It was a few years ago in November that we were thinking of a destination to visit, to top up our tan and soak up more sun before winter hit us. Hala went holiday hunting and returned home with a smile and said: "Hey Sis, I've a great idea for our autumn sun and exercise with Club Med at their resort in Eilat."
"Hala, you mean Eilat as in Israel?" I questioned.
"Yes. As you can be fussy, Linda at Club Med reassured me that the place has been newly refurbished and it'll be still warm at this time of year to swim comfortably." Hala was persistent.
"Then, brilliant darling. Let's do it." My mind can be so easily set with fresh ideas.
But I was not quite settled into the idea as we did not know anyone there. So, I went online to check out the resort. While doing so, the naughtiness took the better of me and I drifted the mouse to an online dating site for Israel. Oh Oh!
Going through a few profiles and photos, I made a selection and contacted a couple of guys who in turn got back. One was Haim in Eilat and the other Yuri in Tel Aviv.
Haim seemed to be simple, straightforward and 'nice'. Not quite one to stimulate the mind but pleasant enough to perhaps meet.
Chatting to Yuri, on the other hand, was fun and exciting. He was sharp. Here is how.
Texting to and fro.
Yuri: "Can you send a recent photo?"
Me: "Is it my body or my face you are after?"
Yuri: "Neither... It's your wit I'm after!"
Me: "Baby... That's not gonna come out in a photo!"
Yuri: "It's in the eyes."
Mmmm... I thought. Now this is up my valley.
Before taking off, our ongoing texting continued.
Yuri: "Are you getting ready?"
Me: "If u mean for u... No need to get... I am ready. But how do we meet when you are in Tel Aviv and I'm in Eilat?"
Yuri: "We'll sort something out."
Upon arrival at Ovda airport; a large warehouse-type of building, in the middle of the desert on the border with Egypt and Jordan, Hala and I were questioned by the customs for two and a half hours while other travellers made their way out. The same questions were asked over and over again by two big, tough young ladies followed by their chief, a harsh-looking older man with not a trace of a smile on his face, who came to us and said finally: "We were going to send you back but there are no more flights for today, so we shall let you in. We called you another taxi. But for now, you have to go and wait outside as we're closing the airport and all leaving now."
How gracious!
Grrrrreat... Thanks, buddy!
The sun was setting behind the hills. A mini-bus pulled outside the fenced area as we watched in disbelief, sitting on our suitcases in total bewilderment, as the staff left the vicinity. It was just Sis and I, on a hill, with miles of desertland around us and oh, with the border of Jordan in sight.
"If only our friends could see us now! We're mad." Hala said.
"Think they'll flip if they were here. Guess we're adventurous!" I smiled back.
Our waiting came to an end before darkness set upon us, and the taxi arrived. Phew.
It was a week of sun, swimming and... not very friendly faces! The only people we really connected with were the sweet girl serving at meal times who took in our friendliness and smile with a kind gesture of looking after us so well. And the older French couple with whom we had a few laughs over supper.
My first date was with Avi who arrived to pick us up at the ClubMed in a truck! Yep.
I had mentioned that I shall be accompanied by my sister as a chaperone.
He drove us to a bar in town and told us about his life in a Kibbutz. His life was based on agriculture. He had two kids with a partner but from what I gathered, they lived their lives individually as they pleased within the community. Interesting but certainly not my type. He drove us back to our domain and my goodbye felt more like, don't call me, I'll call you.
During the next few days, Yuri and I talked and texted until he was intrigued enough to fly down to Eilat for the afternoon just to meet me. Cool.
The Sunday midday arrived and I went to greet him at the entrance of the club. As I stood in my bikini and a wrap, my eyes covered by dark sunglasses, I noticed a tall, dark stranger standing by the guard with a polo shirt, dark trousers and a briefcase, looking across at me. You would think he had come for an office meeting, only by the sea. Well, he had. Just a different kind of meeting. It was an interesting rendezvous, to say the least.
At the end of the week, upon return home, at the Ovda airport, we were questioned yet again for two hours.
A younger girl who seemed sweeter than any other we had come in contact with in customs asked me: "How long have you lived in England?"
I answered with a smile: "Da'ling, I went there most probably long before you were born!"
She was becoming too friendly it seemed, so she was replaced by another girl for further questioning. Not enough... They kept asking whether we had met anyone or talked to anyone outside the ClubMed. Frankly, it was none of their business.
Finally, an older lady who must have been 'the chief' that day comes over to me, holding my British passport in her left hand, flicking it close to my face, she asks away:
"Have you been in touch with anyone here in Israel?" She asked abruptly.
As I caught Hala's stare, with a 'What are you gonna answer to this?' kind of look, without any hesitation, I answered:
"No."
"What were you doing in Lebanon six months ago?" She then asked.
Oooops... Had not taken into account that the Lebanese stamp on our passport could have been a problem! But it was the umph time this was being asked of me by the customs. What the heck.
So I answered in all honesty: "I was partying every night till morning. It was so much fun!"
The woman in charge turned a different page, she then asked: "Do you know what's happening in Israel?"
I was surprised and asked accordingly: "Is there anything happening in Israel? I just spent a week here, sure didn't seem like anything was going on!"
By now, the woman was looking at me with a look of 'Honey, you're not a blonde', (with all due respect to all the lovely blondes, just an expression), 'You're not 6 foot tall and neither are you skinny', so... 'what's wrong with you?'
So I continued: "Honestly... I don't watch the news, don't read newspapers, have no idea. I just love travelling."
Well, I made her smile as she handed me my passport and said: "It's ok. You can go."
Back in London, Yuri and I met a few other times on his business trips here. We always got on well and had a good laugh. On one trip, I went back to his room in one of London's top hotels and as we were getting cosy, I asked: "Now... Don't tell me you got a no-smoking room?!"
"Yes," he replied.
Then we got even cosier and I asked: "Do you happen to have any condoms?"
"No," he answered.
"So tell me, baby... Did they give you a special rate for a no-smoking, no-fucking room?" I said it.
That cracked Yuri up and we roared with laughter as I left the room.
Judge me all you want I say... I'm having a ball writing my memoirs. Thank you for the support of my amazing readers, friends and loving souls. When I get private mail from friends across the globe telling me how courageous I am writing so freely. I thank you for the depth of your understanding. Yes, my dear friends, it takes balls to be free.
Be Free.
Be Happy.
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