Nyaralási tippekről a Kolozsvári Rádió magyar adásában

Soldiers everywhere…

Mihály István, köszönjük szépen a lehetőséget, hogy tegnap a palesztinai élményekről, kalandokról beszélhettünk az általad vezetett műsorban. Egyelőre egy-két nyaralási tippet adtunk a (jóval) 2 ezer lej alatt keresőknek… 🙂 Tippjeink itt hallgathatók meg.

Reklámok

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Palesztináról Bibivel ma a Kolozsvári Rádió magyar adásában

After visiting the Jewish cemetery in the settlement, we came upon this scene. A Jewish and a Palestinian man talking/arguing about something. Two IDF soldiers assisted. We went into the shop very close by. The soldiers looked amazed: why would to Jews buy from the Arabs. The Palestinians were also very surprised, but they served us without any problem…

Mihály István, a címben szereplő médiaintézmény szerkesztő-műsorvezetőjének meghívására a ZeneTerefere című műsorban Palesztináról mesélünk. Részletek itt.

A következő kérdésekre válaszolunk majd:

1. Mit írt házigazdánk, Mo vécéje fölött Hebronban?
2. Milyen közel kerültünk Jézus megkeresztelkedési helyéhez?
3. Miért kísért bennünket izraeli katona Hebronban?
4. Hánykor kell felkelnie az Essla kisfaluban lakó palesztin földművelőnek, ahhoz, hogy a földjét kettészelő izraeli katonai utat őrző katonák át- és visszaengedjék?
5. Mi volt a legnagyobb csalódás Jerikóban?
6. Milyen a fal Kelet-Jeruzsálemben és Betlehemben?
7. Mitől félt a házigazdánk Rammalahban?
8. Mi Qalqilya érdekessége?
9. Milyen érzésekkel haladtunk át a Qalandiya ellenőrzőponton?
10. Melyek voltak a legveszélyesebb helyzetek?

Egyáltalán: mi a fenét kerestünk mi egy olyan veszélyesnek tartott helyen, mint Palesztina?

We wondered around for a long time when we reached a dead end. A surreal scene: two Israeli soldiers at the end of the street with an iron gate behind their backs. An Arab boy selling falafel. In the middle of nowhere. Curious eyes gazed at us from the buildings – mostly children. I approached the soldiers, telling them we want to enter the mos… the church, but we cannot find the main entrance, the others are all closed. I also told them that at a nearby checkpoint their colleague asked if we’re Jews, we said no, but we are Christians, so he said yes, we can enter, and indicated the general direction where to get in, but we are unable to locate it. One of them said, he can accompany us. I felt very uneasy: going back to the Arab merchants with an Israeli soldier makes us automatically Jews, but we told them we’re from Hungary and Romania. We traveled with these passports, we didn’t want to elaborate about our ethnical background and how come we’re both Hungarians from Romania, we travel with different travel documents… What if the soldier is attacked by some Arabs, and we’ll be prosecuted for “luring” him into the danger zone. At each corner he looked left, then right and advanced only then. After asking some Arabs where the entrance is, and them telling him it’s the one we’ve already been to, but it’s closed, her said he has to return to his colleague. An eerie silence followed. More Palestinians gathered around us. He left. We quickly did the same. The Palestinians looked at us with suspicion

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ÉLMÉNYBESZÁMOLÓ – Golyók, kövek és vízcseppek között, Palesztinában

Hebron. After visiting the Jewish cemetery in the settlement, we came upon this scene. A Jewish and a Palestinian man talking/arguing about something. Two IDF soldiers assisted. We went into the shop very close by. The soldiers looked amazed: why would two Jews buy from the Arabs. The Palestinians were also very surprised, but they served us without any problem…

Palesztina életre szóló élményt jelentett. Egyrészt kíváncsi voltam az érem másik oldalára (2013-ban voltam Izraelben), a történelmi és a hírekben szereplő helyeket akartam meglátogatni.

Sikerült.

Szerencsére a Wizz Air légitársaságnak és a több hónappal korábbi jegyfoglalásnak köszönhetően a menettérti ár 303 lej, azaz 65 euró volt, s lévén, hogy kezdetben Sameh családjánál, majd a Kanapészörfölők, illetve ismerősök segítségével oldottuk meg a szállást, a 10 napos ott tartózkodás összköltségvetése 600 lej körül mozog (+/- 50 lej).

A költségeknek a minimálisra csökkentése mellett az otthonokban történt elszállásolásnak két hatalmas előnye és hozadéka van: a helyi ember szemével látod a helyzetet, illetve a közös élmények összekovácsolják az utazót és a házigazdát. Ez pedig maradandó élményt, emlékeket eredményez. Így szeretek utazni.

