Tel Aviv- Return to the White City

It was pouring in Jerusalem as I made my way down to the Sherut stand for the final leg of my journey here in Israel. Of course I was the last person to get on the 10-seated bus, meaning I had to squeeze into the back, sopping wet. I was able to forget being wet and uncomfortable though, as I enjoyed reading "The Killer" for the hour or so ride to Tel Aviv.

Unfortunately the gorgeous weather from my excursion here yesterday did not hold up. It was wet, windy, and pretty chilly. I am not going to complain though, this was nothing compared to some of the cold we were experiencing back home. Negative seventeen Fahrenheit, I mean, you can't even think in that kind of cold. After checking into my room I spent some time getting my luggage all organized for the flight tomorrow, all while listening to Josh Brolin on Inside the Actor's Studio (yes, they had that on TV) great show, that.

I didn't really have much planned today either than just rambling about some more, and why not, that is what I do best. It was kind of hard to walk along the promenade today, due to the almost gale-force winds coming off the water. Not too many people there either. I walked a little ways south to this place known as the Carmel Market. It is primarily one long street lined with stalls selling everything from fruits and veggies to little trinkets. After that I wandered into a cool residential neighborhood that had some nice apartment buildings and cafes.

After a brief rest I set out again, this time heading a little ways north. Not really too much in that direction except a nice park and some more neat apartment buildings. As dark neared I headed more towards the center of the city. The locals call this place the city that never sleeps. I guess I can see that. Even though I was out during the early evening, Tel Aviv is a really lively place, and I can imagine it being like this until all hours of the night. There are a number of night clubs, bars, and cafes here. I snagged two pieces of surprisingly good pizza and then stopped into an ice cream shop called The Iceberg (yeah, wasn't cold enough for me not to have ice cream). This particular shop was recommended by my guide book. A little expensive, but pretty damn good. A cute Ukrainian girl works there too, and we chatted for a bit.

I have to say that Tel Aviv might have replaced Istanbul has my favorite city so far. Actually, its a tough call. In terms of history and sights, Istanbul takes the cake, but for what seems like a great place to live, give me Tel Aviv. Great weather (well, I would assume most of the time at least), friendly people, a very relaxed atmosphere, numerous places to eat and drink, cool architecture. Yep, I have really enjoyed what I have seen of Tel Aviv so far.

Today was actually my last full day in country. I have a late flight tomorrow, 11:40 at night, so I have the better part of the day to look around. I will try to get the most out my last bit of time here in this great city.

Ben Gurion International may or may not have free wireless internet. If I have no post tomorrow, then I will be reporting from back at homebase.

Adam Kwiat, CNN, Tel Aviv (ok, I just really wanted to do that. Imagine me standing in front of a camera and saying that in a British or Australian accent. Pretty cool right?).

Tel Aviv for the day: Time well spent

Jerusalem remained just I had left it last night when my feet hit the pavement this morning: streets almost completely void of people. The Sabbath is obviously serious business here. No worries though. I hopped on one of the sheruts destined for the Tel Aviv New Bus Station and within forty minutes found my self in southern Tel Aviv, right outside what is (according to my guide book at least) the largest bus station in the World. Of course, there were no buses. I heard that there is only one city in all of Israel that has buses that run during the Sabbath, and Tel Aviv isn't it. I also heard that southern Tel Aviv has a thriving immigrant population, and it definitely shows. In the area around the bus station I didn't see a single white soul. It seemed to be primarily Ethiopian, Vietnamese and Filipino immigrants. Anyway, with no public transport available and lacking a decent map of the city, I had to take a taxi to the center of town. There I just walked into the first hostel I saw and grabbed a map.

Tel Aviv is cool place. Very cool. I liked it as soon as I stepped out of the cab in downtown. For starters, the weather was probably as close to perfect as you will get. Sunny, warm, and with a nice breeze coming off of the sea. Things were a kind of quiet giving the timing, but I am sure things liven up quite a bit during the rest of the week. The area along the water is fantastic. Some city official or someone had the great idea of installing a pedestrian promenade along the beach. Brilliant. I probably could have walked along that promenade until collapsing from exhaustion. A great place for a relaxed stroll and people watching (don't forget female watching either) that is only enhanced by the great breeze coming from the water. The coolness doesn't end there. Moving towards downtown from the beach you hit some really neat residential areas. This is mainly due to the fact that Tel Aviv has the highest amount of Bauhaus architecture in the World. I am a big fan of the Bauhaus style, and I think it fits Tel Aviv's atmosphere perfectly. The white-washed Bauhaus buildings just seem like they should be in a sea-side environment for some reason.

