Click "lolapola" above to discover ten thousand possibilities in life:)
Return to the travel series push:
When I first booked the Israeli itinerary, my parents were really shocked because in their (perhaps in the minds of most people) they think that Israel is a country with various hardships and people living in dire straits. But friends, sometimes experience really limits your imagination. I used to think that Israel is no different from other Middle Eastern countries, but later it completely subverted my imagination. So today's travel notes may also refresh your understanding of this country.
Israel is not as "dirty" as you imagined
When I was doing my homework, my eyes were about to fall out. Is this the protagonist Israel who heard the "Palestinian-Israel conflict", "Gaza Strip" and "suicide explosion" every day in the news since I was a child? ! This mere small country is the only democratic and developed country in the Middle East, with many high-tech industries (it is obvious that agriculture is still in the desert and it is not enough to export some vegetables to Europe). The citizen has the highest higher education rate in the world, and the human development index is extremely high, ranking 18th in the world. You should know that this country has only been founded for 70 years and has been eyed by many unfriendly neighbors. It is admirable that it can develop into this way through the war.
Because of the lessons learned from the war, Israel implements extremely strict security checks (hereinafter referred to in detail) and the military service system for the whole people, so it can be said that it is very safe and pedestrians are also very friendly when walking on the road. Therefore, friends who are interested in traveling to Israel really don’t have any security concerns.
Air ticket Visa Accommodation
The ultimate reason for this trip is that I bought a special price ticket from Israel Airlines, which is 150 euros (equivalent to 1,100 yuan). It’s simply rounding up and you don’t have money, and you’ll suffer if you don’t buy it. Because of the sensitive political status of Jerusalem, Israel's only international airport and most national embassies and consulates are set up in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the second largest city. Departing in China, there are direct flights from major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai to Tel Aviv. Note that there should be discounted prices.
I only went to apply for a visa after I bought a plane ticket. As a Chinese citizen, I applied for an Israeli visa in Germany, but it is not very troublesome. I am glad that I live in the capital and the consulate can easily go there. At that time, I checked the address of the consulate and rushed over. The guard asked a lot of questions suspiciously and asked me to wait for a long time at the door. However, after a long time, I finally put me in. I filled in the form, submitted the materials, paid (22 euro visa fee), and waited for a weekend to pick it up on Monday. I found that Israel's ten-year visa was already lying on my passport.
. Chinese citizens can apply for Israel’s ten-year visa under the current friendly relationship between China and Israel. Especially if you have a US visa and a Schengen visa, it is easier to obtain. I personally think it is worth applying for a longer period of time, because the country of Israel is really worth visiting several more times. In terms of accommodation, because I traveled with my friends and the Yuechen girl who lived in , Switzerland, for a long time, I chose airbnb. It is a complete apartment in Tel Aviv, and it is only less than five minutes away from the main road Rothchild Blvd, and it is only half an hour walk to the beach. When I go out, I am a whole white building in Bauhaus, and the price is also appropriate.
Jerusalem is a separate room with the landlord, and the location is quite good. It is a penthouse in the city center. The landlord is very good. Overall, both are very recommended.
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv
The charming secular city
Before departure, I checked that Israel Airlines cannot check in online, OK fine, so according to my logic, it was definitely enough to get to the airport one and a half hours in advance. Later I found that I really underestimated the degree of Israeli mentality about security work. At the airport, Israel Airlines occupied a small area in the terminal. Everyone who applied for a boarding pass was asked a series of questions by the staff: What is the name, where to go and what work? Do you know anyone in Arab countries (? Am I Chinese??). After finally getting the boarding pass, I glanced at the big screen and started boarding. So I ran to the boarding gate in anger. As a foreign citizen, the staff had to take a separate black room to open the bag and check again.
