Beer Sheva disaster
I had saved up a fair amount of money, got a really decent price for the plane and would have to head toward the airport in the wee hours of the morning because the flight left early. Checking in two hours before meant I had to hang around London's Luton Airport for about 2 hours. My destination was Beer Sheva, Israel and this would be my third time in the country, hoping to be there for a few months. However, it got cut short.
When I landed at Ben Gurion Airport some days previously, I asked for my water bottle to be filled up. The gal at the counter took it to a sink and put water in it—not the thing to do in the Tel Aviv area. Their water is de-salinated and I ended up, in less than 24 hours, with severe diarrhoea. So be warned, drink only bottled water anywhere in Israel that does not have well water (Beer Sheva and Yeruham do), Jerusalem has both. If you're born and raised with de-salinated water, your body is used to it—if not watch out!
Some years ago I had spent a night in Beer Sheva at a really nice small hotel that only cost me 110 Shekels. This time the hotel had been replaced by a new one and a single, the cheapest room, was nearly 500 Shekels. However, across the street was another one so stayed there but it cost me 270 Shekels a night.
Behind the hotel was a large sort of courtyard and it had quite a history. Way back, during the Ottoman Empire, these two Jewish guys opened a flour mill and even had a small synagogue there for the locals. Now the walls have mostly been covered over and some tin roofed buildings also exist. This is the old town of Beer Sheva and a lot of it is quite run down.
I had wanted to do something, but did not know exactly where it was so asked. I ended up walking round in circles for nearly 12 kilometers, this was worse than England. Dear Israel, the stinking Mandate is over: the English screw up everything and where they touch, so you can stop thinking like them. Nearly everything I did there was a complete washout. The same happened with a visit to Yeruham and a day in Jerusalem. The time was nothing but chaos, so I gave up and went to Tel Aviv and booked a flight back to London which left in four hours.
I had been back in London for a few days when the war started. Now I understand the chaotic time. I had no peace only the desire to get out as soon as possible. On my old blog the strapline was: "The adventure begins when the unplanned starts". The unplanned happened!
When I landed at Ben Gurion Airport some days previously, I asked for my water bottle to be filled up. The gal at the counter took it to a sink and put water in it—not the thing to do in the Tel Aviv area. Their water is de-salinated and I ended up, in less than 24 hours, with severe diarrhoea. So be warned, drink only bottled water anywhere in Israel that does not have well water (Beer Sheva and Yeruham do), Jerusalem has both. If you're born and raised with de-salinated water, your body is used to it—if not watch out!
Some years ago I had spent a night in Beer Sheva at a really nice small hotel that only cost me 110 Shekels. This time the hotel had been replaced by a new one and a single, the cheapest room, was nearly 500 Shekels. However, across the street was another one so stayed there but it cost me 270 Shekels a night.
Notice the old part of the wall with the stones.
Behind the hotel was a large sort of courtyard and it had quite a history. Way back, during the Ottoman Empire, these two Jewish guys opened a flour mill and even had a small synagogue there for the locals. Now the walls have mostly been covered over and some tin roofed buildings also exist. This is the old town of Beer Sheva and a lot of it is quite run down.
I had wanted to do something, but did not know exactly where it was so asked. I ended up walking round in circles for nearly 12 kilometers, this was worse than England. Dear Israel, the stinking Mandate is over: the English screw up everything and where they touch, so you can stop thinking like them. Nearly everything I did there was a complete washout. The same happened with a visit to Yeruham and a day in Jerusalem. The time was nothing but chaos, so I gave up and went to Tel Aviv and booked a flight back to London which left in four hours.
I had been back in London for a few days when the war started. Now I understand the chaotic time. I had no peace only the desire to get out as soon as possible. On my old blog the strapline was: "The adventure begins when the unplanned starts". The unplanned happened!
Glad I left before the war.
Nov 19, 2023
More posts from: On the road
Back in Tangier again Winter on the edge of the Sahara Thirteen Years The ruins Macedonian mess Orkoien Barasoain Beriain old town Etxauri Pamplona's parks San Fermin 2024 Charf Castletown Asilah Ksar es Seghir On the hill Tanja Kasbah A time in Tanja Beer Sheva disaster Local trips from Pamplona Pamplona in the Fall Visit to the Negev First time in Jerusalem