When I first realized I’d be celebrating my 21st birthday in Israel, I was honestly really bummed. Let’s be honest, a 21st birthday in America is kind of a big deal. In Israel, 21 doesn’t mean anything and doesn’t bring any new or special privileges. I had been looking forward to sipping my first legal drink at Sunset Cantina—a Mexican restaurant and bar in Boston—with my friends at home, as is the tradition amongst us for 21st birthdays. Realizing I would away from my friends and family for what is such a milestone birthday did make me sad, however the reality of spending the summer in Israel soon overtook the disappointment and I decided my 21st birthday could be awesome in ways other than enjoying my first legal drink.
Basically what went down on my Birthday was a long and awesome day of pampering, eating, and relaxing. I spent it with a good Israeli friend of mine who I met in March during a volunteer program (I know, how typical—American girl meets Israeli guy while on an organized trip…) and it was a really nice day. First stop was Ghattas Turkish bath, an authentic Turkish Hamam in the old city of Akko, where my friend Omri and I spent the afternoon getting a Turkish massage and enjoying both wet and dry saunas and a Jacuzzi. I had been dying for a good massage—in fact I have never gotten a professional massage—so this was really great. It was a really bizarre experience, the massage itself. It consisted of a lot of hot water being poured over me and a lot of scrubbing. The coolest part was when the masseuse used a pillowcase type thing to make a lot of soap bubbles which were then poured on us. It was really strange but definitely a unique experience that you wouldn’t get at a typical spa. The hospitality was wonderful—we were offered tea, coffee, cookies, fruit, juice, and water—and everyone was so kind! When we went to pay after we were all set, we even got a 100₪ discount because the man running the Hamam knew that my friend was a soldier.
After the massage we left the Hamam feeling super clean and refreshed and hungry. The original plan was to eat hummus in the shuk, but the best humus is eaten during the morning and we didn’t arrive early enough. Instead, we took a walk around the old city for a while, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells (some better than others…) and finally ended up in the Turkish Bazaar of Akko. There’s a restaurant hidden there in the Turkish Bazaar that we decided to eat at—it was my first time, but Omri had been there before—called Savida. The restaurant itself is very tiny. You get two options for seating: come inside and sit at the little boat-themed bar or go around the corner and sit in the quiet, modest garden. We chose the garden. It was a hot day, but sitting under the shade of a thick-leafed tree was quite nice and relaxing. The way the restaurant works is different from many other restaurants. First of all, it’s a fish restaurant—no, that’s not the part that’s weird. What’s different from most places is that at Savida, you don’t get to choose what you eat. It’s a fixed menu each day, and a fixed price, and it’s all based on the fish they get that morning. First you’re served an array of salads and bread, and the then you’re served two different fish dishes: one will be a whole cooked fish, and one will be a fillet.
Eating at Savida was satisfying and relaxing. The first fish we were served was Tarachon, or Blue Runner in English, and it was amazing. I had never eaten a fish so perfectly cooked and seasoned. I finished the meal feeling completely content—no longer hungry but not stuffed and feeling sick, which is the best way to finish a meal. It was a good birthday lunch. We spent a couple hours at the restaurant, taking our time with the food and enjoying the serene atmosphere and the welcome shade.
While in Akko we also took a walk by the water and as we approached the dock, we were quickly ushered over to a small boat blasting catchy tunes for a ride around the port of the old city! Before we could even say no, we were helped onto the little red boat and whisked away into the cool blue waters. It was a beautiful sight, and only cost us 10 shekels each!
Spending the day in Akko was a unique experience for me, and made for a very special birthday. I had been to Akko once before, but in the winter and only for a couple hours. Getting to come back and explore more of the city and experience some of its hidden wonders was a really special thing. Akko is beautiful and I can’t wait to come back.
Becky Mueller is a college student from Long Island, New York studying at Northeastern University in Boston. She is majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Jewish Studies. She’s involved in many Jewish and Israel related organizations on her campus and at her campus’ Hillel she is the Jewish Culture chair. She loves to visit Israel, and in the past year has been here four different times. One of her favorite things to do is travel around the country taking pictures and videos with her GoPro. In her free time, she loves to play ice hockey, take belly dance classes, and go on adventures. Becky is an ILH – Israel
Hostels‘ media intern for the summer of 2016.
