Lonely Planet guidebook sends me on a quest to find "Ali Caravan," described as having the best Hummus in the entire region. I can't speak for the entire region, but it was by far the best I have ever eaten!

This is the "triple," -- Hummus, tahina (sesame seed paste) and Fuul (chickpea stew) served with spicy pepper sauce. Eyes-roll-back-in-the-head good!!

One of the oldest known harbors in the world, Jaffa was once Palestine's main port.

The docks were lined with the most rustic of fishing boats, as well as beautiful yachts.

The port area is making a comeback due to municipal beautification projects which include many outdoor seafood restaurants and art galleries.

Jaffa is also known for it's Flea Market, selling antiques and well, just junk in general.

Backgammon is a popular pastime.among the flea market proprietors.

The bustling Carmel Market near the Yemenite Quarter is a good place to get an idea of daily Tel Aviv life. Note extreme differences in women's dress, typical of Tel Aviv more so than any other Israeli city I visited.

Unlike most markets, there doesn't seem to be any order in which merchandise is displayed, with hot buns for sale next to the underrwear.

Fresh juices are a hot item all over Israel, not just this market, with the two most popular being citrus and pomegranate.

No Middle East market is complete without an assortment of smoking paraphernalia in a wide array of sizes and colors.

Beautiful fresh figs are in season.