October 1, 2010

Last days I had the pleasure to listen some great mixes of The Model and DJ Hell. I listened their tracks and mixes for ten years already, but this night was... WOW! I have to admit that for years I haven’t heard such a good music in a club. It remembered me somehow of the good old times in Telly, I can’t forget Thursday Nights (the week-ends there were on Fridays/Saturdays) with that incredible exotic music.

I never had the time to tell something more about it so far, so better later than never to share some memories... At the end of Rothschild Boulevard there was once upon a time an underground place called "The Breakfast club". I'm using the past tense because the club was banned and closed in 2008, anyways, it was regarded as one of the hottest places in the nightlife scene of Tel Aviv, with loud electronic music, lots of alcohol, and a busy dance floor.

The party got started only at around 1:00-2:00, when most people were already in bed hugging their teddy bears, so the best solution was to come here late at night after having a couple of drinks elsewhere (became already a tradition). You could miss the sign outside, but it wouldn't have been hard to spot the place, thanks to a couple of bouncers standing outside and handling the crowd. At weekends it was a bit exhausting to try and make your way in, but if you dropped a couple of words in English it contributed to your efforts, as tourists were favored customers. Once you got in though, after the classic Israeli security check, the positive energies started to kick in.

The music was played by some of the finest DJ's in Tel Aviv, and was mostly underground electronic dance music of all styles. The incredible atmosphere was completed by the place itself: it looked like an industrial hall, The Matrix playing in the background with the image divided on lots of LCDs spread all over the club’s walls; only one wall had no LCD, but there were projected with a classic device Kubrick’s movies.

The dance floor was usually overcrowded with people, who were overcrowded with alcohol; the air was full of smoke, and the lighting really dark. A perfect combination of all the right elements which made this bar an all night sex oozing fiesta and one of the ideal spots to find a one-night stand. There was one more surprising attraction in this bar - the queue to the toilets. After a few beers no one can avoid a much needed trip to the lady's/men's room, where you'll usually find at least 20 people waiting in line (!). It might sound intimidating at first, but with the music not so loud and the people not so sober, it always leaded to the funniest interactions. It was not rare to see couples that have just met going together into the booth and coming out with a big smile.

February 14, 2009

February 6, 2009

I love Fridays. After a good breakfast, it's time to watch the Sunset :)

January 24, 2009

Some people asked me how it is like the Israeli standard breakfast :) I had the camera with me, so here we go :D
Israeli standard breakfast consists in: 3 eggs your choice, crispy bacon, french fries, vegetable salad, 3 types of cheese, tuna salad, butter, chocolate cream, home made jam, tomato sauce & mayonnaise, 5 types of bread, 2 cold drinks your choice, 2 hot drinks your choice :D
This morning I was quite hungry after the desert trip, so I had after another steak with french fries. The waiter said after the second order: "well Sir, I could say that's the breakfast of the champions!" =))

January 23, 2009

In timpul pauzei de masa m-am uitat la forecast pe net sa vad cum e vremea prin desert noaptea. Prognoza era "clear skies" :D. Astia se pare ca nu mai dadeau cu pliciu', asa ca dupa ce am dat la birou clock-out, dupa cateva ore am ajuns adanc in desert.


Trebuie sa recunosc ca a privi noaptea cerul din desert este ceva incredibil si indescriptibil; stelele se vad superb, mai ceva ca la HD :P

Era deja foarte tarziu, masina era varza for some reason, fiind practic in the middle of nowhere am innoptat la o asezare de beduini, oameni ai desertului, traiesc in corturi, au camile samd. Faza a fost foarte tare, cainii nu mi-au facut nimic cand am intrat pe teritoriul lor, aveam de ales intre ei si coiotii de desert :))

Ma asteptam sa gasesc mai multi localnici pe acolo, probabil erau plecati cu d-ale lor, si ramasese numai Muhammad care se ocupa practic de toate: corturi, paza, camile, mancare etc. Erau si niste americani pe acolo care se ratacisera in desert, dar altfel oameni foarte de treaba si deschisi la minte, am stat pana aproape de zori la taclale cu ei. Dimineata Muhammad ne-a dat chiar si mic dejun. Zambetul fetei asteia din Chicago a disparut dupa ce m-am intrebat retoric cu voce tare daca Muhammad a facut clatitele inainte sau dupa ce s-a ocupat de curatenia din grajdul camilelor =))

Chiar mi se pusese pata odata sa ma dau cu camila. Mi-am zis ca cine stie cand mai apare ocazia asta, americanilor imediat le-a suras ideea, si dupa o scurta negociere la pret zis si facut :D Primele 30-40 de secunde sunt mai dificile pana te prinzi care e treaba cu echilibrul, dupa aceea e chiar relaxant.

Nu stiu de ce, dar la un moment dat m-am simtit ca in StarWars-urile de acum 20 de ani: landscape-ul era similar, animalul imi amintea de niste creaturi de acolo, iar omul si camila vorbeau pe limba lui Chewbacca =))

Dupa ceva timp am ajuns la o asezare a nabateenilor, Avdat. Este un oras care se afla pe antica "Spice Route", unde caravane cu camile transportau raritati precum ierburi, mirodenii si parfumuri din Peninsula Arabica catre portul Gaza de pe malul Mediteranei, unde faceau comert cu greci, romani samd... Nabateenii erau considerati "Lords of the Desert", controlau rutele de comert, parcurgeau sute de kilometri in desert pe trasee secrete stiute numai de ei, si detineau suprematia pentru ca aveau un mod ingenios de a pastra resursele de apa in plin desert, fara a fi dependenti de oaze. Aveau o disciplina impecabila, respectau desertul ca pe o adevarata divinitate si nu beau vin. De asemenea, bogatia lor era asigurata si de pastrarea secretului parfumurilor si elixirelor, considerate adevarate avutii in trecut, si le permiteau numai oamenii foarte bogati si inca un aspect interesant, in ritualurile religioase din trecut, fie ca erau la Atena, Roma, Ierusalim etc. se ardeau parfumuri ale nabateenilor. By the way, centrul nabateenilor era la Petra :)

In timp, nabateenii s-au stabilit in orase, au inceput sa bea vin. Credintele pagane au fost inlocuite treptat de crestinism, aici aflandu-se ruinele bisericii sudice.



In piata centrala a orasului se intampla ca profeti din desert sa vina si sa tina discursuri in fata nabateenilor...




La vreo ora de mers cu masina prin desert se afla o alta asezare a nabateenilor, Mamshit.



On the way back home, having a look at the Makhtesh ("crater") Ramon.

January 2, 2009