Israel - Tel Aviv

Once again I woke up early and I headed straight to the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. Well, not totally straight. I wanted to first take a picture of the interesting looking Chords Bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava. I like Calatrava's works so this bridge was must place for me to visit. After couple pictures I went to find the bus to Tel Aviv's Arlosoroff Bus Terminal. My next host in Tel Aviv lived more close to that bus terminal than the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. As it was Friday the bus station was full of people and I needed to queue up 30 minutes to get in the bus. And actually I didn't even get to the first bus but to the next one.

When I arrived to Tel Aviv it was hot outside and I liked it! I called to my new host Boaz and he came to pick me up from the bus station. We drove to his place and what a place that was! He had amazing views over the city from his apartment. I loved it! We talked little but he needed leave to his band rehearsels so I went to walk in the city. I visited in Rabin Square to see quite horrible the town hall. Then I tried to find a food court from Dizengoff shopping centre but I didn't manage to do that. Later I heard that it was downstairs where I didn't look. So once again I just bought falafel pita from the street but eating only falafels is not a problem in Israel because they are delicious everywhere! Then I went to see a handicraft market near Carmel Market. The market was full of people and there was lots of interesting stuff to buy, althought quite pricy. I decided to buy small retro Hebrew Coca-Cola advert. The guy who sold it to me had a lot of cool old posters for sale. There was also lots of performers at the market and I also bought an Arab pancake or something like that which was good. From there I went to Carmel Market where was many people too and I bought fresh strawberries from the same seller I bought oranges a week ago. And the guy selling the fruits still remembered me! And we talked little bit about Finnish football as he was Jari Litmanen fan.

I walked back to Boaz's place via the beach. As it was warm day many people were playing or just hanging around at the beach. I also decided to sit down and I enjoyed my strawberries and the sunshine. When I got back to Boaz's place I met Jack. Jack was other couhsurfer who was staying also at Boaz's place. I didn't meet him in the morning because he was outside. Jack was going to the beach and asked if I wanted to come with him but I was very tired because of lack of sleep so I just decided to stay home and take a nap.

When I woke up Boaz and Jack were both back home and it was already dark outside. Soon it started to rain hard and there was lightnings striking everywhere. We had earlier decided that we would go eating out together and so we left to Jaffa where we went to an Arabic restaurant. Once again the variety of starters amazed me and again they would have been enough to keep me full but I had already ordered a main course which was seafood, octopus rings and shrimps if I remember right. While eating Jack asked if I wanted to go clubbing with him after the dinner and I answered yes. So after eating Boaz took us to a bar near his place. We had couple drinks there and then Boaz went home but me and Jack continued to a club. The club was located in an old industrial hall outside city centre. When we got there the doorman asked password. We were confused but the guys before us in the line told us that if you know the password you get discount to the entrance fee. And the nice guys told us the password so we got in cheaper, yey! The club was big and the music was just right for my taste so I enjoyed dancing there very much. At one point they had band playing couple David Bowie songs live but after the performance the club music continued. They also had big video screens on the walls showing the music videos for the songs. At some point Jack and I lost each other and around 4am I decided to go home. For some strange reason I walked all the way back to the Boaz's place. I only stopped to buy water from supermarket. I was really tired when I finally came back to Boaz's place.

When I woke up I was feeling quite horrible. It was not hangover but it was my feet which were hurting like crazy. Boaz and Jack were already talking in the living room. Jack said he had came home before me with taxi. I decided to just rest the whole day because my feet were really tired and I was really tired. I only visited in nearby supermarket. Jack left back home to London in that day and Boaz took him to train station. While they were there I fell asleep. When I woke up later I asked if Boaz wanted to go eat something. We decided to get some shawarma and oh, how great it tasted as I was really hungry.

My flight back to Finland (via Budapest again) left at 6am so Boaz was nice enough to took me to the train station at 3am. But because I messed up with timetables I just missed my train. Next train was coming in an hour so I needed to take a taxi to the airport. I didn't have enough Shekels in cash to pay for the taxi ride but I had lots of euros. After short conversation the taxi driver said that it was ok to pay with euros and I was happy. At the airport the driver didn't really like that I paid some of the sum with coins but they were 2 euro coins so you can exchange them everywhere. And after I got out from the taxi the security hell started.

First I was stopped at the airport doors. The securityman asked basic questions: where I have been, what have I done, with who and where I'm going now. After that I got in. Then I searched where was my check-in desk. There was 2 empty lines and a securitywoman standing at the start of them. She asked me where I was flying to and then directed me to the right line. I walked through it and I came to the check-in area. There was 2 big machines next to me with some people putting their luggage through them but I passed them and went straight to the check-in desk. At the desk the check-in lady asked me where was my security sticker. I said I didn't have any and she adviced me that I needed to take my luggage first through the big machines I saw earlier. So I walked back to the machines and put my backpack through them. The securitywomen saw something in my bag and asked me to come with them. At the security check table they asked me if I had dates in my bag and I said yes because I had dried dates, papayas and kiwis. They wanted to see the dates and after I showed them they said everything was ok.