OK OK, after all, I was afraid of being terrorist attacks, which is understandable. I cooperated to wait for the staff to complete the security check, and I breathed a sigh of relief and passed the customs. As a result, I found that there was a security check in the waiting room. My heart was really broken. . . .
me. . . . I. . . . You win. When I boarded the plane, the two Israelis in front seemed very interested when I saw that I was unhappy, so I started chatting. I said I couldn’t believe that I had to go to Israel to go through four security checks! Four ways! ! Both of the brothers laughed and asked, Where are you from? I said, Shanghai from China! ! The other party replied happily, "You are obviously our friends, and our government is also very nervous."
I shouted in my heart, long live understanding!
A total of three hours from Berlin to Tel Aviv, and the plane landed soon. Tel Aviv has a typical Mediterranean climate. Even though it is early January, the blue sky, white clouds and sunshine are still shining, and the temperature is hovering around 20°. I was tortured by the cloudy and wet weather in Germany all the winter. I was so moved that I cried.
Israel has a very popular English, but the road signs are all bold in capital and one meter of English below. The buses are basically all Hebrew, so we pulled our luggage and touched the city center in a tortuous way. The neon lights first came, passers-by were walking in a hurry, and the tall buildings in the distance were reflected by the dim lights, making it very unreal. It is hard to imagine that I was really standing on this mysterious land. After taking a nap, we decided to go to a Vietnamese restaurant, Vong, not far from our residence, to settle for dinner.
This is a well-known Vietnamese restaurant in Tel Aviv. After reading the menu, it is a typical fushion style
Tel Aviv is the gay city of Israel and even the entire Middle East . 25% of the permanent population is less than 35 years old. It is a young and inclusive city. So when I saw a handsome guy in the past two days, I thought that the guy was probably gay= = The bar guy enthusiastically introduced us. With his recommendation, I ordered a fried rice noodles with mushrooms and onions, yuechen ordered a fried noodles with green vegetables and chicken noodles, and the two shared a Vietnamese spring roll.
Israel's prices are very high, probably the same as Nordics. Although the food is not cheap, the amount is very large and the ingredients are very useful. My mushroom and onion rice noodles have a bit of braised rice in Chinese food, and it is so delicious that it can only be stir-fried. The heavy taste of onions and mushrooms makes people almost feel that this is a vegetarian. In a foreign country, maybe you have to eat such local foods that are similar to the local flavor and feel "stomached".
Because we had tossed all day, we took a short walk after the meal and went back to rest. We had to sleep the next day before we had the energy to continue our trip.
According to a kind-hearted person feeding a few wandering meows on the way, I immediately felt a little bit more good for the city
I slept a lazy day the next day and decided to experience the famous Israeli luxury breakfast. I chose Benedictt
Israel welcomed us on a warm sunny day in the Mediterranean
Benedict is an All day breakfast served 24hr store. This setting is also a bit strange, but when I think Tel Aviv is a city famous for its nightlife, I believe that many customers who are drunk and come out of the nightclub to eat a benedict egg. Maybe the name of the store comes from this?
transparent glass room design, the sun shines directly in and the warmth of my face. I looked at the blue sky and thought, living here should be a happy thing, right? After reading the menu, I ordered the classic North African Hell Egg Shakshuka, Yuechen ordered the light version of Israeli breakfast
Before coming here, Israeli cuisine was one of my favorite cuisine , and even my favorite top3 restaurant in Berlin was an Israeli restaurant (it was a pity that it closed before Hanukkah and cried to death). Hummus hummus, fried bean balls falafel, Middle Eastern salad tabulei and this hell egg I ordered are all delicacies loved by people all over the world. They are located at the junction of two continents and face Mediterranean . The Israeli cuisine is both rich in Arabic cuisine and freshness in the Mediterranean, occupying a high position in my mind.
What the hell is hell egg? In a word, the stewed eggs with tomato and chili sauce sounds very magical, but in the morning sunshine, I dipped the freshly-popped egg yolk into my mouth with the freshly poked egg yolks. Life is just like this!
Israelis pay great attention to breakfast, and the breakfast in this restaurant is even more hearty. There are unlimited bread, main courses, salads, dipping sauce, fresh juice, coffee. This is not breakfast, but breakfast dinner...
