Last Day

  I am very ready to go home.  Tel Aviv is an interesting city, but with the holiday, the calm water, the hot weather, it has been harder to find things to do.
  Today the stores are open, doors rolled up, ready to go.  I have planned to meet another women pilot that belongs to the 99s.  Unfortunately this is the only day she can meet.  It takes a lot of back and forth as she has meetings and I have no phone.  Finally, Adee graciously picks me up and we drive to NE Tel Aviv for lunch near her work.  She does IT for a TV station.  The area has several tech companies and people running around with their ID badges on.  The silicon desert?
  We talk about flying in Israel and the States. She has 3 children now and hasn't flown for a few years.  
  Then I rent a bike for the long ride back to the hotel.  It is hot (have I said that?) and further than I thought.  I take my time through a large park and try to find shady streets.  It takes me just under 2 hours include the time I had to stop and dry off a bit.  My grips were slippery!
 Now I am packing and contemplating one last dip in the sea. 

What to do when there are no waves?

  The last 2 days up at 8am, I rented an SUP. The first day I went North,  the second day I went South.  Both days followed by fresh fruit juice, orange, peach, banana.  Then I hide in my room while the strongest rays are out, read a little, but mostly sleep.
  The streets are very quiet with the New Year holiday still going.  Today is the last (third) day.  So I rented a bike from the "Tel o Fun" racks that are all over the city (I have pictures in the blog from my last visit).  This trip I manage to find the instructions in English.  My Hebrew is worse than my Arabic. I rode all over for 2 hours, then returned to an open restaurant called Rothschild 12 (also the address).  They had great pastries and breakfast and great out door seating for people watching.  Menu in Hebrew only but my waitress translated for me.  For some reason I have not had coffee for 4 days.  I opted for a decaf cappuccino so I could continue my siesta program.  I will be ready for some good Stumptown when I get home.  Not that this coffee is bad. 
  There is usually a craft market tonight.  Not sure with the holiday, 3 full days, give me a break! I am off to the beach....again and will hope to find the market open tonight.  So ready to be home.

Photos of the medical center, cat guarding the medical center, Rothschild 12 and my breakfast

Buildings of Tel Aviv

  Last night I watched the sun set onthe beach near Old Jaffa.  I was distracted by the rats coming out of the rock wall, not that I don't have rats in my city, but it seems like Tel Aviv is crumbling and the rats are chewing it up.  The stucco is loosing to the elments here.  I see some rennovation, but more towers being built that look old before they are done.  Crumbly old building, old and new, odd asymmetrical tower near beach, rennovated building on the way to Neve Tsedek, typical street view and nice rennovated Bauhaus style.

Tel Aviv beach photos

Compare the Tel Aviv beach to Gaza....Old Jaffa

Hot, No waves

  Very hot, I'm hiding at my hostel.  No waves until the temperatures go down.  My retirement plans to join the pro surf tour are much delayed by this set back!  Alas I rented a SUP and frothed around for an hour or so until I thought I was going to go up in smoke.
  And "travel savey" me didn't realize that Rosh Hashanna lasts until Tues. so many things are closed.  Longing for the temperate NW and where I don't have to pay $20 and hour for an SUP.  Good thing I bought 2 books at Powells before I left.  No, I do not have an e-reader and even the staff at the Gaza hospital told me I should get a new camera and phone.

Tel Aviv

Yesterday we had some free time in Jerusalem and instead of walking the busy Old Jerusalem streets again, we did a political tour.  Our tour guide was a Palestinian, so the information came with that bias.  However, it was very interesting and answered a lot of questions I had about why things are the way the are.  We saw several different sections of the wall that Israel is building, two Jewish settlements and two homes in East Jerusalem.  If even only have of it is true, there were several examples where Israel has not held up their side of the several peace agreements that have been passed since 1967, most obviously the wall taking a free form shape in the name of "security", cutting through Palestinian villages and cutting them off. I could go on, there is a film "Jerusalem, east side story", that tells the story better.
  We had dinner in the Old City with Steve and the other teams that are here now, a Pediatric  cardiology team from New Zealand and a general surgeon from the US.  Always good food and great conversation.  We got a cab from the restaurant and it took Kevin and John to the airport, I hope they are home now.
  I am now in Tel Aviv hiding from the heat in my hostel.  I was at the beach early this morning for breakfast, even under the umbrellas it was intense.  Planning ongoing back out this evening. 

