It\u2019s been almost a month since I returned from a vacation I hadn\u2019t planned for this year\u2014my trip to Israel, which I decided to combine with my long-time dream of visiting Jordan. But Jordan deserves its own post, so today, let’s talk about Israel. <\/p>\n\n
On November 11, 2024, I flew out for my sixth trip to this magical country, where I\u2019ve spent a total of six months. To say I\u2019ve seen a lot during this time is an understatement\u2014I\u2019ve visited the main tourist attractions several times over. This trip was primarily planned to reconnect with distant but very close relatives whom I hadn’t seen for 10 years since my last visit to Israel in 2012. <\/p>\n\n
This post will focus on my emotions because there\u2019s already plenty of information about the sights on Google. Somehow, I have a special connection with Israel. It\u2019s not because of my roots, not because I attended a Jewish school, not because I understand Hebrew fairly well, and not just because I\u2019ve spent so much time there. It\u2019s simply because I feel really at home there. I feel at home both in Estonia and in Israel. I feel an inner warmth, I really like the people, and the atmosphere. When I went to Israel for the second time, I went for three months to work, and with thoughts of maybe even moving there. I was 20 years old at the time, and despite all the emotional comfort, I didn\u2019t want to live in a country where there\u2019s always war, with no sign that it will ever stop. This was in 2000, and now, in 2022, rockets are still flying over this sunny country. But safety is a priority there, and I felt just as secure as in Estonia. <\/p>\n\n
So I decided to stick to tourism, and I\u2019m happy with that decision. Although a 10-year break between trips is too long; I want to go there more often! <\/p>\n\n
This time, I bought tickets unexpectedly, for 10 days, and when I bought them, I managed to fit them into my work schedule, taking only 3 days off (at that time, I was working 3 days a week). When I realized I was flying without kids, I decided to also visit Jordan. As a result, I had only 6 days left for Israel, which wasn\u2019t enough with relatives and friends in 6 cities\u2026 So I had to carefully choose where and how to go, and I didn\u2019t manage to meet with everyone. I just decided that this time there would be no sightseeing or tours, only family and loved ones, and if possible, combined with the sea\u2014finding sunshine in our gloomy November is pure happiness! <\/p>\n\n
But in one city, I really wanted to stroll around calmly and even (a little) alone\u2014that city was Tel Aviv. A city that, it seems to me, can\u2019t leave anyone indifferent. It\u2019s either your city or totally not. Tel Aviv is mine! And I needed to spend some time alone in Jaffa\u2014a place of my strength. Generally, Tel Aviv is a city where people express themselves however they want, without regard for others, and this freedom is palpable in the air. <\/p>\n\n
I also spent time in Yavne, Ashkelon, and Herzliya with relatives, went to Ashdod with a friend, and that was it. There was one more place I wanted to visit this time, but didn\u2019t manage to. I wanted to go to the Western Wall. But that would have required a special trip to Jerusalem, and I didn\u2019t have an extra day\u2014so that\u2019s for next time. <\/p>\n\n
A bit about logistics. Traveling around the country by train is very convenient, as it connects almost all cities on the coast, Jerusalem, and the airport. Buying tickets is so easy that I was surprised the first time\u2014I found out that if you have a specific app downloaded on your phone and everything is set up for payment (which turned out to be a bit more complicated than I thought), it\u2019s extremely simple. The app automatically recognizes the station you\u2019re entering and exiting using GPS and just charges the corresponding amount to your credit card. The only issue is that sometimes the stations are quite far from where you need to be, especially in Tel Aviv, so I called a taxi a couple of times using the app as well. It\u2019s similar to Bolt and Uber, with one difference\u2014drivers might ask if you need a receipt and whether you\u2019re paying in cash, which affects the price! Such a Jewish deal :)) So, don\u2019t turn off your brain completely; the East is a delicate matter. There are buses, of course, but I had so little time that I decided not to bother figuring them out and just took taxis. On previous trips, I used buses everywhere, and it was quick and convenient. Renting a car is possible, of course, depending on where you need to go. Traffic in Tel Aviv isn\u2019t too bad, but for traveling around the country\u2014definitely yes. There are amazing places that you can\u2019t reach without a car, just like in other countries. <\/p>\n\n
Regarding prices\u2014Israel is certainly not a cheap destination, and I wouldn\u2019t recommend going there for a beach holiday, although there are beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean Sea and Eilat on the Red Sea.<\/p>\n\n