(Untitled)

[adupont]

So I’m finally headed to Tel Aviv on April 20. I’ll be there for two whole weeks giving HTML support to one of our product teams.

Any suggestions on what the hell I should do once I’m there? Specific travel tips? (I plan on bringing my own Sausage, Egg & Cheese McMuffins.) The only advice my father gave me was to stay away from bars and buses.

Comments

[heartandcomfort]

The buses really aren't that dangerous. We ok, they are - but thats because the bus drivers are all x-military tank drivers. If and when you ride buses or walk down the street, just be on the lookout for things that are out of place: someone pushing a stroll without a kid in it, a guy looking nervous with a big bulky jacket, etc. And riding a bus is much safer than driving there.

Driving is nuts. There are no stop signs, only those traffic circles. This is because no Israeli driver would actually stop. The traffic circles are supposed to be one lane, but drivers frequently turn them into two and three lanes. If you are on the highway and an 18-wheeler tries to get into your lane, just move over. It sees you there- it just doesn't care.

Because of security, be prepared to have to open your backpack or briefcase at every store you go into. You'll have to open up your rental car trunk for searches (if you rent a car) before entering most parking garages too. When you arrive, your plane will not pull up to the terminal. Rather you will de-plane on the tarmac (sp?) and take a bus to the terminal.

As for restaurants, I recommend The Olive Leaf (it's located in a hotel somewhere) and Paparot. The Olive Leaf is just an outstanding restaurant. Paparot does great whole grilled fish. Bring hashbrowns for your McMuffins. Israelis do not understand the concept of the breakfast potato. Better yet, try the standard Israeli breakfast buffet at the hotel you're at. Mostly soft cheeses, fish, and salad. I hated it, but maybe you'll like it.

Otherwise, Tel Aviv is like New York. There are bars, concerts, shopping, e tc. Pick up a guide book at Border's or just ask the guys at work for some ideas for what to do. Check out the beaches.

VERY IMPORTANT: If you plan on going on a road trip outside of Tel Aviv, make sure it's with someone who knows the area really really well. My husband and a friend of his made a wrong turn on a road trip when they were in college. They wound up in a town in the West Bank, and once people saw the car had Israeli liscence plates, they started throwing rocks at it.

AC in Israel is horrible. We stayed at six different hotels when we went, and only one had decent AC. If it's going to be warm when you are there, and you're hot natured, buy a little clip on desk fan for your hotel room.

Most Israelis speak English. The only phrase you may need to know is "Ay-fo ha-she-roo-teem" which translates as "Where are the restrooms?".

Israelis tend to be very direct and can come across as rude. Don't take it personally, that's just the culture. There's a joke I heard that kind of sums it up quite well:
What's Hebrew for "excuse me"? Zuz.
("Zuz" is Hebrew for "move")

Well, enjoy your trip. Please excuse the abundance of typos. I had to type this while the baby was trying to eat fabric paints and chew on electrical cables.