In a trance on the beach

June 17, 2009 - 8:59 AM by

tentWhen Israelis go camping, they tend to keep things as close to home life as possible. Meaning they’re right on top of you.

I try to go camping on the beach with my kids at least once a year, and last weekend we packed up the tent and mangal and headed to Palmachim beach, just south of Rishon Leziyon with two other dads and kids (for an inexplicable reason, some wives prefer to stay in the solitude of a lone house rather than with their family in a cramped tent).

Palmachim is an ideal destination because there’s a spacious grass/dirt area just a few yards away from the beach, enabling you to pitch a tent and cook without sand getting everywhere, but still close to run right in the Mediterranean whenever you want. As a bonus, the entrance fee is only NIS 20 per car (about $5 for a weekend in the sun).

One of the families with us knew the drill from previous excursions, but the other family, veterans of numerous camping trips in their native US, were making their first foray into the sport of Israeli camping. There are differences.

First of all, you need to have certain expectations, or more specifically, lack of them. Don’t expect to get any sleep – if you think you’re going to have a restful night, stay at home.
There are no ‘norms’ about shutting off the music and turning in at midnight. There are parties all night, and it’s not just boom boxes.

Israelis bring sound systems on their camping trips, booming PAs that can simulate a high speed drill or a jackhammer. On the plus side, you can look at it as a sociological experience. Camping in Israel provides a microcosm into Israeli society like no other.

Down on the beach, there was typical rave, with droning, pounding noise disguised as music, and a dozen ecstatic 20-somethings undoubtedly spurred on by some ‘ecstacy’ of their own. Unfortunately, they didn’t pass any around to the rest of us.

But no matter, because over 30 yards or so in the grove of trees near the public bathrooms was a group of also 20-something Ethiopian Israelis camping and they were playing native music at equally ear splitting levels and dancing in an exotic, sensual manner – men and women inches from each other in a hypnotizing form of chicken dance. We couldn’t take our eyes off them. That is, until a group of boisterous campers from Georgia (the country, not the US state) began doing their own ethnic dances and songs.

By around 2 am, our third family couldn’t take it any more and packed their stuff and went home. The dad had enough of the noise, the smoke from other grills wafting into his tent, the proximity of the other campers – in short the Israeli camping experience.

But I wasn’t perturbed at all by the shenanigans around me. I had gone for a moonlight midnight swim in the balmy sea with my children. We laughed, jumped on each other, and hugged, untethered by schedules, computers, TV, work and school. I didn’t hear a thing.

Tags: , , , , • Category: A New Reality, coexistence, General, Holidays, Israeliness, Life, Travel 

Comments

4 Comments on In a trance on the beach

  1. Diane in Maine on Wed, Jun 17th 2009 7:42 PM

    2. I think this qualifies as a “happening”- and you just happened to be staying in a tent! Sounds like quite the experience- what did the kids think?

  2. lirun on Sat, Jun 20th 2009 11:16 AM

    3. its good that you can find ways to cope with living amongst us primitive natives.. also try safari helmets and puffy khaki shorts.. a british accent helps as well..

  3. lirun on Sat, Jun 20th 2009 11:26 AM

    4. seriously – i find it outrageous.. that people can come and live here.. after spending a life time of being called “a [insert your nasty adjective of choice] jew”.. ordain themselves “anglosaxons” like its either a good and/or a true thing and prance around the country playing spot the israeli.. like receiving an immigration package and the natural benefits of an employment market that appreciates native english speakers isnt enough for this country to at least earn the right to count such people as “israelis” too..

    and like they cant pick up their fancy little passports and head back to wherever it is that produced such compulsively separatist people anyway.. who were so used to living in a fringe and condescending “JEWISH” community that they have imported this mentality with them and chosen this lifestyle here over embracing the warmth and happiness that comes with music and closeness and a festive culture..

    the author of this post may in fact be nothing like the prototype janglo (as they fondly refer themselves) that i have described – but the words ring those of a true specimen..

  4. David on Mon, Jun 22nd 2009 9:02 AM

    5. huh?

Leave a Comment





© 2012 ISRAELITY | Sitemap