Journey to Israel. Skies and Deserts. Part 2. Mini Preface (start from here, saving time)

Maybe from this moment my writing manner will change, you know I’m writing on paper, in a completely unbearable place – the airport… It’s like a girl from a club – you use the privileges of that time, but otherwise when you’d be together, it’s not really interesting. Of course, better now, where I’d be sitting at home, than dragging around in Frankfurt airport, where they’re even stingy with electricity.

Skies and Deserts: Beginning of the Journey to Israel

Stiff from the cold from the bus we headed towards the airport interior. I shook off the last ashes from the cigarette and went to Gvidas, where it’s warm. Early morning, everyone limping and tired lined up in a queue, where a long path of justice awaited them, passing through all invented add-ons. People, it seems, all just missing the AllInclusive hotel, where they can fry their bellies and drink free glasses until they kick them out if they start getting drunk. And what I really envy about these things is the money that various agencies spend and, of course, countless booze. Maybe the time will come for me too, when with some woman of mine, probably, I’ll give in and choose mashed porridge, because I won’t be able to chew myself anymore, like while I’m young. Probably.

At the end of the queue we were met by a rather pensive nation, but, alas, not guessing what the hell we’re going there at all. Young, probably not a couple, so where would such people get money to spend? Well, it doesn’t matter. I can say, one caught my eye. I even thought, one of ours! Later we found out we weren’t mistaken. At the very end of the trip we learned that this Rusel transited from St. Petersburg itself and paid only 15 euros for his one-way ticket. We also heard that he had only 200g of rice and didn’t see any problem in that. Here’s a person, clearly seen, screwed by nature, and the mat by the backpack gives away a backpacker-tripper. I felt that he should be writing such bad things, what idiots we are with our little nets. Actually, maybe he was writing, we don’t know that. But there, as you see, there’s a long way to perfection, striving for liberation from the world of money.

We passed security very calmly. Items weren’t checked too much, apparently, the guards thought, what more dangerous could they have than AAA batteries. In short, happy and already quite warmed up, we felt safer at our gates. Maybe another good hour, and the line is already full of Lithuanians, apparently afraid to be left behind. Recovered, we sat down, found an electrical outlet, chatting lightly and thinking what productive thing to do here. Behold, a spotted 0.5 Bajorka through the Duty-Free shop windows awakened the appetite to use the services. We calmly marched and easily threw a bottle each into the backpack compartments. That moment is not only special for that. The Gvidas selfie stick was also used for the only and last time. Nothing special, just had to include it in the story, how worthless it was. We introduced something, like about ourselves, what we’ll do or some other winds. Finally we identified with the so-called tourists (majority) in line and waited for the start. Stewards started to get to work and as the line moved so we snaked towards the plane, where there was really a shortage of space for luggage. We found our seats and squeezing our knees into the unspeakably sized spaces between rows, we tried to settle in. 3 seats, and only two of us. I’d say, quite lucky. Apparently, someone didn’t arrive for some reason. Don’t be mad, Rūta. Probably, your place, in the middle, we filled with our own coats and clinking bottles. Best wishes.

Flight to Israel

As always the same stewardesses’ flute playing about belts and effective escape during a terror-stricken time. I kind of want to quote “Fight Club”. Brad Pitt’s lesson. Actually it stuck deep in my head. From fast oxygen breathing through masks you immediately get high, like from a bag of glue. And salvation is just an illusion. Beaten up you come to terms with fate, just waiting for your turn to die. Maybe not a bad remedy. To die with a smile on your face, rather than some panic heart attack or 30 seconds of free fall. I’m not a fan of enjoying their performance every time, but occasionally I cast an eye for admiration. Death scares everyone after all and at the same time you don’t want to offend the person who sees you as a puppet. Yet still that amount of radiation that those fools take on. Karma pays back for the effect of their spells, probably.

The flight almost halfway through, and still a full 3 hours among people already in vacation moods. We tried to settle in, but sleeping wasn’t really easy. Still offered snacks, lack of space disrupted the harmony I so wanted after a few hours of sleep that night. Still I had fallen asleep for quite a long time, I think, because the view resembling the Arctic changed to azure waters and sunny deserts around. That was already a refreshment for me and my friend. In 5 hours we returned to summer-like times by the sea. Well, at least that’s how lucky I was. I’m from Klaipėda.

Israel Airport

Israel airport

Plane on the ground. It seems, again we didn’t avoid applause… A miracle happened again! The pilot did his job! We got off among the last ones, because someone wanted to put their things above our heads before. We probably radiated good aura. Getting off we meet Jews prepared with automatic weapons, who very seriously minded followed us with their eyes. I immediately told myself: Not Europe… Being ahead of Gvidas again I went into that same penguin line, so they kept me as a normal part of the tribe – didn’t hassle. My dear colleague got a somewhat different scenario. Going out alone, as he told, he received safe escort and questions allowing the Jew quick analysis whether to shoot on the spot, or let the desert take him. Seeing a friend in trouble I called him to my line and listened to his mini story and asked why they didn’t shoot him. He said he was with me, so I thought maybe they took pity on our little friendship after all…

First Hours in Israel

The point is that we already thought we’d escaped from these unpleasant greetings upon arriving in the promised land. Not at all. Here everything only began. Having chosen a shorter path to the passport control post we wasted more time than all other tourists: I was received by a pimply guy, about 35 years old, and at the same moment Gvidas got a slightly younger-looking woman. Neither I nor Gvidas had experienced anything similar. Can’t compare it to breaking the hymen, but we felt like being interrogated.

“Why did you come here?”

“How much money do you have?”

“Where will you stay?”

“Where are your return tickets?”

“What is your relationship to each other, how do you know each other?”

So answering all this idiocy without making scenes, calmly, until TV detectives started. We started looking for evidence that we didn’t come here to steal, but to calmly eat groats from a prepared jar. Of course, we didn’t mention anything about transiting, or anything. Calm boys will travel by bus, photograph and won’t drink in public. After explaining about Couchsurfing we were asked to show their messages, confirmation and similar shit, which held up the queue behind us. After showing photos, I started digging through email to find evidence of our return tickets, but the pimply guy ran out of patience. He sat us, the beauties, next to a few such other unlucky unfortunates, from whom it was seen that we differed why we’re here. Girlfriend, the sitting ones didn’t talk to each other, so together with us they left on the bench.

And here’s another bunch of new tourists, descended with another plane… We could only sit and gnaw our dried fruits. Nerves no longer hold, cigarettes also forbidden made us fall in love with Israel from the very beginning. Finally when this wave of tourists also disappeared we were invited to answer exactly the same winds. Had to betray Couchsurfing hosts again and again search through old Yahoo Mail pages for that suitable file. After all this madness sliding by an additional two and a half hours we broke out, accompanied by the words: “Enjoy your time in Israel”. I wanted to send her as far away as possible, when every minute of daylight was important to us. Most importantly, having already escaped, the anger calmed down and that initial warm breeze, getting off the plane, was blowing in my head. I wanted to hurry up and get to work, but first we didn’t avoid minimal Israeli money, and then what… We threw together 10 euro notes each, which they exchanged for us right there at the smallest rate we saw later. Jews not for nothing. Well. Before us the airport doors to freedom and the unknown. I wonder what other cold shower we’ll have to face…