Well hello there! - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

katula · 10-23-2009, 03:34 PM

Hey there, delicious Tpunks! I'm new-but-not-new here, as I've been lurking for some time, but in any case, I thought I might poke my head in and say hello. I'm 20 days from turning 18, and in December, I'm planning to go to Tel-Aviv for 2 weeks, which is my first big trip out of the country sans parents. Looking forward to some down-home sufganiot! Anyone traveled to Israel? Things for seeing and doing in the winter? Jerusalem+environs is on the list, at least for a couple of days, and since the place is so small, maybe Eilat too.

Anyway, some notes about myself (how presumptuous): I am in my third year at university, studying counseling and geography, a no-good jobless bum, co-president of Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood on my campus, fan of Bjork, eater of plants, reader of maps, and lately feeling a tinge of apathy that I need to get out of my system!

I have some questions but I'm going to wait and post them in their properly defined subforums because I intend to be a law-abiding citizen of Tpunk.

**Dig** · 10-24-2009, 06:00 AM

About time you stopped lurking

So you have been in Uni since you were 15?

**marc873** · 10-24-2009, 08:17 AM

Delicious Tpunks... I like it!!!!!! I can tell you that Central America has more Israelis than anywhere Ive seen... Glad to see you on the boards!!!!

**travelpunk** · 10-24-2009, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dig

So you have been in Uni since you were 15?

Yeah. Interesting. What's up with that?

Glad to see that you finally joined up! You know the drill. Make yourself at home

!

Quote:

eater of plants, reader of maps

Nicely put

! Welcome

!

**maracle** · 10-24-2009, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc873

Delicious Tpunks... I like it!!!!!! I can tell you that Central America has more Israelis than anywhere Ive seen... Glad to see you on the boards!!!!

Hah...yeah, I think every single Israeli was in Peru when I was there

Seems that central/south america is a popular place for a gap year after leaving the military.

I can't think of anyone offhand on tpunk who has been to Israel recently...even Adam/ajb3000 I don't think made it there during his trip around the middle east.

But I would love to go...so much history to see

Welcome!

katula · 10-24-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dig

About time you stopped lurking

So you have been in Uni since you were 15?

Yes, I have - I just took the ACT today, which is ironic I suppose, since I've been in college for three years already.

I would have never figured that there are a bunch of Israelis travelling in Central America! I think India and Thailand are pretty popular post-IDF holiday spots, too. The only thing that rubs me about travelling to Israel first is that if they stamp my passport, I can't get into some other Middle Eastern countries (or such is my understanding). Jordan and Egypt are okay, but Syria, Lebanon, and anywhere on the Arabian Peninsula is out.

**maracle** · 10-24-2009, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katula

The only thing that rubs me about travelling to Israel first is that if they stamp my passport, I can't get into some other Middle Eastern countries (or such is my understanding). Jordan and Egypt are okay, but Syria, Lebanon, and anywhere on the Arabian Peninsula is out.

This is true, but there are a few options:

1) If you're planning to visit them in a single trip, you can make Israel your last stop

2) Or, if you prefer, you can get a second passport valid for two years. See this blog entry for details: How to Get a Second U.S. Passport | ryan rodrick beiler photography | documentary photojournalism in pursuit of peace and justice

I'm actually glad to see that post because last time I looked into it the only info I could find is that the rules allowed you to get a second passport. No one was actually explaining how to go about actually doing it. If you're going in December you should probably apply right away.

3) If you're going to Syria or Lebanon on a different trip, I think you can get a new passport whenever you want. The GPO is probably happy to accept your application fee as many times as you want to pay it

**Dig** · 10-25-2009, 05:51 AM

I thought I heard that Isreal was passing out paper stamps for your passport because they know the problems associated with the physical stamp. Sound familiar to anyone else?

**maracle** · 10-25-2009, 02:12 PM

from what I hear they sometimes will, and sometimes won't. So you're rolling the dice on that...

**expatben** · 01-07-2010, 03:28 AM

We always welcome new TPunks!!

**raoulduke** · 01-07-2010, 04:14 AM

Welcome

**mish99** · 01-10-2010, 12:32 AM

Welcome to the boards!

**mooloo** · 01-11-2010, 08:00 PM

Welcome!!!

katula · 01-16-2010, 01:41 AM

Well, I'm back from my trip, and despite the fact that I heard Israel had done away with stamping (American?) passports altogether, it's not the case, I have two lovely entrance and exit stamps, but I don't mind.

I didn't request to have the separate stamp, though it might have been for the best considering the hassle I got for my last name, which in my case is of Irish origin, but is also an Arabic surname. They questioned me up and down and sideways for 30 minutes or so about my family and where they live and where I come from and what I do and how to pronounce my name and what alternate pronounciations there are, etc... then I heard a radio interview with a security agent at Ben Gurion who said they don't rely on racial profiling at all to do their job.

Regardless, super positive amazing experience all around.

**maracle** · 01-17-2010, 09:42 AM

Nice! What did you do? got any pictures? I'd love to get to Israel someday!