Our new wheels

Company lease cars is one of the European worker benefits that I think should be adopted by American companies.   Seriously, it is one of the most useful benefits.   Your car doesn’t start?…call the leasing company.  Your car needs to visit the shop for a check up?…use the loaner car provided by the leasing company.  The whole concept removes a big layer of anxiety and stress that can accompany car ownership. 

The lease on our Honda Accord recently ended, and it was time to upgrade to a newer vehicle.  We chose a Hyundai Tucson.  There are two really enjoyable benefits to driving a SUV.  The most important being that it has much greater head room inside, allowing J to actually sit straight AND easily see the road while driving!  The second being that we are now able to access a whole network of 4x4 tracks scattered throughout Israel.  Most of these 4x4 tracks are in the Negev Desert.  This past weekend we explored a track near the Dead Sea.  The best thing about driving on such a “road” is that you really feel as if you enter the wilderness.  We didn’t see a single person.  And the views of the desert were even more spectacular than what one sees from the regular roads.  Our path took us to a lookout point high above the Dead Sea.  It was a particularly clear day in an area that is often quite hazy, and the reflections on the sea were perfect.