the shuk

Finally, a photo! My camera is back up and running but I still don't have a good way to transfer photos, so this photo of the shuk I stole from Flickr will have to do for now. I still have to take a photo of myself burned like a proper tourist from yesterday's incredible day at the beach.


Anyhow, after a quick run to school and the bank this morning (and 30 mins or so spent lost after boarding the wrong bus, duh!), we decided to play tourists again and spend the afternoon checking out the shuk -- the enormous farmers' / vendors' market that occupies (at least) two entire blocks of south Tel Aviv. I definitely know where I'll buy my fruits and vegetables from now on; everything looks so good and it's worth the extra hike just to soak in the atmosphere.

If I had lived at all in California, I might not be surprised that lots of different kinds of produce could all be grown in the same region. But being from a state that has a three-month growing season, I'm continually surprised at Israel's agricultural ability. Dates, figs, grapes, avocado, all kinds of citrus fruit, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, herbs, spices -- all grow eagerly with (relatively) little encouragement. Keren's parents have an avocado grove behind their house, along with a couple of wild pomegranate and lime trees. It's not uncommon to walk past a producing fruit tree planted in the median of a road, or growing semi-wild on campus. Wild grapes grow in the alleys of old-town Jaffa. I think by the time I make it back to the States I'll be surprised that anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line is habitable at all.

Tonight we make up for all our touristy activities. We plan to spend the evening doing what many locals do: hanging out on the long boardwalk near the river, people watching and nursing a bottle of beer. Tomorrow we move in to our new place (!), so it might be a few days before I post again (it'll take me that long to either make it back up to school or find a nearby wired cafe). Hopefully by then I'll be ready to post pics, too. Love to all! xoxox