This little list is a summary of some of the things that are good and bad about the Holy Land but just very specific to this part of the world (you might also want to check out our list of Israel: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly).
Some of the things might not appear all that obvious at first, but after a few days…Welcome to Israel!
- Bank managers wearing t-shirts, jeans and sandals.
- Schools breaking out to the sound of “Eye of the Tiger”, rather than the old school bell.
- Motorcyclists wearing bicycle helmets.
- Shouts of “AltiZaken” (“Old Things”) from Arabs in VW Camper vans.
- 13 year old kids smoking nargilas in the neighbourhood park.
- Lone scantily-clad women walking the city streets late at night.
- Old men with open trays of pollution-infested delicacies at busy junctions/markets.
- An alarming plethora of very hairy backs and shoulders at the beach.
- Tottering pensioners working as security guards.
- Market stall vendors shouting at their customers not to buy all the best produce.
- Motorcyclists waiting to cross pedestrian crossings.
- No dolphins at the local Dolphinarium (Tel Aviv).
- Policewomen filing their nails and talking to Ma on the phone while on duty.
- Tiny 18 year old army girls walking down the street with M16s slung over their shoulder.
- Thousands of Israelis, everywhere (OK, I forgot about Khao San Road, Bangkok…).