trip, my first Aliyah, and by myself at that. No one else wanted to go.

We both agreed it was time for a bathroom break. For me to go only once on a 5 hour flight is very good, right guys? LOL

It was great to stretch, walk through the cabin. Usually people are sleeping at what must have been 2 freaking in the morning. They were all up yacking. People in the aisle, big but up and down and up and down, and that drove my friend crazy, laugh...

People did stare at my lapel pin, most smiled. I liked that. It showed America's support for Israel. They, like the UK and others, Australia and New Zealand were also there as I was down under when it happened, were there for us on 9/11. Tear.

The cute stewardess who had served us was in the back and I asked for another kitkat bar if they had one. Can't explain it, the British one is so much better than ours. 1 point for the Britts.

She also said yeah, I have given you too much water. I had a small crush on her, I think she could see it. She had a German flag on her lapel pin meaning she speaks German, should I try to impress her with my terrible German? I think not. yeah she was cute.

Back to the seats, more yacking, some more reading, and a little zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sorry for the suspense, but I need to break it here, right before we land in Israel.
he he he Shalom

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[This message has been edited by InterflugIL62 (edited Mar 06, 2004).]

I just returned from Israel in January. I tell you one of the best landings was comming into Ben Gurion just as morning hit. You come from above the clouds and all of a sudden you see the Israli coastline and within seconds you cross to the runway. I would like to go to Israel again soon as I have family over there.

I agree with you. British Cadbury and Kit Kat is much better than in the US. I think it's because of the milk.

Ok, with CNN Inside Africa over, my news about Africa for the week, let's go land in Israel. (actually caught it at the Admirals Lounge at LHR last week, wow, makes ya think, doesn't it? I was walking to my plane to NY one week ago at this time)

____

I started dozing off a little. It is not really sleeping, it is more resting, hard to sleep on a plane and in tight conditions. The plane was messy and we need more legroom. Oh well.

The pilot came on and said we are now in our descent, yeah!, and we should be landing in about 35 minutes, one of the greatest things to the captives in coach, which some dear soul refers to as Why, I may agree with that.

Cabin lights came on. Then, not earlier which would have made sense, they passed out Israeli landing forms, something new for my collection.

Why they don't do this at the beginning of the trip, I shall never know. Too much!

So I grabbed the pen and filled out the info. Something new I have never seen before, the State of Israel wants your dad's name, have no idea why, but I put it, he being the Jewish parent.

The chief purser, sorry, was annoying.
He made long announcements and was kind of boring. Not to be rude, but, yeah.

The crew did the final checks, sadly, picked up the headsets when there was a British sitcom on I had never seen before, and Donny Osmond was the guest of honor. Love it!

Everything goes in the carry on, yes, everything. If it is in the seat pocket, it goes, not that I would ever take those safety leaflets that say DO NOT REMOVE cause that would be naughty. Oh wait, I can be naughty, he he he ha ha ha !

Lo and behold, the moment I have waited (38) years for, there were lights yonder and they were Israel. Wow!

An incredible feeling went through me when I saw Israel/Y'israel for the first time.

No, I didn't cry, much much to my surprise, but I was filled with joy and happiness. I suppose I cried inside, vs. outside.

The stupid wing was in the way and so I had to look beyond the wing to get a view, but I wouldn't trade my seatmate in for anything.

Ironically, as we went into descent, we shook hands and introduced ourselves, and sadly, can't remember his name and I am sorry that we didn't exchange e-mails, cards, etc. Would love to show him around LA when/if he gets out here. He is cool.

We flew over the coast of Israel, Zion, the Holy Land, call as you wish, over Tel Aviv/Jaffa.

I had asked on flyertalk(.com) on the ELAL board about where is the best place to sit.

They said if you do a normal landing, on the left, with a great view of Tel Aviv below, to your right, Jaffa, also a good view. If you come in that way, which most planes did as I saw from below during my stay, it is a quick descent. But they also said you can go another way, fly past the airport, which we did, in this case, I think the right side was best.

How do I explain it?! It looked like Israel. It was 5 something am, February, completely dark, but you could see the Israeli style architecture and feel it as we came in.

The plane kept heading East and I joked, are we going to Jordan? I know that Israel is not that big.

My friend chose Syria as a guess. LOL That would not be good!

A plane flew right below us on final, cool.

We did a sharp right turn and the wing flaps sounded like a dentist drill, which I even made that comment to my friend. Been a while since I have sat on the wing but you do get good wingflap action, both in view(daytime) and sound.

My favorite wing noise is on the 777. Coming into Singapore on Emirates(from Jakarta), we were right on the wing and he made the coolest approach over Singapore City. The flaps on a 777 are noisy and you hear them, especially if right above. I love this stuff.

As we made our turn and final approach you could see little pockets of Israeli towns, apartments, lights, but it looked Israeli, hard to explain. Some cities look alike, not here!

You could see the lights of Tel Aviv straight ahead of us as we approached.

Insert Hatikvah here, an appropriate time to sing it.

I made the slight comment that the reading light of the guys in front of us who have had their seats back the entire time was annoying, but didn't plan on any action.

My beloved seatmate looked forward and said:
"Gentlemen, this is this man's first trip to Israel and your reading light is interfering with his view." They turned it off. I was shocked. I was also appreciative, as the view was now better.

Touch down and reverse. I applauded. Surprisingly, I was pretty much alone. I think one other joined me briefly.

It actually told me alot that they weren't applauding. Sometimes after a long flight into LA, we applaud. It is that we are home! Many join in.

The Israelis didn't feel that way. My friend kind of gave the hint, they have left Israel to get away from all the violence and the problems, now they are back. Fair point. Sad.

Nevertheless, this is my first 'Aliyah' or going up, and it was special to me.

We turned around, you could see the radar circling around and then the new terminal 3. It is dark with few lights, you would think they would have more lights, show it off, also for security reasons, no sabbotage.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the famous terminal from the plane. We taxiied, you could see a stack of planes, and we turned right into that area.

A few ELAL's, the LY 777 from London, a Swiss A320, AF A320, LH A340, etc. Not too much but a fair amount. They were scattered
all over. We stopped, parked, engines shut down.

Getting up, carry ons, and we filed out. I said thank you to the sweet English girls who took care of us. The one up front was a doll. British Airways has some outstanding crews(makes AA look like McDonalds, sorry)

Out the door and into a weather protected staircase(enclosed with a roof, more rare).
To be safe I held the handrail going down and others dashed past me. I just don't want to fall.

I said shalom to the cute girl at the bottom of the stairs and that this was my first trip to Israel(I know, sounds geeky) and she smiled and said welcome.

You had a security guy down below keeping an eye on things and I have heard that security officers stand at the bottom of the steps of all incoming flights into Israel, probably not a bad idea for other countries as well.

I then saw the famous Arrivals hall which has been in many movies, travel books, and what have you. When I lived in Ohio a guy who came to Israel photographed it on video and then some and I just wouldn't do that.
It is a very security conscious airport and cameras make security people uptight. Remember Frankfurt.

Onto the bus. Stood next to my friend and he said "What, you're not going to get down and kiss the ground?" Hey, I thought about it, maybe later.

We were taken to the terminal.

If we had landed about 45 minutes or so later, would have happened. But you know what, sounds stupid, I always wanted to arrive at night, now I will go for the day.