cellio | Shalom Hartman this summer

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Shalom Hartman this summer

I just registered for the Shalom Hartman Institute summer program in Jerusalem (after confirming a sane refund policy in case the region goes pear-shaped in the meantime). My rabbi recommended this program a few years ago and I've been eying it every year, and this year the stars aligned (dates, interesting topic, timely responses to email queries). It sounds like a great experience and I'm excited to finally be going.

I'm also kind of nervous -- not about the program, and not about the Iran thing (I can always bail), but rather about being a solo international traveler. This will only be my second time off the continent and the first time I went with a tour group so I didn't have to personally arrange anything, and somebody was steering us in useful directions. Those of you who've done this "foreign travel" thing, this is your enthusiatic invitation to tell me anything you think I ought to know, no matter how big or small.

Whee! Eeek!

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1) get trip insurance. AAA has it. It only covers the trip and any injuries or incidents during transit time, but it's worth the peace of mind.

2) get about $20 value of their local currency before heading over. It helps.
If you have a layover in the UK or Spain, get some pounds or euros as well, for beverages at the airport. Some friend or another will have enough to get you through transit.

3) xerox your passport and ID, keep them separate. If you know someone else traveling, hand them a xerox of yours, and carry a set for them, just for in case of mugging. Again, peace of mind.

4) If there is an over the counter remedy you rely on, bring it. Small comforts lend a lot of peace.

5) load your mp3 player with benign amusements for the transit. You likely won't need them, but it's nice to know you have a pass-time of an intensity you control.

6) Contact your credit card company and bank both now and the duration before the trip to alert them that any unusual international activity is valid. (I have stories)

7) print out some contact cards to share with the great people you meet! It means no writing required at inopportune times.

8) there's probably a lot more, but the main thing is
Congratulations on the opportunity! This sounds like a fantastic experience, and I wish you all fulfillment with it!

I've only been to Canada and France, both tame locations where I speak the local language, so my experiences might not apply. In Canada I was not alone but in France I not only took the rails around alone and slept in hostels but one morning in Paris I woke up at 6am and just walked down random streets and alleys until late evening. I had no map, and given the weird six-way intersections no clue where I was. But it was fun. (at one point someone asked me for directions to somewhere and pulled out a map.. it was hard not to giggle)

Definitely take local currency. Travelers cheques are a good idea too, but local currency is much easier as finding open banks is tricky. Everyone accepts cash. I'd say more than $20USD worth; more like $50USD/week. Stash it all over you and in various weird places (clothing in your suitcase, bags, etc). Worst case you exchange it back when you return, or save up the smaller stuff and pass them out to friends.

Some go for it but I would not wear a fanny pack. It just screams "tourista target!". That said, bags can be snatched.

As versus the standard phrases like "please direct me to the bathroom" I would learn fragments like "left", "block", "where is", "hotel". It's much easier to put things together and anyone can comprehend a broken version of their language (even if they are laughing at you). But you probably won't have that problem.

Get maps, if you can, or gmap+print them. Printing them seems wasteful but someone is much more likely to snatch a phone out of your hand than a piece of paper.

Given the advance notice, check out what restaurants are on your must list and your probably list.

..and most everything else said above.

Since you're going to an organised program, I'm assuming they'll provide information about what you'll need, compatibility of electrical devices etc.

I'm so glad you're doing this - I look forward to reading about it!

relax and enjoy. :)

Other good advice has already been provided, so here are my additions:

1) If you ask directions in the local language, you will receive them in that language. Ask whether your potential guide speaks English before trying to ask for directions in a language you aren't comfortable with.

2) Do a little research on the cost to sent postcards back to the US--it could save you a bunch of money if you intend to send a bunch (I initially spent about $2 per postcard until I checked on the Poste website to find the correct denomination of stamps to use).

3) I have no idea whether you are going to be bringing back candies or treats for your relatives' or neighbors' kids. Any treat that contains a toy is likely to be confiscated by customs (e.g. "Kinder Eggs") because they contain something that is not food. There was an article online last year about it.

