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Preparation and Criticisms
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| We arrived at the Jerusalem
Ramada - Crown Plaza Hotel. There was a table
in the lobby with fresh juice for us to enjoy while
sitting in the lobby. While we relaxed on the
sofas, our tour guide went to the front desk to get
our room keys and deal with any paper work.
While waiting, my electric scooter and my cellular
modem arrived. (More on those topics from the
links under trip preparation on the main page.)
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The rooms and bathrooms were beautiful. While
this is not a new hotel, it is obvious that much has
been invested in recent renovations.
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The views from the balcony we also breathtaking.
As it turns out, either Wendy or Robin Morse (or other family
members) personally escort every tour. As they do this many
weeks a year and have been doing this for decades, they demand the
best rooms and views for the tour members. They know which
floors have been renovated and which have not and a hotel risks
losing a lot of repeat business if they fail to meet Morse standards.
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Sue and Jerry went to the beach. Zach and I
were tired to the point of falling over. We needed
to eat and nap. From the hotel's lobby restaurant,
we had a tasty, if severely over-priced meal. We
shared Israeli Salad (Wiki
Article Here), and gourmet grilled cheese
that included choice of cheeses and bread.
The view from our table was beautiful, and we watched
Sue and Jerry playing in the water.
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Our waitress was very helpful. According to
her, (and validated in Wiki article here,)
in Israel, your restaurant tip is often included with
the price of the meal. Otherwise, you will see
there is "service not included" or some similar
text on the menu and/or the bill. The expected tip is
10%.
Oddly enough, there is NO LINE ON THE CREDIT CARD
RECEIPT for you to write in the tip. Instead,
you need to note the tip in any white space and the
restaurant will later adjust the total after you have
left.
(While we're on the subject of tipping, do not tip
taxi drivers, do threaten to get out if the meter is
not running, and always insist on a "kaballa,"
which is Hebrew for reciept. [Yes, it sounds just
like Kaballah religious study and practices now made
famous to non-Jews by Madonna.] Follow those rules
and taking taxis is a very cost-effective option.)
With more energy than us, the Trommers not only enjoyed
the beach, but walked to the nearby shopping district
where they enjoyed some pizza.
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Zach and I passed out for a few hours prior to dinner.
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