Kim and Boaz
Santa has borrowed my clothes
Upon my arrival at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, I immediately knew that, at least the beginning of my journey would be challenged. I spent 2 hours in the airport trying to find my lost bag (one and only) and failing at that, stood in line and filled out the dreadful and seemingly useless form. Iberia (disguised as El Al Airlines) has miraculously managed to lose my bag on a direct flight from Barcelona to Tel Aviv. This is my second time flying Iberia this year, and consequently, the second time losing my bag on an Iberia flight. That's two out of two, 100 per cent inaccuracy in luggage handling, way to go, Iberia!
Convinced to have a great time no matter what came my way, I strode out of the airport empty handed, with just a backpack on my back. Now, being a somewhat seasoned traveller, I did a little research on my destination before I left for Spain. Dutifully, I read the Let's Go version on Israel, and asked my Israeli friends about the safety of streets in Tel Aviv. A bit perturbed about a warning on the street crimes, I thought I would verify it with my friend, Talia. So I rang her from Barcelona before she left Arizona to meet me in Tel Aviv.
H: so, is it safe for me to walk around by myself in Tel Aviv alone?
T: SURE! no problem, nothing to worry about, if you see a backpack unattended, or hear ticking noises, just walk the other way
H: (waiting for a smile or a punchline)
T: (no reaction)
H: hmm, I meant things like pickpocketing and stuff
T: oh, THAT, no problem with that at all!
That being said, I felt sort of safe, if not a bit unsettled by the sight of young men and women carrying automatic rifles on the train from the airport to the center, hoping that if I heard any type of ticking or saw any bags unattended, there would be people with more training to deal with it than me, even if they are younger than 20.
JAFFA
For the first few days, I stayed with my friends Kim and Boaz in the heart of Jaffa, where no non-muslims would go unless absolutely necessary. Kim and Boaz, are probably some of the most adventurous people I know, and thus picked a fabulous and stunning loft in the center of a high crime area. The apartment had a fantastic view.
view from inside Kim and Boaz's apartment
When I was picked up by my other friends to go to their house for the second part of my stay in Israel, we decided to stop by an infamous ice cream shop in Jaffa, after carefully selecting our individual flavors, we came out to a police car (more like a tank), surrounded by full armored police men and about 15 young neighborhood youngsters. My friend Baruch pulled me aside, while holding onto his ice cream and said, 'ok, let's try not to get shot'. While his more brave younger brother Shimoni, fearlessly opened our car, which was right next to the police 'tank'. He later informed us, (since he was the more brave one and overheard part of the conversation) that apparently some guy was under house arrest, and probably decided to get out for some ice cream...nonetheless, in a nearby street, just last week, two people were murdered.
FOOD
Prior to my visit to Israel, I always thought the Chinese and Spanish/Catalans ate a lot. In all honesty, Americans really don't eat half as much as any of the cultures mentioned above. Lucky for me, Kim and Boaz are not only great cooks, but also know all the great places to dine. The most wonderful thing about food in Israel is that due to the rich mixture of backgrounds and ethinicities, the complexities and depths of 'local' gastronomy simply cannot be defined properly, nor should it be tried. I was introduced to authentic Yemenite food first in the Yemenite area in Tel Aviv, then later at Baruch's mother's house, who is Yemenite: Ftut (a brothy soup usually based with parts of beef), lahuh, (a type of spongy homemade crepe bread), Yemeni hilbeh (fenugreek dip/jelly), and my favorite, plain Jihnun (a warm roll of buttery puff pastry). One memorable excitement in the midst of our meal was a lovely sight of a white truck stopping by our dinning table (we ate outside due to the warm weather in the middle of December), the truck stopped on a narrow one-way street. The driver got out and opened the back of the truck, we saw what the yummy pieces of beef in our soup looked like before it got to the butchers. Inside the truck, halves of cow carcasses were hung on hooks, he carried them down on his shoulder and disappeared into an unmarked doorway, after a few cows have been unloaded, he got back into the truck and drove away. We watched as we continued to chew tender pieces of beef from our soup.
Knafe, a sweet cheese dessert in the old city, Jerusalem
happy Boaz about to eat the knafe
Most of the produce in Israel is grown locally, all the vegetables have amazing flavors and look like they came directly from the Garden of Eden. Watching people squeeze fresh pomagranite juice from fruits the size of a small melon and drinking the deep red nectar is an unforgetable experience.
I am also very nostalgic about the Jerusalem bagels, which do not look anything like the small round donuts we eat in the states. The Jerusalem bagel is long and oval, nowadays dotted with plentiful of yummy sesame seeds, about the size of a large oval plate with a large whole in the middle. It is eaten dipped in a dry spice mix called Zahtar, and eaten on the streets, torn apart ravenously and shared between good friends.
