![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Vacation - Leg 2 (Travel Day)
Dec. 25th, 2012 08:31 pmTrains, planes, and automobiles (and a little of feet) was pretty much my day. Mom drove me to the train station, where I took the LIRR to Jamaica and the Air Train to JFK. Not only is this about 1/5th of the price of a taxi, it takes about the same time if not less.
American Airlines to CDG was about what I expected - cramped, no real entertainment (aside from what I brought with me), generally barely adequate service, minimal low-quality sleep. CDG was also about what I expected, with its dreary corridors and so on, but I could get decent coffee and use (pricey) wifi.
El Al has a long litany of security questions, which mostly made me feel bad about how little Hebrew I know. In Hebrew school, they mostly cared about your reciting prayers, not understanding them and certainly not having a conversation. I learned a bit more in summer camp and a very little more in a class I took later on, which used the State Department text. So my vocabulary runs to "I'd like to introduce you to G-d, who wants to build a new airport."
Anyway, that flight was also cramped and had uninteresting overhead entertainment, but it was shorter and El Al's food is tastier. There were no hassles on arrival and my luggage arrived promptly. I took a sherut (shared taxi / shuttle) to Jerusalem, which involved a bit of a wait because they don't leave until every seat is full and I was the next to last drop-off.
My hotel is adequate and very well located. First falafel of the trip safely consumed and a walk around the area (Zion Square, Ben Yehudah St, Jaffa St) to orient myself a bit) aided recovery from the travel. Real sightseeing will start tomorrow.
American Airlines to CDG was about what I expected - cramped, no real entertainment (aside from what I brought with me), generally barely adequate service, minimal low-quality sleep. CDG was also about what I expected, with its dreary corridors and so on, but I could get decent coffee and use (pricey) wifi.
El Al has a long litany of security questions, which mostly made me feel bad about how little Hebrew I know. In Hebrew school, they mostly cared about your reciting prayers, not understanding them and certainly not having a conversation. I learned a bit more in summer camp and a very little more in a class I took later on, which used the State Department text. So my vocabulary runs to "I'd like to introduce you to G-d, who wants to build a new airport."
Anyway, that flight was also cramped and had uninteresting overhead entertainment, but it was shorter and El Al's food is tastier. There were no hassles on arrival and my luggage arrived promptly. I took a sherut (shared taxi / shuttle) to Jerusalem, which involved a bit of a wait because they don't leave until every seat is full and I was the next to last drop-off.
My hotel is adequate and very well located. First falafel of the trip safely consumed and a walk around the area (Zion Square, Ben Yehudah St, Jaffa St) to orient myself a bit) aided recovery from the travel. Real sightseeing will start tomorrow.
