The facts that tangerine is a size of an orange, women serve the army and cats almost outnumber people mean the things in the Middle East are not very clear. Jewish, Muslims and Cristians still live together and still fight against each other even in 21st century.
I came in Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon what is probably not considered kosher. Shabbat had just started so I couldn't take the public transportation to the hotel, only the taxi was available which charges luggage by piece and an extra fair because of Shabbat. After the taxi driver kicked me out one block away from the adress, I came to the hotel with no reception and no notification, just the door with a password required. I stayed staring at the door until another hotel guest came and gave me the instruction how to get in. There were no people on the streets, only a bunch of cats. Stores opened again around 10pm and an the city got some new energy, from the restaurants with different kinds of food, laud music and very high prices. At night, Tel Aviv turns into a small New York of the Middle East.
The old city of Tel Aviv is called Jaffa which reminded me of the biscuit with an orange flavoure. Later on I found out that the famous seedless and sweet kind of orange is grown here. Actually, history of Tel Aviv starts with overpopulation of Jaffa, what had put together Jaffa and Tel Aviv into one metropolitan area. While I was walking and trying to eavesdrop a tour guide telling the story about Jewish immigrants settling here, I heard the imam calling to prayer from the minaret and at the same time I felt the aroma of incense from the Cristian church. The rest of Sabbath afternoon I spent stretching myself at the city beach just like everybody else in Tel Aviv.
When I was young my grandma used to tell me the stories about Jerusalem and Betlehem, about Jesus, his suffering and his crucifixion. She used to take me to church every Christmas and to place me by the setup with lambs and the woman holding a baby Jesus in her arms. I was a little bit jealous of Jesus because he got more presents when he was born than I used to get for Christmas. He was choosen to bring peace and love for all people, as I understood. I really believed in this story until I grew up and I realized it was just a fairytale. I still like stories from holy books but not their literal interpretation, specially not the one that harms other people just because they're different.
Anyway, Jesus is historical character too, so I decided to check what's going on here, long after he had left and took my grandma away.
Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. All the buildings in the city are beige color what made me believe I was still in the era when Jesus had lived. The passages full of stores are leading through the old city to the Western Wall where Jewish people are getting closer to God. Covering my shoulders with shall I payed the respect to tradition in spite of the very hot and humid wether. I saw also soldiers praying and I heard that some time ago orthodox believers were exempted from army duties. Now, serving the army is an obligation for all Isrelis. On the other side of the wall is the city cemetery where I found myself accidentally. I was probably not supposed to be there but it gave me a beautiful view over BIblical City of David standing as a base of Jerusalem as we see it today so I stayed hanging out there for a while.
Masada is a fortress that used to protect Jewish people from Roman attacks. Later on, Byzantinian monks used these remains and caves as a perfect place to isolate and meet the God. Deep down, under the ground with the sunlight coming through the holes of the cave, I got the same feeling as these monks had gotten. Holy Spirit was released by the divine voice of two girls singing inside.
Dead Sea is the only one on the world where I wasn't able to take a swim. I didn't need beach mattress because the concentration of salt kept me floating on my beck. I tried to turn on the side but the salt was stronger. The taste of the sea is not just salty, it's biter too. My skin became slik, just like the body of a squid and the salt was irritating small cuts from my avantouristic spirit.
On the way back, a local policeman told me that the last bus from the official schedule was not coming. While I was waiting for Jesus to send me one, I took the nice spot behind a parking lot and had a romantic dinner made of crackers and canned dips from the nearest supermarket. Bus came, but I didn't have the ticket so I used the one I had bought the same day but for some other destination, different than the one I was going to. It seemed awkward to the driver that I already had a ticket but he let me on the bus anyway.
Betlehem is the place in Palestina where Jesus was born. I thought for that reason everybody is welcome here. Everybody are welcome indeed, except Israeli people, their safety is not guaranteed. I came here to visit Churc of Nativity. I expected from this place to wake up my Holy Spirit but the noise from construction machines was all I got. Maybe that was a kind of test for my self control and patience and I failed it.
Hebron is city equally holly to Jewish, Cristians and Muslims even if it doesn't belong equally to everybody. It is only half an hour from Betlehem and I wanted to skretch a little bit deeper and feel some more of that "maleficient" Palestina even if I was suggested not to go. It was a rainy day in Betlehem, I was soaked and I wasn't in the mood for walking when, at sudden, the rain stopped and I was able to see all the ancient walls and edifices.
I was going through the old passages with stores. Palestinian merchant whished me a pleasant stay. There were very few tourist so it seemed I had this city for myself. On the top of the stores is a fence full of garbage. One of the merchants told me that the fance protects them from Jewish people who live upstairs and throw the garbage through the windows. At the end of passages is a check point where Israeli soldier told me: "Welcome to Israel! You're in Israel now!". There are a lot of soldiers on the Israely territory and I didn't feel very comfortable especially when one of them pointed gun and started running toward something.
Even if the gun was not pointed at me and I was not directly endangered, this wasn't a very pleasant sight. The intolerance between these two parts is hanging in the air and I could feel it. Isreali part looked like the city of ghosts because I didn't see people walking or doing something. All the gates are rusty like nobody had touched them for years. I red on the bord in Israeli part that both sides were living together until Arabs attacked Jewish and got them into one single block.
Israeli guard stopped me from further walking through Arabic territory. I didn't understand why he stopped me because I was free to visit the other side too. He had a gun so I stopped, without any objection. Even from the distance, I managed to see that this city with all the ancient walls and buildings would be a serious competion to Rome or any other popular city. What I understand this is a vicious circle where everybody attacking and blaming on each other and there's no end to it. Anyway, I'm so glad I visited this city. Sometimes is better to listen your own instinct than anobody's opinion.
Nazareth was the last stop in on my holy way. This is where Jesus had grown up. I took a walk late at night and all the churches were still open for a prayer. This place is settled by Muslims and Cristian population. I asked my host, if there were any problems between them. He told me, offering me a cup of tea that Israel and the rest of the Land is not constant source of conflict as we see it on tv. Later on I meat Dijana, girl from Bosnia, who lives in Haifa and she told me that she likes Israel but she feels constant tension here. She also said that people who live all their lives here just don't want to admit that the conflict exists.
I got interested in history of this land and the more I read the less I know, it seems. I don't think this conflict will end soon but I hope that all other avantouristic spirits will stay brave enough to visit it.
I wish my grandma were still alive and she could hear my story. She would enjoy it, for sure, as much as I did listening her once.
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