Israel Travel Diary
November 1996

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Famous Quotes

This is what they said in front your face
The following quotes were expressed by American tourists during a recent trip to Israel. The names were omitted to protect the guilty and remember no one is innocent. In order for some quotes to be humorous, you may have had to been there.

"I'm such a cool guy."
"That's a treasure."
"Robert, how about some apricot jam."
"Oh yes, that's Roman glass."
"You're a good looking German man."
"No, that is strictly forbidden."
"Your papers are not in order."
"Do not walk away from me when I am talking to you," he said. "I didn't ask you to talk to me."
"Everyday of my life I add another name to the long list of people who have ticked me off."
"Let me show my shop, everything is half-price."
"Where's the WC?"
"Five filter coffees please."
"Excuse me sir, do you need a private guide."
"Yea. That's a good buy on film, too bad it's 32 mm."
"We've decided to take turns being Clay for the day," he said. "No way,
Chris, you're standing alone on this one."
"You're a good looking German man."
"You can use leaves, moss or a corncob."
"I'm sorry what did you say?"
"Get your ears checked before you get your December paycheck."
"Only 8 1/2 more days."
"What are you going to do tomorrow?" "I don't know, I'm waiting for Clay to tell me."
"Where's Chrissy?" "Who knows?"
"Get your raggedy tail..."
"CJ, Clay, Jr."
"Welcome to Bethlehem everyone." "Thanks, now get us out."
"I think the battery in my watch has gone dead."
"I think time moves slower in Israel than it does back home."
"Dern Duke."
"First of all, I'm glad I was able to provide you with some entertainment. Secondly, you didn't enjoy it as much as I did. Thirdly, that's the ultimate way to spell relief."
"Shut up whiny butt."
"You're a good looking German man."

Food in Israel

I can't eat another bite
Going to The Holy Land inspires lots of questions from your friends and family once you return home. But, despite the historical significance of the land, archeological findings, Israeli-Arab conflicts and other hot topics, the number one question asked was, "what did you eat?"

Israel is a land of many cultures and people groups and Jewish immigrants from countries around the globe. With each new conquering group or immigrant to arrive on Israel's shore, so have the number of great recipes increased. I did not take the time to evaluate the fat content of the food, but it sure looked healthier than the many burgers and fried foods we Americans devour each day. Here is a sampling of the meals we enjoyed.

We were introduced to a traditional Israeli meal on our first evening in Israel after arriving at our hotel in Natanya. The first items to arrive at our table were the two things we ate the most the entire trip: hummus and pita bread. (More about these items later.) Next came potato salad with green peas, a green salad which consisted of lettuce, tomatoes, peas, peppers and a light dressing. Our waiter then brought a delicately fried filet of sole. I added lime juice, salt and pepper to my piece of fish and it was great. Next a deep bowl of hearty lentil and barley soup. No matter how many times I dipped my spoon for another bite, my soup never disappeared. Don't panic like I did, we have not even started the main dish yet. Lastly, we enjoyed white rice smothered with tomatoes and bell peppers and a round steak smothered in brown gravy. The rice dish was akin to smothered okra and the steak was tender enough to cut with a fork. I thought to myself if this is how it's going to be the entire trip I may even gain a pound or two.

Following our meal, the five of us rolled out of the restaurant and then strolled through the open shopping area along the Mediterranean Sea. As a cool breeze blew from the sea, we sipped filter coffees and enjoyed a lovely evening talking about the great sites we were going to see in the next nine days.

Breakfast the next morning consisted of fresh fruit, orange juice, corn flakes, (I tasted them again for the first time and Kellogg's is by far the best), instant coffee, (no thank you), cottage cheese, soft cheese, yogurt, egg salad, smoked herring, cucumbers, vine ripened tomatoes and sliced bread. It is important to note, Chris was the only one man enough to eat the fish at 7:00 a.m.

Lunch the next day was hummus and pita bread, green salad, baked chicken, rice and vegetable soup.

Dinner that evening in Beit Hava was just as good as we dined on green salad, pickle chips, eggplant casserole, pickled artichokes, whipped potatoes in a puffed pastry shell, stir fry beef, baked chicken and plums for dessert.

As our group headed toward the Sea of Galilee and the city of Tiberias, much of the food remained the same although we enjoyed a few new items from the menu. Our hotel dining facility in Tiberias had a staff that was predominately Arab and many of the hotel quests were from the west, and food trends showed an influence of both cultures.

A very large spread in a dining hall that sat nearly 300 at one time was standard each morning for breakfast and in the evening for dinner. Our evening buffet featured a tasty apple-walnut salad, green salad, eggplant casserole, your basic vegetables of carrots, corn, beans, white rice, squash medley, sliced tomatoes and sliced cucumbers, etc. An interesting asparagus soup, fried fish, fried turkey breasts and meatloaf with a tomato gravy were our main entrees.

