I entered this last country of my trip with hardly any preparation. I knew Israel from the news, the stories, the prejudices produced by people who never came to this sunny melting pot of different religions.
The facts. I never stayed in a hotel or hostel. I never got bombed. I never was in a bus or train without soldiers. Yes, I went to the Palestinian side. No, I never got killed there either.
I have met Israeli people in many countries, and sometimes I thought the amplitude of their noise would redefine the scale of Decibel. Anyways, I kinda like loud people and they made me curious to go and check out the Land of the Loud. And Jesus.
The moment I got in, invitations where thrown at me from so many Israeli people to stay at their place that I had to start planning. Planning! After living the random life! People I met during the trip invited me for Shabat Shalom's with their family and some of them took days off to join me and guide me through this small yet magnificent country. I floated on the lowest lake of the world (Dead Sea) and I stayed in a tiny Kibbutz village close to the Jordan border. I had a nice reunion with Chay and Yahel and Belgian beer. I met a special girl with hair more voluminous than I could ever imagine. I tried to walk on water in the Sea of Galilee but failed. And hitchhiking to Syria also did not really work out (but we got close, didn't we Guy?).
Jerusalem surprised me because of its harmonious blend of past and present. Getting lost in such an old city (tunnels, bridges, caves, churches... everywhere!) surrounded by Christians, Jews and Arabs felt like traveling through several countries all at once and I treated myself with delicious arabic knaffe, Yemenite soup and the original falafel. Bethlehem on the other side of the wall seemed the perfect place to celebrate Christmas. But the night out with 'vampire' couch surf host Mor and her insane friends and some beer the night before in Jerusalem made me forget my passport and I almost ended up in Palestina... forever.
Somehow I got through the security check by speaking some random English and by waving my Belgian bank card as a 'proof of identification'. In the North, I met up with Naveh and Shimrit, who took me for an adventure to Caesarea and the hanging Baha'i gardens in Haifa. After they stuffed me with delicious Israeli food, I rolled back to Tel Aviv to say Shalom to the New Year and give Aimee the first high-five of 2013 in the most famous club of Tel Aviv (although nobody knew where it was). A few days later I took the invitation from Talia and her parents and went to the Golan Heights, watching over Jordan and Israel from a nice Kibbutz called Tel Katzir. To summarize, a kibbutz basically is a village where you can take free avocados from the trees and where everybody has rasta hair and/or smokes. Oh, and they have bomb shelters, too.
I read about the history and the politics, lived at peoples houses, made beautiful friendships, visited the lowest and highest places - Israel gradually became one of the the top-favorites of the trip.
Israel is a country that you cannot pretend to hate or love without having been here. I am very happy I gave it a try. I love Israel! Toda, shalom. And Happy New Year to all of you!
A special thank you to Keren, Nalev and Shimrit, Mor and Talia who hosted me as if I were a prince.
The facts. I never stayed in a hotel or hostel. I never got bombed. I never was in a bus or train without soldiers. Yes, I went to the Palestinian side. No, I never got killed there either.
The closest I got to death: Jesus' prison, Jerusalem... and the Dead Sea. Hahaho!
Guns 'n Moses, Jerusalem
The moment I got in, invitations where thrown at me from so many Israeli people to stay at their place that I had to start planning. Planning! After living the random life! People I met during the trip invited me for Shabat Shalom's with their family and some of them took days off to join me and guide me through this small yet magnificent country. I floated on the lowest lake of the world (Dead Sea) and I stayed in a tiny Kibbutz village close to the Jordan border. I had a nice reunion with Chay and Yahel and Belgian beer. I met a special girl with hair more voluminous than I could ever imagine. I tried to walk on water in the Sea of Galilee but failed. And hitchhiking to Syria also did not really work out (but we got close, didn't we Guy?).
Holy Potato! Jerusalem!
Delicious food in Jerusalem (my favorite, humus, on the right)
Somehow I got through the security check by speaking some random English and by waving my Belgian bank card as a 'proof of identification'. In the North, I met up with Naveh and Shimrit, who took me for an adventure to Caesarea and the hanging Baha'i gardens in Haifa. After they stuffed me with delicious Israeli food, I rolled back to Tel Aviv to say Shalom to the New Year and give Aimee the first high-five of 2013 in the most famous club of Tel Aviv (although nobody knew where it was). A few days later I took the invitation from Talia and her parents and went to the Golan Heights, watching over Jordan and Israel from a nice Kibbutz called Tel Katzir. To summarize, a kibbutz basically is a village where you can take free avocados from the trees and where everybody has rasta hair and/or smokes. Oh, and they have bomb shelters, too.
I read about the history and the politics, lived at peoples houses, made beautiful friendships, visited the lowest and highest places - Israel gradually became one of the the top-favorites of the trip.
Israel is a country that you cannot pretend to hate or love without having been here. I am very happy I gave it a try. I love Israel! Toda, shalom. And Happy New Year to all of you!
A special thank you to Keren, Nalev and Shimrit, Mor and Talia who hosted me as if I were a prince.
1 comment:
fantastic end to your adventure
Israel, have been there, but only once ...
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