But then one of them asked where is my security sticker. And again I said I didn't have any security stickers. Then they asked if somebody had interviewed me already and I said that some securityman asked me questions at the airport doors. They said that they didn't mean that interview but  an interview just before the luggage machines. I said that nobody asked me questions before I put my luggage in the machine. Then they took my passport and asked me to wait there. Soon a man and a women came to ask me questions. First they askes me where I was from and how is my name pronounced. Then they went away and came back again and now they asked the basic questions of my trip in Israel. Again they went away and again came back. Now they asked me have I been in Egypt (I have stamps from Egypt in my passport). I said yes and then they asked with who I was there (with my family) and where they are now (at home, in Finland...). Then they asked me when I was in Egypt and after I said almost 6 years ago they said they thought I had been there now (the dates in Egyptian stamps are in Arabic so they didn't understand them). They also quickly asked my parents names. Then they went away and came back with the security stickers which they put on my passport, on my bacpack and on my hand luggage.

I had to put again my backpack through the big machine. And now they saw more dangerous stuff in my stuff. This time it was the papayas. But then they went through all my stuff with a sniffing hoover. I little laughed because my dirty socks and underwear were on top so they needed move them to get to the bottom. After the search they finally escorted me to the check-in desk. But I didn't get leave my luggage there. Because I had been declared to be dangerous my backpack was put in a special elevator with other "dangerous" luggage. My escort released me and I went to eat at McDonald's where I had the most interesting customer service ever. The girl there was talking to her cell phone and was totally shocked when I dared to interrupt her conversation with my order.

After eating it was time for a new security check. The securitymen at the start of the security lines checked my passport after noticing from the sticker that I was dangerous guided me to the special people's line. It was only good thing because I didn't need to wait up in a long normal line. I put my hand luggage (and also my belt and my long-sleeve shirt) through the same kind of machine they checked my backpack earlier. After that security check I was free to go. All that security stuff took almost 1.5 hours so I didn't need to wait long for the boarding to start. I slept most of the flight, I woke up when the flight attendant threw the breakfast in front of me. At Budapest I had again 5 hours to wait my flight to Helsinki. On both flights I had the seat next to the emergency exits so lots of leg room! There was no snow in Budapest but back in Helsinki there was lots of snow and freaking cold. I wished I was still in Israel.

Jerusalem - day 4

When I woke up I packed my things because I needed to leave Olga's place. There was a new couchsurfer coming to her place today. I said goodbye to her and then I walked to the hostel I stayed before. I got a bed from a same room where I was staying before but unfortunately I didn't got the same bed as last time. I hate sleeping on the top bed. But after leaving my stuff there I headed to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum. Bus driver was nice enough to tell me at what stop I needed to get off. I was very surprised of the scenery in the area. I didn't know there was forests like that in Israel. And it was so quiet! Very refresing after the noisy city centre. But I have to admit that Jerusalem's city centre is very quiet in the night. But back in Yad Vashem there was free shuttle bus going from the bus stop to the museum. There was no timetable so I just decided to walk to the museum through the forest. Yad Vashem is free to enter but I decided to buy a map of the area. It was good decision because the museum area is vast. I hate crowds and group tours in the museums and unfortunately the Holocaust History Museum was full of people and groups. But there was lots of good information (everything also in English) and especially lots of new information for me. Anyway, I enjoyed more walking outside in the park. There is different monuments all around the park and I was mostly alone when I was walking there. Only sound I heard was wind blowing. And because the museum is on top of a hill there was nice views to the Jerusalem Forest and suburbs around it.

After touring around the whole Yad Vashem I took bus back to the city centre. I went to Mahane Yehuda Market to buy food and I also bought some souvenir. Then my plan was to visit Israel Museum. I had asked earlier from the hostel how to get to the museum. So I took the bus they had adviced. But the driver of the bus said that I took the bus to the wrong direction. So I got off at the next stop and waited a looong time for the right bus. The next driver was also helpful and promised to say to me when I should get off. It was rush hour and the bus drive took ages. Finally I arrived to the museum but when I got to the doors I noticed that it was closing in 30 minutes. I had checked wrong opening hours for the museum. Israel Museum is open later on one day of the week and I thought it was that day but it had been the day before. But they let me walk in the museum garden where I saw the famous Second Temple Era model of Jerusalem and the Shrine of the Book fountain. I also noticed that the Israeli parliament building Knesset was located next to the museum. It was already getting dark so I took bus back to the hostel.

At hostel I spend time with other hostel guests and I went to buy the best falafel in Jerusalem - well, that was the name of the falafel place but it was good falafel. At one point I got a text message from Will. Will was a guy I met at couhsurfing website who asked if I want to have a drink with him in a bar. Because my fellow hostel stayers were very boring company I answered positively to his invitation. I met Will in his favourite bar and I talked with him and with some of his friends. Time went fast and suddenly it was already 3am and I left back to the hostel via shawarma shop. Everybody else in the room were already sleeping so I felt bad for waking some of them up with my late night arrival. And again I had only short sleep ahead of me because I needed to take early bus in the morning.