Tel Aviv

A couple of weeks ago I traveled to Tel Aviv with a group of friends for the Eid Al Fitr holiday that follows Ramadan. Our trip was off to a wonderful start as we took a very scenic route to the border, passing by Mt. Nebo and the dead sea. We even drove through the location where Moses is said to have parted the waters! Where I am living and all of my experiences continue to boggle my mind! Leaving Jordan and the holy month behind, we entered Israel on the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. It was really interesting going from one religious holiday to another- on the streets instead of hearing “Ramadan kareem” we were hearing “shana tova”. The first two days we were in Tel Aviv the whole city seemed to be asleep, as everybody was resting on observation of the holiday. We also rested- on the beach in the sun and by the magnificent Mediterranean.

After Rosh Hashanah the city was pulsing with activity- it was very different from the urban rhythms of Amman, or even New York or Boston- in Tel Aviv there was a very high energy level, but with a more relaxed approach to life. People were active- all times throughout the night and day I saw people exercising, especially on the beach! There was even a collection of public exercise equipment! Also, people actually took the time to socialize. Everywhere I walked I saw people of all ages meeting friends, running errands together or enjoying a cup of coffee. The holiday was certainly not the only difference between Jordan and Israel/Palestine. The language, style of dress, sea-scape, flowers, prices- everything was completely different on the other side of the border. We stayed in a hostel in what seemed to be the arts district- our street was lined with small galleries, small cafes and chic boutiques. Our location was ideal as we were only a short walk from the beach and all of the restaurants. While our time in Tel Aviv was certainly relaxing- crossing the border was quite an ordeal. Coming into Jordan we faced a lot of issues, and even had to change plans and rush to another border crossing before it closed. Because our residency papers are not yet in order, we had large fines to pay and extra hassles. We also had to be very cautious that our passports were not stamped, and instead that a separate piece of paper was processed so we can travel to other middle eastern countries this year. By the end of our trip we were completely out of money, and had to scrape by on pocket change and pay our taxi driver after withdrawing cash from an ATM at Kings. But all of the trouble was completely worth a beautiful and amazing vacation- I’m sure we will return to the gorgeous blue waters, tropical flowers, and reggae beats of Tel Aviv many more times.