Tel Aviv — Day 2
‘A terrorist’ one of the many TV crew people tells me when I inquire as to the hubbub I’ve just stepped into. Police had caught a young man with malintent causing streets to be cordoned off, traffic, there is no shortage of it here, diverted. Sadly, once again, something this country has to deal with on a regular basis. Does one ever get used to this? People in South Africa no longer notice they are living behind walls, if nothing else, we are an adaptable species.
I’ll spare you the details however, it’s interesting to note the disproportionate attention cast onto a nation ranked about 100 in the world for population, 25% or so of which are non-Jews. The Jewish population globally runs around 0.02%. I guess what I’m saying is, take care of your own shit, you’ll feel better about yourself if you do.
Those on the boardwalk unaffected, life goes on, too hot, the cool ocean a welcome reprieve. It was my plan to join them, however, I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my stuff unattended. Will need to find a place where they offer lockers, alternately find someone honest looking to do it. While in Hawaii I’d bought one of those pouches that protect phones etc. in the water. You guessed right, I forgot to pack it, not sure where I’d stored it anyway, one of the disadvantages of being on the move. It will take a few days before I’d be comfortable heading out sans phone. My wallet can stay home, credit cards, among other things like maps, all on my phone. I do, more than I should, rely extensively on it.
It’s been a slight, not unanticipated, awakening as to the price of things here compared to South Africa where the exchange rate is extremely favorable. Coffee is about twice the price.
Not quite broke, suitably caffeinated, I decide to head south to the old part of Tel Aviv, Jaffa (Yafo), not to be confused with the Jerusalem one. It’s an active port from where fishermen launch promising fresh fish for all. Did I mention it’s a tad warm here? There’s a protective pier jutting out, I wanted to go on it, feel the cool breeze, but failed to find the access point. Another time perhaps. The beaches are well attended. It’s not the height of the season, what would it be like were that the case? This city is buzzing, young, vibrant, I’m going to need to adjust my sleep schedule in order to participate. Good news is once I’m done here I’ll be up north, a far more sedate environ.
Cats, there are a lot of them skulking around. I did see a healthy-looking rat rushing around the rocks, too quick for me to get a pic, no doubt not overly enamored with the ever-expanding feline population. I love cats. Something about their, for lack of a better term, arrogance that I find appealing however, once you win them over, think you’ve won them over, they are special, otherworldly. There are lots of people too, apparently some emulating cats, as the ever-vigilant police, exercising their authority, checking IDs, exacerbated no doubt by the event taking place within earshot.
There is a certain charm to ancient cities. While less than practical they create a conduit whereby we can ‘see into the past’ feel how it might have been to have lived in another era. I often wonder what it would have been like, how would I have coped, where I’d ‘fit in’, not easy to compare since one can only draw from what we are exposed to. Air conditioning, among so many ‘modern’ conveniences, likely to have been sorely missed. Maybe I’d have worked in the ice business although that wasn’t that long ago. Another thing they’d not have the pleasure of, a band, fully equipped with amps, large speakers tuning up for upcoming revelries. Restaurants lining the shore feverishly applying the finishing touches in preparation of the anticipated onslaught, the salty ocean air heartening appetites.
The sun, witness to the ages, in its usual blaze of glory, has bid the enthralled throngs a fond farewell. Evening upon us, air cooling — not by much. Mosques abound, it’s the top of an hour, I hear what sounds like a young boy begin to do his thing from atop. Further along, another, slightly out of sync. The turret lit up in green and white, the soon-to-be full moon, resting peacefully alongside observing the proceedings. This side of Tel Aviv is predominantly inhabited by Muslims a few of which I happily accommodate, taking pictures of them in various positions. One young guy visiting from Palestine posed up and down the promenade, what does he plan to do with all the images? Another, his wife clad in a burka, encouraging me to ‘snap-away’, one of the other pleasures of tech, we can take pictures to our heart’s content then, with a discerning eye, delete. What I do find surprising, I only witnessed four men, one in the front three behind, all facing an open sliding door of a van, on their knees in prayer. Didn’t have the presence of mind to take a closer look inside to see the object(s) of their attention. Not that Jews are that devout, well at least I’m not, still a Jew yet not big on the whole religion thing. A sign of our evolution to a more modern approach to community? Barriers, an ineffective tool yet still widely employed by those seeking personal gain.
A stroll back and news the Queen, like the sun, has set, unlike the sun not likely to reappear any time soon. RIP.
