Hello everyone
Summer 1964
The Greyhound bus were very luxurious; big and spacious with comfortable upholstered seats and a toilet at the back! Our destination was California, where Tsipi's uncle and his family lived. We
started our journey by traveling from Houston to New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada... Since we didn't have enough
money for hotels, Zipi and I slept on the bus, traveling through out the night and felt sad about missing some of the sights... ("Beggars can't be choosers") as the saying goes... Not that we felt like beggars,we were just two 'Poor Students' who have no extra money for hotels... Occasionally, we would get off the bus, stay in a small
motel, take a bath and enjoy the luxury of a normal night's sleep in a real bed...
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| Rock formations and cactus |
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| Indian Reservation |
What we saw was beyond our expectations! Amazing sunsets, like brush strokes of enormous paintings, which took our breath away...We passed near orange painted mountains and rocks, through 'forests' of tall cactus... were traveling for miles through huge deserts, without seeing any signs of life, besides an occasional animals At times, we would see a cluster of brown wood adobe huts, baked by the hot scorching sun or stop at an Indian reservation, in order to stretch our legs, buy cold drinks , and took many photographs, to show our trip to our families and friends when we come back to Israel...
Up?
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| Las Vegas' colorful lights |
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| Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon |
After several days of traveling and sleeping on the bus, we became disconnected from reality... Our nights and days were beginning to merge together and we began to experience strange Hallucinations... Tsipi, insisted that she saw several Indians, riding on horses, following our bus and got angry with me when I told her it was not so... I on the other hand, thought that I heard my Mom's voice, calling my name at the middle of the desert... Finally, a kind of "Mirage" materialized in front of our eyes: Shimmering city with Neon lights, tall buildings, restaurants, hotels and casinos, with blinking electric signs: "Welcome to Las Vegas!" Instead of trees we saw "Forests" of hotels, as well as many restaurants and shops, where one could find card tables and Gambling Machines... My greater shock came when I went to the bathroom in our Motel and found a Gambling "Money Machine" next to the Toilet...We played Black Jack and other card games tried our luck at the gambling machines, doubling, tripling and losing all the money we have budgeted for gambling... At the end, we agreed that in spite of the loses, we truly enjoyed every moment! X "Lets not feel so bad for the loses and remember the Great Fun we had, while we are playing!" I told Zipi XI am realy trying!" she said sadly X"But it could have been so much fun if we won!" After another day and a sleepless night, we boarded the bus for Los Angeles, waving goodby to "Sin City" (as some people call Los Vegas.) The two of us were very tired, actually X exhosted , after being up most of the night and immediate fell into a deep sleep, missing the view and the moment we crossed the border, from Nevada to California and woke up in the Central Bus Station of Los Angeles; waiting to shower and sleep...
Los Angeles
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| Walk of Fame imprints |
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| Walk of Fame stars |
California is so large, it is impossible to get around without a car...Luckily, Tsipi's uncle and aunt,with whom we stayed, offered to take us to a few Tourist Attractions Our first stop was at the "City's signature: "Hollywood Walk of Fame" where the sidewalks are stamped with the feet and hand prints of Movie Stars... Next came Disney-land, Universal Studios, Beverly Hills and the beautiful fancy neighborhood of Bel Air, where tourists are taken by special tour buses, to look at the houses of the 'Luminaries', hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite movie stars and snap photos with them; to show the family and friends at home! We also visited the old cemetery, where famous movie stars names are engraved on marble tombstones... We were taken to the Los Angeles Pet Cemetery, where well known beloved dogs, cats and monkeys, that appeared in the movies were berried: like the famous Chitah, Tarzan's monkey as well as several other famous 'Animal Stars'... We went for lunch at the famous Polo Lounge, in to the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is supposed to be the gathering place for famous movie stars and were disappointed, since although we craned our necks and looked around,we didn't see one familiar face from the silver screen...The two of us wanted
so much to impress our friends and families when we got back to Israel, by showing them these photos and say: "Guess who we saw in Hollywood?!" But we didn't see any of those luminaries and had to be satisfied with their photos which covered the walls of the polo lounge.. .
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| Stewart Granger |
Elizabeth Taylor |
Rock Hudson |
Hollywood and Me! |
Ava Gardner |
Robert Taylor |
Doris Day |
Tsipi planned to stay at her Uncle's house for two more weeks and then fly back to Israel. I on the other hand, was not quite ready to go bacK planing to take at least one more trip, before going home and settle down for the rest of my life... I had to see London, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Rome, Naples and Greece; places which I didn't have the time or means to visit, during my first trip in Europe... I said goodbye to Los Angeles, took a photo in front of the Hollywood Blvd sign, to prove that I was really there and boarded a Greyhound bus to North Carolina, where I was about to work as a Unit Leader at the summer camp of "Young Judea; an American Zionist youth movement, which was delighted to have a "Real Israeli born Sabra "like me, who served in the Israeli Army! I was selected to work as a Unit Leader, besides being being the Drama concealer, who would direct a show about Israel for the final day, when the patents come to 'collect their kids', before going back home...
