Israel wasn’t what I expected. When I first told my wife I was going she was like, “Nope, you can’t go,” and to be honest, I second guessed it for a moment. Maybe I was ignorant… well, I definitely was. But the media that reaches the west about the middle east is almost exclusively negative and regularly violent. But by the end of the week, the first day even, I was blown away by the contrast to my expectations and the reality. Israel felt like one of the safest places I’ve been. And, we were assured you’re more in danger in Sydney than Tel-Aviv… and it was true. With that put to bed quickly, we were able to dig deeper and discover the true Israel. The friendly people, incredible food, fun waves, the hummus, buzzing surf culture, and did I mention the food? At the end of the week and the pilgrimage to find surf in Israel, I didn’t want to leave…
Read the full article by Duncan MacFarlane at Stab Magazine.