Israel. Skies and Deserts. Part 1. Preface (start from here, saving time)

Israel deserts

Well, all my trips always turn out different. And this trip was special for me. Like all the others. But this will be the first one I want to talk about publicly. Actually, I’m not some literature specialist or someone who applies those styles, so I don’t need criticism, I’m writing for my own pleasure and for people who will understand me. So why only now did the thought arise to write? Actually, I’ve been thinking for a long time about starting to post something on social media, but I could never force myself to do it, because I always find other ways to waste time. So, now having returned with my travel companion Gvidas, I’ll say that I didn’t have a single free moment and I don’t want to take root in a chair again and scroll through Facebook from having nothing to do. I promised myself that today, no matter how late I go to sleep, I’ll write about what guys like me do in their free time and just to escape from problems. Maybe it’s not a way to solve them, but it helps. Well, maybe I’m rambling too long with this preface, but I want to remind you that I’m not interested in criticism. I think it’s everyone’s choice to read what’s written here or just go about their business. So there. This first and, I don’t know, maybe last time I’ll mention all the behind-the-scenes things that arose on this trip to Israel together with fate colleague Gvidas.

Israel: Trip Preparation

Buying Tickets

So there. Spotted tickets to Israel for just a few euros. The price for direct tickets to famous Israel didn’t seem very high – 65 euros. For such a place, even for me, such a thrifty person, it seemed really inexpensive. Usually I go for tickets up to 40 euros round trip, but here it’s already 10 hours in the air, fuel is not cheap.

I have tickets. I don’t have friends. So what, I turned to technology and used Facebook. I know that almost everyone on my friends list likes to travel or just let their hair down, so I came up with the idea to share this perfect news that there’s an opportunity to annoy each other spending time 24/7 in Israel. I couldn’t believe how quickly a bunch of people interested in my “offer” appeared. We were supposed to travel as three – Rūta, Gvidas and of course – me. Even before the trip started a few weeks earlier, I introduced my two people and already thought it would definitely be a good adventure for us. We went like real backpacker-trippers to Café “49”. For those who don’t know, I’m talking about such a bar that keeps the lights on until 10 PM or midnight. In short, beer 1.2 euros or 5 shekels. We got acquainted, discussed where we’d start, where we’d live, when and what measures we’d take, in short, we got excited.

Creating the Group

With the crew it was decided to create a little Facebook group to share our desired points in the Jewish land and just so something would move forward. Unfortunately, we started working only after a week, when we already understood that no one would chew for us if not ourselves. We made a preliminary sketch of what we wanted. Personally, my priority was Tel Aviv. Of course, we added Jerusalem, Eilat, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Be’er Sheba and all the seas. Of course you don’t need to draw limits, but we definitely overdid it with plans, I’d say. The final route was straight from the military base to rush to the Dead Sea to let in our molecules and crash at someone’s place, continuing the next 2 days in Tel Aviv and another two for Jerusalem with Bethlehem. We thought to finish in Eilat, where our plane back was nearby. I’ll only mention cities, because there’s no need to talk here about what will remain unfinished and not even started.

Looking for Accommodation in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem or Eilat?

My and Rūta’s division of cities began so we could find a roof over our heads faster for all seven days. My mission was to find a spot near the Dead Sea, where there are only hotels or villages and for Jerusalem, most of which are Orthodox Jews. Rūta got the resort city of Eilat and sunny Tel Aviv. At first we didn’t think too much about it. There was still plenty of time, it wasn’t even Christmas yet, so I really didn’t bother looking, I tend to do everything at the last minute.

Challenges Before the Trip to Israel

Okay. It’s already New Year’s, and we don’t have anywhere to rock our backpacker trip. Nowhere. Not a single person interested in three Lithuanians appeared. Makes you worry more with all the oddities we read about Israel. Of course, I wasn’t too tense, because I’m used to everything working itself out. Not a very good thing, because surrendering so blindly to fate can sometimes leave you not knowing where to go. But that’s about other things.

Couchsurfing Search

I started sending more Couchsurfing requests to accept three cool paupers in a foreign country. And what do you think, I found a guy who called himself Ąžuolas (Oak). Maybe he was hooked by my mention that we also have Oaks here, but he liked us, probably. And we liked him, but more about Oaks later.

