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| Tel Aviv |
You recall that I started my travels by attending Raj's wedding in Hyderabad, India. I'm finishing my travels with another wedding, Oren Elkayam in Israel. Oren is out galivanting around the desert with his good friends attending his bachelor's party. Hence Inbar, Oren's fiancee, meets me at Ben Gurion Airport after a series of flights from Kathmandu through Delhi and Amman. The most interesting story Oren relates is being lowered down a two foot diameter well in a leather sack, exiting the sack in the dark and swimming with his friends in the subterranean lake. You'll have to inquire directly with Oren if you want to know the other things that happened during his bachelor party.
The best hummus restaurant in the world (according to Inbar's friend, Metal) is located in Jaffa and indeed, it is outstanding. Metal rattles off all the restaurants and what their specialties are as we pass through, but we don't stop until we hit Ali Caravan. In addition to the great food, the atmosphere of this hole-in-the-wall place is great. Metal warns us that Tel Aviv residents flock to Jaffa for the hummus, especially on Shabbat (Saturday), when traditional Jewish businesses (including restaurants) are closed. There is a constant din as the waiters are yelling in Arabic to the cooks and the patrons are yelling at each other in many languages to make themselves heard above the banter of waiters and cooks. We eat till food leaks from our ears. It is delicious!
We waddle down to the Jaffa waterfront, which has a rich history. Jaffa is one of the oldest port cities in the world, with maritime settlements dating back to 3000BC. It has always served as a gateway for frankincense, myrrh and spices to transit from the middle east and northern Africa to the Mediterranean. Arabs inhabit Jaffa today, and the restaurants and other businesses reflect this. However, it is becoming a trendy place for wealthy Tel Aviv residents to live and this is driving up land prices squeezing out the current residents, similar to what has happened in Silicon Valley with farmers being squeezed out. I'm just glad to be moving, albeit slowly, burning off a few of the recently consumed calories.
I'm finally back in the first world and can upload photos without the download program crashing half way through the upload. This occupies much time over the next few days.
Oren returns from his bachelor outing about 7PM and he and Inbar review my current plan for Israel travel. They both have coronaries when they see, "cycle around Sea of Galilee for three days". Oren, ever the meticulous organizer, gets on the web, calls a few cycle shops in the Galilee area, and surprised, says that yes, it is possible.
Watermelon with cheese is served for dinner just before retiring. It's an unusual combination but goes down very well.
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