We wondered around for a long time when we reached a dead end. A surreal scene: two Israeli soldiers at the end of the street with an iron gate behind their backs. An Arab boy selling falafel. In the middle of nowhere. Curious eyes gazed at us from the buildings – mostly children. I approached the soldiers, telling them we want to enter the mos… the church, but we cannot find the main entrance, the others are all closed. I also told them that at a nearby checkpoint their colleague asked if we’re Jews, we said no, but we are Christians, so he said yes, we can enter, and indicated the general direction where to get in, but we are unable to locate it. One of them said, he can accompany us. I felt very uneasy: going back to the Arab merchants with an Israeli soldier makes us automatically Jews, but we told them we’re from Hungary and Romania. We traveled with these passports, we didn’t want to elaborate about our ethnic background and how come we’re both Hungarians from Romania, we travel with different travel documents… What if the soldier is attacked by some Arabs, and we’ll be prosecuted for “luring” him into the danger zone. At each corner he looked left, then right and advanced only then. After asking some Arabs where the entrance is, and them telling him it’s the one we’ve already been to, but it’s closed, her said he has to return to his colleague. An eerie silence followed. More Palestinians gathered around us. He left. We quickly did the same. The Palestinians looked at us with suspicion

Az utazó más, mint a turista, szerintem. Előbbi mélyrehatóan meg akarja ismerni a meglátogatott helyet, előre tájékozódik annak történelméről, a sajátosságokról, a turista elsősorban csak épületeket néz, kényelemre vágyik, szállodában/panzióban száll meg, nemigen kerül kapcsolatba a helyiekkel.

*****

A Szabadságban két részben jelent meg a palesztinai élménybeszámoló:

Golyók, kövek és vízcseppek között, Palesztinában (I.)

Golyók, kövek és vízcseppek között, Palesztinában (II.)

*****

A blogomon angol nyelven megjelent bejegyzések ide kattintva olvashatók.

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VIDEOS – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops

Here are some relevant videos from Palestine…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 5 – Daytrip to Jericho)

Jericho was on my list from the beginning of the trip: we spent a day there…

Please click on the first picture!

We traveled by bus from Ramallah to Jericho: it was only 17 shekels (4 euros) per person. From the center of Jericho we paid 15 shekels (3,50 euros) for the shared taxi until the base of the mountain. Of course, we climbed it…

After being baptized by John the Baptist Jesus retreated to the wilderness to meditate and fast, the mountain on which Jesus is believed to have spent the 40 days and 40 nights of spiritual contemplation is called the Mount of Temptation

Bibi and Jericho…

Near the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Temptation

Near the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Temptation

On the way down from the Mount of Temptation we met some pacifists…

Looking for Jesus…

Irresistable

Some petting. But not that kind

Locomotion

Extremely disappointing visit to the Hisham’s Palace. We didn’t see the wonderful The “Tree of Life” mosaic in the audience room of the bath house – it was being restored. Also, a wonderful, 7 million pieces mosaic…:( Bibi is pictured with an ornament from the former palace. Close to thos location we saw the Tell es-Sultan, a defensive or flood protection wall suggested to date to approximately 8000 before Christ. The Wall of Jericho is the oldest city wall discovered by archaeologists anywhere in the world

Back in Ramallah

Short visit to the Catholic church in Ramallah

Why can’t they clean the streets in Ramallah?!

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PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 3 and 4 – Ramallah and Yasser Arafat)

Why bullets, stones and water drops?

Bullets because, unfortunately, a lot of them are flying in Palestine and the Gaza Strip. They symbolize aggression, occupation, death, injuries, mourning. Stones because it is a form of resistance, retaliation and civic unrest. Why water drops? Wait until we reach Hebron…

Until then, please click on the first picture for the story to be unfolded.

On Thursday, March 29 we left the safety and comfort of the Muhammad family and traveled by taxi (cheap) to Qalqilia and then a minivan (shared bus) to Ramallah

The bus station in Qalqilia

Selling everything and anything near the bus station if Qalqilia

Arrival to Ramallah: things to see

Many young people are unemployed and they are just hanging out on the streets of Ramallah

Street in Ramallah, Palestine

We arrived to our host, Omar, and went out a bit in the evening…

On Friday, March 30, Land Day (an annual day of commemoration for Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians of the events of that date in 1976 in Israel) we went to the Yasser Arafat museum in Ramallah. Seeing what they went through: what a tragic faith for the Palestinians!

A Western lady in the Yasser Arafat Museum

The room in the Mukataa (is an Arabic word for headquarters or administrative center) where meetings were held during the several months siege…

They feel good in the streets of Ramallah

Also, during the day

Not enough place for the field, no problem, there’s some in front of the greek catholic church

Opinions

In the evening we went to the separation wall near Ramallah

It was very close to a refugee camp and our hosts told us that being close to Kalandia didn’t made them feel secure…

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PHOTO REPORT – Palestine – Bullets, stones and water drops (Day 1 – Why Palestine? Getting to the West Bank)

Conscription exists for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18. Arab citizens of Israel are not conscripted. We saw many soldiers, everywhere… Of some seen on the streets of Tel Aviv and elsewhere we thought that they are definitely not 18, but, most probably, they were…

If I recall well, it’s the first time I have to censor myself. I cannot write everything I think and feel about our 10-day visit to Palestine. I have to be cautious. The situation in the Middle East and especially in Israel, Palestine and the Gaza Strip is so tense, that whatever one writes, from least one side, accusations, acid remarks will start flying.  Therefore I’ll be extremely cautious. Please understand. I’ll try to tell more during private discussions.

