In the evening we went for a walk around the village, chatting and getting some fresh air into my lungs. But we wanted to be travelling a bit further afield and soon Adi drove Gil and I to the nearest railway station for the last train to Tel Aviv.

Whenever you go into any public place in Israel your bags are searched, which might sound strange but in a country at war with itself it is a mild comfort. The day before I had flown into Israel there had been a bomb in a nightclub and the week after I left there was a bomb on a bus. I really didn't mind my bag being searched as long as everyone else was. The good thing was all I had to do was show my passport and I was generally let through most checkpoints. Gil used another technique, he had spent 8 months in Australia so just put on a very convincing accent and walked through with me.

Once we arrived in Tel Aviv we got the bus a way and walked away across the city to Gil's flat. I learned lots of things about Israeli city life in that short time. Like the flashing disco lights next to doors indicated "personal escort services". And that anywhere with an Internet Cafe sign was actually an illegal gambling house. For a country that is so outwardly religious, it seemed so inwardly hypocritical.

After dropping our bags at Gil's flat I headed out alone to find some food and after a few hundred yards walk I found a pizza place. I was half way through ordering a pizza when the chef turned around and said "Hey Luke, having a good time in Israel?" I couldn't believe it, after only 5 days in the country and I was already being recognised by random people on the street! Or maybe she was a student at the circus school and had met me at the convention... anyway, it's a small world.

Thursday.