Milk and honey

Israël traded the mustache veterans for laughing heavy-armed youngsters who welcome us in good English and teach us the first Hebrew words. Shallom! After we drove Doutzen through a couple of iron curtains we were questioned to our bones about our trip and backgrounds.

Before that everything went pretty smooth. With the rain taking down half of the mountains in Jordan we arived a little bit later than planned, but our three-day-insurance was still working. Our road-tax unfortunately not, so we had to pay a fine and an exit-tax (yeah, really) to leave Jordan. This didn’t mather really because Israel was totally free to enter. Nothing, noppes, nada! We still remembered our Sudanese friend in Holland, who told us something about the danger of the Israelian stamps, so now there are wondering some stamped papers around our passports. Full of excitement we answered all the strange questions, that we were asked at the border. Our answers resulted in raised eyebrows at the cute girl that tried to look serious. Yes, we live in the car. What are we gonna do in Israel? Visit kibbutz. Which one? Is there more then one?! No, we don’t have a fixed address. My granddad’s name is Alje, the same as my dad’s. You drove for a week through Syria? Yes, we have a slow car. Half an our a person later this semi-inquisition came to an and, no matter how hard we tried to keep the girls talking…

Update: The media loves us again! Take a look at an article in the biggest newspaper in Israel (translation..) and FrieslandCast made another great movie!

Because we used our car-papers the last time in Germany we had to turn Doutzen upside down to discover the insurance card had found a secret hiding spot, together with a lamp, a candy-bar and a bunny tale, behind the glove box. The head of the douane was getting quite anxious of our display at the border and sais to put everything back pronto if we want to cross the border the same night. The government wasn’t really thinking efficient, because ten meters down the road we had to get everything out again for a complete checkup. Full of enthusiasm we even tried to let them check our mattresses for house dust mite, but somehow they trust our sleeping gear. With all the stuff out of our van this is a great time to re-organize and stuff Doutzen in some logical way. Our display, including harmonicas, a football, the washingmachinedrum and lot’s of branches had a weird effect on the guards and pretty soon we were playing some football with them. We take our time to decided which bag fits the best in every corner, while enjoying a good cup of tea. That we took our time became obvious when someone came to us with the message that the border was already closed a while, and that we had to hurry up so the people could go to home.

A little bit later we were driving into the land of milk and honey. This country ain’t that big, but because we expect to earn more here than in Ethiopia to fund the charity, we decided for once to buy a map. (So if you know a nice job, or want to advertise on our van/website, give a call!) At the first gas station we stop, get out on our bare feet and when getting in, some girls knock on our window with the question if we want to go to a party. Three days later we think Israel is a great country with fine people while we say hi to the sunrise on a beach in Tel-Aviv.

Because the mother of Marten volunteered thirty years ago on Kibbutz Dan we were invited by Yuki and Yutsi somewhere in the north. As the owners of a restaurant called Dag al Hadan, they teach us besides farming fish, also some basic knowledge of Israel. A kibbutz ain’t some kind of village but a community created years ago to build up the country. During our trip we also found out his restaurant is somewhat famous and everyone has been there before.Besides good food we also get our own little house, including bed and a shower! Fresh and fruity we see something of the beautiful nature next to the border of Lebanon, where two years ago bombs regular took a hit on the houses over here. Between the minefields we catch fine fruits and honey, and here and there is even an old castle to visit.

At our quest for a small job we arrive a couple of days later near Ti’Von where Sela has with the daughter of Yuki a great place on top of hill, next to some Alexander Zeid sitting on a horse. Maybe we could pick some olive trees over here, but unfortunately people from Thailand got better papers. Even our olive experience in Turkey couldn’t help us! In return for the good hospitality and some great pokey-pot dinners we helped Sela pick his olives, which actually ain’t that easy as it looks. Luckily we could also help someone painting and full of enthusiasm we painted a complete apartment of an old lady within a day. Although we didn’t want to leave the hospitality and nature we had to get going somehow. A carmagazine in Tel-Aviv was interested in Doutzen which was quite a good excuse to go to that city

During a routine checkup of our brakes, we pretty soon found out that between all the reserve-parts and ‘maybe-we-can-use-this-somehow-stuff’ we didn’t bring a basic jack to lift our car! Somehow we left all of our three jacks in Holland, which is very practical when you even have two spare tires! After the interview of the magazine with Doutzen, Mukkes and Minne are trying to shrink the constantly growing wish list, while Henk is wondering through Tel-Aviv looking for a bar-job. Of course not every jack is good enough for us and the Arabs in Old-Jaffa think that a ‘made in Holland’ can-opener is antique. So again we getting the idea that also here they are charging us tourist-prices. Do you know a tourist that wants an old rusty electric cooking plate as a souvenir?! Maybe we are spoiled with cheap second hand stuff on our Queensday, but we are not interested in this jackpot-prices. Egyptians supposed to drive a lot in old Benzes and VW’s, so we think we won’t get a flat tire the next 600 kilometers. (Unless someone in Israel has a good jack, the one used by Mercedes and the old Transporter or a hydraulic one?)

Apparently Henk’s negotiations had more success, resulting in a job for a couple of weeks in a English Pub. But Tel-Aviv is way to modern for Mukkes and Jerusalem supposed to be older so of we went again. A plan is just a plan, and usually we never stick to the plan. Also on the road our van gets way to much attention, so a nice guy overtook us, turned is window down and screamed ‘Hungry’? Mmmm…. ‘Always!’ Again we found ourselves on a filled table, after that yet another great kibbutz, more fruit and honey and Mukkes even could amaze everyone during a football game. A couple of days later we got back to the plan of going to Jerusalem, what supposed to be quite interesting on Sabbath. We drove into a deserted city parked our car where the signs saying ‘Center’ stopped. A even more deserted square on Hillel street looked like a nice spot, and we checked out what the fuzz about Jerusalem all was about. Right away we’re amazed by all the diversity of cultures and religions in the Old-City, having some nice discussions with funny sideburns at the Western Wall and do we look strange at the heavy armed security-guards in front of every public place. After we took a quick glimpse of the Old-City, Jerusalem woke up from their Sabbath-shell and started to live again. It amazed us even more that the quit square actually was quite full of people. Doutzen found herself surrounded by people and as a true model got a lot of attention. But with electricity, floating water and nice people around us the center of the city was also quite a good camping spot for the night, unless the police force would lift us out of bed in the night.

Every time we walk on the street strangers ask us if we are Jewish and a ‘no’ answer quits the whole conversation. So the next morning Henk decides to answer with a loud and clear ‘Yes’! Brave, before he knows it he’s strapped into leather bandage, prays the Torah and finds him selves blessed for the day. Actually he can use it, because he has to cope for a couple of weeks without the support of Minne and Mukkes. In front of the bus station we put Henk on the bike to Tel-Aviv to earn some money, while Mukkes and Minne are trying to capture some of the weird situations around Jerusalem…

Tags: border, doutzen, hospitallity, israel