Seven Arches

 
Somehow we manged to do 4 cases before noon today.  Then we had a parting ceramony with the hospital administrator and a lot of pictures. it was actually very touching and sad to leave.  The nurses and techs in the OR volunteered to do OT or just volunteered to work with us, long hours lots of questions and putting up with the silly Americans who do things differently.

 Here are a few pictures from near the hotel this morning.  The inside of the mosque they are building across the street, and neighbors of the hotel;

Our hotel restaurant.

Work, work, work

7 cases, 6 cases, 6 cases and poor internet coverage at the hotel.  Today is our last full day at the hospital.  I am off to the out door restaurant at the hotel for breakfast of eggs, hummus, tomatoes, honey and yogurt.  Nescafe is getting better all the time.
  The best thing I saw yesterday was an anesthesiologist boiling Turkish coffee on the floor of the break room with cotton soaked in alcohol.  Picture to follow.

And we're off!!

 Six cases completed Sunday.  Seven on the schedule today.  8am -8pm yesterday, probably longer today.  Woke up at 4am today and could not get back to sleep.  Too late to take an Ambian.  I will be toast tonight.

Clinic Day

Another very busy clinic day. 9-4pm we screen 62 patients.  As is typical for pediatric urology, too many patients and not enough time.  The next four days will be very long days.  We are trying to do more difficult cases because Dr. Fayez is now able to do hypospadius repair on his own. This means more  (get out the wikipedia) uretral reimplants, removing ectopic kidneys, repairing mitrofanoffs, etc.
Here are a few cute girls from clinic today;

I went for a second walk on the beach yesterday, this time with John as my escort and with my scarf on my head.  People were very friendly, asking our names, where are you from and to come join them for tea.  The beach was packed with families, there were camels, games, people washing horses, just enjoying their Sunday.

Politics on the Beach

  John and Kevin both asleep at our planned beach time, I asked the front desk if it was OK for me to go the beach alone, "yeah, yeah".  As I walked out the hotel drive way I heard someone running up to me, the guy from the front desk wanted my cell number for "security purposes" and brought a friend to escort me.  Crazy white woman with no head cover!  Mohamed guides me to the popular family beach right across the street.  You know that sound of a hushed room and a hundred eyes on you....add the waves.  I'm thinking I better snap a few pictures and get out of there.  Next thing you know I'm under a shade tarp drinking Fanta with a local fisherman who wants to discuss Hilary Clinton in Arabic.
  Beach scene Gaza style is packed with young boys romping in the surf, grabbing flotsam for surfboards.  Women huddled under shade tents.  Fishermen coming in on their over sized SUPs.  And yes, the water is very warm!

We are settled in our hotel in Gaza.  This is a definite upgrade from any place I have stayed in my 6 visits to Palestine.  Al Mathaf Hotel is across the street from the Mediterranean, has beautiful ocean view rooms with AC, comfy beds, hair dryer in the bath.  They served us fresh melon smoothies on arrival and I have already received 2 fruit baskets to my room (not sure what they're trying to tell me).  Al Mathaf translates to museum. They have a small museum off the lobby and old (?) carved wood trim and tile.  The restaurant windows are large and open to the sea.
  We crossed into Gaza at Erez checkpoint.  For some reason they had our old passport numbers.  Unfortunately, Kevin and I both have new passports since we were here last.  After 45" in the sun, they decided to let us in, though they want us to also carry our old passports next time.  I don't think it ever goes smoothly at Erez.
  The Israeli woman at the checkpoint told us that 3 people were killed in an attack on Weds. Suhail, our PCRF contact here says "don't worry if you hear bombs while you are here, the Israeli's strike where there are no people".  We three nod and agree that we will have no worries if we hear bombing during our stay.......right?
View from my window;

  I watched the SUP fisherman come in as we finished our lunch of hummus, pizza and Nescafe. 

Gaza Again

I am headed back to Gaza tomorrow.  I will be working with John Gazak, pediatric urologist and Kevin Healy, anesthesiologist, again.  We will enter at the Erez border crossing on Friday morning and do a screening clinic Saturday, beginning surgeries Sunday.  Then, it is 12-14 hour surgical days until Thursday night.  We will cross back into Israel Friday.  John and Kevin leave that night and I will stay in Tel Aviv to work on  my retirement plan.  More on that later......

