What day! Leaving Portland Airport Monday morning at 7 am, we arrived in Tel Aviv at 5:30 pm on Tuesday. Of course, time changes had a lot to do with this but there was also an 8-hour layover in New York that didn’t help.
After we arrived, we were greeted by our tour agency. They ushered us through security and customs. Israel has one of the most sophisticated customs check-ins I have ever seen. There is no awkward discussion with a custom agent. You simply scan your passport and the computer compares all the captured images of you and approves your stay.
Apparently, customs does all their work behind the scenes before you arrive and you are given either a blue visa or a red one. The red one requires more screening with an agent before you are granted entry.
We arrived at our hotel after a 45-minute bus ride and had dinner and walked the town a little bit before bed. The Mediterranean is pretty warm but sea shells were hard to come by.
Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow!
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