Day 2 - Part 5

Lunchtime.  I thought we would never get to it.  

By the way, it is disclaimer time.  Anything I say here is NOT meant to offend or belittle or criticize. What I am trying to convey is this one American's experience in a culture far different from his own.  There are always emotional and cultural surprises that a person experiences at times like this.  It is not to say one way is right and the other is wrong.  We all have preferences and comfort zones.  I am trying to share my perspective with you, dear reader.  So if anything sounds disrespectful, I am really not intending to do so.  I am sure that the reverse would be true if people of these differing cultures were to experience my world, they would find their preferences unsatisfied often.  So, in the spirit of good fun....

Leaving the monastery on Mt. Carmel, we drive down the steep grade to a little Druze community.  The Druze are interesting people group.  They are not Israeli, they are not Palestinian, or Arab.  They form exclusive communities that others are not allowed to live in, although others are allowed to trade and shop.  The men wear funny hats, kind of reminds me of what the Shriners wear, I think it is known as a "fez".  They are bound together by a mysterious religion that is not shared outside their community that is neither strictly Islamic, Jewish or Christian.  They seem to not bother anyone which is probably not difficult when you live sequestered for the most part from other people.  

Whatever it is they do, they seem to be successful and their communities are relatively clean their homes are for the most part upscale, and they seem to drive nice cars.  We are soon to learn one of their secrets to their "success".  

So, we are instructed in our buses about lunch.  "The menu today is "schnitzel" and "falafel" (I am told by a friend, "falafel rhymes with 'awful'". Obviously he is not a fan.)  I inquire about the schnitzel.  I am thinking it sounds like a German sausage, but in a Druze community?  The answer is that it is either chicken or beef pounded very thin, breaded and then deep fried.  Deep fried? I think...even sawdust would be edible deep fried.  Oh, and the cost of lunch is $10 American.  Drinks are extra.  Not bad, I think to myself.  Since falafel rhymes with awful, I am opting for the deep fried schnitzel.  I don't know at this point that falafel is also deep fried, that would have put me in a dilemma.  What I REALLY want is a bagel with cream cheese and maybe some lox.  No such luck.

So JoLynn and I "debus".  Lunch is about the only time JoLynn and I see each other during the day except during the bus rides from one place to the other.  JoLynn has her inner Indiana Jones going at full tilt at all the sites we encounter.  She is getting 2500 pictures to my 500, really.  But we do get together at lunch because I am buying.  We get in a very long line as our four fully loaded buses unload all at the same time.  In this case, it was an advantage, other than having to stand in the hot sun a little longer.  So as we are waiting, the word travels down the line, "they are charging us $12 for lunch!  What's the deal?"  Finally, our Israeli guides go in to speak with the proprietors.  Oh, there must have been some kind of understanding...lunch will be $10 after all.  

This sort of thing happens all the time in foreign countries I find.  I don't think it is dishonest per say, at least in the way we think of dishonest, I think they just charge what they think the market will bear.  Pragmatic capitalism.  There is also the language barrier and the awkwardness of calling someone on the difference.  I at least am always mindful that I am the minority here and sometimes feel the fact that we are "tolerated" because we bring our tourist dollars to spend.  Maybe I feel that way because of the silent staring eyes wherever we go.  If it was me, I'd just pay the extra $2 and move on.  Maybe there was a sudden shortage of falafel and the price went up since the quote was given.  You never know.  (Actually, I DON'T think there was a shortage of falafel - it is sort of like God, it is EVERYWHERE!   A shortage of schnitzel maybe, but not falafel.)

So, JoLynn and I finally get to the front of the line.  JoLynn opts for the falafel which I observe looks suspiciously like deep fried sawdust.  She is a borderline vegetarian anyway so I think she will be OK.  They serve usually 3 falafel in a half pita bread.  Falafel is about the size and shape of a meatball, but it is actually  ground 2x4 which is deep fried. (Ha, ha!  Just kidding!)  It is ground chickpeas deep fried. (Not kidding!)  I think I have made the wiser choice.  

Now, we go to another room where there is a huge array of vegetables, salads and some things I am not sure about.  It is a feast for the eyes, all kinds of colors - natural and artificial (purple cauliflower?) You can go back for seconds and thirds in this room.  JoLynn festoons her pita packed with falafel with additional offerings from the salad room.  I have to admit, she makes it look pretty good, she excels at presentation.

The schnitzel is chicken, which it was every time I had it.  It is...unremarkable.  No special spices or sauces, it tastes pretty much like you would imagine.  I pile on some of the exotic things I found in the salad room to "jazz it up" a little.  I achieve modest success.  

I won't always talk about lunch in these blog posts, as I have just described lunch options for the next 3 days.  Yes, "lunch options today?  Falafel and schnitzel!" Really, no matter where we were in the land of Israel, these were two options you could count on for lunch.  You might think with all that amazing bread they bake there and a place that is known for things like....BAGLES, there might be a little more imagination when it comes to lunch.  Eventually, we did encounter some new things and perhaps I will share those with you, like the St. Peter's fish.  In contrast to dinner, lunch was usually not the high point of the day with one notable exception that will surprise you.  Later.