Aug 2nd, 2009 at 10:00AM: Back in March, I was invited on a press trip to Israel and wrote about the experience in the should-have-been-award-winning series "Heathen in the Holy Land." But the trip yielded more notes, quotes, and quips than I could ever hope to fit into a series of blog posts. After looking over my notes from the trip, I wanted to share a couple leftover gems with Gadling readers, whom, incidentally, I ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Israel posts
Leftover notes from an Israeli press trip
Aug 2nd, 2009 at 10:00AM: Back in March, I was invited on a press trip to Israel and wrote about the experience in the should-have-been-award-winning series "Heathen in the Holy Land." But the trip yielded more notes, quotes, and quips than I could ever hope to fit into a series of blog posts. After looking over my notes from the trip, I wanted to share a couple leftover gems with Gadling readers, whom, incidentally, I ...Sinkhole travel: The Dead Sea isn't the only place to see where the earth has caved in
Jun 25th, 2009 at 12:30PM: The story about Eli Raz who fell into a sinkhole at the Dead Sea and wasn't found for 14 hours--alive, thank goodness, about environmental changes and the traveler's experience. In the case of Raz, the message is look, but be alert for heaven's sake when out in the natural world.
The Dead Sea, at the lowest point on earth, has 3,000 sinkholes along the coast and more coming. Raz is on a mission ...Israel, Mecca ... no difference to British BMI
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:00AM: Passengers headed to Israel on a British BMI flight were alarmed to find their destination was Mecca, according to the in-flight map. The airline, it seems, isn't terribly aware that the Middle East is know for a tiny amount of tension that's lasted for decades (the most recent iteration, at least).
Pick your joke about "wiping Israel off the map" – the Sydney Morning Herald did.
BMI, of ...Wrong switch, gets Delta fighter jet escort
Apr 13th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Don't slip! A Delta Airlines pilot accidentally activated a hijacking alert on a flight from New York to Tel Aviv. As a result, Israeli fighter jets were scrambled to escort the plane "safely" to Ben Gurion Airport. The fighter jets lingered briefly over the airliner and its 100 passengers ... ultimately for no reason. Then, they escorted the plane – and probably a confused flight crew ...Gadling Take FIVE Week of March - April 3
Apr 3rd, 2009 at 7:30PM: Perhaps you noticed our annual April Fool's offerings. Although there are some odd TRUE stories here at Gadling every once in awhile--sometimes daily, nothing this past Wednesday was true. At least, I don't think China is planning to put an escalator up Mt. Everest.
Here is a sampling of what has been true this week.
Annie has happily continued to sample jerky. This week's post on ...Heathen in the Holy Land: How I became an Israeli pseudo-celebrity
Mar 25th, 2009 at 10:00AM:
To read part one of Gadling's new "Heathen in the Holy Land" series, go here.
When I told a friend of mine I was headed to Israel for a week, he advised me, only half-jokingly, to look out for car-bombs. A fellow member of my fantasy baseball league suggested that if the worst should happen to me on this trip, we could re-name our league "The Aaron Hotfelder ...Heathen in the Holy Land: Is Israel even safe to visit?
Mar 24th, 2009 at 9:00AM: "Heathen in the Holy Land" is a new Gadling feature which will consist of posts all this week about my recent trip to Israel, a country you may have heard discussed once or twice on the news.
Over the course of this week, I'll discuss a whole host of topics about the Holy Land, like what a leader of Kabbalah really thinks about Madonna, why Israel is not just a country for religious pilgrims and ...Concierge.com names Tel Aviv #1 must see destination of 09
Dec 18th, 2008 at 10:00AM: Many of the top destinations on Concierge.com's 2009 "It" list may surprise you, starting with their number one pick: Tel Aviv. At they pitch it, however, Israel's second largest city and economic hub sounds glorious: "...this newly hip city has plenty to celebrate, with a spate of new hotels and redevelopment, a happening contemporary art scene, and vibrant nightlife. Unlike more religious and ...Israeli Airport Security Makes American Performer Dance to Prove his Identity
Sep 10th, 2008 at 12:00PM: When the famed American dance company Alvin Ailey arrived in Israel, one of the troupe was singled out by airport security because of his Muslim name. That's nothing new in a place where security concerns trump political correctness. But this particular situation didn't stop with the usual searches and passport verification. The dancer, Abdur-Rahim Jackson, was asked to perform a dance in order ...Big in Israel: Why Jerusalem is holier than thou
Apr 30th, 2008 at 10:00AM: This week, Big in Japan is on vacation in the Middle East, and will be bringing you travel news and happenings from around this often misunderstood region. Few places in the world can rest on their laurels quite like Jerusalem, the Holy City of the Promised Land that is home to some of the most sacred sites in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Not unlike that really, really hot girl you bump into ...Big in Palestine: How to travel safely in the West Bank
Apr 29th, 2008 at 10:00AM: This week, Big in Japan is on vacation in the Middle East, and will be bringing you travel news and happenings from around this often misunderstood region. Today's post will give you some tips on traveling in the West Bank, that swath of land sitting between Israel and Jordan that one day might compose the vast bulk of an independent Palestine. Please keep in mind that the security situation in ...Israel: Passengers must be seated half an hour before landing
Feb 26th, 2008 at 2:30PM: Israel is tightening its security again, because of the fears following the recent death of a Hezbollah terror mastermind Imad Mugniyah, UPI reports. Passengers on all domestic and international flights landing in Israel must now be seated 30 minutes before landing. The prior security arrangements required only 15 minutes.
The Transport Ministry said it is giving the flight crew more time to spot ...Big in Japan: Israel crippled by spring roll strike
Feb 26th, 2008 at 10:00AM: If you turn on the news these days, it seems that just about every other story is about war, violence and suffering in the Middle East.
And of course, at the center of most of these news items is the Holy Land of Israel, the powder keg of religious tensions that the whole world is scrapping to control.
But in the hopes of kicking off your week on a decidedly more optimistic note, I've stumbled ...A Peek into the Future of Dubai
Jun 18th, 2007 at 8:40PM: Today, the city of Dubai announced it has purchased the Queen Elizabeth 2, "one of the world's most majestic cruise liners," to convert into a luxury hotel. The QE2 will be completely renovated and parked at the world's largest man-made island, Palm Jumeirah. The restoration process will stay true to the original design of the ship, and a museum will be built inside to educate visitors on the ...Israel Hires Maxim Magazine for Tourism Photoshoot
Apr 11th, 2007 at 12:30PM: Israel is a land brimming with wonderful beaches and rich history. So, what's the best way to market that to the world? The government believes the answer is... "good-looking women." What? How disappointing. This public relations strategy is particularly skewed to hit a key demographic of American men aged 18 to 35. The tourism board found that this group wasn't particularly interested in visiting ...Hooters in the Holy Land
Mar 20th, 2007 at 3:01PM: Next time you're in Tel Aviv -- tired from traveling, homesick, and looking for a little comfort food -- you can sit back, relax, and experience some all-American hospitality, half-way around the globe. Hooters is opening its first location in Israel.
It's a restaurant known, kind of, for its spicy chicken wings, but mostly for its servers -- "Hooters Girls," who bring you food and beer in ...Jesus' Bones Tour
Feb 28th, 2007 at 11:24AM: If you missed the press conference at the New York Public Library, where filmmaker James Cameron announced his new Discovery Channel movie, you might want to read up and do a little digging yourself.
If you hadn't heard the hype, Cameron's movie The Lost Tomb of Jesus, airs this Sunday. In it, he apparently argues that a couple of caskets, ossuaries actually, once contained the bones of Jesus and ...
