#4 of 5 – for more context, see the main post

Before my trip I was a bit apprehensive since I’d never been to this part of the world and I also hadn’t traveled internationally for several years. But at least for the places I went (Tel Aviv, Yehud, Jaffa, Acre and Jerusalem) things were quite orderly, clean and most everyone spoke English.

Getting around

A small inconvenience – I encountered a bit of taxi trouble at the start and end of my trip. Finding a cab at the airport was easy and the driver was friendly. Other than him checking his phone while simultaneously weaving through traffic, this were going OK. As we got close to the hotel he asked me how much I wanted to pay. That’s an odd question, I thought. Taxi rates to/from the airport are fixed by the government. I was aware of this but after a long day of travel (also my cell phone could connect to voice and text but not data) I couldn’t remember the exact amount in Israeli Shekels (ILS), so I said I didn’t know. Then he suggested 175 ILS including tip and suitcase fee. Though it seemed high (and sure enough it was) I agreed just to end the awkward situation and not make an issue of it. After all, I was alone in this stranger’s car and he was taking me who knows where. Lesson learned: use the government taxi fare calculator ahead of time, discuss the fare up front before getting in the car; and also tips are not customary in Israel (and also don’t have ‘Western sucker’ written on your face).

So-called ride-sharing companies are not currently permitted to operate in Israel. Instead my co-worker suggested using the Gett mobile app for fetching taxi cabs. Though there were a few nuances to it, Gett was quite easy to use, particularly between the hotel and the office (where I could get WiFi). A big plus was that the drivers knew exactly where we wanted to go and could plug it directly into Waze (no funny business). Also being on a business trip it was great to use my credit card and get an email receipt. Note: even if you’re not using Gett you can request the driver to use/follow Waze. Bonus note: both Gett and Waze originated as Israeli startups.

Tours

On the weekend (which is Friday and Saturday in Israel, mind you) I took a few day tours through Go Israel NA (with whom we have a family connection). The tours were super easy (pick up and drop off at hotel) and the guides were quite friendly and knowledgeable. On the first tour I went to the north coast to see Roman ruins at Caesarea, the historically strategic town of Acre as well as some caves (Rosh Hanikra) along the sea near the border with Lebanon.

Hands-down the best and must-see place is Jerusalem – particularly the Old City – which has an amazing and ridiculous amount of history and culture wrapped up in a small area. To give some historical perspective, the iconic walls around the old city are relatively recent, added by the Ottomans in the 1500s. There is certainly a special energy in that place and one could easily spend a solid week exploring the various sites.

Tel Aviv

I found Tel Aviv to be a modern, bustling city that had much in common with other metro areas I’ve been to. Although it was November, the weather was mostly warm (70s F) and sunny and lots of people gravitated to the beach-front path to walk, jog, e-scooter, bicycle or walk their dogs at all hours. I imagine that during the spring/summer/fall the beaches would be packed and getting a seat at the many beach-side cafes might require a bit of patience and/or persistence. The beach near my hotel was the unofficial gay beach; I am given to understand that Tel Aviv is the “gay capital” for the country and the region.

The last post in the series is about random things I learned.