From Eilat To Tel Aviv

I must say that Eilat (or Elat) is one of the most interesting beach towns I have ever been to. If only it had gambling you could call it 'Jew Vegas' by the sea. I drove in two days ago from Jerusalem, passing the ever-shrinking Dead Sea. After 400 kilometers a group of giant hotels springs forth on the landscape and then you can see the biblically famous Red Sea.

As we neared the hotel, there were tons of signs for shopping, the IMAX theater shaped like a giant pyramid and more signs pointing the way to Egypt and Jordan. All of the hotels were in a giant row along the sea and it was difficult to get to ours. Staying at the Dan Eilat hotel was an experience to say the least. The design of the hotel was funky yet on Vegas-sized proportions. Multiple pools, waterslides and bars graced the landscape outside with the sea beyond. Inside there were several restaurants and lounges while an IT industry convention had booths set up all around the hotel.

Besides the look of the place, Eilat is a very laid back place and definitely not like Las Vegas in it's attitude. In Eilat, everything is bet-sedar (translation: it's okay). Hotel loses your car keys, it's bet-sedar. Something doesn't work quite right in your room? It's bet-sedar. And if you don't mind relaxing for a few days, then that is bet-sedar. The funniest thing is that you have this very 'chill' atmosphere where you can literally look left and see Aqaba, Jordan on the left and Egypt on the right. Those two countries were dedicated to war against Israel for so long and now have peace with the tiny Jewish state that has a few kilometers of beachfront on the Red Sea.

Now I am in Tel Aviv, 300 kilometers and another world from Eilat. Tel Aviv moves at a much higher pace with hundreds of thousands of cars that zip through many twisting and narrow streets. Sitting here looking down at the Mediterranean Sea to my left and the coastline to my right, I find it amazing that there is an incredible amount of different attitudes, looks and energies in this country that is about the size of New Jersey.