shalom

This is nothing but amazing.

After 12 hours of travelling (it only takes that long if you buy cheap ass tickets from Czech airlines) arriving at Ben Gurion airport at 4.30 in the morning was very exciting. I was hoping to get some passport control action since, by own judgement, I fit the profile of a peace fighter ready to demonstrate on the West Bank (also I kind of look the part in my hippie style Aladdin trouser).

But the snotty young Israeli chick that was probably serving her mandate army service gave up on her 7^th “Why?” when I asked her to stamp a separate piece of paper instead of my passport (since some Arab countries doesn't allow you to enter if you have Israeli stamp).

She:“Why?”

Me: ”because I MIGHT like to visit Iran in the future MAYBE”

She: ”Iraq?”

Me: “noooooooooooo, Iran”

She: “Why?”

Me: “I heard that is where Jake Gyllenhaal, Prince of Persia, would be residing, practising on his, seems to be, British accent”

(ok, I didn't say that, I babbled nervously something about having a travel bug).

She: “What are you doing here?”

Me: “I got invited to a wedding”

She: “Why?”

Me: “yeah, that's a good question” (ok, I didn't say that either)

And then the normal questions on how long, where etc. There was tension between us. Granted, we didn't get off very well since in my sleepwalking of the plane I went straight to the booth that said “Israeli passport only”. But I gave her my apologetic, charming smile when we were done and I felt we had a better relationship now leaving each other than when we met (which is usually the opposite for me).

I roamed the airport for a while, getting a coffee and an Israeli sim-card (realizing that I had become one of those lost tourist with big puppy-dog eyes begging for someone to just swoop me up and say “not to worry, follow me”) trying to figure out how to get to the train station. On my second trip down the same escalator this old man smiled at me and said “boker tov” (good morning) and I regained my cool. It was a boker tov indeed and I just landed in this crazy fantastic country.

From there it was down hill; bought a train ticket to Haifa from a machine, helped an old lady with her luggage (“toda” - thanks) and realized that information on boards in Hebrew usually are followed by instruction in English if you just show some patience.

Israel is a tiny country and in one and a half hour I had travelled from the south to the north. To the Hof HaCarmel train station where my ever inspiring professor, Dr. Brenda Shaffer picked me up and opened her home to me. So this will be my HQ for the next seven days.

After a quick shower and reorganising my carry on bag I was ready to scout out Haifa city. It is a coastal town, based on and around the Mt. Carmel (546m) in the north that has around 300 thousand other human beings. That is approx. the same amount as in the whole of Iceland or the 15émé arrondissement in Paris. They have heavy industry that is more and more turning into hi-tech industry, university and a port. But the most interesting thing about this place is that in all of Israel and the Palestinian Territories this is the model city of how to get along. Arab and Jews work, study and relax side by side with no problems what so ever. The standard of living is higher here than in other places, so there is one thing less to argue about, but it is also the socialist heritage from previous settlers that still lingers. Apparent left voters too. Maybe communism only works in extremes.

After taking meticulous notes of the logistics (bus table) I need to discover this city I headed home for an afternoon kip à l'Ella (around 300 minutes) and woke up in time to enjoy dinner with my hosts.

Tomorrow I'll attack the Baha'i gardens and let me self get lost and found.