According to The Times of Israel around 6 thousand construction workers help Israel to build, build, build…

I wanted to visit Palestine for a very long time: I was extremely curious of how people live, what they think, how much they earn, get a glimpse into their daily lives, experience the crossing of the various checkpoints, see the refugee camps, talk with the Jewish settlers and maybe the soldiers. During my visit to Palestine (March 27-April 5, 2018) I the success rate was around 90%…

How did it all start?

I simply needed a breakthrough. It came during my unauthorized access to a Turkish military area in Famagusta/Varosha (ghost town), Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (a de facto no man’s land only recognized by Turkey). During the most difficult period of my life (tried by a civilian and then a military court, convicted and expelled) I was helped by… two Palestinians. Thanks to my girlfriend, Bianka, who found him on the platform, Sameh Muhammad hosted me for over a week me through CouchSurfing between the military court hearing. He and his flat mates/friends from countries that are regarded by the international community as failing, failed or terrorist states kept my profession secret from the authorities, even though they could have decided to turn me in and be rewarded in various ways.

The first gates exiting the central railway station in Tel Aviv

Sameh was my breakthrough. He was organizing our trip to Palestine from… South Africa.

We bought the Wizz Air ticket as early as December 2017: we paid 303 lei (65 euros) for it.

The flight was in the early hours of March 27, 2018 – we only slept 3 hours prior to departure. We tried to sleep during captain Del Bufalo Manfredi and his team maneuvered the aircraft through the clouds and rising sunshine.  Bibi wore red tanga for luck. Both our socks had holes in them. For luck, of course. The tactic paid off: no delay, smooth landing and entry to Israel – we were prepared to encounter difficulties, rough and tough, down and dirty, because we were headed to Palestine, our destination. What if they would have found out that we want to visit Qalqilya, Nablus, Jenin and the refugee camp next to it, Ramallah, Jericho, Bethlehem, Hebron and East Jerusalem? Would they allow us in? We put up the stupid tourist face, and I strongly think that because of this only two simple questions were asked: purpose of visit and length of stay.

Halleluiah, we were in!

Let the rest be told by these pictures. Click on the first one, please!

Early hours of March 27, 2018, at the Cluj International Airport: Wild and rough…

We only slept 3 hours prior to departure, so we made up for it during the 3 hours flight

Orthodox Jews keep a special hat in it

The Israeli passport stamp used to be a question many visitors asked. Today, that question might still be asked but the answer is simple – the Israeli passport stamp is no more, border officials give you an entry visa automatically on a piece of paper. No more stamps in passports (although if you really want one, they might let you!) I asked for one and got it during our tour of Israel in 2013… Whilst many Arab countries who do not recognize Israel will not allow entry to anybody who has an Israeli passport stamp, the Israeli authorities are sympathetic to the fact that many people do wish to travel around the world and since early 2013, most visitors to Israel don’t have their passports stamped… by default!

We’re in!

Bibi wanted to touch the Mediterranean Sea, so took a train from the Ben Gurion International Airport till the center of Tel Aviv

The first gates…

According to The Times of Israel around 6 thousand construction workers help Israel to build, build, build

Conscription exists in Israel for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18. Arab citizens of Israel are not conscripted. We saw many soldiers, everywhere… Of some we thought they are definitely not 18, but, most probably, they were…

How much and for how long?

Saving the planet

We walked a bit, took a bus from the central railway station in Tel Aviv, and there is was: the beach

Enjoy the sun

Fat and fit?

Let me touch the Mediterranean Sea…

🙂

Bograshov Beach

Kippah ready to be deployed

High temperature…

We arrived to Kfar Saba by train. We were to meet David Marian (Adi), a Romanian construction worker at a mall that only Jews and foreigners have access to. Street art in the streets of Kfar Saba, Israel

Adi took us to meet Sameh’s father, Muhammed. We drove a bit and then separated: he had to go through an Israeli checkpoint for Arabs. We didn’t. We drove by one designated for those cars which have Israeli number plates

We were hosted by the Muhammad family in the village of Essla in Palestine (West Bank). Warm welcome, great hospitality. It really felt like home. It is not a journalistic exaggeration!

In the evening we went on a stroll. There was a beam of light next to the house. Children were playing with a ball. Ours are playing computer games between four walls…

Our room

Ready for school? 🙂

Raneem, the smallest girl of the Muhammad family

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