Jews come to Israel from all over the world and because of this; their culture is open and diverse. People are very warm; they say if you slip on the roads, ten people will run to help you get up and by the time you do get up, they would have found out your name, family, life and your salary.
Their food reflects their varied culture - Mediterranean, European, South American etc. The foodie me was pigging out at every opportunity. The lunch at client’s office was awesome too; everyday 4/5 different types of main courses (meat/fish), accompanied by many salads, breads, rice, desserts, icecreams. Wow! Their cafeteria would put many top Bangalore restaurants to shame. Initially at places, I would ask for Israeli food, which they seemed to be puzzled of, till later I discovered that I would have done better to ask for Jewish food, cause there isn’t anything specific as Israeli food. The hotel would lay out breakfast buffets, and sometimes barbeques and dinner buffets; I would try all different kinds of food. Btw, Aubergine seems very popular, so many different types of preparations; same for sweet potato. Oh, and I think i had some of the best hummas and breads.
Their local beers are nice - Maccabee, Goldstar. I also tried out some very nice Israeli red shiraz (don’t remember the names). Plenty of my favourite Belgium beer as well – Hoegaarden, Duvel. :)
I was staying at Herziliya, at Dan Accadia resort, right next to the beach (although I didn’t make it to the actual beach sand till the very last day!). Very nice hotel - full of rich tourists (senior citizens and lots of pregnant women!!) and many businessmen and bureaucrats (some NATO event was going on)!
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Little further down road, one could walk to the Marina, very lively, many pubs, sidewalk restaurants etc. I went to a Brazilian Restaurant one day where they serve 11/12 types of meat. I pigged out and then suffered through the night. (Guess what! we went back there!) There was a live band playing Brazilian music, they were happy to play few of my requests for Bozza Nova.
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Israeli music is also influenced by its people coming from all over the world. Tel Aviv is known for classical and jazz. I wouldn’t have made out any difference between music say from “South of France” and what I heard over radio (other than the language). A certain taxi driver, on the way back from office, went to great length to find me some Israeli music changing and checking possibly all radio channels. The night before I travelled back, I met some cool guys at the beach and they played me a band called “Monica Sex” which is probably the most popular band in Israel now. I bought a CD of the band at airport later.
I didn’t learn much of Hebrew – other than Shalom (peace, good morning, goodbye) and “Ga-foo-rim” (matches). In one cafe, I asked for “Ga-foo-rim” and the steward was pleasantly surprised and left me his lighter instead. We were there only for 10 days and didn’t have much chance to do anything other than work (and those pigging out sessions). On 20th, after we got some measure and coverage of work done, I went along with few other colleagues and clients, to Bethlehem and old Jerusalem. A very tourist-y trip but the guide “Emad” was around 55, good rational guy, knowledgeable and with good sense of humour.
The countryside, on the way to Bethlehem and Jerusalem is “green” surprisingly. Supposedly Ben Gurion, Israel first Prime Minister, set out a task of creating a green field that would demarcate Israel from its neighbours. They figured out a way for irrigation out of salt water, which they would transfer through pipes and also invented the “drip irrigation” technique which is now used everywhere. By the side of the road, there are orange fields, vineyards etc. Israeli oranges are very nice and supposedly exported to Europe first, where changing of labels are done and sold to Arab countries. :)
First we went to Bethlehem, which is in Palestine. A change of guide happened at the border and we went to see the “Church of Nativity”, Jesus Christ’s birthplace. The different sects keep arguing over exactly the spot Jesus was born (2 meter distance apart).
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| The Atlar of the Nativity, beneath it is a star marking the spot, where tradition says, Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus |
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| view from Bethlehem |
Later, back in Israel, we went to Gethsemane at the foot of “Mount of Olives”, and also saw the “Church of all nations”. Emad would tell us the stories and then leave us on our own to explore, and take pictures.
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| The “Garden of Gethsemane ”, Jesus was supposedly in hiding here; when Judas betrayed and told the guards about his whereabouts. |
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| The temple mount |
The temple mount (above) is contested as one of the religious sites in the world. In Judaism, it is believed that this is here that world expanded into its present form, and this is the place where God gathered the dust, which he used to create the first man, Adam! According to Islam, the site is thought to be location of Prophet Muhammed’s ascent to heaven. Both Israel and Palestine authorities claim sovereignty over the site, and a major issue of Israel-Arab conflict!
Later, in old Jerusalem, we went on foot. First Emad took us to nice cosy restaurants by “the wall”, for lunch in one of the narrow streets of Jerusalem.
We went walking through the narrow streets, which seemed like typical Indian bazaar street; colourful, lively, sit-out restaurants in busy streets, smelling of fresh bread and kebabs. I would have so loved to just walk around lazily; and I was often falling back, getting lost from the group! I so don’t like group ‘tourism’!
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| A typical street in Old Jerusalem |
Walking through the Jewish, Muslim and Christian quarters, we went to see the “Holy Sepulchre Church”, place where supposedly Jesus was buried, although the Protestants think of a different place and reasoning based on logic! 6 different sects of Christianity have their churches under the same roof. The Church is now controlled by Cops and there is now strict regimen of opening and closing of church with the high priests of each sect keeping daily vigil if anything ever were noticed different. Supposedly before Easter, fights between different sects often break out, on differences of who would take the light to the cave first. A ladder on the outside wall of the church denotes the “Status quo” between different sects.
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We saw the stone slab which was supposedly used to carry Jesus after his disciples got him down from the cross; the nail below is supposedly from the same crucifix – Christians consider this as the “center of the world”.
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I am not really an atheist, and generally like to think that even if God do exist, he must have thousands of things to do than to pay attention to me, and have never tried to reason with Faith or religion, simply because one can’t! But its humbling to see such emotions, people in sort of rage, crying, beating themselves.
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| The Stone of the Anointing |
Later we went to see the one of the holiest place for the Jews, “the Wailing Wall”. Photograph is not allowed there and although Emad did take us to a place far up and away, where I could take some nice snaps, I decided not to upload the pics anyway (I don’t want Mossad to be after me!).
We went through more churches, temples in Jerusalem before calling it a day. On the way back to Herziliya, Emad took us to “an American Shrine” (as he described it) for some coffee/coolers.
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| "The American Shrine" |
The owner is a major Elvis Presley fan, and everything in that restaurant and around has got Elvis something, pictures/posters, statues, food menu – Elvis’ fav cuisine. Who would expect this so far away from Memphis!
You can feel the sense of security everywhere. In airport, I had to answer a hundred questions, been spoken to in Arabic to check my reactions, in spite of having security clearance from the Israeli Firm. I guess they have to. The whole country seems ready at any point of time. Every building has armed security guards. The security guards at Airport seemed like ready to spring – for example – pretty security girl at airport, with formal shirt rolled up to the sleeves, tie loosened, formal trouser worn over military boots, bulges suggesting hidden arms rather than feminism.
Girls are pretty and liberal, so it seemed, at least in Herzliya or Ra’anana (at office).
Well, that it! I didn’t see anything of Tel Aviv, or Dead sea, or Jaffa or Nazareth. Hope someday, I will have the opportunity again.
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