Thursday, March 30, 2017

'A Tale Of One City'




I spent most of Wednesday "playing detective" in a modest town named Kiryat Gat, in southern Israel. I was trying to get information on a certain asset, a little apartment in an old building. What for? Well, that's a long, old story regarding a possible inheritance. I won't go into it now.

It was hot outside, desert- like weather; I didn't have a decent map, and the local municipality was not very helpful.
When I finally got to that apartment, the tenant, a middle aged woman, russian accent, opened the door reluctantly, We had a brief conversation after which she 'forwarded' her dog  to "say hello" to me, and closed the door. Well, at least  I got away with some valuable  information.

the old building

children's playground nearby

Kiryat Gat was established in 1954 as a 'development town' whose population was mainly of north african origin. Gradually, it  absorbed newcomers from other countries as well, especially from the former Soviet Union countries.


 main road under construction

blooming cactus

The town has all the standard stuff  : residential neighborhoods, malls, small recreational parks, banks, city complex market(open and covered spaces with veggies and fruit stalls, houseware and clothing areas), educational , religious,and cultural Centers, eateries.
There's also a magistrate court and a railway station.

city mall

the harp memorial to honor the victims of the Holocaust


welfare services building

painted tree trunk in the yard of the above welfare building

open market

Over the years, the city has become known for its industrial zone. The giant, global Intel corporation which has two chip fabrication plants here , and some other foreign and domestic companies  ('Sugat' sugar plant, 'HP' indigo, 'Tzabar' salads etc.) are located in this industrial zone which is on the eastern edge of the town. Athough a sort of world apart. the industry here has significantly upgraded the city.

['Nothing new under the sun'.  It's a fact that if manufacturing industry goes, the place fades away. That's why great efforts are made  (including generous subsidies) in attracting industrial investmemts and preventing their leaving the area].

I bought some delicious black grapes at the covered market, and so I left the city  after a tiring day, with a sweet, aromatic taste in my mouth.


covered market



24 comments:

  1. I hope there is a good outcome to your visit to the flat, but at least you had an interesting day out.

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    1. I hope so too. The day out made me feel adventurous, and that was a good feeling.

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  2. Fascinating read about this city. I love seeing the pictures of the city too - and it reminds me how all of us, regardless of where we live, are really all the same and want the same things - peace, happiness and a little joy. Happy day Duta.

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    1. Thank you.
      It's so true,that we all on this planet want the same vital things like peace and happiness.

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  3. You did a good detective work. I found it very interesting to discover more places in your country. Have a great weekend ahead, Duta :)

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    1. Thanks.
      One would think that with all the Internet possiblities nowadays, one could find info easily. Well, that's not always so.Sometimes you have to do "elementary Watson" work.

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  4. Ενδιαφέρουσα βόλτα Duta, όμορφη πόλη, με όλα τα καλά!
    Σ΄ευχαριστώ για τα καλά σου λόγια!
    Πολλούς χαιρετισμούς!

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    1. Hi Magda,

      Yes, the journey was interesting, and the city of Kiryat Gat looked not bad at all, considering its ethnical diversity and its proximity to the Negev desert.

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  5. Interesting to see how such places were planned and prepared from zero on a dessert

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    1. Right, Ola. To build such a place one needs a clever strategy,to ensure supply of water, money supply, transport and connectivity. Not simple at all.

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  6. Beautiful photos, Duta, and such a fascinating post. Thank you so much for sharing.

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    1. Well, all I do is point and shoot, and in a place like this with a strong sun I wish I could know a bit more about photography. Thanks, Linda.

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  7. A little sleuthing excursion. How intriguing. And it is always nice to end up with a sweet taste instead of a bitter pill

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    1. I've learnt a new word from your comment - sleuthing - Thank you, Sharon. I'm always glad to enrich my english vocabulary.

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  8. Very interesting and I would love to travel all around Israel! That looks like a great memorial for the Holocaust victims. It brings back memories of visiting Dachau in Germany, an upsetting place for sure. The palm trees are great and I've never seen a cactus that large and in bloom. Bet it's beautiful! Sounds like it's a busy town with a lot going on. Great photos of the city and I enjoyed reading about it!

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    1. Hi Pam,

      I too have visited Dachau and the Memorial reminded me of the atocities there.
      The cactus in bloom caught my eye and I just had to take a picture of it.

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  9. A very intriguing post, Duta. It is so evident that you truly are an explorer!

    Poppy

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    1. Sometimes, one has to go out of one's comfort zone and 'explore' things in order to get the needed info.

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  10. I love how you visit interesting places that have a story to tell. It's always a pleasure to visit with you, Duta.

    ~Sheri

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. Indeed, I love to write about places with a story or some message to convey.

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  11. I love photos of all the open air markets you come across, so beautiful! I think its wonderful how you visit a city and roam it's streets and byways always taking beautiful pictures. The photo of the cactus with the fruit blooming reminds me of my dad. He loved prickly pears or as he called them tunas. Great post as always!

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    1. I'm a great lover of prickly pears. I even put one on my sidebar.They are very expensive at our supermarkets. In the past, children used to pick them up in the fields and sell them for pennies. Nowadays, they are grown in greenhouses or imported, so the price has gone up substantially.

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    2. I'm a great lover of prickly pears. I even put one on my sidebar.They are very expensive at our supermarkets. In the past, children used to pick them up in the fields and sell them for pennies. Nowadays, they are grown in greenhouses or imported, so the price has gone up substantially.

      Delete
  12. Hello dear Duta,

    I am not able to comment on your newest post, your comment form does not appear. I just wanted to say that I agree with you. Change can be good in some cases, but it is not good in all situations, and if things are going well, there is no need to make any change. I hope you have a great weekend. Hugs. :)

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