I’m in Eilat near the Taba border to Egypt. I do Petra tomorrow and a tour into Cairo on Thursday. I hope I can connect with another tour after that and see the other sights up the Nile. then I hope to fly back to Tel Aviv and do northern Israel. Don’t know if I will visit a Kibbutz (a large farm) yet. I’m eating bananas, but not sure where they’re coming from.
I sat by a girl in the army on the bus down here. She works in Eilot two times a week. I guess she works in Jerusalem the rest of the time. Guys are in the army three years and girls are in the army two years. It’s required. They usually go into the service after high school and then start college after that.
One gets used to seeing lots of male solders on the streets, in the shopping areas, in the bus station all carrying weapons over their shoulders, but it’s somehow a bit more surprising seeing the girls doing that.
In Korea, the guys are required to do two years and two months service. Girls are not drafted. Most guys go in after their first year of college.
I expected it to be a lot warmer here, but it really isn’t that much warmer. It’s hard to find internet here for some reason and so it costs.
Take care,
Caryl