After eating and drinking, I checked the map and found that our destination, Jaffa Old Town, was only two kilometers away, so I happily decided not to go.
We deliberately bypassed the main road and walked towards the small road and residential areas. It was a great surprise along the way. These houses are mixed with Mediterranean and North African styles, and are made of local materials, clay, stone walls, and wooden blocks. They seem messy but staggered, and look very harmonious in the dazzling sunlight. The residents all planted various flowers on the walls with great interest. Compared with the white Bauhaus complex in the city center, this place is simply a world of color.
Not far away is the beach, and further south is the ancient city of Jaffa, which has a history of 4,000 years. Tel Aviv's full name is Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and Jaffa is the millennium old city before us. The collision and fusion of modern and ancient is right here.
Although it is January, the sea breeze is warm, there are not many tourists, and there is no noise. Walking on the coastal avenue is so good that it is about to explode.
The road in the ancient city of Jaffa is somewhat sloped. You can go uphill to the church or mosque . Christians and Muslims live in harmony and protect their faith, which is really touching.
Buy water on the mountain. There is a cardboard "Israel's good friend" in the grocery store window, with badges from Israel and several friendly countries hanging on it. The golden retriever looked at the photo and asked, Where has Germany been? I rolled my eyes and forgot what you did to Jewish decades ago? 🤦♀️
I was tired of walking, so we found a small cafe to rest. The pedestrians coming and going all had leisurely expressions on their faces. They walked around slowly and bargained with the owner of the roadside shop. I hid comfortably in the chair and ate the cake, thinking that the people living here must be favored by God.
Maybe this is the meaning of vacation. You don’t have to rush from A to B, and calm down and slowly walk through these ancient stone roads, imagining what happened here but turned into nothingness, and enjoy the boundless blue and bright sun.
was a little hungry, so we visited Abu Hassen, a small restaurant that is said to be the most delicious hummus in Israel. I thought it was a roadside stall with no seats. It turned out to be a serious restaurant that could be sat down. The menu was all in Hebrew, but the boss was very good in English and told him directly what he wanted to eat.
We ordered a portion of original hummus and a portion of falafel, and the pita bread was eaten freely (later told the Golden Retriever that there was unlimited bread here, and his eyes instantly glowed = =). I want to say that this is the taste of the top hummus! It is very smooth and fragrant. It can be eaten with real sesame paste and fresh chickpeas. Use pita bread to scrape it with fresh aroma of olive oil. The whole plate must be scraped clean!
If you want to say that hummus is easy to eat, then falafel is a delicious food that is relatively difficult to make. I didn’t eat any delicious falafel in Berlin (you know that there are many Turkish people in Berlin) and it is either too dry or overfried. The falafel in this restaurant is simply amazing. It is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and it is just right. The ratio of chickpeas to vegetables is also right. It is paired with a special spicy and sour brine. The boss will give me another basin! After eating
, I continued to let myself get lost in the old city with satisfaction. I sat on the stone pier by the sea, quietly waiting for the sunset. The last time I watched the sunset was probably the time to college, right? I don't know how long it has been since I enjoyed such an inner peace moment.
Israel Tel Aviv
Sunset
Jerusalem Jerusalem
I had a little concern before coming to Jerusalem because Trump just announced that he would recognize that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. When he was worried about whether the situation in this city would be tense, he found that he was thinking too much again. The old city was very quiet, and children on the street played and played and played behind him. Behind him were mosques and churches that had been historically thousands of years, as if nothing had happened.
From Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, you can take a bus, 16 Sherk (about 35 RMB), and the drive is only one hour. Israel is a very, very small country, and two hours between cities are enough.
How to describe the city of Jerusalem? People say that the world is very beautiful, nine parts are in Jerusalem, and nine parts are also in Jerusalem. Jerusalem means a city of peace in Hebrew, but this common holy land of Christianity, Islam and Judaism has been experiencing bloody storms since its founding. It has been attacked 22 times and completely razed to the ground at least 3 times. Just imagine which city has more misfortune than here.