I just ambled on through the central part of the city with no real goal in mind. Again, things were a little bit quiet today. I passed through an outdoor market that was completely deserted. Having said that, lots of people were still out and a number of cafes and restaurants were still going strong. Tel Aviv is probably the most relaxed city I have ever visited. At least in feels that way. People just seem to walk about leisurely either with a friend, girlfriend or dog, maybe with an iced-latte or something in the other hand and just enjoy the great weather and the "vibe" of the city. I don't really know what the "vibe" is just yet, but I liked it.

I spent the last bit of my time in Tel Aviv hanging out on the promenade and walking the beach a little bit. Boy, can't get enough of that. Just absolutely fantastic down by that promenade. Great weather, great people watching. A good place to go and relax and get lost in your thoughts. I am hoping the weather remains like that when I head back there tomorrow.

I came back to Jerusalem around 4:30 because I was feeling kind of tired. I did go out for a bite to eat not to long ago and a number of places were opening up for the remainder of the night, as the Sabbath ended around 5:30. The Spanish have the Siesta, the Israelis have the Sabbath. Kind of neat to see pizza places and ice cream shops not opening their doors until after dark. Hey, that is why we here at the Four Corners travel, to experience neat stuff like this.

Tel Aviv again tomorrow, this time for an overnight stay. I'll be sure to fill everyone in. 

Jerusalem on the Sabbath: Keepin' it holy

The heading is a slight exaggeration. Today was indeed part of the Jewish Sabbath, but it doesn't really start until dusk. Getting to that in a moment, today was kind of my down day. I didn't have much planned to begin with, and took it pretty slow in the morning. I did go into the Old City for a little gift searching/buying, and emerged with some gifts to bring home.

After a lunch of falafel on King George Street I partook in  a little people watching. People watching is a favorite pastime here at the Four Corners, and it is something I always take some time to do whenever on travel. A sub-set of people watching, female watching, is another good one. I of course only do this in the interest of the male readership of the Four Corners, and for no other reason. That being said, I give Israeli girls high marks, nice olive-colored skin and some shapely figures. Ahem, right, anyway, I set myself  up on Ben Yehuda Street, a pedestrian only street a stone's throw from my hotel. It was an enjoyable time, aided in part by a couple of street musicians who were jamming some pretty dope tunes nearby.

After a brief rest back at the room I set out again just around dusk for a nearby outdoor market. The market is primarily foodstuffs: fruits, vegetables, baked goods, etc. When I got there everyone was going ape-shit. The sellers were trying to get rid of their last goods and pack it in in time for the Sabbath while shoppers were looking to get set for the next twenty four hours. Interestingly a Rabbi came through the market and blew a horn to indicated the beginning of the Sabbath. He even stopped and one stall, blew his horn, and yelled at the men working there. I can't understand Hebrew, but it sounded like he was telling them to get their asses in gear.

As it got darker the difference in activity was noticeable. Usually bustling streets like King George, Ben Yehuda, and Old Jaffa Road became virtually empty. I decided to go back to the Old City to see what it would be like after the Sabbath began. On my approach I noticed people were streaming into the Old City, many of them Hasidic Jews. Where were the going, you ask? Well, I am going to tell you.

I made my way to Western Wall and, sure enough, that is where everybody was. Apparently a large number, and I mean a large number, of the city's Jews like to start the Sabbath with prayer. What better place to do that than the Western Wall? The area around the Wall was just a sea of black, due to the clothing of the more observant Jews. Tourists are still allowed into the plaza during the Sabbath (but can't take photos) making the number of people even larger. I went down for a closer look and, I gotta say, Jews praying looks like a party. They dance, sing, and laugh. The more conservative Jews tend to stick to rocking back and forth while praying though. Keeping it simple. I am glad that I decided to see the Western Wall during Sabbath prayers, it was really something to observe. I had heard that the Old City shuts up, most certainly the Jewish Quarter, during the Sabbath, but this was something I would not wanted to have missed.

