Christmas 2015 in Israel

On January 6, 2016 by keirobyn
245 meters below see level at the Dead Sea.

245 meters below see level at the Dead Sea.

We spent our winter break this year (2015) in Israel, where we got HSCT treatment for Robyn’s MS.  Robyn went to Israel in late November.  Her friend Nikki traveled with her and stayed with her for two weeks.  Then my sister came from LA to help Robyn for a week.  (Thanks Nikki and Kris!).  Zoë and I came in mid-December and we all returned in early January.  You can read about Robyn’s experience on her blog (https://hopefulinisraelblog.wordpress.com/) and about HSCT in general here   This last page also discusses MSC, which Robyn also got in Israel – might as well try everything!  Since the primary goal of the treatment is to slow down or stop the progression of MS, we won’t know if it was successful until 6 months or a year from now, when hopefully she will not exhibit any or much progression.  However, we are already thankful that this very toxic and harsh treatment was complication free.

Most of our time in Israel was spent in our hotel room in Tel Aviv.  However, once I got there (and Robyn was recovering a bit), we made a point of walking (wheeling) around Tel Aviv for an hour or so each day.  It’s a lively city with lots of restaurants, cafe’s, bike paths and parks.

We were cleared to go home a week earlier than we expected, so we rented a car for three days and toured around Israel a bit.  We went north to the Roman ruins at Caesarea, and east and south east to Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and Masada.  A description of some of our experiences in those places is on our pictures below – click on one to open up a gallery.

Kristin in animated story telling mode – her observations of the clinic and the country were always entertaining!
Tel Aviv has a 1000+ bauhaus buildings – they were mostly built in the 30s and 40s by jewish german architects fleeing nazi Germany.
Tel Aviv has many wonderful walking streets- often a pedestrian and bicycle lane in the middle of a divided road.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem – where Jesus was supposedly buried, crucified, etc.. This is where is body was wrapped. Robyn is in ht top right of the photo.
Amazing falafel and hummus at a recommended place in Jerusalem.
The western wall, last time I was here I was 18!
Jerusalem was surprisingly accessible for Robyn, including the train system.
There were huge cats everywhere we went in Israel, these two cats made themselves at home in Robyn’s wheelchair outside our B&B room in Casareria.
Roman port and ruins of Caesarea, 45 minutes north of Tel Aviv. The ruins are mostly notable for their great setting. It was cold and windy when we were there!
245 meters below see level at the Dead Sea.
Masada was also pretty accessible, including a cable car to the top.
A top Masada with the Dead Sea behind us.
A close up of Zoe’s finger, and the windy and hilly wheelchair paths on top of Masada.
This cheeky Nubian Ibex was eating garbage around the visitor center of Masada – we used to spend entire weekends looking for these rare creatures in Egypt – always without luck.
Security fences, guard towers and barb wire abound on borders and roads of the West Bank – kind of freaky.
Which baldy is which?

 

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