To get fit and acclimatized to hot climates, whilst not spending money, the first leg of my Around the World Trip started at Kibbutz Zeelim. The romantic dream of picking fruit in the sun was soon dispelled. For 5 weeks I worked shifts in a rubber tyre factory. However, the social life was great and the drama of the World Cup made for a good time. During this period I developed a great respect for Israeli people. I then spent 1 week exploring Israel and Palestine. I experienced at first hand the deep rooted problems in this country; a pipe bomb exploded 75m from me; killing 1 and injuring 14. From Haifa a boat took me to Egypt.