Stressful morning taking the taxi from the hotel to the central bus station. Unfriendly receptionist. Extremely rude taxi driver: extra fee for the luggage, extra fee for ‘hotel reservation’… as a tourist in Tel Aviv one has to pay extra fees for the air one breathes… air in the taxi is an extra 20 Shekels, air in the bus station is a bit cheaper it is just 10 Shekels, but one does have to pay 1 shekel to use the turnstile that leads to the bathroom, if you happen to travel with a big luggage then you are in trouble, as the luggage cannot pass through the turnstile. My big luggage and extremely weak urinary bladder combined with tight turnstile that one must pass through to go to the restroom made me miss my bus to Jerusalem, luckily the next one is in half an hour.
I am patiently waiting for the next bus. The same landscape as in the central train station, green uniforms and black machine guns. I have asked the lady next to me if she is from Jerusalem and if she knows 'Salah Eid Ein Street'. There is where my accommodation is located. She did not seem to understand the name of the street. I showed her the piece of paper with the address. ‘Oh, it is on the same road with American Colony. It is in the Arab neighbourhood’, her face showed a bit of discomfort and reticence, but she was friendly enough to answer my questions. My experience with people in train/bus stations has been positive, helpful and friendly people. Those working behind a counter are the most impolite and unfriendly people I have ever met in my whole life.
* I wrote this entry in my diary on July 17th.
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