Как мы ездили в Израиль How we traveled to Israel

I will not say that we really wanted to go to Israel. We just came to the travel agency and said - we want to go where a visa is not needed. In addition to Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt, where we have been more than once, there was only Israel.
So we went. Immediately upon arrival, we got into an adventure: they don’t give out suitcases! It turned out to be a movers' strike. Everyone was given papers in English - come tomorrow with tickets and get it. But the Israelis who were flying with us said - don't leave, you have to wait - there will be a large crowd - they will give it back, they won't go anywhere! It’s good for them - they are at home, they can wait. And we go to a hotel on the Dead Sea. The driver is waiting for us - or is he not waiting anymore? It's been 3 hours since landing. In short, after 4 hours of waiting, we received our suitcases, went out to the welcoming hall - people like in the market - and then a guy with our last name on a poster - hello, I'm from Taxi Gold, I'm waiting for you. Our mood is a complete zero, tired went to the parking lot. We smoked and went. The car is new and big. I sat in the back to sleep. The husband is in front with the driver. Word for word, we talked. Our driver, name is Slava, 20 years in Israel, questions poured in, how they live, how much and so on. The dream has passed. In short, we talked non-stop for 3 hours. It is interesting to talk with a compatriot, we learned about life in Israel more than in the next week. He spoke simply - without embellishment. That is good and that is bad. In general - everything is as it is. No propaganda. On the way, he took us to a restaurant for dinner. It was already around midnight, everything in the hotel was already closed. We tried the national dish - lafa (flat cake) with fried turkey and salads. Class. Israeli beer - Macabi. I recommend. Softer than the Baltic.
We arrived at the hotel at midnight. The room is normal - exactly as in the photos. Staff - Russian-speaking - all our former. The water is black, mirror-like, reflecting thousands of lights - hotels are illuminated, palm trees in lights, flowers, warm and calm. In general - a night Paradise. We said goodbye to our driver. They wanted to take him on an excursion to Jerusalem, but he was busy on our free day. We went on a bus tour. But this is not like an individual trip with your own driver and guide. So it's worth taking a driver - if you want to watch and listen without someone lingering in the toilet, or getting lost in the supermarket, or filling the tour guide's tanks with stupid questions.

The week flew by in an instant. Israel is something else. Not Turkey and not Cyprus. The country is eastern but high-tech. The infrastructure is all advanced - from the airport to the lost bodies. a pay phone in the desert from which you can call home. Or vice versa. From St. Petersburg - directly to the same machine. Roads are awesome. Wider than in Germany. At night, illuminated. Marking - "cat's eyes", Pointers and traffic lights - everything is large, conveniently located. What is especially nice - there are no our 3-hour traffic jams. In short, warm up for a week at +29 after our slush -
Alexandra and Sergei Peter.