Maybe it's jet lag, or maybe its coffee?

Today was my second morning waking up in Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael. Again, I woke up before 10 AM, what in Cleveland has become my typical get out of bed time! I am not quite sure what the problem is with my biological alarm clock.

My first night and second day on the kibbutz I had no coffee, no sleep on the plane, yet i went to bed at 1 AM and woke up at 6:45 AM.

Last night was a whole nother story. So after a fantastic Shabbat dinner, a food post will come eventually, they were handing out free espresso in the coffee shop next to the hadar ochel (dining hall). Naturally, missing my Phoenix coffee shop mochas and feeling a bit tired with the big discotech night ahead of me, I had 3 lattes.

The discotech was a very new experience for me because being under 21 I have never gone clubbing. The way the discotech works is that adolescents from all around the area come to the pub at the kibbutz for a giant dance party. If you are from the Kibbutz or living on it like all the Kibbutz- ulpan students it is free to enter, otherwise you have to show an I.D. and pay about 30 shekels or so to enter. At the pub the drinks are pricey. I think the reason the kibbutz hosts the giant parties is to make money off the entrance fee and the over-priced drinks. Anyways, I danced with my fellow students until about 3 AM when I tried to go to bed, but because the pub/discotech is 50 feet from my room, I wasn't able to fall asleep until 4 AM.

This is where strange things started to happen. This morning I woke up at 6:15AM, just as the sun was rising through the clouds

Though this picture looks cloudy, it was the first time since I got to Israel that there was a touch of sun, and it wasn't spewing rain. I walked around the Kibbutz for about 30 minutes and ended up wandering into an artist's studio. Although his name eludes me for the time being, he offered me some tea (perhaps later I will post my favorite sculptures of his). He recommended that I get a friend and take a day trip hike to the nearby mountains a few miles east of the Kibbutz. Ramat HaNadiv nature park is the name of the area. According to him, it is 4 hour or so hike/climb, and once there I can get a beautiful overview of all of Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael. I think that will be my afternoon today since everything is closed on Shabbat anyways.

Lastly, I want to let my readers know I am in heaven here. For the longest time my dad has wanted me to ease up on my expensive coffee addiction (mochas, lattes, cappuccinos, etc.) On the Kibbutz not only is there free espresso Friday nights, but in the dining hall, there are 6 different espresso/coffee/hot chocolate type machines to choose from.

Here are just a few of them


The total cost of a mocha is a shekel, or about a quarter!

Though the good inexpensive coffee here plus jet lag have contributed to my lack of sleep, I am very confident that soon enough I will have a full and healthy sleep schedule. :) ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz.........