Dan kicks it in the Land of the Chosen People, Vol. II
I landed in Tel Aviv, and got to my aunt and uncle’s home in Even Yehuda, a town about 30 minutes north of Tel Aviv.
Talk to anyone who has the opportunity to regularly visit Israel, and one of the first things they remark is how impressed they are with the ceaseless construction of new buildings and public works throughout the country - and how this continued campaign of building and urbanization so visibly changes the landscape of the country from year to year. It’s exciting to see, especially considering the dire state of the global economy and the violent regional conflict that continues to threaten the country’s very existence. For sure, Israel has definitely been affected by the depressed global economy, but it‘s not nearly as bad as it is in North America. For starters, the unemployment rate here is still fairly low, at least compared to the epidemic levels of job losses and housing foreclosures in North America. On the other hand, it’s not all roses over here: I can’t remember, for instance, the last time a disgruntled Mexican fired a crude rocket into the backyard of a homemaker in San Antonio, Texas.
My first full day in Israel, I headed with my folks to Tel Aviv and Jaffa, the old city that predates modern Tel Aviv by about 2500 years, if not more. Before I continue, please note that 1) I’m actually going to try to limit my mention of touristy things and information, because that stuff is kind of a given on this trip - Israel is full of important historical shit, and you should buy a book about it, rather than read this blog - actually, you should do both. 2) in the event that I do drop some facts on you about the historical things we did / visited, count on my explanations being either partially or wholly inaccurate - that’s what Wikipedia is for, or maybe a book of facts like the encyclopedia Britannica or a Farmer’s Almanac or a Bathroom Reader.
Having said all that: Jaffa is an old city located within Tel Aviv, and it was an important port in ancient times, used by the Romans, the Mexicans, and Scots, during the time of beaver trapping and the spice trade. It’s more of a town than a city, actually, because it only spans about 4-5 blocks, but the ancient architecture was pretty sweet.
We spent an afternoon walking around the place, and ended our visit with a tasty meal at a restaurant overlooking the mediterranean. After lunch, we walked around Nev Tzedek, kind of like Soho or the Plateau of Tel Aviv: it was a trendy neighborhood where hipsters and artists were slowly being run out by young families and well-to-do yuppies. Luckily, for all the coffee shops in the area, there wasn't a Starbucks in sight - so all was not lost.
Talk to anyone who has the opportunity to regularly visit Israel, and one of the first things they remark is how impressed they are with the ceaseless construction of new buildings and public works throughout the country - and how this continued campaign of building and urbanization so visibly changes the landscape of the country from year to year. It’s exciting to see, especially considering the dire state of the global economy and the violent regional conflict that continues to threaten the country’s very existence. For sure, Israel has definitely been affected by the depressed global economy, but it‘s not nearly as bad as it is in North America. For starters, the unemployment rate here is still fairly low, at least compared to the epidemic levels of job losses and housing foreclosures in North America. On the other hand, it’s not all roses over here: I can’t remember, for instance, the last time a disgruntled Mexican fired a crude rocket into the backyard of a homemaker in San Antonio, Texas.
My first full day in Israel, I headed with my folks to Tel Aviv and Jaffa, the old city that predates modern Tel Aviv by about 2500 years, if not more. Before I continue, please note that 1) I’m actually going to try to limit my mention of touristy things and information, because that stuff is kind of a given on this trip - Israel is full of important historical shit, and you should buy a book about it, rather than read this blog - actually, you should do both. 2) in the event that I do drop some facts on you about the historical things we did / visited, count on my explanations being either partially or wholly inaccurate - that’s what Wikipedia is for, or maybe a book of facts like the encyclopedia Britannica or a Farmer’s Almanac or a Bathroom Reader.
Having said all that: Jaffa is an old city located within Tel Aviv, and it was an important port in ancient times, used by the Romans, the Mexicans, and Scots, during the time of beaver trapping and the spice trade. It’s more of a town than a city, actually, because it only spans about 4-5 blocks, but the ancient architecture was pretty sweet.
We spent an afternoon walking around the place, and ended our visit with a tasty meal at a restaurant overlooking the mediterranean. After lunch, we walked around Nev Tzedek, kind of like Soho or the Plateau of Tel Aviv: it was a trendy neighborhood where hipsters and artists were slowly being run out by young families and well-to-do yuppies. Luckily, for all the coffee shops in the area, there wasn't a Starbucks in sight - so all was not lost.
posted by filthy soapbox at 11:57 AM
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