All of our meals were not restricted to hotel buffets. We enjoyed venturing into some very interesting restaurants as well. Here is a sampling of a few restaurants we enjoyed.

The Philadelphia - This Arab restaurant, located in the Arab section of East Jerusalem is well-known for some of the best salads in the city. Our friend, Omar insisted we sample every salad on the menu. So we did. I counted 12 different salads, but it could have been more because I was busy fighting off the ravenous gluttons sitting at my table. I sampled hummus, eggplant casserole, marinated cucumbers, olives, dates, pickled beets and several other tasty items. Next came lamb, lamb and then more lamb. Tender, delicately seasoned lamb chops and shish kebabs that didn't last long. I was tempted to jab the others with one of my empty kebab stakes in order to get more lamb, but somehow I remained calm.

The Yeminite Step - This delightful café near the Ben Yahuda Mall, was the setting for one of our evening meals. Being cool and very pleasant, we opted to sit outside next to the portable furnace to enjoy great soups and tasty Melawach served with honey.

Cafeteria St. Michel - I strongly recommend this cozy cafeteria if you are hungry and need an economical lunch in the old city. Don't expect to find a seat at noon because the twenty-five seats fill up quickly during this busy time of the day. Clay enjoyed a Greek salad with fresh vegetables and a tangy dressing. Robert enjoyed chicken soup and I feasted on vegetable soup. Chris and Jimmy devoured shwarma. I was full and it felt great to only spend 18 shekels for the meal.

Ramon's - Another great restaurant in the Ben Yahuda shopping area, Ramon's nearly takes up an entire side street with several sites on both sides of the street. Once again, we sat outside under clear skies and enjoyed a delicious meal as we watched evening shoppers scurrying in and out of adjacent stores.

Cacao - At the Cinematheque on Hebron Road, this restaurant offers a superb view of the Old City Walls while you dine on fresh vegetables, wonderful breads or perhaps an individual size pizza. I recommend the freshly baked focaccia bread with olive oil or one of the homemade pasta dishes or as Jimmy discovered, the fresh fish, such as salmon or trout is excellent. If the sky is clear, ask the waiter to let you sit outside on the patio and enjoy a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate following your meal. Conversation will soon turn to the beauty of the Old City Walls and the historical setting, where people, like yourself, have gazed upon this moonlit edifice over the centuries.

Abu Ali - Once again, thank you Omar for showing us this Palestinian restaurant that is housed in the basement of several shops in East Jerusalem. If you are not from the area, you will never find this neighborhood establishment that definitely caters to the local crowd. The interior reminds you of Mel's Diner, but more subdued because Flo wasn't around. Omar ordered hummus, pita bread, hot pickles and a round of those great Coca-Cola's in the small bottles. We ate more, but I can't remember exactly what it was because I was too busy soaking in the atmosphere. A group of old men sat in one corner discussing politics while a few other patrons sat nearby taking curious glances at us between bites of pita bread. Now and then a few locals bounced in and out yelling at our Arab friends behind the serving counter and those seated at the other tables. Everyone seemed to know one another and it kind of made all of us feel at ease despite such a foreign environment.

And the Rest - No, this is not the name of a restaurant, but a heading for the rest of the eateries we found ourselves wondering into. We enjoyed every place we found, including McDonald's where you could always count on a great cup of coffee.

Recipes from the Holy Land

Pitta Recipe
Ingredients for twelve pitas:
1 rounded tbs dried yeast
1 rounded tbs salt
2 rounded tbs honey
5-5 1/2 cups plain flour.

1. Mix the yeast, honey and 1/4 pint water in a bowl and leave to rest for 10 min. Measure out 3 1/4 cups flour and add the yeast mixture and 1 pint warm water.

2. Beat the mixture for 2 min., add the salt and remainder of the flour and beat again. Knead the dough on a floured board for 10 min. and then place in a greased bowl.

3. Leave the dough for 1 hour in a warm, draft-free place (it will double in volume). Pre-heat the oven to 445 degrees and divide the dough into twelve portions.

4. Roll each portion into a ball and then flatten into rounds about 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 inches thick. Allow to rise before cooking. Cook for 10 min. and then raise the temperature so that they brown.


Omar's Hummus Recipe
1. Soak 2 pounds of chick peas in water for 24 hours. Cook in boiling water until soft. Drain water.

2. Put peas in blender until they are well blended. Not very long.

3. This is the tricky step. You must add the following ingredients according to your taste buds. Sesame oil, fresh garlic, lemon juice and salt. Olive oil can be used instead of sesame oil.

Omar Bakri Grandfather of the Arabs

Just beyond the Damascus Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem, the grandfather of the Arabs works in a tiny olive wood shop. Lining the shelves of the shop are hundreds of unique olive wood carvings all designed by the man who personally greets each visitor to the shop. Ironically, the man better known by family and friends as Omar, is actually named Nizar, which in Arabic means the "grandfather of the Arabs." A name that strikingly fits this master olive wood carver whose works have spawned numerous would be copycat grandchildren seeking to achieve the same carving excellence Omar has achieved. One visit to the shop on 3 Masoudi Street and you immediately fall in love with the olive carvings and the man who greets his friends with a gentle hug and a wide smile. On our visit, Omar insisted we enjoy a cup of mint tea.

