The best way to understand and appreciate Israel is to go there. However, this is no easy task. For starters, it takes 24 hours to get there from the West Coast of the US, approximately 19 of which are spent in an airplane. I was lucky enough to spend a day walking the Old City of Jerusalem. Old and historic are gross understatements, and no matter what you believe, you feel the spirituality of the place. It has mana.
The most sacred sites of three major religions are squashed together inside the walled portion of the old city of Jerusalem (see photo above). If you look carefully at the Western Wall, you can see that it is sectioned off to a men's side and a women's side, as dictated by Jewish custom.
Falafel with french fries
Everything I ate in Israel was ono. Even the bite of Jersusalem grill mix I tasted before I found out what it was. And what's not to love about a place that offers to put french fries and hot sauce into your falafel? | 
Israeli pasta with artichoke hearts and olives
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The open market. I counted 9 kinds of olives in a single stand. Beautiful fruit and vegetables too.
Narrow streets inside the Old City. They were meticulously clean. It is very expensive to live within the Old City, and I'm not quite sure what you do if you have a car. | 
The right side of doorways has a mezuzah, a case that contains a blessing, usually a verse from the Torah. Some mezuzah are very fancy, and some are very simple. It reminds me of the omamori that we keep above our doorways. |
It is tradition to write a wish on a piece of paper, fold it up and push it into the Western Wall. You touch the wall, say a prayer and stuff your paper into a space.
To do this, you have to wait in line (on the women's side), get pushed up to the Wall, and then moosh your way back out.
Even with the mosh pit, it was still a very powerful experience. Women wept, touched their hands and foreheads to the wall in prayer, or just took in a quiet moment.
A once-in-a-lifetime for this Hawaii girl.
Peace out, really.
To do this, you have to wait in line (on the women's side), get pushed up to the Wall, and then moosh your way back out.
Even with the mosh pit, it was still a very powerful experience. Women wept, touched their hands and foreheads to the wall in prayer, or just took in a quiet moment.
A once-in-a-lifetime for this Hawaii girl.
Peace out, really.