My legs got some needed rest today, and, don't worry, some places, like McDonald's and some supermarkets, remain open even during this time period, so  I won't go hungry. Tomorrow I will be on the move again though. I will take a sherut (remember? the shared taxis) to Tel Aviv for the day. I know, I know, I am going there anyway on Sunday, but I have pretty much exhausted everything I wanted to do here in Jerusalem, and things will probably be pretty quiet here anyway, as the Sabbath runs until dusk on Saturday. It is my understanding that the Sabbath in Tel Aviv isn't as big a deal as it is here. I welcome more time in Tel Aviv anyway, it sounds like a neat place.

 Look here tomorrow for my recap. 

There is only one kind of good sea......a dead sea

The Dead Sea: float on water, burn like hell. Yep, I did it today, catching the 12:00 bus from Jerusalem Central Station to Ein Gedi, a small town located on the Dead Sea. Getting to that in a minute, after breakfast I explored some more of Mea Shearim, if you recall the district home to mostly ultra-orthodox Jews. I strolled around there some more, and came across an area that, at the entrance, had a sign asking women and girls to please dress modestly, at the risk of offending the residents. Again, not something you would come across in Whitesboro, New York.

You are probably wondering about the burn like hell bit. Well, the Dead Sea was probably my most painful beach experience. If you are going to go to the Dead Sea, you gotta go in right? Floating in the salty waters is the prime experience. So I did it. Unfortunately the rocks on the both the beach and in the water are quite sharp due to the buildup of salt crystals. I small cut formed on my small toe due to this and, yeah, get some of that highly concentrated salt in there, it smarts....a lot. I manned it up though. Getting to say that I have now floated on the Dead Sea eased the physical pain. A guy from Slovenia was nice enough to take my photo for me bravely floating while my toe was screaming. I wasn't the only one apparently. A couple kids were balling there eyes out after forming similar cuts on their feet "MOM IT BURNS" was how they communicated there discomfort.  Hey kids, it could be worse. At least you weren't like the retard to my left who decided to dip is head into the water. He had to run up to the beach and rinse his eyes out.

Afterward, I had some time to kill before the next bus (there was basically only the beach were I was, nothing else) so I spent it chatting with the Sudanese dude who attended to the bathroom. I could barely understand his English, but whatever.While waiting at the bus stop I made fast friends with a fellow traveler to Jerusalem, an Australian bloke. Unfortunately I didn't get his name, which I know sounds weird, but I got his email address from him. He was built like a brick house, and within reason, he plays professional rugby for a club team in Ireland, and has actually represented the Irish national team because his parents were born there. An interesting resume. We chatted most of the hour-long ride back, and upon arriving back in Jerusalem grabbed a bite to eat together. A very friendly guy and interesting to talk with, having both a good sense of humor and some insightful thoughts. I hope our paths will cross again.

I essentially just walked in the door, and of course my first task was the Four Corners. All the sun and salt I got today is leaving me feeling pretty beat. I am not sure what awaits me tomorrow, but whatever it is, look for it here at the end of the day. 

The Jerusalem Countdown

Another long day put in here in Jerusalem. I started off by heading back in the direction of the Old City, but went on to the Mount of Olives. The Mount is another big one for the religious folk, but is really worth it for the awesome views it affords of the the Old City. There is a lot to see on the Mount, namely a church built over the spot of Jesus' betrayal, the Garden of Gethsemane, a Muscovite-style Russian Orthodox church,  and the Chapel of the Ascension, where Jesus is said to have risen up into Heaven. There is also a huge Jewish cemetery located on the side of the mountain. Jews want to be buried in this location because it is believed to be the spot the Messiah will come to, and then raise all of the dead from their graves. I figure with the sheer number of graves located there, when the Messiah raises all those people, it will at least be quite a spectacle. He better hurry up and get on with it though, I am pretty sure the hotel I am staying in is all booked up. Again, the highlight of the area is the great view it gives of the Old City, particularly the Dome of the Rock mosque.

After a little rest I set out again and explored a little more of New Jerusalem, making my way down the location of all the important government buildings, including the Knesset (Parliament) and Supreme Court. I read that you need to call ahead for an appointment to see the Knesset, and I seriously considered pretending to be part of a Polish tour group that had just arrived. I decided against it though, I didn't really need to go in anyway.