4) Buy an "International Phone". You can purchase one with limited minutes (and can buy additional time as you need it). US phones don't work overseas unless you replace the carrier chip.

5) Usual standard advice about air travel--take shoes you can easily slip off and on, don't take valuables, etc.

6) Like Pennsic: keep hydrated. And that includes while you are on the plane, too.

7) Check on local customs with regard to gratuities. For instance, in the UK, it is about 50p per person when you are at a pub, whereas in the US, it is a percentage of the bill.

8) If you plan to travel locally within the country, try to figure out the local transportaion websites *before* you go. SNCF's site was close to being user-hostile. Figuring their quirks out in the comfort of your own home will save you the aggravation of discovering how to use them just before the last practical bus/train left the station....

9) Go to the tourist office once you are there. A lot of "good stuff" to see and do is often not well-advertised online. Some countries and towns are really bad at marketing their attractions.

How exciting! I've done the solo traveler thing, and it's awesome. I'm always more nervous when I first arrive (for some reason, even if my travel companion is as new to the place as I am, it's just less stressful to be wandering cluelessly with someone else), but once things start going, it's a lot of fun to just do what you want without having to coordinate with someone else's schedule and interests.

I prefer to have more like $50 of the local currency before heading off on a journey. I usually try to find an ATM as soon as possible after arriving to get more cash, but sometimes it takes a day or so, so it's good to be covered until then. Also, I always use ATMs to get local cash, not traveler's checks or other exchange places. I know nothing about the ubiquity of ATMs in Jerusalem, so check on that first, but if they're common, you generally get a better exchange rate that way. When I was flitting about Europe a few years ago, the friend I was with brought traveler's checks, and it was a real pain to find someplace that would take them/exchange them. But make sure you let your bank know where you'll be traveling so they don't block the card. (If traveling someplace where ATMs aren't common, though, never mind.)

I don't have any great advice to share, so I'll just say "Yay! How exciting!"

I have some opinions about travel (some of which may conflict a little with other advice you receive) :)

I have a really hard time sleeping on airplanes, but I can zone out or even nap a bit if I have my inflatable neck pillow and mp3 player loaded with relaxing music. I bring eyedrops for long flights as I find the cabin air very drying.

Shops in major international airports will accept USD$ (but will give change in the local currency). Do not worry about getting additional forms of currency for stop-overs.

Don't bother with traveler's checks, I have not used them in 10 years and consider them obsolete. At this point the international ATM network is very well established in major cities, and I have had no problems withdrawing cash in various (urban) parts of the world. It's not a bad idea to buy a little bit of local currency before leaving, but since my last trip to China (which does not sell its currency outside the country) I haven't even been doing that.

With respect to credit cards, however, the future is unevenly distributed. They may not work even in developed areas with seemingly compatible networks. Plan to use cash more often and in larger amounts than we're used to here.

Call your bank and credit card companies to inform them of your travel plans, otherwise they may flag the international charges as fraud and freeze your cards.

A Kindle with cellular connection equals free rudimentary web browser in countries with compatible cell networks. For voice calls in non-CDMA countries, I bought a very basic unlocked GSM phone that I then load with a local SIM card.

+1 on advice to make photocopies of your passport and other important personal documents. It's good for peace of mind.

If signage is translated into any non-local language, chances are that language will be English. The translation may be bad but it's better than nothing. Us native English speakers get a big, big boost in that regard.

Some people buy a lot of special stuff for traveling. I am not one of those people. I don't have a money belt, armored bag, jacket with a bunch of hidden pockets, special-purpose clothing, etc. I've had a lot of people who do not travel much warn me about pick-pockets and theft but I have never, not once, felt any more concerned for the safety of my belongings outside the US than I do at home. I feel more comfortable-- and safer-- with my customary clothes, bags, etc since I am not fussing around and being distracted with something unfamiliar.

I do, however, carry a larger bag with space for a guidebook, map, camera, and a bottle of water (important if you feel any concern about the safety of the local drinking water).

Humans are humans everywhere. We all have to eat, sleep, relieve ourselves, and get from point A to point B. Feel confident that you will be able to get your basic needs met, especially if you speak a little of the local language.

Some of the experiences I value most from my travels are very simple-- just walking around the local area and observing, maybe sitting outside at a cafe or park for a while. I think solo travel can be a special gift because you are not encumbered by anyone else's agenda or expectations, and are free to explore and interact with the area at your own pace.

Getting back into the US is annoying. Prior to boarding the plane back into the country, you may need to clear additional security checks. Also, they will no longer allow you to bring bottled water on the flight, even if it was purchased in the sterile area of a stop-over airport. Customs may be suspicious and unfriendly. Comparing the attitude of immigration control inside and outside the US was an eye-opener for me.

Have a wonderful trip!

Edited 2012-02-24 17:20 (UTC)

Ironically, this is the first year in about 15 years that my father isn't going.

I hope you have a wonderful time!

Keep track of where you eat so that if you get sick, you won't go back there.

Jerusalem is a fairly easy place to be a mostly-English speaker, actually. I've walked alone over much of the city and never had a problem (other than the usual irritations of traffic and whatnot:-), and it's an international-enough city that has whatever things you might forget in packing.

There are a couple of ways to get from the airport to Jerusalem; the train is pretty but slow, the bus reasonably efficient but requires a local hop at the other end; the simplest (and still cost effective) is a sherut (shared taxi)(NB: what sounds like the plural of sherut, sherutim, actually means bathroom). Once in the city, the bus system is quite good (there's some form of rail that may be open by now; I saw it under construction last time I was there, so haven't used it).

I don't know how much unstructured time you'll have, so feel free to ignore any/all of these ideas of things to see. There's the classic museum-ish destinations: the Israel Museum, Yad VaShem, the Knesset, the Shrine of the Book, and about a zillion smaller museums (like the Ticho House). Of course there's the Western Wall, but there's also the rest of the Old City. There are numerous walking tours if you'd like a guide (and tour guides have to be certified, and are very knowledgeable). I love walking through Machaneh Yehudah, an open-air food market, sometimes getting fresh pita or borekas. There's a promenade towards the southeast with wonderful views; I'm blanking on the name. If you have a day, you might consider a nature tour of some sort through SPNI (the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel). There's also tours through Egged (the bus company), which is the way I managed to see some of the northern coast. And I just love walking around exploring; there's lots more nooks and crannies than the average USian city :-).

If you're going to have time to walk much, bring good walking shoes; the sidewalks can be stone, which can be hard on the knees after a while.

I wouldn't worry about taking local currency. If you can even get shekels in the U.S. they will be at a very poor exchange rate and you will pay high fees. There is no shortage of ATMs at TLV and around the country. (And one can pay for a surprising amount of things with U.S. dollars.)

I travel a lot, often alone, to places where I don't speak the language and where things are considerably less developed. (Israel is a first world country. Almost.) So feel free to ask me any specific questions.

Oh, re: flights, if you can't get non-stops, think carefully about connecting times. I've been presented with way too many options that have minimum legal connecting times and no margin of error. Allow at least 2-3 hours to connect at most European hubs. (FRA and CDG connections almost always require long bus rides from a remote parking stand to the terminal. And Israel has a lot of additional security which slows things too.)

Keep some toilet paper and soap in your bag. Always have maps for where you want to go and schedules for the area public transit. Shopkeepers are sitting in rooms full of stuff just lying out, but they're hard to kill and if you manage it all the stuff becomes cursed anyway and your pet will eat yo... wait, wrong game.

Keep some toilet paper and soap in your bag.

Big +1-- those little packets of Kleenex are perfect for this, and I take a small bottle of hand sanitizer as well.

What dates are you going to be there?

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