A little beach, a lot shuk

Because a date I had canceled I decided to walk the "Shuk-route" to the beach. And indeed I did spend some time at the beach but the major 'event' today was the Shuk. I was not prepared for the huge masses of people walking the streets in Tel-Aviv today (due to Hol-Ha-mo'ed) and was totally taken aback that my usual route was absolutely swamped with people. I met a Brazilian-style music band with dancers and I bet those dancers must have endangered the traffic underneath the bridge (from the Yizraeli Center) they were performing on because their music and dance was getting you totally absorbed in their sounds and movements, whether you wanted to or not.

After having bought the shoes I intended to buy at King George (and I was lucky: they were the last pair) I crossed into Shenkin where it was totally impossible to walk on the pavement - so strolled along in the middle of the road. The atmosphere was so cheerful, so happy - so contagious...

When crossing towards Shuk HaCarmel I saw this man. I was captured not by his weird outfit or by the fact he was going to set up a performance of some kind, but........... by his smile. There were many performers doing their acts at the little square in front of Shuk HaCarmel but he truly stood out. Probably for most people because the eccentric clothing he wore but for me, as I said, because of his smile. So catchy!

I photographed him (see below) while he prepared for his performance and would have loved to photograph him during it as well, only... he sort of 'detected' me (I was standing from behind a lamp post) and he started smiling, winking and throwing kisses at me (what made the crowd around him look at me, me - shy me) so I was too embaressed to take the camera out again and after a wink and smile in his direction I sort of ran away from the curious eyes of the public.

The Shuk itself was cramped. People couldn't move. I think it took me at least more than half an hour to go from the beginning till the end. But, it was w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l! People were happy. I was happy. I am so blessed that I am made part of this.

Photos of
- as said: the performer with the wonderful smile and one of a little around the square
- and a hoopoe (on a field between two high roads) that looked me straight in the face when he heard the noises of my camera - as if he asked "whadda'ya looking at?"