The sun rises in the east yet for some reason east “feels” west here. Body clock says “get up” when it’s still midnight, so a stroll around the beach is in order. More nightlife than one might expect on Shabbat. The little cone lights put out on the beach as “sitting areas” coupled with mid-size screens showing crappy movies is also a nice draw. This iwas a fun evening, from sandy beach to “A Place For Meat” it was great. The waitress was amazingly good. Thank you BEN!!
Breakfast consists of hard-boiled eggs on bread; salad for breakfast is common. Israeli’s seem to love their salads; maybe it’s a means of supporting internal economy (You must eat your salad and pancakes, there are children starving on farms in the north…, we all do our part). The sidewalk bistro is perfect for starting the day. Everyone is filled with “good mornings” and smiles, and there are newspapers in Hebrew, Spanish, Greek, English hanging from a rack. Free internet abounds here; it’s as common as the smiles. Israeli people are markedly tolerant of Americans, at least in this part of Tel Aviv. Last time I was here, I stayed in the diamond district and aside from the shops being well out of my financial means, the shopkeepers didn’t like browsers nor casual conversation. This morning, I exchanged jokes with our server and we talked about how she’s learned English by watching the TV series “Modern Family” (I’ve never seen it).
Reality TV from America is a big deal here in Israel. Life must be boring.
The beach is entirely a different matter here.
The sand is so fine, it’s soft and inviting; until you stand in it for more than 5 seconds without shoes. HOLY HELL IT HOLDS HEAT! No fooling, blisters in about 2 minutes. Say whatever you want about Middle East culture; if their feet can handle this sort of torture, you don’t want to mess with these people!
OK, hip-hole dug, towel laid down, we’ll start by hitting the water. The Med seemed warmer last night in the dark, perhaps that’s the difference between a 95 degree day and the water vs an 80 degree night and the water. No sharks (Israeli nor Arab-trained) and the water is reasonably clear. We’ll swim out to the breakwaters…Nooooope… Lifeguards don’t like that if you’re alone. they’ll come get you on a Jetski… I wondered what those heli’s over the beach were for…they’re WATCHING SWIMMERS! THEY HATE THESE SWIMMERS (If you’ve never seen The Jerk, that last won’t make sense)!
As I return to my towel, I’m somewhat pleased to see a couple of ladies that have parked themselves within view; but then the two guys that were with them parked. It was like a scene from “Free Willy,” with how large these two dudes are…and just as white. I didn’t mind quite so much when they broke out the huge hooka and were smoking some interesting herb, and minded even less when they offered me a pass. People here are quite friendly; These guys were a little more friendly than I’d have liked. Even though they were with the pretty ladies, they were more interested in me than the ladies. I did get an invitation to dinner at a Greek restaurant up the street.
Tel Aviv is very liberal and open; the number of hookahs on the beat is but one way to taste the local culture. With my Hawaiian beach towel and American novel on the beach, curiosity got the best of a few people that stopped by to say hello. Strangely enough, almost everyone who came over to say “hello” asked me about some American television show or another. Odd that people halfway around the world are more familiar with American television than I am.
The way people lay on the beach is interesting. Most beaches I’ve been to, we all face the sun like the good little sun-worshippers that we are. In Tel Aviv, there are rings of people that switch positions. Find a perfect circle with a hookah in the middle and it’s like some ancient ritual point. It’s very interesting.
The Passion. Wow. In all my life, I’ve never heard two gay guys going at it (outside of a movie, that is). This couple got into a fight on the beach and they weren’t afraid to let the world listen in. I don’t speak Hebrew, but dayum! I pictured the conversation going something like:
“You don’t look at my butt that way; what am I, chopped liver??”
“I like your butt just fine; he was blocking my sun!”
“You were STARING! Everyone could see! I’m SO embarrassed!”
“Quit being so dramatic. He’s just another pretty face. I’m with you and you should be glad for a guy as great as me.”
“Bitch, please! I could have any guy on this beach!” (And he probably could, because he was kinda cute in a Paris Hilton kinda way, you know…the little dog she carries around?).
“Whatever…..” (ShiiBillniiqua, I need your head-roll thing here…”
They also might have been trying to figure out who last had the car keys…I dunno. Like I said…I don’t speak Hebrew. But it sure is fun making up conversations to go with their animations. You HAVE to admire a guy that can roll his head and neck with the long-finger hand movements that heretofore I thought only black women could do.
I said this before….Tel Aviv is not a place to experience alone, but there is a sweet peace in lying on the beach, hearing the helicopters, Jetskiis, PongBall (Jebuz, is that ALL they play on the beach?) and vendors hawking half-melted icecream in the sun all the while with the iPod blaring a mix of Drake, Lynrd Skynrd, Eminem, Alter Bridge, and Stone Sour. Oh yeah…reading Jeffrey Deaver, Clive Cussler, and Barry Eisler (these are all mind-boggling novels of intellectual depth. You can lose your page, start wherever you wish in the book and stay on track with the story.
PongBall…the noise is incessant. Yet relaxing.
Speaking of stories…Here I hang within a stone’s throw of Yafo/Yaphet/Jaffo/Jaffa, one of the oldest ports in the world. The locals swear that the story in Greek mythology which describes how the beautiful princess Andromeda, who was bound to rocks in the sea, took place exactly facing the shores of Yafo. Andromeda’s mother, Queen Cassiopeia, bragged that her daughter was more beautiful than the daughters of Poseidon. The Greek god of the sea became angry, inundated the shores of the Land of Israel with tidal waves and sent monsters to devour the people. Cassiopeia was asked to sacrifice her daughter Andromeda to one of the monsters in order to calm his anger. When she bound her to the rocks Perseus killed the monster, thus rescuing and marrying Andromeda. To this day it is possible to catch a glimpse of the chains on Andromeda Rock, which peek from the seawater at the entrance to the Port of Yafo.
Now back at the hotel room, 3 showers later, I can’t seem to clear all the sand. It’s embedded in ears, fingernails, toenails, nostrils, hair, and unmentionable parts. I have a friend that collects sand; Maybe when I get back stateside I can jump up and down on some newspapers and provide her with a cup or two. I’ve brushed my teeth twice and still feel like I have a mouthfull of grit.
OK…off to dinner with friends. Catch ya on the flipside!
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