SUNDAY JULY 10

I was told things should be back to normal on Sunday in Tel Aviv as Shabbat is over. One would not notice the religious day's off on Friday after sundown until all day Saturday as Israelis were all over the beaches.

As I am wide awoke at 2:30am Sunday morning I thought I would jot down what I saw and did yesterday. Temperature outside is 25C as things appear to be calm in the streets below my hotel's balcony. The beaches are empty that I can actually see the waves gently rolling to shore. This is more enjoyable temperature but it won't stay like this when the Meriterrannean sun starts to come alive in a few hours.

I had a great walk around town last night. Strolled along Allenby St, taking in the sights and smell of the busy street. I quickly became familiar with the surrounding as it reminds me of the streets in Saigon. The streets are small, and lined with large trees on both sides. I also recognized similar tropical trees that I saw in Vietnam. But what really brought me back was the use of car horns. I hear the constant honking all the time on every street. This is how people move an communicate in a crowded city. But Tel Aviv has more cars / mopeds ratio than in Saigon. But I can draw similarities from the two cities,

I also noticed Israelis are very aggressive in living and very proud people of who they are - Jewish. There are Israeli flag display everywhere in the streets. There are shops everywhere from batteries to jewelleries to shoes to travel agents ... you name it they have it, randomely on the same street.

Tel Aviv is an old city with residential mixed in with commercial on every main street. Graffities are common here on buildings and billboards. However, Tel Aviv is also a new city as constructions are popping up everywhere to join the already built modern high rises such as the Azrieli Mall and Sarona Centre.

Leading up to this trip I did quite a bit of research on Google Maps to help me navigate myself in Tel Aviv. Now that I am here everything seems very surreal. Some of the buildings that relating to work seem smaller or much different once I seem them live.

I'll take more pictures today as I head out again this morning.