The First Adventure

I borrowed a bike today, slung my hiking backpack over my shoulder, and rode down to the Big Centre, where there are a lot shopping places.  I was seeking a gluten-free dinner that wasn't bar food (that's pretty much all that's available around here, and it's certainly not gluten-free).  After asking for directions from my neighbor Hava, I found my way down Ben Gurion Ave. to Hevron Rd. to the Eden natural foods supermarket.  Best gluten-free selection ever!  I got some really delicious gluten-free pita bread.  I'm eating it right now with some hommus and buffalo cheese spread (which is amazingly delicious).  I'm understanding the whole washing-feet thing in the Bible.  My feet are soooo dry and dirty.  I need a basin that I can soak my feet in every evening after a long day.  I would take a picture, but I think that'd be really gross.




The food is really expensive here, especially dairy products.  I got a small container of plain yogurt, and it cost me $7.  The food is unique, too. I got some fruit called "sabres," which are the same as prickly pears.  I've never had them before until the employee at the grocery store excitedly cut one up and gave to me to try.  He also told me to eat this white nectarine thing and told me it was free.  He shoved the whole box in my cart, which I snuck back on the shelf later.  There's no way I would have eaten that whole thing before they went bad.

The water here is tasty!  I'm so picky about my water, but it's fine.  It's even fine warm :)

Now I'm back in my apartment, relaxing after biking with that 50 lbs. of weight on my back.  It was a fun trip overall.  I got to see Be'er Sheva and learn some of the streets.  They don't label their streets all the time, which is kind of annoying.  If they do, the spelling on the sign often differs from what's on my map.  I figured it out, though.

The people are really friendly here.  They definitely regard people differently than I'm used to, but every time I asked for help, they were always happy to help.  Sometimes, they didn't smile as much as I'm used to, but I could tell that was just their way of communicating.

Tomorrow we're meeting for tours and breakfast as a group in the morning.  Then we're going to the Big Centre to shop.  I'll be buying a big floppy hat and a water bottle :)  Tomorrow evening, I'll be having a Shabbat dinner with a Jewish host family :)

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