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| Our first dinner at Hummus Ashkara |
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| We had no idea how much hummus we were going to be eating throughout the journey |
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| Hebrew alphabet |
We
recieved our very first hint of what was waiting for us ahead at the airport.
The diverse appearance of the passangers waiting for the same plane as we were
was only a small sampling of the complex structure formed by the people of
Israel and Palestine. We had our first little celebration for the beginning of
our trip by enjoying the sandwiches prepared by Aysun, accompanied with the
small bottles of champagne we bought at duty free. Unlike most other times,
none of us had done any research about our destination. It had been a month and
a half since Aysun came up with the idea of taking a trip to Israel, inspired
by the cheap airline tickets she came across online, and us approving it
immediately (perhaps with a few drinks playing a role in the decision making as
well). We hadn’t given it much thought ever since buying the tickets, and now
when the day had arrived, we didn’t know what to expect upon arriving there.
Despite the disadvantage of having to carry a guidebook in your hand all
throughout the trip, going somewhere without an itinerary or solid plan has
many advantages with all the different possibilities it offers. We had heard about the high security measures
taken for the passengers traveling to Israel, but going through the customs
easily we stepped on the Israeli soil. After dropping off our luggage at the
hotel we went out to explore the area and grab a bite while waiting for Senem
and Giovanni who were arriving with another flight a few hours later than ours.
We started pretending to be gourmets (food experts) ever since we started
guiding food tours, and were ready to research and rate the Israili cuisine. We
were planning on stopping at many different places and having a small bite in
each but it didn’t go as planned. Thanks to the friendly and enthusiastic owner
of Hummus Ashkara, we had a much longer and filling stop there than planned. Not
being aware of the amount of hummus we would end up consuming throughout our
trip, we excitedly devoured our first plates of hummus and other complimentary
appetizers they served. When we left the place with our bellies full of pureed
chickpeas in tahini sauce we decided that we needed a little walk before having
another stop. Old port of Tel Aviv had recently undergone a redevelopment
project, but unlike similar projects undertaken in Turkey, the whole coastline
was set up with parks, beaches and recreational areas utilized by the public,
with restaurants, buildings and roads starting much further in from the coast.
Completing our little walk, we succeeded in digesting enough food to have room
for a beer in our stomachs. Being in a Soho-like neighborhood the local pub
didn’t carry any Israeli beer but only imported ones with fancy schmancy names.
I was ordering one that sounded nice when the song “lucy in the sky with
diamonds” started playing in my head, triggered by the smell traveling through
my nostrils, well recieved by the receptors, enjoyably beamed to my brain,
evoking fond memories. I realized the smell neither belonged to fresh basil,
nor fresh mint, but rather to a fresh-rolled joint, and noticed that people
sitting out on a street bench, as well as people sitting next to us in the bar
were all enjoying one. I later discovered online that medical use of marijuana
was legal in Israel. I guess the residents of the neighborhood we were in sadly
were all fighting against cancer…
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