From there I went on to Yad Veshem, the Holocaust memorial of the city. This proved to be a bit tricky, as it is way out in the boondocks. I asked some locals, and they didn't even know how to get there. Luckily a nice lady, who was actually from Tel Aviv, was going in the same direction and helped me get there in one piece, using the city's bus system. She for some reason also gave me a couple pieces of taffy. I think I am past worrying about strangers trying to lure me into a trap now, and I am glad I don't, the taffy was pretty damn good.. "I carry it around for my friends". A little strange but, I am not going to judge. Yad Veshem is quite interesting, there is both an indoor museum and several monuments on the campus grounds.  Some parts worthy of mention are an eternal flame that burns next to a crypt containing the ashes of Holocaust victims and the Hall of Names, where there is an ongoing effort to compile as much data as possible about every Holocaust victim.

It doesn't sound like a lot, but it took the whole day....I just got back into the room. 

Stay tuned.....

Jerusalem Old City: We are gonna party like its 400 A.D.

The first full day in Jerusalem was a long one. I set out for Jerusalem's most famous area, the Old City. The city packs a lot into its relatively small area within the city walls, housing quarters for all three of the major religions. I did the Western (or Wailing) Wall first, where I was required to put on a yarmulke. There really is much to the wall itself, but all of the Jews praying around it is pretty cool. Again, they really get into it. I touched the Wall anyway, so I can be like, yeah, I've touched the Western Wall. After that I strolled around the Jewish Quarter a little bit, where one shop keeper asked me to write in English for him that he was selling everything at half-price, so he could later make a sign. He promised me a glass of tea for my trouble. I figured this was a scam just to get me in his shop, but I went along. Sure enough, I got the tea (very good by the way) and while sipping away he encouraged me to buy some items. Looks like I was right. I politely refused his offers and finished up and left. He wasn't so friendly when I left without buying anything. Thanks for the free tea sucker. I made my way to the Dome of the Rock, where some not-so-friendly soldiers informed me to come back at 12:30, it was closed for prayers, alright, I can do that.

I moved on to some other sites, and was eventually stopped by two rabbis, kindly asking my name and home country. One of them shook and held my hand and said a prayer over me. I couldn't understand the Hebrew, but I figure whatever he said, I got that going for me. When he finished he duly asked me for money. Sorry, nothing giving rabbi. Thanks for the free prayer though, sucker. From there I did a lot, the Mount Zion, which housed the building where the Last Supper (allegedly) took place and a Holocaust museum, and from there I went to the grave of Oskar Schindler, which took a few minutes to find. I eventually did the Dome of the Rock, but non-Muslims are no longer allowed in the Mosque, so I just stuck to checking out the outside. To get to the Dome you take a bridge from the Western Wall. Along the bridge were some riot shields stacked up, just in case. Apparently things can get pretty hot in the plaza around the Dome. I only visited briefly, however, the area closed again at 1:30, and I was kicked out along with the rest of the foreigners.

After the Dome of the Rock I went for the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. I had heard of the church before, but didn't really know its significance. When I walked in all these people were gathered around a stone slab, kneeling down to touch it and rub random items on it (one lady was using her groceries). Right, so this must be a fairly important place. I stepped outside to check out the guide book and, yeah, pretty big for Christians. The church is built on the site believed to be of Christ's crucifixion. The aforementioned stone slab was apparently where Jesus was laid and wrapped in cloth before burial. A nearby set of stairs led to an altar built on the stone of Golgotha, the site of the cross. People lined up to kneel and prayer and kiss the altar. A large stone can be seen below glass below the altar. Nearby in the church (the church is pretty big, you might have guessed) was the site of Jesus' supposed burial. A tomb had been built around it and lots of people lined up to go in and get a view. I didn't want to wait around, so just settled for the outside. 

Afterward I just strolled around a bit more, I found a stairwell where one can get walk on top some of Jerusalem's rooftops. Some locals apparently use it as a short cut. It offered some good views of the city. After leaving the Old City through the Jaffa Gate, the same gate I had entered through, I just went to check out a nearby district called Mea Shearim. The area is home almost exclusively to ultra-orthodox Jews. I really stood out amongst the people there, and got some looks for my trouble. Apparently the area used to be closed off from the rest of the city at night by gates, but not anymore. There is one part that is supposed to be exactly like a 19th century European Jewish enclave. I intend to go back and find it, but was too tired today.

