My journey began from the newly renovated T.F. Green, which although it is now extremely nice, still occasionally leaves me nostalgic for the hometown feel of the old airport. I took a propeller plane to LaGuardia, and a bus from there to JFK for the connecting flight. Not only was the bus ride longer than the propeller plane flight, but the bus was larger than the plane as well.

    Now I must admit that I had the typical stereotype of Israel as a place where everyone caries uzis. Upon reaching my hotel in Tel Aviv, this was proven correct. I saw no less than three men with berets armed with automatic weapons as soon as I arrived. In this case, it turned out to be a security measure for an air force conference taking place at the hotel, but this would set the tone for the whole trip. Although it originally made me nervous, I suppose it is necessary when a lot of Arab nations are only a stone's throw away.

    The first full day in Tel Aviv I walked through an artists' market, which felt like a regular flea market because most of the people were selling handmade crafts and spoke English. There were also occasional musicians along the way, and a particularly good string quartet almost made me forget the atrocious pop version of Tschiakovsky that was pumped in during the previous night's dinner. But art is very big in Israel. Sound barriers along the road have mosaics, small parks abound, functional pieces were tastefully decorated everywhere. And speaking of tasteful, the lamb kabob I had for dinner was marinated to perfection.

    The following day I took a cab ride out to a kibbutz. It's true that the Israeli cab drivers frequently avoid hitting other cars by mere centimeters, but to their credit they speak English as well as the ones in New York, if not better. The kibbutz may be one of the last refuges of socialism, but they are being forced to change with the times.

    One thing that hasn't changed with the times is the vast expanse of archeological ruins. At Beit She'an there was an excavation of an entire Roman city built over 2,000 years ago, long before America had ever been discovered. Trodding upon ancient stones while looking at original columns and mosaics from that time period is like walking through history, a history of the culture that existed for centuries as the dominant force in the world. It makes all of American history seem very recent.

    Anyone who has seen the film "Exodus" is familiar with Atlit, the British detention camp used to detain Jews after the war. Most of it has been destroyed, but a sufficient amount of the original installation remains to give an impression of what it looked like. Although the actual purpose of the British camp was innocuous, it bore enough of a resemblance to Auschwitz to scare witless those Jews who had just escaped from the German concentration camps.

    The Western Wall is considered by many to be one of the holiest sites in the world. Its mystical reputation accounts for the millions of notes crammed into every conceivable crevice, and even a few inconceivable ones. All types of people scribble a quick wish and stuff it in a crack where they hope God will read it. And the Hassidim there insist on blessing you, asking a small donation in return, although they seemed insulted by anything less than a dollar bill.

    For those unfamiliar with the term, Hassidim are the ultra-orthodox Jews. They generally have a beard, long sideburns, and wear black pants with a black jacket, an outfit completed by a stylish black fedora. Their fervent devotion to their religion explains the holier-than-thou disposition that some of them seemed to hold. Unfortunately, they also hold enough seats in the Kenesset to close down the county during the Sabbath, even though they are a minority. Most shops and restaurants are forced to shut, which makes it a good day for sitting in a hotel to recuperate.

    Thankfully, time moves on, and I was afforded the chance to visit the Arab quarter of Jerusalem. Here, stalls hawking all sorts of useless items line both sides of the narrow stone streets. If you start to walk away from one after showing interest, you suddenly become a good friend of the proprietor, who informs you that you are entitled to a special discount. These people are better at haggling than you, and they know it. I found that the only thing to do is to haggle as skillfully as possible, and accept in your mind that you are being taken. Just avoid the expensive items.

    Finally, no trip to Israel would be complete without a visit to the infamous Dome of the Rock. The golden dome stands out as a shining beacon on the Jerusalem skyline from miles away. Inside, it is a fantastically ornate mosque where Moslems pray, and you can see the rock where it is believed that Abraham almost sacrificed his son. Even in this holiest of holy sites, there were Moslems chatting on cell phones. Everyone has a cell phone in Israel, and they have gained prominence there as surely as the Internet has taken over here.

    Overall, it was a pleasant journey, dining on falafel (ground chickpeas) and shawerma (grilled lamb or chicken) while touring ancient ruins and religious sites. The heat can be a bit much, so a healthy supply of water is necessary. As for the safety concerns, I will share the admonition given to me by a genuine sabra (native): "No matter what you have heard about the middle east, there is only one real danger in Israel, and that is the drivers."