My mind is racing so I'm just going to list out my thoughts:
- I think the Dead Sea made my hair extra curly! Why won't anybody believe me?
- I could've skipped Tel Aviv and went straight to Jerusalem. I love places that are very "different" and Jerusalem was just what the doctor ordered.
- Overall, I preferred Israel over Turkey. I found the people to be more pleasant (with the exception of our lovely friend Dogan in Istanbul).
- I would highly recommend studying up on Israeli history before going. I regret not doing that and just felt like a dumb dumb in most of the places I went to. I did all of my studying afterwards, but now am itching to revisit the places with my new found knowledge.
- Why don't other countries offer Birthright trips like the Israelis do. Especially seeing how many immigrants there are in America, it would be nice for these kids (including myself) to go back to their respective countries and be educated about the cultural, political and social aspects of their roots. So jealous of my Jewish friends!
- When I mentioned I was going to Turkey and Israel to my friends, many of them questioned why I chose Israel. Honestly, I had never thought about visiting Israel as it was never top of my list. But now having been, I am so glad that I did. Israel had everything that satiated my different travel needs: scenery, history, culture, food, and most importantly, an Act V.
In any Shakespearean play, the last act, aka Act V, provides the "surprise" element after the good guys have already won. I feel like every country I've been to has gone through the first 4 acts: conflict, suspense, bad guys take over, good guys win. And I find that in most of these countries, their story rests at Act IV. The country is "complacent" where they are now that the "good" guys won. Cambodia is a prime example. The country has been through years of turmoil and poverty and now that it's a rising tourist attraction (could it have anything to do with Angelina Jolie and Tomb Raider??), the country rests still. Without much conflict.
Maybe I'm a sadist, but I enjoy going to countries with conflict. I feel that Israel is a country that does not have a clear "good guy" or "bad guy" and operates on a daily basis with opposing religions, cultures, and ideologies co-existing in a country the size of New Jersey! Epic battles have been fought but what has been won? It's fascinating to watch a country that is evolving, molding, and shifting every day.
That concludes my adventures to Turkey and Israel. Next up? Asia for a month. Countries TBD.
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