Why no stamp???

---

Strange. That's the best word I can think of to use when describing Tel Aviv and Israel. Our experience didn't start off well with our ordeal at the border crossing so our perception really needed to improve fast. Jerusalem was fine and perhaps that's because it was touristy but Tel Aviv has been a completely different world. The strangeness began in Jerusalem when we arrived at the Jerusalem train station to catch a train to Tel Aviv. When we arrived we thought we must have been at the wrong place because there was no one there. It was completely deserted. We were questioned and checked by security and we were the only ones there. It was a lovely new looking station with workers selling tickets and cleaners but no customers. Had we missed something??? It was like the rest of the world had died and we were the last to know.

The wierdness followed us to Tel Aviv. The streets were never full of traffic and there were next to no tourists. There was just a complete lack of people around. Also, I have never before seen people tend to their dogs so much as in Tel Aviv. It's like they were human! They were involved in everyday life, inside shopping centres, being fed at the foot of tables in restaurants and drinking from water fountains.

There was a real sense of not being very welcome - people weren't the friendliest and there was little english. The place was very very foreign. Of course there have been many people that we have met who have been lovely to us but overall, it feels like the Israelis don't particuarly want to promote their country as a tourist destination. As a result in my opinion, if you are travelling around the Middle East and thinking about visiting Israel, I would give it a miss.

The food was great and the weather was amazing so we have spent two days on the beach. We also visited the gorgeous port town of Jaffa just south of Tel Aviv and walked along the water down past all the city beaches.

I am now back in Cairo and pretty pleased to be actually. Again we were scrutinised and interrogated at the Tel Aviv airport on the way out yesterday. I suppose we were better prepared for it though especially since we know it's the Syrian and Lebanese stamps in our passport that seems to send the Israelis into an instant rage. Questions such as; Where did you go? Who do you know? How long have you been here? What did you do? are repeatedly asked in the hope that we make a mistake or get caught out lying. We had nothing to hide so we just co-operated and after a few hours they let us though.

This, however is after our bags were searched thoroughly 4 times by four separate officers (everything including underwear is taken out and they swab the lot for explosive material), questions were constantly barked at us about why we don't want an Israeli stamp in our passport (many countries will not allow you to enter if you have an Israeli stamp), we are frisked and felt up numerous times in a private room and then when they are satisfied (or disappointed not to have found something on us) they have excorted us personally and individually to customs where we are greeted with a severe "Why no stamp???". It was a fairly long drawn out process and something I wouldn't like to do again - you just have to bite your tongue and go with it.

With hatred coming from nearly every neighbouring country, I can see why Israel needs to be protective and security conscious. It's a region that has been conquered by so many different people and religions over it's long history and unfortunately as a result, I think a Middle East solution may well be too much to ask in our lifetimes.

---

Photos

Tel Aviv
Life's a beach