"You're the pita to my hummus:" last days in Israel

Brrr! I arrived back in London early yesterday morning to cold and snow and a fairly chaotic airport. But now, back in my cozy little room, where I have not started packing for the US (are you surprised), I can put up the photos from my last few days in Israel:

Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean coast.


The Tel Aviv beach at night. Absolutely gorgeous.


One of my multiple late night interludes with falafel. The guy who runs this place told me I look like Kate Hudson but that my ears are too small. I would be flattered if I hadn't also been told I look like several other blonde celebrities throughout the trip. Then we got into an argument because he asked who my favorite male celebrity is and I answered Jake Gyllenhaal. The falafel man was appalled (perhaps due to Gyllenhaal's resemblance to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who, for the record, I DO NOT find attractive), and told me his favorite male celebrity is Paul Walker. I felt vindicated.


A Tel Aviv man who claims to be the Messiah.


About to dig into Shakshuka, a traditional Israeli breakfast made of tomato sauce, eggs, salad and bread.


Just for you, Dad! You should have seen the looks people gave me for being so excited about seeing a tractor. We use them for farming, Tel Aviv uses them to haul dumpsters.


Innovative decor in Neve Tzedek, the first Jewish neighborhood to be built outside of Jaffa (Yafo in Hebrew), which is the oldest and original portion of Tel Aviv.


Yafo in the distance


Street art in Tel Aviv. We saw gorgeous murals like this all over the city.


My favorite street performer in Tel Aviv.


The bottom of the gardens of the Shrine of the Bab, or the Baha'i International headquarters in Haifa. The Baha'i believe in the spiritual unification of humankind, which makes Haifa a very appropriate place for this shrine. After seeing the tensions in Jerusalem and near the West Bank, it was really encouraging to see how Christians, Arabs and Jews have been living together relatively peacefully in Haifa for hundreds of years. We even saw a community center where all three faiths hold regular programming.


Lower Haifa and the Mediterranean, as seen from the top of the Baha'i gardens.


Look what I found in Haifa! Rotary truly is everywhere.


SO. MUCH. BAKLAVA. We got this in a Druze village outside Haifa. The Druze are sort of an offshoot of Islam, and they live in semi-closed communities throughout the Middle East. They make excellent baklava--I know because I ate an unhealthy portion of this spread for breakfast :)


The best hummus in Israel. Jonathan polled his cousins for their favorite hummus place and they recommended this spot in Haifa. It's so hole-in-the-wall that they didn't have menus. There was also no sign on the building but in my mind the place is called Heaven-Nirvana-Whoa-Don't-Talk-To-Me-Right-Now-I'm-Having-A-Moment. I think it has a nice ring to it.


***

It was an absolutely amazing trip, and I can't thank Libby and her family enough for being so hospitable. And even though the weather was incredible, I'm really looking forward to coming home to frigid cold Iowa and seeing everyone! A lot of people are stranded here right now and the airports sound like refugee camps, so I'm a bit worried about my flight getting out tomorrow. Fingers crossed for no more snow and no more delays!

Hope everyone is staying warm and getting excited for Christmas!

Love,
Jess

Is this real life? Tel Aviv and Haifa

I'm still alive! Apologies for the delay, our lovely apartment in Tel Aviv didn't have Internet. Plus I was kind of busy strolling around the Mediterranean coast in my t-shirt and sandals.

Second apology: for those of you buried in snow, that was just cruel.

But indeed, Tel Aviv is gorgeous and the weather was absolutely perfect. I'm spending my final day in Israel in Haifa with Libby and her parents. It's a city in the north on the coast, and it's built on a mountain. The condo where we're staying is on the top of the mountain and I'm currently looking out the window over the city lights and the Mediterranean.

I can't even describe it in words, but pictures will be coming soon.

For now, just wanted to say that I'm still here, still learning so much (including more Hebrew) and just feeling so fortunate that I get to see things like this.

Last night, we went out around 12:30 and had drinks on the beach in Tel Aviv. Libby and I went to dip our feet in the water, and as we shrieked while the waves unexpectedly soaked our jeans, I looked up at the lights of Jaffa and had one of those moments where you can't even believe you got lucky enough to end up where you are.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I'm sad to be leaving Israel tomorrow (hoping my flight gets to snowy London on time), but I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone in the UK before heading home on Wednesday!

Love,
Jess

I am not a frier!

No, I don't mean something that makes crispy, delicious fatty food.

Frier is the hebrew word for "sucker," and today I became one.

But don't worry, this story has a happy ending.

I'm going to try to keep this post light on words and heavy on pictures, and let the beauty of Jerusalem speak for itself.

But a few highlights from today:

1) Libby had to work this afternoon, so I explored the Old City area solo. After being suckered into paying 40 shekels (about $10) for falafel and a Diet Coke at lunch, I was resolved never to be a frier again. I triumphed twice, first when a man in the market tried to sell me a framed photo he claimed his grandfather took in 1890 (there was a neon sign in it), and then when I successfully bargained down a bracelet I was eyeing to less than half the asking price. After I nearly walked away, the jeweler looked at his friend and said, "She may be pretty, but she's not easy." This confirms my thought that my decidedly non-local (not necessarily pretty) appearance puts me at even greater risk of becoming a frier.

