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British Mensa Travel Special Interest Group |
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Fifty
Yards from Terror by Trudie Lazarus I have just come back from five weeks in Israel. Life goes on as usual and you just get on with it, hoping that your family will not be among the next victims. I have offered open house to a number of friends who have children and grandchildren, but they prefer to stay there. Eilat is barely affected, though tourist numbers are down. The hotels resolutely refuse to make any concessions, even for single supplements. They prefer to stay half empty. I stayed part of the time on Kibbutz Elot, which is half the price and idyllic. Dolphins
came right up to our beach and teased people who got near them. Scuba
diving is still excellent, although the corals are becoming eroded due
to the increase in waste and interference in the water. The Bird Sanctuary
is thriving. A jeep safari to King Solomon's Mines took us into the desert.
As the light changes throughout the This year, I did manage a one day trip to Petra in Jordan. It is a very beautiful and unusual place, consisting mainly of vast water channels and carved caves which had been tombs. However, I would not go out of my way to repeat the trip, largely because of the way it is planned. 1) You may not take any food or water with you. This makes you buy. Your lunch is served at 3pm, so you are forced to have a (generally rubbishy) sandwich to keep going, at an exorbitant price - likewise bottled water. An orthodox Jew would starve, as there is no question of 'kosher'. I must admit, however, that our late lunch was excellent. 2) The guide makes sure that he misses the bits of the town which he can gain from. He pocketed the money for the inclusive horse ride. He encourages you to go to places where you will spend. 3) They take 25% to change your money when you enter Jordan and close the exchange when you leave, so that you have Jordanian money in hand. 4) The extras cost a fortune - £50 per person for visa and tips and with no option to refuse the latter. This scam seems to be arranged by the Israeli tour company. 5) The guide himself, though presentable and educated, was the worst chauvinist I've met. One expects him to praise Jordan. One does not expect such comments as: "We like our women: they give us our sons." Well, I'm no women's libber, but yes, I was happy to get back to Israel. Then I went up North - to the real world. I was 50 yards from the terrorist attack in Netanya at the Jeremy Hotel. How does it feel? I admit to feeling like a fly on the wall. I was with two friends inside a restaurant. The owner locked the door, turned out the lights and took out his gun. Mobile phones were used to call sons and daughters. I felt calm and planned where to shelter if there was a break-in. My two friends suffered - they had been in Holland as small children during the '39-'45 War and they both shook for several days. Another friend has a son who has recently bought a house on the frontier. His attitude is: "If we move, they have won." But is it brave or foolhardy to bring up their small son there, however lovely their house and village? The restaurants and shops there are pretty empty and in this area there are virtually no tourists. However, I saw all my friends, swam, played backgammon and was initiated into the joys of tandem paragliding. There is nothing like jumping off a cliff, strapped to a handsome young man. He told me that nesting birds sometimes think that they are predators and attack them. As we floated past a courting couple, we applauded. It must be disconcerting to be observed from the sky. El Al used to be most unhelpful. They have changed their policy - they can't do enough to keep the customer happy. Let's hope they maintain the new standard once the problems are over. Is it my imagination, or have they and BA moved their seats to give more legroom since 11 September? I would not hesitate to return to Israel - not only because I like their way of life, but also to show solidarity. Just let us hope for peace. An Operatic Memory: I first went to the Israel Opera in Tel Aviv over 25 years ago. It was then housed in an old building which I was told had formerly been the home of the Knesset [parliament] and which reminded me of old Sadler's Wells. There was no bar, but in the interval a little old man open a case on the floor in the middle of the foyer and, in the spirit of true Jewish enterprise, sold dry beigels and bottles of lemonade. Alternatively, you could cross the road to the nearest café. This was where Domingo began his career (and didn't he meet his wife there?) I saw The Barber of Seville. Don't ask me who sang, but I do remember it as being of a very high musical standard. About 20 years later, 'Cav and Pag' were on at the relatively new Performing Arts Centre. The building is similar to the Royal Festival Hall and they created a performing area by screening off the middle of the stage. The props were somewhat makeshift, the same chairs etc. appearing in both operas. Once again, it was of a very high musical standard. It was amusing to watch the contortions of the Jewish singers, who contrived to appear to be crossing themselves, while not actually doing so. Some touched their forehead and shoulder, others both shoulders, others the head and chest. Had they done otherwise, the religious authorities would probably have closed the centre! Last month, I went back to the Performing Arts Centre to hear Andrea Chenier. Now they have got their act together. They have a proper proscenium arch, excellent costumes and staging and, as ever, a very high musical standard. Most of the orchestra (like most musicians in Israel) were Russians, while the singers were largely Italians and Russians. Unfortunately, many immigrant Russian musicians can't find work, so they busk. I remember one ostensibly blind fiddler, complete with dark glasses and collecting hat before him on the pavement. I dropped a coin into the hat and, before it landed, he thanked me. It was worth paying for the laugh. So, in spite of the political situation, all is not gloom and doom in Israel. PS The sanctuary Trudie refers to is the International Birdwatching Center of Eilat (IBCE). Eilat has one of the world’s busiest avian highways, as it is the only land bridge connecting Africa to the Eurasian continents. The best months for birdwatching are September-November and February to early May. For details, write to Dr Reuven Yosef, IBCE, PO Box 774, 88106 Eilat, Israel. First
published in VISA issue 46 (summer 2002) |