It
was very strange, to travel on the bus without Tsipi and being unable to share with her, the discovery of the new places on my way to
North Carolina... I traveled through stats like Utah, Colorado and Kansas changing buses and getting to know a variety of people: all Americans... I met students on their summer vacation and solders on home leave, as well as young men, who were tired of their jobs and were looking for something more exciting in another state... I once met an old Indian medicine man, who was coming back home from a visit to another Tribe... He entertained
me with stories about his tribe's history culture legends and myths... The meaning of his Indian name was: "The One who Heals"..."How did they know you are going to become a Medicine Man when they named you?" I asked. He explained that he was coming from a long line of healers, where the gift of healing is hereditary... Before we parted he mumbled an Indian blessing, moving his hands around my head and wished me to find a good, strong husband and have many sons... As we said goodbye, 'The One who Heals', gave me a small "Magic Wand as a gift which I keep until this very day... A student from the university of Berkley in California, who was traveling on the same bus, was telling me about a new Psychedelic drug called LSD and how it expands people's mind and consciousness, as well as enabling the user, to see different shades of Colors, Angels and Fairies dancing in the trees... He said that when you use it, 'plain food' becomes an amazing Culinary Experience and regular Soda, could taste like the Nectar of the Gods on Mount Olympus... I didn't judge him, nor those who experimented with drugs, but in spite of my great curiosity, there was no way I was ever going to partake
in such activities!
North Carolina
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| As the unit leader (second from left) |
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| Young Judea Camp |
My work at the camp was a new and exciting experience... I enjoyed the beauty of North Carolina, as well as the campers who came from all over the U.S and were making fun of each others' accent'...The one thing they all had in common was Judaism and their love for Israel... I was moved by their strong ties to our Biblical homeland and culture, which were intertwined in the camp's curriculum... The use of the Hebrew language was everywhere: Signs in English and Hebrew were written on the doors where activities were taking place: Chadar-Ochel -- Dining room, Mirpeah -- Infirmary, Misrad -- office Moadon -- club, Miklachot -- showers, Brecha -- swimming pool, and Batey -Shimush -- toilets...
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The fact I was a real "Sabra" (Israeli born) who served in the Israeli army, gave me a special
brand of respect and popularity; especially after I showed the kids some photos from my military days, holding my Uzi ... During the two years at the University of Houston, my minor was Theater Directing and a major in Psychology I used my new skills to direct a play (which I have written) about the bitter War for Independence in 1947. The play was ready for the day of graduation, when the parents arrive to pick up their kids from the summer camp... It was a great success! The fact that I lived through this war as a child, added to the drama and reality of the play... The parents as well as the kids, showered me with love and admiration... I was invited to come and stay in their homes before I go back to Israel and they all promised to visit me there, when they would finally be able to come to our beautiful Biblical country... I gave them my parents phone number and asked them to please call!
The Queen Mary
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| Queen Mary |
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| Goodbye Statue of Liberty |
At the end of the two months in the camp, I took my final long trip on a Greyhound bus to N.Y. and boarded the Queen Mary, for its trip to England; where I planed to visit first, before the rest of the other countries in Europe I didn't see during my first trip... I was standing on the deck of the ship, which began it's voyage from the harbor in Manhattan to the open sea, and was looking at the white wake it left behind, taking photos of Manhattan's sky line and of the Statue of Liberty, watching them getting smaller and smaller... "Goodbye Statue of liberty goodbye Manhattan, Goodbye America, I will never see you again!" I whispered and letting one or two sentimental tears. go down my chicks..... I had no clue, nor the slightest premonition, that in three years I would be back in the US, which would eventually become my permanent home, where I will be happily married, have a child and get a PHD degree in Psychology... Bellow is a page from in my diar about the journey from N.Y to England...
" My trip across the Ocean is incredible... What an amazing freedom it is, to have no responsibilities... Just be able to sit and listen to the waves, enjoy the sun on my face, the wind playing
with my hair and feeling care free, young and beautiful... How easy it is to become addicted to cruising"... I wrote in my diary as I was sitting on my deck chair, covered with a blanket and taking in the familiar salty air of the Atlantic ocean... As always, I made friends easily... We ate together, had long conversations and played ping pong, shuffle board and Trivia... We went to the shows, watched movies and the biggest problem we seemed to have, was our inability to decide which of the bands we should choose, for our dancing that evening... We were flirting and enjoyed the typical light shipboard romances, which changed daily like falling leaves in the X Autem. The cruise came to an end at the port of Southampton... It was earl y in the morning, but the passengers were already lined up on the deck, leaning on the rails, watching the shores of England materializing through the fog... After exchanging addresses with my new friend, we hugged each other and went on our separate ways...I got on the train to London and found a seat by the window... As it began to move, my hart was beating with excitement, matching the rhythm of the wheels I was looking forward, to finally see London, the city I have seen in the movies and got to know so well through some of my beloved books...
With Love and Light,
Shira
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