The Wonders Of Tel Aviv, Israel

One writer goes on an adventure in Tel Aviv, Israel, a city bursting with good food, rich culture, and interesting people.

- Julienne Raboca

“WHAT DO YOU DO?” asked airline security as I presented my passport at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, where I was transiting to Tel Aviv. “I’m a travel writer,” I said.

“Oh, really?” she said. “Do you have a company ID? Or a business card to prove that you are?” Security is tougher on flights to Israel, which comes as no surprise considering the constant state of war in the region. To get to the birthplace of Jesus, Natalie Portman, and Wonder Woman, I had to overshoot from Asia to Europe, then backtrack to the Middle East. One advantage we do have: Filipinos don’t need a visa to go to Israel because of the strong ties between the two countries, which date back to our open door policy to Jews fleeing the holocaust in the ‘30s. Although Israel is less than a hundred years old, its people clearly have a long memory.