Different bike, different city

  Spent my last day in Tel Aviv walking the beach, and streets.  Had a great lunch and chatted with some locals.  Rented a bike and managed to get back to the hotel unscathed.  It was beautiful in Tel Aviv today, probably around 70,  "typical winter" weather for them.
  The bike is a bit clunky, but it rolls.  You use your credit card at one of many docking stations where the bikes are locked up. Pay for a day or a few hours and return it to any other docking station.  One problem, all the instructions are in Hebrew.  I know less Hebrew than Arabic.  People were very helpful, but it took 3 of us to figure it out and God knows how much it will cost me in the end. 

1)  Bike on bridge over Hayarkoon  River.  Big park in background...if you look real hard.
2)  Rabin plaza.
3)  Beach side docking station.

Sunday is Tel Aviv

  Now at the Sea Side Hotel in Tel Aviv.  It is still cold here, but not raining for at least the last half of the day.  Kevin, Sarah and I walked the promenade to Jaffa, an old city on the south side of Tel Aviv.  Now a trendy cute clean place with expensive shops and galleries.  There were either several weddings going on or it is a good place for wedding pictures, stray cats, people walking with their dogs.
  I am in the bunk room which will hold 6 people, but I have it to my self so far.  It is on the roof of the building 2 blocks from the beach.  Probably a bit more enjoyable when it is warmer.  Hoping for a dry day tomorrow to rent bikes and explore Tel Aviv before we leave to the airport at 8pm.

Bridezilla at Jaffa

Saturday in Ramallah

  Kevin's friend Sarah arranged a hike for us North of Ramallah.  Suheil guided us an a nice hike through terraced olive grooves and the typical countryside.  There were about 10 of us, NGO workers, a journalist, french teachers.  Then we had a great big lunch afterwords, baked chicken and vegetables.

1) Barrels protect the young trees from goats, sheep and gazels.
2) Walking among old olive trees near Bir zeit.
3)  Take me to the airport.  Lunch at Hosh lal-aliya.

Friday night in Ramallah

   We checked on the pt.s remaining in the hospital this morning.  They look good and most will be dc home.  It was a good week of surgeries, with no major complications or mishaps.  We have a good team, I am proud to be with.
 1)  ER nurse at heart
 2)  Muhammad still has a R 6th nerve palsy but the L looks better.

 

Hemangioma dressing failure....

 

 Taim post crani pneumonia.  Out of ICU, on the floor, getting better, cute as ever.

 

Daily breakfast buffet....



   Now, we are in Ramallah staying at the City Inn Palace. The rooms are spacious and the cappuccino in the lobby is average.  We are meeting Steve for dinner at 7pm.  Many Ramallah restaurants serve wine.  I'm looking forward to a nice glass of wine with dinner.
  Ramallah is a hilly city with streets running every which way.  It seems they may come out, like spokes on a wheel from circles, anyway, we tried to walk to a restaurant and ATM in another part of town Kevin and I are familiar with. Armed with a "rubbish" map and my poor Arabic we headed out. In the end, we settled for a pastries from a small bakery, corn from a street cart, and a taxi ride home.
  One of my favorite bakeries is here.  They make bite sized chocolate croissants that melt in your mouth, for 1 shekel.  A visit to Ramallah is not complete with a stop there.  Hopefully they will be open tomorrow, my mouth is watering thinking about them.

Last work day at Rafidia

  We did rounds this am of all the pt.s. Mostly doing well, 1 with a post op pneumonia.  Then had our final "cup of tea" with the hospital director, where we get a gift and he asks for our suggestions. I asked for more nurses telling him they work too hard. 
  Dr. Samar removed a large hemangioma from a 11 month old's head.


 We left around 3 t go to Dr. Afman's family's house in the country.  Had a typical Palestinian family BBQ with kids running around, too much good food, and a wonderful walk around their property to eat green, bitter almonds called luz. There are a lot of wild flowers blooming now after all the rain.  Lupine, red poppies and shooting stars in the field with the olive and almond trees, wild asparagus.
  Oh, and we are in the local news....check the link.  See us in action.
http://www.nablustv.net/internal.asp?page=details&newsid=67934&cat=35

Land worth fighting over.

Countryside near Nablus

Lupines, red poppies, olive tree.

Cyclamen flowers.


1) Amal and I
2) Dr. Murad picking green almonds.
3) Dr. Samar, Abed, and papa Dr. Afman.