It's chilly, the wind is cool and crisp. I am sitting on a bench in the park just across Dan Panorama Hotel, the conference venue, overlooking the Mediterranean. I am trying to peel off my own feelings about Tel Aviv. I do not feel anything extra-ordinary or out-of the ordinary regarding this city. There is much talk regarding security procedures at border checkpoints. I have not noticed anything special when entering Israel. I was a bit afraid of the the much talked & extra strict procedures, thus I did not dare ask the border policeman not to stamp my passport, but stamp a separate sheet of paper, as I have heard is the practice for those wanting to travel extensively in the Middle East. I just did not feel like confronting him. After approximately 40 hours of flying the only thing I wanted was to quickly reach the hotel room. The border policeman did ask few detailed questions regarding the purpose of my visit as well as my planned whereabouts in Israel. I was asked if I was planning to visit the West Bank, I lied, I said no even though I had already booked my trips to the West Bank (Bethlehem, Ramallah and so on). It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if I had told him about my plans to visit the Palestinian Territories. I decided to play it smart, to play the same game he did.
* I wrote this entry in my diary on July 12, in the evening.
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