Trip Risks

More broadly now about the problems that made us think a bit about whether it’s really worth going. Rūta was the person, I think, who was most interested in what’s happening in Israel and she tried to imagine how we’d manage there. It turns out, after reading into our Israel chat, thoughts came that transit wouldn’t go so well for us there, reviews aren’t great these days. At the same time minefields, terrorists from Palestine and floods in lower places.

Transportation Questions

We even thought about renting a car, but when we saw that none of us had 2k bucks on a credit card, or the credit card itself, this idea bounced away. The trip is soon, we have accommodation for only one place to sleep, danger on the way. Looking from the side, which I tried to do, made me think a bit and send absolutely all active members a message in a bottle that we’re f**ked. It turns out, after that I had to cancel many of them, because my job was done. I found quite what seemed suitable for us, so having done my job, I could further chill until the trip.

Last Days Before the Trip

Maybe 3 days before the trip. Rūta isn’t feeling well with a temperature and it looks like we’ll travel just the two of us with Gvidas. Such news didn’t make me happy, because I knew that Rūta didn’t find anything in Aviv and Eilat. You know, when you know there’s pressure, you can really accomplish something that seems impossible in a simple situation. Like now I’m writing the second page and I’m absolutely not worried that the whole trip won’t be on screen today. And it’s because I don’t feel pressure. There’s no deadline in this situation. It’s like a student and the last night before an exam. I started looking into alternatives for Tel Aviv and Eilat, where if anything we could stay for shekels and if no one would host us, how much buses cost and so on.

When the last day before the trip arrived, I threw together the most necessary items like passport, sleeping bag, mat, toothbrush, towel, five pairs of underwear with socks, 3 t-shirts, shorts, sweatpants and a long coat. With Gvidas we found out that we really can’t wait for Rūta anymore and we’ll have to dig around somehow just the two of us. Well, such a cold shower wasn’t pleasant, but it was good to know that at least for the first day we have somewhere to wash up and lay our heads. Still, we decided to leave the sleeping bags and mat, due to space needed for backpacker food and our pointless attempt together when we met to send out CSurfing questionnaires success. We didn’t even wait half an hour when we received a response from my sent message to Tel Aviv. “Look how old he is. How old is he? Only 23? Weird. He must drink a lot…” so we discussed our future friend who gave us hope that we won’t have to sleep on the ground after all, because where we were without a place was only at the end of the trip, in Eilat. We weren’t inclined to think that far ahead.

Shopping Before the Trip to Israel

Advertisement in Maxima. We ran into Akropolis shopping center to look around at what good stuff to throw in, because we managed to find out that we have to start the backpacker tour already in Lithuania. Shopping wasn’t really hard. I’ve been a tripper for months, so I already had an idea of what might be needed. We bought smoked sausages, the same cheese, nuts, dry flakes and, of course, backpacker packages. What backpacker trip without hobos and student soup. We also took a few pieces of aged cheese for our locals who will still shelter us. Like as far as I know, aged cheese is prestige, not a fat mixture that you spread and invite cancer without shame. We ourselves stayed with something similar to that spread. We also took some sauces so as not to feel those weird tastes, but we really messed up, because it was like a liquid that had to be left at home. I don’t remember more and I ask for forgiveness. So. In the store we left about 15 euros per head. We managed quite normally, considering that Lithuania is not cheap either… Well, at least that’s what we thought before Israel. I took 2 packs of Pall Mall, which smokes quite tasty for me from those cheaper cigarettes. In addition as a backup and for variety, a 40g pack of BlackDevil. We felt quite well-disposed before the trip to what is considered Asia. We put together all our possessions and said goodbye until about the first buses.

ISRAEL. Beginning of the Journey

Morning. Frost with a spring coat. As if on purpose a strong dose of snow before leaving, so there would be more fun. We get on bus 29, which will deliver us to Kaunas airport and the whole Israel parade. Frozen, we appeared at the airport maybe at 6 in the morning and waited for the airport to take us. I’ll finish here because I hate airports in Europe. Well, at least that’s what I thought…

Part two: Aplankyk – Journey to Israel. Skies and Deserts. Part 2