I should note that the guy who tried to sell me the photo also said that Condoleezza Rice is among his customers. This may or may not be true. He also said he had the deepest well in Jerusalem. I saw it, and it did look pretty deep.

2) There are cats EVERYWHERE. Libby said the British brought them in to get rid of the mice. Now they have a cat problem. I want to pet them all, but Libby assures me Israeli cats are not as cuddly. This was reinforced by an epic cat battle I saw while on a guided walking tour. The cats are just as scrappy as the people who live here.

(n.b. There are also guns everywhere, since Israeli soldiers have very strict rules about where and when they can leave their rifles unattended. Therefore, they carry M-16s pretty much anywhere they go. Some of you may think this is scary, but actually it wasn't long before I didn't even notice anymore)

3) While waiting for the guided walking tour to start, I was approached by a mute tour guide who told me he offered a better tour. I was skeptical until we managed to have a 45 minute conversation in impromptu sign language. Unfortunately this tour included the West Bank, so I politely declined.

4) People continue to be unbelievably hospitable and unbelievably frank. For example, I was asked if I am married four times, and asked whether I am a Christian several times too. When it got chilly two people offered me a jacket, and while I was waiting for Libby a really nice Palestinian man sat and chatted with me and gave me free snacks from his food cart. Another Israeli offered me a seat near a small fire he'd made and also gave me food. I am well fed :)

And now, I will let the photos do most of the talking:

Libby and I at Jaffa Gate, an entrance into the Old City


Mosaic in the Jewish quarter (the Old City is divided into the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian quarters)


One of many markets, this one in the Armenian quarter


Blackhawk fans so far from home!


Sunny square in the Arab quarter where I ate lunch


Courtyard in the Jewish quarter


Walking through a Roman aqueduct beneath the city. When the Roman emperor Hadrian conquered Jerusalem he wanted to build a flat city on top of the old one, so the Temple Mount in the center of the Old City actually sits several stories above the ground.


Dome of the Rock, a shrine to where the Muslim prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven


Dome of the Rock with the Mount of Olives in the background. Depending on your definition (and like many things here it's disputed), the area in the distance could be considered part of the West Bank


A corner of the Western Wall (the egde of the Temple Mount) and al-Asqa Mosque, the third most important mosque in Islam after Mecca and Medina


Men praying at the inner portion of the Western Wall. This is the closest you can get to the Holy of Holies, the most sacred place in Judaism. People bring prayers written on little notes and place them in the wall. When the wall gets too full, they take all the notes out and bury them. We had to view this through one-way glass, because women are not allowed in that particular area near the wall.


Via Dolorosa, the street where Jesus carried the cross on the way to his crucifixion


Station #9. On the crucifixion walk there are 14 stations, each where something pivotal happened on Jesus' walk to Calvary. Station 9 is where he fell for the third time.


Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on Calvary where Jesus was crucified


The Rotunda, where Jesus' tomb was held and he was resurrected.


Jerusalem is an incredible place, and I can't believe how much I've already seen and learned in just one day. Libby is an unbeatable tour guide and I have met some wonderful people! I am so, so lucky.

I hope everyone's well!

Love,
Jess

Hello from Israel!

I'm here! After a fairly smooth flight (as smooth as EasyJet gets), I arrived in Tel Aviv to the welcoming arms of Libby and her fantastic parents.

I have only been here a few hours, but so far:

1) I ate life-changing falafel, smothered in tahini and pickled vegetables. It was heaven, and was, according to Libby, just the first of many earth-shattering culinary experiences I'm to have this week.

2) Israel is beautiful. I've only seen it at night, but it's a fascinating mish-mash of cultures and people. That's true of most cities, but it seems even more pronounced here.

3) All of the street signs are written in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

4) Here in Jerusalem all of the buildings have to be built with Jerusalem stone. It's a lot like limestone, and it cools the homes and gives the whole city a serene, white blanket-y look at night.

5) I have already learned a few words in Hebrew, and have attempted (rather sheepishly) to use them. My favorite, and the most commonly used, is "beseder." It's pronounced more like bessedo, and it just means "okay." But it's used in a reassuring tone, and the pronunciation is really comforting, like someone putting an arm around your shoulder.

6) The Israelis are very aggressive. Not in a scary way. The way Libby describes it is that all Israelis treat each other like family, good or bad. That means they will shower you with warmth and hospitality (definitely my experience so far), but they also don't feel the need for polite pretense. They also don't really use lines. If you want something (whether it's falafel or getting off a plane), you just have to push forward and get it for yourself. I'm putting my game face on for the week ahead!

Libby is shaping up to be the tour guide to beat all tour guides, and tomorrow we have a jam-packed day planned, starting with Indiana Jones-esque exploration of the Old City, including the Wailing Wall.

It's going to be an amazing week!

Hope your week's off to a good start, too!

Love,
Jess