I have also been pretty intrigued by the Israeli soldiers that roam the streets, in the both the new and old cities. They all have assault rifles slung across their chests along with police batons. Not something you see very often.

Right, more to come later.

Israel: A Rabbi, a Deacon and an agnostic get on an airplane.....

Jerusalem. The place where it all begin. Well, allegedly at least. Hell, I almost made a religious conversion after leaving the frozen hell of Whitesboro and arriving in sixty degrees and sunny with a slight breeze here in Jerusalem.

There is not too much to report on the city yet, we will get back to that in a minute, but the plane ride over here was a different experience in itself. I flew through Newark (only my second time there but not bad, easy transfers between terminals, nice and spacious. Ronald Reagan, take note here). In order to get to our gate we were required to go through another not-very-rigorous security check, no doubt an Israeli rule. I was one of the first to go through, and there were a lot of people on this flight. Full-house folks. As I watched my fellow travelers come through into the waiting area I found out quickly that the religious team I bat for, the agnostics, was pretty short on depth. Most of the folks fell into one of three categories: Hasidic Jews, a Jewish religious travel group (I could tell by all their nametags) and a Pentecostal travel group (yep, nametags again). I figured I might want to keep any conversations to "miserable weather, huh?". What was pretty interesting was during the wait for boarding a group of Hasidic gentlemen all gathered in a corner and prayed. All of them wore traditional black clothing along with those cool wide-brimed hats (good one fellas) and sported curls, except for one guy, he had a bright green Adidas shirt. Reform Jew I guess. Anyway I was brought up Catholic and man, the way Christians pray is so boring compared to Muslims and Jews, particularly these dudes. They stand there and bob and sway back-and-forth while reading from their little books. Style points to the Jews from the Four Corners.

I had the very last seat, dead last, on the airplane. It put me close to the bathroom at least, but also meant I inevitably always had someone standing over me. It went fairly quick though, I came well prepared.  Kindle, Ipod, Laptop, I was a technology center unto myself. I sat next to a Rabbi, and he had a laptop as well, but, get this, a portable CD player. Rabbi, really, are you serious? Can we maybe try to enter the 21st century here? The Hasidic group of guys also prayed midway through the flight, congregating in the back. Anyway, in a quick side note, I finished Robert Crais' "The Sentry" on my Kindle. You can't go wrong with that one folks, Robert Crais is like Betty White, money in the bank. Next up on the docket is a novel called "The Killer" which brings me to: the very first Official Four Corners Shout-Out!! How exciting! And the winner is: My Uncle Paul!! For the his absolutely "killer" (yeah, I did it) recommendation of "The Killer", Uncle Paul earns a special place in Four Corners lore. I have only read six chapters of the book but, very very impressive. I almost just stayed on the plane to read it. The action starts right out of the gate, and the authors style of writing is something I could get used to very quick. Uncle Paul, for your unselfish gallantry and historic contribution the the Four Corners, you win a life-time supply of the right to claim mention in this blog! Tell your friends, relatives and colleagues! Don't spend it all in one place Paul!

Upon arrival in Tel-Aviv (the only international airport in the country) my transition to hotel was incredibly smooth (Ben Gurion International is a nice airport by the way, Ronny, again man, whats up?). There is a shared-taxi service called Nesher Tours that will take your right to your hotel in Jerusalem for 55 shekels (about 15 dollars), not bad for a one-hour drive. The one catch is they wait for their ten or so seats to fill up until leaving. Our driver actually turned around and went back to the arrivals terminal when he realized one seat was still open. No big deal though, they fill up pretty quick. Oh, we also had to stop briefly for a small girl to get out and puke, she was on my flight, which hit some pretty bad turbulence.

 My hotel has a great location, walking distance to the Old City and lively surroundings. I have only done some minor exploring so far, as I was in desperate need of a nap. Looks very promising though. The city, at least the newer part here, has a Mediterranean, Mid-Eastern and European feel to it all at the same time, a little bit like Istanbul, which is not bad company to be mentioned in.

I am napped up and about to go out for something to eat and a little more exploring. More to come later. And remember, if you see Uncle Paul, ask for his autograph or picture or something, he earned it!