Jaffa, Israel - 1

I took a long walk through the oldest neighborhood of Tel Aviv - Neve Tzedek - and along the coastal beachfront on my way to Jaffa.

Tel Aviv - 4

During my walks in Tel Aviv I began to notice the variations in appearance reflecting the degree of religious observance. Israel is now made up of almost two thirds Mizrachi Jews - that is, not Ashkenazi or Sephardi - and the way they integrate their observance into their lives is much more casual than the Eastern European Ashkenazi Chassidim.

Tel Aviv - 3

One of the things that fascinated me on this trip was the diversity of people living across the country. Tel Aviv is probably the most cosmopolitan of all the cities in Israel, with a wide variety of architectural styles, economic classes, and religious observance. There's class and grit evident all over Tel Aviv, from the multi-million dollar condos to the red-light district near the old bus station. As I saw all these different types of people on the street, I imagined each person in their youth in an army uniform.

Tel Aviv - 2

My second day in Tel Aviv, on my way to the port of Jaffa, I took a long walk through the section of town that was the core of the first development of Tel Aviv - Neve Tzedek. It's an interesting mixture of old architecture from those early days and newer buildings that are part of the redevelopment of the area. There's great charm in the old buildings, but many are starting to crumble.

And since the Carmel market was right outside my hotel door, I spent more time there:

Neve Tzedek: