Help! I'm shedding skin like a snake!

That's right, kiddos. My wonderful tan... erm.. sunburn.. IS PEELING OFF. Now not only do I have wonky features and missing eyelashes, but also PEELING SKIN to add to the list. Fan-tastic. And right as I'm preparing to go on a Kibbutz. Yup, that's right. I'm going to have everybody running for the hills at the mere sight of me.

Oh well. Something for the journal, at least...

To fill you in on what's happened since my last post... would basically take a long time, but in a nutshell; it involved a humourless roadtrip to Haifa with multiple toilet stops (Egged buses haven't caught on to the idea of having toilets actually ON their buses, so every so often... and I'm talking on some occasions every 20 freakin' minutes, someone would run to the front of the bus to tell the driver to stop as they needed to pee. It really was getting ridiculous), no cartoon boys, not all that interesting scenery... and after about 6 or so hours, an arrival in dark Haifa, a taxi ride to a non-existant hostel on the other side of tow (that's what you get for using a 14 year old guidebook. Not recommended). A taxi ride backtracking to another possible hostel... luckily this one actually existed, but was way out in the boooonies, only there aren't boonies in Israel. Hmmm... and it was situated in the enviable spot of NEXT TO A GRAVEYARD. And did I mention it was very secluded? And expensive? And the only hostel in Haifa?

So no, didn't stay in Haifa long. Just long enough to say 'Yup, it's boring here' (although to be fair, the beach was pretty and not at all tacky - it was picturesque, just... dead, and my hostel was a 4 mile walk from the town), and then (on the cab driver's suggestion) bused it up to Akko a couple of days later for a fun filled adventure involving a bomb scare (not speaking Hebrew, I'm unsure whether it actually was a bomb, or was just a scare, but the policeman sure shouted at me to get back!), getting lost in the old city, staying in a hostel in front of a mosque, meaning I had to put up with the 'Myyyiaarrrr...mmmummmmrraaaahh...hiiiyyayyaauuurrrrr...mohamadaaaaaaah' wailing over a loudspeaker until late at night. (in truth I quite enjoyed improvising harmonies along with it). I was invited by a local to some street party that night, but as I was exceedingly tired, I made my excuses, and tried to get some sleep (for obvious reasons of being near a mosque, I didn't succeed in the sleep part).

Not enough there to keep me more than a day, I decided on Tiberius, after hearing from a lady on a bus in Haifa (who had the cutest little 2 year old munchkin in tow) that I 'must' visit the Galilee region. I thought I'd go via the town of many many many names: Safed, Tzfat, Safad, Zaffed, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Before I get sidetracked thinking of all the variations of 'Safed', I must announce that the scenery was just stupendous! Safed is the highest town in Israel, and also where Kabbalah originated. So basically I was expecting to see Britney Spears, Demi Moore, Madonna, et al parading around with their red thread bracelets.

Not a celeb to be seen! The FRAUDS! Bah.

I had not set foot, nay, I had not crossed the road from the bus station in Safed, when a taxi pulled up 'No thank you!' I crossed the road, and he swung around and stopped again 'Look. I don't need a cab. Get the hint', 'No, I just wondered if you want a lift into town. I can give you a lift, free'

'No, I need the exercise'

So basically this dude starts telling me how I reminded him of someone he knew who had been on a kibbutz a year or so previously (yeah, yeah, yeah, we've all heard that one before, mate) And VERY KINDLY invited me to stay at his (oh! Why of course! I was just waiting for you to ask!) as he had some 'American friends' (aren't they always) over and he was going to drive them around Galilee and the Golan the following day. Oh my! I just seem to have the knack of coming across SO many Good Samaritans out here! All these lovely Israeli guys just wanting to show me Israel 'in a good light' and 'welcome' me to their country! Oh what patriotism! Brings a tear to ones eye...

Bullshit.

Well I took his number out of erm... habit of working in Customer Service, and being so darn polite (naturally). And skipped off merrily to the town (or, rather dragged myself, as I had my backpack on). In fairness, I didn't really explore. Just 'yeah, yeah. Ok, cobbles, walls, market. Gotcha. I'm outta here'

Back at the bus station, waited 15 mins before arrival of bus to Tiberius. Again, beautiful scenery. Israel is an amazing place to roadtrip as it's such a small country and the scenery changes so drastically over a short distance.

On arrival in Tiberius I couldn't believe how green it was. Makes England look positively yellow by comparison! The weather was glorious - what you'd describe as 'summer' by English standards, but apparently still winter here! I hadn't long dropped my belongings off at a hostel, when another patrotic, friendly, Israeli interrupted my reading (my feet were tired - I figured I'd explore later). Why oh why do they interrupt you when you're so obviously otherwise engaged? If a girl is reading a book LEAVE HER THE HELL ALONE! Or if she's on the phone, also LEAVE HER THE HELL ALONE. But no. Obviously their egos tells them they are way more important than some measy book or phonecall. Wrong.

Omri was French Israeli (probably still is, if he hasn't been run over or knocked out for hitting on random foreign chicks), and worked at a nearby hostel. We ended up chatting. He invited me for a coffee, and I thought 'Oh what the hell'. He showed me around, and although I didn't have any plans for the day, I started to feel uncomfortable as guys out here seem to assume that if you spend time with them you must obviously fancy them. There's no 'mateyness' about it. Well I didn't, and he started to get really irritated at my lack of flirtation... well, non-existant flirtations. Called me 'so English', but I was getting uncomfortable at his edging closer and closer to me on the sofa... (was it my imagination, or hadn't he started off on the other sofa?), and trying to get me to drink alcohol. Ho ho ho, I don't think so, mister.

So he finally said his shift started in a half hour, and gave me his number, asked me to call the following day and he'd drive me around the kibbutzes asking for volunteer work, and showing me the sights.

I didn't call.

Hmm... I feel kinda bad, but at the same time I was totally not in the mood for being polite and on my 'customer service' mode. Just wanted to disappear for a while. Not likely with the sleazes here. I'm not kidding, being female you literally get asked out about every 10 minutes - I reckon it's something to do with them thinking they can prey on unsuspecting foreign women. Pish pash! (is that a saying? If not - I'm patenting it) I'll show em!

Called Ma and Pa last night. Bit of a fiasco with the phone booths. First one sounded like a time bomb about to explode. Mom was getting highly paranoid... finally it wore off on me, as everyone who was passing it looked nervous and was saying 'what's that coming from?', so I moved to another phone booth, where a car randomly pulled up and a man started motioning to me. I carried on talking, so he turned off his engine and just sat there... for a long time, and it was a deserted street. AND this Texan guy came over to me and started trying to have a conversation - I had to finally say 'erm, dude... I'm kinda on the phone here'. People!Moved again. This time it was A-Ok. 'Twas nice to speak to you folks!

Today I wasn't feeling too well, so I slept in, then went for a meal near the lake. Tut tut, Melanie! Spending money all over the place! I know I know I know, but... tomorrow I am off to kibbutz Bar Am, near the Lebanese border, so hopefully I won't spend much money from then on.

(yeah right)

I have done next to no sightseeing in Tiberius, and I'm mighty ashamed, but I really needed to catch up on a tonne of sleep and rest my feet, and eat a load of sugery food - what is WRONG with me? I'm never that bad.

Am also a bit apprehensive about the kibbutz. Hope I won't end up doing a runner like Ranolien. That would suck somewhat (although at the same time, be pretty amusing)

Catch ya later, folks! Over and out.