Middle East - Anthony Ham [271]
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BOOKS
Of course, if you want the ultimate companion to make sense of those most evocative of names – Sodom, Galilee, Bethlehem, or the Mount of Olives – simply lug along a copy of the Bible (Jewish or Christian) on your travels, and match the passages to the places on long-distance bus journeys. The Qu’ran, too, illuminates Jerusalem and the Holy Land environs.
For something more contemporary, a recommended duo, to get a lyrical perspective on life in both regions, are two autobiographies: A Tale of Love and Darkness (2005) by Amos Oz, and Out of Place: A Memoir (2000) by acclaimed Palestinian author, theorist and scholar, Edward Said.
A broader perspective on the region can be had if you’re willing to wade through the War and Peace–like (without, sadly, much peace) tome, The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East (2007) by stalwart journalist Robert Fisk. A more humorous, though historically questionable, account of the Holy Land can be had by dipping into Mark Twain’s 1871 The Innocents Abroad, describing the bumpy, grumpy journey to Jerusalem and beyond.
And if you’re interested in the everyday lives of West Bank Palestinians (and their zoo animals), this author’s recent nonfiction novel The Zoo on the Road to Nablus (2008) makes (so I’m told) a very entertaining read.
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BUSINESS HOURS
Israeli shopping hours are around 9am to 6pm (or later, especially in Tel Aviv) Sunday to Thursday, and 9am to 3pm Friday, with some places opening up after sundown on Saturday.
Banks are largely open from 8.30am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 5.30pm on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday; from 8.30am to 12.30pm on Monday and Thursday, and from 8.30am to noon on Friday. Some large city branches stay open all day, without the break for lunch, from Sunday to Thursday.
Post offices open from 8am to 6pm Sunday to Thursday, and 8am to noon on Friday; smaller branches may close for a couple of hours at lunchtime.
Bear in mind that in most parts of Israel (Tel Aviv not included), things grind to a halt during Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, which starts at sundown on Friday and ends one hour after sundown on Saturday. In Jerusalem and most other parts of the country, businesses close down around 3pm on Friday, and you might even have trouble locating dinner or a working ATM in observant areas. Public transport, too, ceases or is severely limited.
In largely secular Tel Aviv, Friday night is the biggest night out of the week, and Saturdays see scores of café-goers and diners hitting the pavement and beach cafés (most shops, though, do remain closed until Saturday sundown).
In predominantly Muslim areas – East Jerusalem, Akko, Jaffa, the West Bank and Gaza – businesses are closed all day Friday but remain open on Saturday. Christian-owned businesses (concentrated in Nazareth, Bethlehem and the Armenian and Christian Quarters of Jerusalem’s Old City) are closed on Sunday.
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CHILDREN
Travel in Israel and the Palestinian Territories is a breeze for children: the food’s good, the distances are short and the natives are incredibly friendly. Baby food, powdered milk and nappies are readily available in shopping centres, and you’ll find numerous helpful pharmacists able to tackle any minor health issues that might occur from life on the road.
One of the biggest drawcards for those with kids is inevitably Israel’s beaches, which are usually clean, well-equipped with cafés and even playgrounds, and great for a paddle, a sandcastle or a swim. You’ll notice that, unlike in much of Western Europe, local parents feel free