19th January 2020 - Aina Matamoros

You are going to Israel? Why’s that? This is the question I got every time I told someone that my family and I were going to Israel for Christmas Break. I know it is not the most usual destination, but it is becoming popular lately. The truth is that it was not one of our top destinations, but between my brother and me, we have been in most of the countries in Europe and we only had 6 days of vacation, so we could not go very far. Also, my mom and me hate the cold, so we wanted to go somewhere that was not freezing. So Israel seemed like a good choice.

 

Israel is a very particular country; so different than any other I had ever been in before, with a lot of history and a very special mix of cultures and religions, especially in Jerusalem. The other most important city, Tel Aviv, is now taking off to become one of the capitals of the Mediterranean. Also the landscape and nature there are unique there.

 

To be honest, at first, I felt a little bit confused and it is not one of my favorite trips, but it really was one of the most different I have ever done. And here are 14 fun facts you need to know about Israel before going there:

 

1. First of all, you must know and believe that Israel is a safe country. It is true that there is an internal conflict but only in some isolated areas. Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and many other cities are 100% safe, so do not be afraid to go there.

2. Since Israel is not “in peace” with some countries, when you enter, they do not put a stamp in your passport, they give you a little paper so that if you have to go to some country that is their enemy, such as the UAE, you can.

3. One practical thing: the currency in Israel is shekels. You can also pay with US dollars, though. The best thing is to change the money once you are already in Israel. Payment by card is accepted almost everywhere, too. And prices are very similar to tourist prices in Barcelona

4. Also, another very practical and essential thing to know. Saturday – Shabbat to them – is the Jewish rest day, so almost every place is closed and there’s nobody in the streets. So plan your trip ahead and be aware of the things you can do. For example, we went to Tel-Aviv Art Museum on Saturday since it was open, and then in the afternoon, we walked around the city.

5. Another practical fact: they talk Hebrew and so they use a different alphabet. Almost everyone knows how to speak English, but sometimes there are some signs that are only written in Hebrew. But do not worry, we did not feel lost about it.

6. About the food, I have to say it was very good and veggie-friendly. Hummus is one of the most typical dishes, but I really loved the vegetables there: I ate a whole cauliflower and sweet potatoes that were amazingly delicious. Oh, and nuts, like cashews and pistachios, are awesome. Also related to this, you can drink tap water and you must leave at least a 10% tip at restaurants.

7. Going into more cultural issues now, there are two main cities in Israel: Jerusalem, which is the capital in theory, and Tel Aviv. Jerusalem is very traditional, and so much more conservative. Tel Aviv is more liberal and it is open to the world: there are lots of start-ups there, it is one of the LGTBI capitals of the world, and a lot of ex-pats live there… So there are many differences between them both. For the tourists, though, it is not that big of a change. You only have to be aware of this situation and be more respectful about how you act and dress in Jerusalem, for example.

8. About Tel Aviv, it is still getting there. What I mean with that is that it is developed and contemporary, but there’s still a way to go. There are many new buildings, for example, but just next to them there are very old ones that are falling down. So be prepared to see a city that is not as modern as they say it is. That does not mean it is not beautiful.

9. About Jerusalem, you have to know that the most important part is the Old City, inside the old walls, which is divided into four quarters: Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Armenian. The Christian quarter has the Holy Sepulcher where Jesus is buried; the Jewish quarter has the Western Wall, where they go to pray (men and women for separate) – note that men cannot go there without wearing a kippah; the Muslim has the mosques – note that you cannot go there uncovered or touching other people; the Armenian has nothing in special. To go inside the Western Wall and the Mosques area, you must go through the security check. It is all a little bit bothering, but it is worth seeing.

10. I will not talk about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, but if you want to go to some cities that belong to this other territory, you must know you will have to go through some security controls, similar to a border control. Also, depending on the area in Palestine that the city is in, you will have to do a change of vehicle. We did not go there, so do get informed before going there.

11. Where we did go was the Dead Sea, which is the lowest place on Earth (400 m under the sea level). It was really pretty and different from anything I had seen before. It was also very cool because yes, you float indeed. It has 32% of salt, so nothing, not even bacteria, can live there, boats cannot navigate and it is better for you not to swim, only let your body float. However, because of tourism and the beauty industry (lots of beauty products are made from the salt and the mod of the Dead Sea), the Dead Sea is disappearing and wells are appearing every day around the water.

12. Now going to more random facts. We went to Israel on NYE and, since they are Jewish, they do not celebrate it and they do not do anything special. Some bars in Tel Avid throw some parties, but it is not a big number of them.

13. Sunsets in Tel Aviv are some of the prettiest I have ever seen.

14. Fashion there is not really a thing… we’ll leave it this way.