Blogs from Jaffa, Tel Aviv District, Israel, Middle East

"Why are you here?" asks a small, young man with jet-black hair and goatee less than a minute after I step off the plane. It's 3:15am, and I've just arrived at Ben-Gurion International, having hardly slept at all and feeling queasy from the bad airplane food. The man stops me on the way to the passport check. "Just travelling." I reply with a hint of surprise at the unexpected interception. "Where you go? Which hotel you stay in? What is your profession?" he asks me subsequently, and I try to answer as good as I can, before I'm left off the hook. The man who checks my passport is even more suspicious of me. "Where you stay?" - "With a friend in Yafo." "What friend? German?" - "No, Israeli." "Where you know this friend from?" - ... read more

Monday was moving day and it all went well . ..a sherut from Netanya to Tel Aviv then a bus to Jaffa and the directions I had worked out really well . Jaffa is an OLD city that has the ruins of many centuries although most of it is Turkish/Ottoman empire that dominated for @400 years . Mind you after being defeated at Akko Napolean came here , his troops suffered from the bubonic plague and he retreated to Egypt...such history . It has been a port and home to fisherman for 1000's of years but since the 50's it has been evolving . The walled city of the Ottomans has been designated as an artists colony of sorts . Only artists of some acclaim (this includes singers ,dancers ,actors ) can purchase the lease on ... read more

I, woke up around 9am and used the wifi facility to make a few calls on skype....this iphone is such a great invention.... I decided to do the walking tour as in the lonely planet guide book, need to make a start somewhere... While walking down Rothschild blvd I turned into Sheinkin street; came across a roadside cafe that sold houmous and pita bread...I have been soo looking forward to having this...it cost 20 shekels which in my opinion is kind of expensive but hey i cant be in hunger now can I ? Went near the Yemenite quarter and saw Kikar Magen David (Round about where 6 streets meet) and went down HaCarmel Street through the market areas... It felt a bit like walking through Pita Kotuwa (Fort Area) in Sri Lanka. Thereafter after going ... read more

I just spent last night on the beach celebrating FLs bday in TA with the entire Otzma group. It was great to see every one and hear stories from Sukkot vacation. Some people when back to the states, greece, and some people just like me traveled around Israel to really get a feel for the country. We were all on a high from just getting back from vacation and no one wanted to go to a seminar but of course that is what Otzma has programed. TX and CO and I we all in a room in hyarkon hostel we all checked out and was ready to meet the group at Allozeroff bus station, we hear that the only sherut that goes there was the number 16 but we thought if another one will drop us ... read more

The Canaanite kings were worried. The Israelites, led by General Joshua, were defeating one Canaanite city after another. Their only hope was to unite and fight Israel together. The people of Gibeon had a better idea. Why not trick Israel into making peace? Joshua signed a treaty with Gibeon, but the Canaanites viewed the Gibeonites as traitors. Unitedly, they attacked. Israel came to the aid of Gibeon, and the victory was so great, that Joshua feared that the day would end and the Canaanites would escape into the night. So he prayed to Jehovah, and then cried out "Sun! Stand still over Gibeon!" Try to imagine looking down on Gibeon, then looking up into the sky to see the very same sun in the middle of the heavens. Tonight we are in Tel-Aviv/Yafo, site of ancient ... read more

Ich bin am Freitag abend, am heiligen Schabbat, in Tel Aviv angekommen. Mein Hostel liegt in Yafo, im Sueden der Stadt, sozusagen die Altstadt. Spaeter in der Nacht wurde ich von einem israelischen Freund vom Hotel abgeholt und wir haben uns ins Nachtleben gestuerzt, jedenfalls so weit ich konnte, denn ich war noch sehr muede vom Flug. An diesem Morgen zeigte er mir den Strand und Yafo, das eine 3000 Jahre alte Geschichte hat, mitten zwischen der erst im letzten Jahrhundert erbauten Stadt Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv ist wunderschoen, es scheint eine Mischung aus 1001 Kulturen und Ideen, manchmal denkt man, man sei in Andalusien, wegen der vielen Palmen. Dennoch ist die israelische Kultur eine ganz eigene. Ich habe auch schon im besten Humus Restaurant von Israel gegessen. Man isst sehr schnell, denn vor der Tuer ... read more