MARKETS
There is a market for everything, and as usual, I tried to visit as many as possible. The food market has the locally grown vegetables and spices. The arts and crafts market has unique jewelry and crafts made by local artists, and in Jaffa and old city in Jerusalem, the markets run by Arabs have EVERYTHING you ever dreamt of and more, from the famous Armenian blue ceramics, to the pretty blue glassware made by Palestinians, to Persian carpets and rugs and many special imports from eastern Europe and Russia. The one thing that made me spend so much more money than I really had was the fact that everything is still made or grown locally, and if the prices must be a little higher, so be it. At one point, I was brought to a very special kibbutz store, where they make jewelry from the left over roman glass found in the soil in Israel, the craftsmanship was so stunning and the 'recycling' concept so far fetched, I brought back a beautiful set of earrings and a necklace :)
spice man
olive man on cell phone
fishheads
Boaz picking pomelos
over view of the entrance to the market in the Muslim quarter in Old City, Jerusalem
a stall in the above market where Baruch bought carpet
Jerusalem on Christmas Day
I went to Jerusalem twice while in Israel, once with Kim and Boaz, and a second time with Baruch and Talia. I enjoyed both times thoroughly. With K and B, I had the best hummus in Israel, thus I presume, in the whole world, and a sweet orangy cheese dessert, which I failed to remember the name. The old city is divided into four distinct quarters: Jewish, Muslim, Armenian and Christian. We spent most of it wondering and eating in the Muslim quarter.
Jewish Quarter
The Jewish quarter can be distinguished by all the artsy glitter and well-lit stores, while the Muslim markets are filled with dark and rich mysteries and tapestries. I saw the church where Jesus Christ was buried, and the Dome or Rock, the second holiest place for Muslims aside from Mecca.
What I found particularly endearing is, with all the press coversage on the violence in the middle east, when you are actually there, it is amazing the common curtesy people extend to each other on a daily level. Perhaps due to so many centuries of cohabiting in a small space, sure, there are extremists among all of us, and there, they really 'speak' their minds, but on a day to day basis, people are respectful and cordial, a lot more so than some other places where I have frequented. It is a such a beautiful place filled with amazing history, sights and personal stories.
beautiful Armenian crosses in the Christian cemetary where Oskar Schindler was buried
Schindler's grave
the wailing wall (western wall)
where I put my wish in between rocks, they told me it was a 'direct line' to God...hope it comes true, if not in my life time
Dome of the Rock
mosaic in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus Christ was buried
Chava, Hanna and Tikva
I had met Chava many years ago when she came to visit Baruch while both of us still lived in Arizona. Chava is Baruch's mother, and she's an amazing artist. Everything in her house is made by her. She is known as a painter, but has worked with metal, ceramic, and everything else which can be made into an object of beauty.
Talia and Chava's Yemenite paintings
They have a vineyard and produce lovely wines and grapes. Chava has two other sisters, among many more brothers, and they are of Yemenite descendent, thus very beautiful.
I was having lunch one day, when the door bell rang, and a group of 8 people filed into Chava's small livingroom. Normally, we would get up and introduce everybody formally, since I thought I was meeting everyone for the first time, but nobody paid me much attention, but smiled and said 'hey Heidi', 'Heidi! nice to see you!' and one by one came in and walked by me. At first, I was puzzled, then felt accepted, then finally, very much at ease, so I sat down and continued to finish my lunch. It's as if they have known me all my life, and are seeing me as a part of the family gathering. One of the things I noticed living in the Mediterraneans is that people all talk at once, and here, it's very much the same. All of a sudden, the house was filled with laughters, excited voices and more food. All of Baruch girl cousins and aunts have come, and apparently, I have met two of them many years ago, shamefully, they remembered me and I failed to recognize them.
Being an only child, a big, happy family is something I have always dreamt of. And this was a dream coming true. A large family where people got along and are truly happy to be in each other's company.
Chava and her sisters, Hanna and Tikva, get together every Tuesday morning to eat, talk and just be with each other for a few hours. It is a tradition they started while their mother was alive, and decided to continue after she passed away. My last day in Israel was a Tuesday, so I got to be a part of the 'girl's day' with them. Hanna has three beautiful daughters, and Tikva, is a fortune teller. She read everybody's tarot cards and palms and told us all good things about our futures :) We laughed, ate and shared stories. It was truly a special time. I was only sorry that I never had sisters like them. You can literally feel the love and mutual admiration between them.
"Hannah and Her Sisters": Hannah, Chava and Tikva
Afterthoughts - virtual visual memories of a wonderful experience: scenes from the streets of Tel Aviv
dog art on door
another door
view of Tel Aviv from Jaffa on a misty day
first candle of Hanuhkah - Baruch is blessing
this year I will be having three new years, Hanuhkah in Israel, Occidental in Barcelona, and Chinese lunar in Shanghai, may it be a year of peace, light and love to all
1 comment:
Wow heidi, looks like such a great trip! I am so envious, I have never left North America. Some day, maybe this year. Great to see pics of Baruch and Talia, makes me miss Arizona.
Steven
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