General thoughts on Israel: My need for an ACT V

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.

Jericho and Mt. of Olives

We made a quick drive through of Jericho, the alleged oldest inhabited city in the world.  Not much to do or see there other than the sign that everyone hovered around.  After a hot second there, we hopped back into the van and made our way to the Mt. of Olives, a must-see destination for all tourists because it gives you a great unobstructed view of Jerusalem.  Absolutely gorgeous, although seeing the prominently placed Dome of the Rock still reminded me of not being able to go inside of it.  What a
bummer.

Getting abused by the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea.  Ouch.  We were given 2 options by our driver: 1) pay 50 shekels pp to go to a private beach or 2) go to the public beach for free.  My mom and I really envisioned ourselves floating in Dead Sea for 2 minutes just to say we did it, so we opted for the free public beach.  What a mistake.

Let me just paint you a picture from my POV:
1) One of the windiest days of the year.  Even the usually "calm" Dead Sea was in an uproar.
2) No sand.  The only way to get into the water was to tip toe on sharp-edged rocks and salt formations.
3) No people.  There were maybe 5 people floating in the water.  For a good reason, I later realized.
4) I get in and start floating (cool!), but the violent waves are crashing me into the sharp salt formations.
5) My mom just started taking swim lessons and is scared shitless of water.  She gets in and starts panicking immediately.  Her reaction?  Hang on to me tightly.
6) So here I am, with my mom around my left shoulder, violent waves crashing at my back, and extreme salt water content splashing into my eye causing me to be temporarily blind.

Needless to say, we get the F out.  Next time?  Cough up the 50 shekels and go to a private beach in order to avoid injuries.  And by injuries, I mean mom and I were covered in blood from head-to-toe.  Hilarious in hindsight, though.

Private tour and Bedouins

In the same vein as our trip in Cappadocia, we hired a private driver/tour guide in the interest of time.  I, selfishly, really wanted to climb Masada and most tour groups didn't offer that, so this way, we were able to customize our itinerary.  We got this awesome driver who has 6 kids and voluntarily chose not to take on a second wife.  In his own words, "I was able to have 4 wives, but I thought 1 was more than enough."  Born and raised in Jerusalem, he spoke Arabic, Hebrew and English.

In the beginning of our drive, he stopped and pointed out Bedouins.  It was the first time I had ever heard of them: desert-dwelling Arabs living semi-nomadic lifestyles herding in the Middle East.  How fascinating, right?  Apparently Bedouins don't formally belong to any nationality with no government-issued identification.  The Israeli government considers them a problem and have tried for years to dissipate the Bedouin tribes.  But I've read that their tribes are so close knit with very strong honor systems, they're not anywhere near being extinct.

I love Old City Jerusalem

Let me tell you, my favorite part of the trip was The Old City in Jerusalem.  Or actually, Jerusalem in general.  There's so much history, richness, and emotions that you can feel throughout the city; you can't help but be mesmerized by this historical city.  I think Wikipedia put it best, "You do not need to be Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, or even be overly concerned with religion, to be overwhelmed. Anyone with a sense of history, spirituality or the human species should be absorbed by the tremendous weight of human civilization that cloaks nearly every part of the city."  

We first entered The Old City through Herod's gate and quickly found ourselves in the Muslim Quarter (the other quarters are Jewish, Christian and Armenian).  The city itself reminds me of The Forbidden City, being encompassed by walls, containing over 3000 years of history, all I could imagine was how different life must've been outside of these walls.  What impressed me the most of The Old City was that, unlike The Forbidden City, people still live there!  There were all these streets that branched up from the main streets that were named "____ Ascending" (is that a religious reference, I wonder?).   I noticed children coming in and out of doors so I followed one of them, and noticed that each door opened to a large courtyard with what looked like an apartment building or house.  I didn't go in, well because it would've been rude, but also, I didn't want to be stoned to death.

What I did not like about The Old City was the borderline rudeness of the kids.  While taking a picture, a group of Muslim school girls came over and pulled my hair.  And we overheard another group of kids mocking this male tourist to his face.  I think there's a difference between curiosity and rudeness.  In China, the kids will stop and take pictures with a tall white man and think he's the coolest ever.  They would never pull his hair and mock the way he speaks.

I guess it would make sense why most people enter through Jaffa Gate, which is in the Christian quarter. I'm not implying any religion bias since I am not religious, but it is definitely a less hostile religious culture.

Out and about in Tel Aviv; ending in rainstorm

Tel Aviv is beautiful and reminds me of a mix of Miami and LA.  Posh, laid back, a little pretentious, and a lot man made.  It's a great relaxing vacation spot, also quite romantic.  Saw lots of young lovers makin' out on the sidewalks.  Quite opposite of Istanbul.

Most people speak English, which I guess adds to the convenience of the city, but not the exoticism.  Transportation through public buses is pretty well-run and I especially admire their rent-a-bike program spread through out the city.

The Hacarmel Market was my favorite part, with fresh produce, lively vendors, and an abundance of rugelach.  Mmm mmm.

Our day ended in getting caught in a major rainstorm.  There was some minor flooding and we were both soaked! It didn't matter, because we were in Tel Aviv and had an extra stash of rugelach with us, so we found the nearest covered corner and enjoyed the view.

I'm in Israel! (And did I mention how much I love Turkish Airlines?)

A short 2 hour flight later and we have arrived in Tel Aviv.  The security was tight getting into the gate for the Tel Aviv flight in Istanbul.  We were questioned by several people about when, what, where, why. 

Gotta love Turkish Airlines for providing us with fresh mozzarella and homemade pudding.  A happy tummy always makes or a happier Yue.

The Tel Aviv airport was spectacular - simple and elegant.  We exchanged for some Israeli Shekels and were then off to the train station to get to our hotel in North Tel Aviv.  The best part?  We were meeting up with my dad who's in town for a convention.  He's the reason why we decided to make this entire trip!