As is the case for many young boys, Omar was sometimes mischievous and found himself getting into trouble. His parents found a master olive carver who allowed Omar to work after school in his wood shop. His reward...staying out of trouble and fifty cents a week.

For seven years, Omar learned the art of carving olive wood. None of the master's children desired to learn the family business, so he decided to teach Omar everything he knew. The most tedious part was learning how to carve the faces on the carvings, Omar said.

"He carved faces behind a door because he didn't want anyone to see how he did them," he said.

It took nearly 300 pieces of wood before Omar learned how to carve the eyes and the face, a technique that now separates him from most carvers in the Holy Land. In fact, Omar tells would-be buyers to look at the faces of his carvings and then go and compare his work with other carvers in the city. "Eighty percent come back to my shop," a smiling Bakri says.

Drawing inspiration from his native land and the Bible, Omar's work, as well as his reputation, continues to grow. Today, Omar's carvings can be found on mantles on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Despite the success, you can still find the humble, smiling Omar personally greeting his customers and discussing his native Palestine over a cup of mint tea.

By the way, how did the "grandfather of the Arabs" become known as Omar? Legend tells us, or maybe it was Omar himself who said, "in the 1970's friends told me I looked like Omar Sharif, the actor. The name just kind of stuck."

First Impressions of the Holy Land

"Leave us alone, we are not in a hurry," I growled at the impatient motorist who was honking his horn at us as the light turned green. All around us, cars scurried by, dodging pedestrians, cyclists and other automobiles. The only thing that seemed to be the king of the road were city buses, and rightfully so considering their size and somewhat arrogance to do as they pleased on the crowded streets around the walled city. My mind was moving in slow motion, taking in all the sights and sounds as we approached the city walls of the old city for the first time. "The place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even unto His habitation...(will be Jerusalem)." Deuteronomy 12:5

All my life I had heard the stories of this ancient city. For a moment, I was five years old listening to my Sunday school teacher tell me about a young boy named Jesus going into the temple. All of those wonderful Bible stories and the times and places when I heard them for the first time were rushing through my mind.

Gallantly standing in ancient wonder, the walls, the ramparts and gates stood bravely greeting our arrival. Despite the modern structures all around us and the hurried pace of their inhabitants, these impressive stone walls stood majestically toward the blue sky separating the old from the new.

Built between 1520 and 1566 by Sultan-Caliph Suleyman or Suleiman, on the lines of the Roman fortifications, these ancient structures remain much unchanged today. The ramparts were designed to protect Jerusalem from Bedouin raids or a possible Crusader attack and stand between 39 to 49 feet high and roughly 5330 yards long.

There are eight gates in the Old City fortress wall. The gates into the wall are the Jaffa Gate, entered from Mamilla-Agron Street or Jaffa Road, and the Damascus Gate, entered from Ha-Nevi'im or Nablus Road. Israelis call Damascus Gate Sha'ar Shechem because it led to the Syrian capital; the Arabic name is Bab el Amud or Gate of the Column. The Golden Gate has been bricked up for centuries, due to Muslim tradition a conqueror will enter through this gate to destroy the city and by another Muslim belief this will be the traditional entrance point for the Messiah.

Other gates include Herod's Gate (or Flower Gate), due to belief of pilgrims that this gate was built next to the house of Herod Antipas the king. Zion Gate, the original gate is called by the Arabs, Bab el-Nabi Dahoud, "David's Gate", after the prophet. Maghreb Gate (Dung Gate) owes its name to the community from Maghreb, which settled below Haram el-Sharif at the end of the 12th century. St. Stephen's Gate is also called the "Lions' Gate", due to the lions which the Mameluke sultan Baybars had carved in order to dispel a dream in which he was torn to pieces by an animal. Finally, the New Gate, built in 1889 at the request of the European powers in the northwest corner of the enclosure. It serves the Christian population.

In the Hebrew language, you do not say you will "go to Jerusalem." I asked for clarification and found out the idiom is to "ascend" or "go up" to the city. Although Jerusalem stands at over 2500 feet above sea level, I soon discovered our journey through Israel would not be complete until
we ascended to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the pinnacle of our journey into this awesome land.

The writer in the Knoph Guidebook, The Holy Land, illustrates my thoughts best. "Jerusalem is the incarnation of prophetic and Messianic dreams, the 'center of the world' mentioned 656 times in the Old Testament and 140 times in the New Testament, and the 'throne of Allah' in the Koran. Jerusalem in all its glory, whether idealized, symbolic or real, is a fertile ground for all imaginations and the subject of innumerable representations."

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming out of heaven from God..." Revelations 21: 1-2