Looking from the high point of the old city, the Jewish cemetery on Mount Olives in the distance is particularly eye-catching. In the Bible, Mount Olives is the place where the Messiah came to the world. Since the first temple of , the Jews have hoped to be buried here and become the first undead to be saved.
The overall urban construction style of Jerusalem is cold and gray, because the British colonists once stipulated that the buildings in the old city must be built with Jerusalem stone transported from outside the city, which led to the slightly monotonous appearance of Holy City , but after watching it for a long time, it has a retro vicissitudes, telling everyone the stories that happened. After arriving, we decided to take a break at Mayehuda Market first. This is a Jewish market in the central district outside the old city. It is a dazzling array of spices, cheeses, fruit tea, olives, and exquisite pastries and desserts, which are dazzling. As a fan of Middle Eastern cuisine, I just want to move everything back home. The bosses in the market are also very enthusiastic, and many of them can even say hello to us in fluent Chinese (it seems that the relationship between China and Israel should be really good). Finally I bought some spices and fruit tea, and it felt like I could last for a long time.
On the way home, he told Yuechen that he could finally understand why Europeans started a war for such a little spice. The taste of the food was really a world of difference.
came out of the market and it was already sunset. We slowly walked to the old city and prepared to explore the way first.
The main road in the center of the city, the old Jewish people sang passionate songs in ancient languages that we cannot understand.
Not far along the main road, you can reach the Jaffa Gate, the most crowded person in the old city. It is said that you can walk all the way to the ancient Jaffa Port from here. January is not a season for many tourists, and even the most lively Yafamen, the crowds are sparse. More of the Orthodox Jews in a hurry with high hats and black dresses.
Jerusalem is a mountain city. Walking along the ancient city wall, looking down the mountain, there is another picture of ordinary people with bright lights. After experiencing many bloody storms in history, the holy city finally became quiet. Inside the wall is a belief that people have believed in for thousands of years, and ordinary people outside the wall live their own home habits. This feeling of transcendence in time and space has reached the extreme in Jerusalem.
The most famous attraction in Jerusalem is Western Wall The Western Wall has a more moving name - the Wailing Wall. This city has experienced the occupation of the Babylonians, Romans, Christians, Muslims, and the overthrow and destruction of the great powers of various countries. The ill-fated Jewish nation has been exiled in every corner of the world, and finally has restored its home in recent decades. The Western Wall was the only piece of the city wall left during the First Temple period, and they believed that they could talk to God through the gaps in this wall. So countless Jews came here, crying and telling God about their feelings.
The West Wall prayer distinguishes gender, with men on the left and women on the right. We cannot enter the men’s prayer area on the left, but we can listen to the crying and complaining of an old Jewish man. The power of faith exceeds the language barrier. This scene in front of me actually fascinated me.
It is said that put a small note into the crack of the wall and make a vow, and God will make your wish come true. Then I hope God can keep the tranquility here forever, and I hope that Palestine, which is not far away, can be free as soon as possible.
comes out of the West Wall Square and is the Jewish partition. The Old City of Jerusalem has four subdivisions, the Armenian District, the Christ District, the Muslim District and the Jewish District, and is home to residents of different ethnic groups and different beliefs. This is the most interesting thing about the old city. No matter how noisy tourists are taking photos and chatting, the more than 40,000 residents who actually live in the old city still live their own little lives, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Nothing has changed for thousands of years.
walks north from the Jewish quarter and you can reach the Christ area. At this time, our empty stomach bags have already started to complain, so we decided to go to the Amigo Emil restaurant located at the eighth stop of Via Dolorosa on 号组论的论的论版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版版�
Before talking about food, it is necessary to popularize this famous path. According to legend, Jesus was sentenced to death at the beginning of the road of suffering and walked towards the execution ground with a cross on his back. During this period, he fell three times and was finally taken off his clothes and crucified to death. In order to commemorate this series of holy traces, Christians have built fourteen stops on the road of suffering. Every Friday or major religious festival, devout Christians can always be seen carrying the cross and re-travel the path of suffering that the Lord walked through back then.
