1/6/07
The Nitty Gritty Details
I love traveling. My heart, soul, and mind thrive on travel. However fate or the powers that be balanced a restless spirit with a body that demands stability. I am spectacularly gifted with asthma, respiratory allergies, lethal and myriad food allergies, and a propensity for hypothermia (because I’m skinny and don’t have enough body fat). The lungs have been ok, though they’ve come down with a slight cough. The stomach is constantly begging me for more food than my allergy paranoia will allow (so far one full meal; which was also a rip off price-wise). It doesn’t help that my checked luggage, with most of my clothes and toiletries, still has not arrived to me through Ben Gurion’s Lost and Found service, and it’s bloody cold, though I’ve managed to not come anywhere near the hypothermia stage thanks to the two pairs of pants and peacoat, which I wear at all times, including in bed where I have three layers of blankets. Here I’d like to insert a shout out to my Mom who insisted I take the peacoat.
Yesterday night I decided that the solution is simply to splurge and solve all these problems fast and effectively so I can get out to Nablus by tomorrow. Thus I purchased an international cell phone today (I got ripped off), and umbrella yesterday (I got ripped off), and will go to the New City section of Jerusalem where I am sure to have a better chance finding food I can talk myself into eating (which will be expensive, but I’m hoping prices will be standardized and thus everyone, not just me, will be getting ripped off). I tried arguing down the guy selling me the umbrella, but it was so tiresome that by the time I got to buying a cell phone today I just pretended not to speak much English and took whatever price they gave me. They seemed nice enough and I really didn’t feel like arguing. I just assume that because I am Asian (obvious tourist) I get charged 50-200% extra. It’s worth it if the luggage with all my toiletries arrives tonight.
On the plus side, I love the hostel I’m staying at. It’s the one place where they don’t try to rip me off—in fact all the prices at the restaurant below are printed out on a menu—and it only costs 25 sheikels per night to stay in a warm, though not heated, dormitory room.
On the newer plus side, I recently found a wonderful restaurant that won’t rip me off, and upon returning for a second meal I discovered this excellently equipped and very professional internet café. Now I just need my luggage…
The Nitty Gritty Details
I love traveling. My heart, soul, and mind thrive on travel. However fate or the powers that be balanced a restless spirit with a body that demands stability. I am spectacularly gifted with asthma, respiratory allergies, lethal and myriad food allergies, and a propensity for hypothermia (because I’m skinny and don’t have enough body fat). The lungs have been ok, though they’ve come down with a slight cough. The stomach is constantly begging me for more food than my allergy paranoia will allow (so far one full meal; which was also a rip off price-wise). It doesn’t help that my checked luggage, with most of my clothes and toiletries, still has not arrived to me through Ben Gurion’s Lost and Found service, and it’s bloody cold, though I’ve managed to not come anywhere near the hypothermia stage thanks to the two pairs of pants and peacoat, which I wear at all times, including in bed where I have three layers of blankets. Here I’d like to insert a shout out to my Mom who insisted I take the peacoat.
Yesterday night I decided that the solution is simply to splurge and solve all these problems fast and effectively so I can get out to Nablus by tomorrow. Thus I purchased an international cell phone today (I got ripped off), and umbrella yesterday (I got ripped off), and will go to the New City section of Jerusalem where I am sure to have a better chance finding food I can talk myself into eating (which will be expensive, but I’m hoping prices will be standardized and thus everyone, not just me, will be getting ripped off). I tried arguing down the guy selling me the umbrella, but it was so tiresome that by the time I got to buying a cell phone today I just pretended not to speak much English and took whatever price they gave me. They seemed nice enough and I really didn’t feel like arguing. I just assume that because I am Asian (obvious tourist) I get charged 50-200% extra. It’s worth it if the luggage with all my toiletries arrives tonight.
On the plus side, I love the hostel I’m staying at. It’s the one place where they don’t try to rip me off—in fact all the prices at the restaurant below are printed out on a menu—and it only costs 25 sheikels per night to stay in a warm, though not heated, dormitory room.
On the newer plus side, I recently found a wonderful restaurant that won’t rip me off, and upon returning for a second meal I discovered this excellently equipped and very professional internet café. Now I just need my luggage…
posted by Bloo at 8:55 AM
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