Advertisement
Published: October 29th 2005
Mercenary at your service
Hat, Beard, and Backpack help cultivate your fear.Sun is shining, weather is sweet
here in Jerusalem. Thanks, Bob Nesta Marley
The "homeland" of Israel is now my home, and will be for a while. I flew in last week and arrived at 4:30 in the morning in a completely dark new country. What to do? I slept in the airport for over an hour. I kept waking up thinking that Israeli soldiers with guns would slightly or not so slightly poke me with the tips of their guns as if I were a dirty stray dog and tell me to move on. So the hour sleep only felt like half that at most.
The main Israeli airport, The David Ben-Gurion Airport, is the most amazing airport I've ever seen. Its built out of similar stones as the entire Old City of Jerusalem. But it was a blur at the time because the sun was not yet out and I was supposed to begin a new country, culture, and language, so I was certainly thrown off.
Hours later, I met my friend Gabi in central Jerusalem at 9 am, waking him from slumber after what he said was a late night party till 5 A.M. But The Gadi was in town,
Straight Davein like an Ortho
Orthodox Jew meets Arabic travel. Camels run around 1000 bucks to buy! and donkey are only around 25 bucks. Hmmmmm... so he kindly came and picked me up at central. We walked around downtown Jerusalem but no shops were open yet, as it was sunday morning around 9:30. Luckily we found coffee, and proceeded to gain enough of a buzz to decide to go hiking in the hills outside of Jerusalem. Not only do the hills have 2000+ years of still relevant history, or beautiful terracing made over the last 2000 years consistantly, but there is natural spring water that flows from the hills. This is not any sulphurous, stinky, bubbly water, but instead freezing cold mountain spring water. I don't understand why no bubbles flowed with the water, but Gabi says thats how it is, man. So, we checked out the natural pools, but schoolkids had marked that territory first, so we decided not to trip out any kids with our plans of nude swimming (I had no bathing suit, damn!)
Later that night, NOTE that this is still my first day there, I met up with some other Israeli friends that I met in the states, as well as Omri from Santa Cruz and Davis. More coffee ensued, a little Goldstar beer, and some Schwarma (doner kebab's
Muslim Quarter
The old city, a giant bazaar. Carpets, T-shirts, knick-knacks. Fragrant meats (thank God for gag reflex) middle-eastern cousin). Rotating meat on the spit, salads, tomatoes, cucumbers, Chips (aka french fries), hummous, and spicy-goodness. Delish. With a full stomach and a smile, I was next "dragged along" and forced to go to Jerusalem's professional basketball team's first game of the season, HA! The energy there is like an Oakland Raiders game, meaning non-stop cacophony. The Jerusalem team has 4 black guys from the states on their team, meaning the European basketball I hoped to see what not at all what I saw. In other words, 1-on-1 style hoops, with show-offy styles, and a lack of passing. In other words, they lost.
I spend 2 days with Mom'n'Pop, my folks, the rents, Howard and Evi. Good times, they know how to travel well, and how to eat well.
See: Schwarma.
See: Hummous.
See: Falafel
See: Spicy Peppers
The family wedding came and went, and I met some of my second cousins for the first time with a conscious mind, 19 year old Ezra was smashed at the wedding and sang hebrew songs dramaticly at the top of his lungs. I was more of a depressive drunk hanging out in the corner with my Vodka-tonic, just watching and
Jerusalem Hills
The color of the buildings makes them seem transparent on the countryside. In the middle is the "Dome of the Rock" a holy Muslim sight. Its preeeetty. smiling.
Things I've learned on the road
- Q-tips, like lighters, are fair game.
- English is universal, which is helpful in my travels, but I feel bad that I'm not forced to learn other languages (maybe I'll feel differently in Egypt)
- Cultures may make people seem distant and dissimilar, but people enjoy the same things in every country, whether food, dance, conversation, booze, or games. They just translate a little differently.
- Jerusalem's Old City's still has ancient charm, even though old men use cellphones, tv's blare, and Israeli police patrol every street with giant automatic rifles.
Well, I'm off to Egypt in the next few days to meet up with Adam Llondon and Lloyd. Followed by a return to Israel where I know too many people not to stick around and see the sights. Should be fun.
Ciao.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.201s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 22; qc: 90; dbt: 0.1248s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
ez
non-member comment
ez misses gadi
i miss my gadiel like i miss those good times up in davis. does that mean anything to anyone else? love you gadi, it's always good to read your bloggels. i'm keeping it real in marin. psyke. love, erin