The first eight stops, which are just a harsh road, are all in the Muslim subdistrict, and both sides of the road have long been occupied by Arab vendors, so tourists cannot feel the solemn and sad atmosphere.
restaurant is a very typical Arabic style. Just looking at the menu, I think I can try all Arabic dishes. The boss is also very enthusiastic.
I ordered a spice-filled rice and lentils, served with crispy fried onions and fragrant yogurt. Although it is simple, it is extremely delicious. It is a home-cooked dish from the Middle East. Yuechen ordered a stuffed chicken breast, which is said to be delicious.
is not expensive and the food is delicious. It is a high-quality choice in the old town.
The next morning, we went to an Italian restaurant called Anna brunch
. This restaurant is hidden behind a small museum in the city center and has a very beautiful top-floor courtyard.
ordered anna for 2 set meal for two people, the price was 130 Sherk (RMB 260) and was shocked when serving. This is too rich. Each dish is made very well. Eating such a Western brunch in the old city makes people feel very happy.
After dinner, we are going to go to the Mount Zion around the old city to take a look. On Mount Zion, there is the tomb of King David, which is a symbol of the Israeli nation, the Last Supper Memorial Hall, and the tombstone of the wealthy German businessman who saved thousands of Jewish during World War II.
Israel is a country with all military service. On Mount Zion, I happened to encounter a group of female soldiers coming to carry out patriotic education. In Israel, it is also an interesting scene where soldiers carrying guns and live ammunition can be seen on the streets.
Our landlord suggested that we could attend the free walking tour starting from the old city of Jaffa Gate every day. The history of Jerusalem is too heavy and someone really needs to explain it. So we came to Jaffa Gate and waited to set off.
tour guide is a native Jerusalem, who takes us through the paths that tourists will not walk at all.
The Tower of David
The Tower of David 2
The small road from Armenian partition to Jewish partition
This walking tour does not enter the interior of the major sacred sites, but carefully walks through all the four major zodiac partitions of the old city and listens to the tour guide telling the history and stories of each building. I am a history lover and I am particularly interested in Jewish history and culture. This two-hour tour has benefited a lot.
Encountered a group of Italians or something, cos became the ancient Romans and went to the old city of Ancient Roman Avenue to restore the picture before the image is restored. The most interesting thing is probably because I know that as one of the highest holy sites of Christianity, the key was actually kept by two big Arab families! These two major religions have started to fall in love and fight each other since the moment they were established, and they look back and forth, and it seems that they will not stop in the short term. The complexity of them is really not something that those of us who do not believe in religion can understand.
Night fell, watching the conservative Jews hurriedly passing by wearing high hats, Christians finished their prayers and prepared to leave, and a strong chanting sound came from the minaret in the distance. When they looked up, they saw the blue and white six-pointed flag. What kind of wonderful contrast is this?
Two days is far from enough for an ancient city that has been more than two thousand years ago, but it is not impossible to leave some regrets. I am waiting for the next reunion to uncover more charming pasts.
The last two days were on the traditional Jewish Sabbath. We quickly returned to Tel Aviv before the bus stopped on Friday. This time we hosted ours a particularly cool old Jewish lady with neat short hair and smoking a fine lady cigarette. She was still in the kitchen in the middle of the night.
quickly enjoy the last Mediterranean sunshine, after all, I will be back to Berlin to move bricks.
The country of Israel is so charming. If you have the opportunity, you must go and have a walk. It turns out that people of different races and beliefs can live in such a harmonious symbiosis. The world is really wonderful.
Lola
Post-90s self-media person and TEDx speaker who traveled all over Europe alone founded a vegetarian restaurant. He studied for a master's degree in business in Germany and has lived in Shanghai and Berlin for a long time.
Here, you will find ten thousand possibilities in life.
Long press the QR code to follow me
Submission tree hole: hellolola@163.com
Please add WeChat pc610234190
for cooperation-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-