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.

Takin' it easy in Tel Aviv; last day in Israel

We headed back to Tel Aviv after Mount of Olives and took it easy that night and the next day.  We...
1) Gorged on delicious falafel sandwiches
2) Went grocery shopping
3) Tasted fried sushi for the first time (it was good, but the fish flavor was definitely lost)
4) Went shopping for colored pants w/ skinny belt (all the Israeli women were wearing it!)
5) Watched 2 "street performers" make out and still wondering what it was all about
6) Indulged in confusion about the abundance of seemingly abandoned buildings in Tel Aviv
7) Chuckled at a Hebrew-speaking GPS
8) Treated ourselves to a nice Italian dinner at Radio Roscoe, might have been the best truffled pizza I've ever had
9) Stood in awe of the amount of rainfall this time of the year
10) Watched my dad try on a yamulke (no pic posted because he would kill me)

With that said, Israel, you've been mesmerizing, enticing, aggravating, and intense.  Next time I come back, I hope to visit Eilat and (maybe) give the Dead Sea a second chance.  Maybe.

Old City Jaffa (and a quiz for my gamers)

Jaffa is believed to be one of the oldest port cities in the world and the main tourist attraction of Tel Aviv.  It's very quaint with narrow winding roads and great views of the ocean.  The clocktower is how you know you're in Jaffa Old City, but the non-developed parts are very run down.  My mom and I checked out the famous flea market*.  As mentioned in all tour books, it was filled with 90% junk and 10% invaluable historical treasures, such as the game controller I found.  What system is it from???  Anybody?

*The flea market is worth walking through just for the people watching.  We witnessed 2 women having a physical fight!  The bigger woman was throwing chairs and calling the other all kinds of names, especially a word that sounded just like "prostitute."  I really wanted some popcorn.