Oopps, Forgot to read the small print

Yesterday a colleague from TAMU forwarded a notices of the latest travel warning put out on Israel. I scanned the email briefly at my friends house but only after returning to JLM did I read it more carefully. And according to it I have been a bad girl today, doing things Americans have been advised not to do, such as:

(1) Not to use public transport between cities in Israel--Well I guess that would have meant being stuck at my friends home in central Israel. Instead I took the train from Biniyamina to Tel Aviv and the intercity bus from TLV to JLM. Both were back with locals and a few foreigners like myself as it is shabbat. There have been no advisements here about intercity public transport and to my knowledge these buses and the trains have never been bomb targets. the only mishap that occurred is that my bag got knocked over and its contents spilled out and somehow in the commotion I think I lost my nightgown. So somewhere on a number 480 bus someone might be now wearing my purple satin nighty! This is a big issue when one only has 3 t-shirts, 2 pairs of trousers and a skirt to their name...luckily yael's family has lent me some clothes to get by on this account

(2) Don't visit central jerusalem.--Well as the central bus station in JLM is in the center of the town this was a bit hard to avoid. Besides the craziness of shoppers and travellers on shabbat as most store close early afternoon to prepare for family and religious gathering all was fine to day in the city center. Actually today TLV was the place to avoid as 3 potential suicide bombers were caught there this afternoon, only a few hours after I was passing through.

(3) American are advised not to take local buses in Jerusalem--Well that would have meant a very long walk indeed. Esp as I was short on cash for a taxi and too worn out to go in search of an ATM. As it was the buses were running late and I had to wait almost 50 minus to catch one that would take me to my friend's house. By the time I arrived back I was hot and cranky and have decided that I was ever made ruler of the world for the day I would institute an international law making it illegal to enter crowded public transport without wearing deodrant!!

Ah well, tommorrow is another day and I will strive to better adhere to these recommendations.