For ages I've been saying to my parents 'no of course I won't be going to Israel. I'm not crazy'. Well last week I did a complete turn around and booked last minute flights to this conflicted country. And I am so glad I did! Israel is an amazing place to visit! While I had my plan down pact for if a air raid siren went off (did have a moment of panic when the siren for Shabbat sounded) it seemed a completely safe country. I spent the majority of my time in Jerusalem and had fun watching all the Orthodox Jews walking around. One neighbourhood actually had a sign stating that you are not allowed to enter if you are immodest. Which clearly I was in my long pants, singlet top and scarf. I mean jeez, even in the Old City I might as well have been parading around in stripper gear with the, nope not stares, but scrunched up eyes as they walked past. Wouldn't want to corrupt their devout minds with my arms now would I! Imagine the scandal in the community... Jewish man sees arms!!! This all added to the atmosphere however and was most certainly a type of place I had never visited before. The walled-in Old City of Jerusalem, split into four quarters, made an interesting conundrum. Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Armenian Orthodox (apparently they are so important because they started practicing Christianity 24years before anyone else?). Jerusalem is a religious fanatics' wet dream. It is so steeped in supposed history. Every single story and belief of this city intertwines with all four present parties. Of course all stories just slightly differ between the different religions.
Before you start thinking my trip to Jerusalem was a religious pilgrimage there was so much more to do. I went on a day trip (or more like very early morning trip) to climb the Masada mountain overlooking the Dead Sea. I almost died on the climb. I blame the altitude, or lack there of, considering we were 400m below sea level. And I missed sunrise by two bloody minutes! I then did what anyone does when given the chance, I went floating and mud puddle flopping. Literally. While you definitely float in the Dead Sea (it's bizarre and not normal!) you most certainly don't float in the mud. Almost like quicksand, I was a bit worried after I followed the guide into the metre deep puddle. Getting out was certainly a struggle and not without injury! Think ten times the salt component of normal beaches on open cuts... Ouch. My skin did feel lovely afterwards though.
I also visited the Holocaust memorial. It was a very moving experience and not like any other I had visited. What really gets to you is the video accounts of survivors. In most cases they are they the only one of their family to survive. This whole period of history is just incomprehensible to my generation. I was convinced to visit Israel by a Jewish guy whose grandmother was an Auschwitz survivor. I am constantly in awe of my own grandparents who survived during the war but surviving Auschwitz is a whole different struggle.
I ended my Israel trip with a night in Tel Aviv. Pretty much a city with a beach and nightlife. The hostel was awesome though. Such a good night! The beach would have been good but I'd just gotten the mud out of my cozzies and chucked my makeshift sarong towel.
