"Alte Sachen!"--the familiar recording was coming out of a loudspeaker. Old stuff, junk, furniture, appliances--anything you want to get out of the house--that's what the alte Sachen men cruise the neighborhoods looking for. I turned and looked for an old pick-up truck as the noise got closer. What?? A horse and wagon?! Still, in 2009? In the middle of Tel Aviv? On Ben-Gurion Boulevard?
I was delighted! You don't see that much anymore.
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Back when I made aliyah to Israel in 1968, you could still see a horse and cart used for deliveries in Tel Aviv, or the neft (kerosene) man ringing a bell from his wagon, or Arab kids coming past your door selling their wagonful of watermelons. In the Old City of Jerusalem, Arab men would still ride donkeys down the narrow lanes or lead them as pack animals.
Even camels worked when the first houses of Tel Aviv began to be built exactly 100 years ago.
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The Camera-Critters meme is celebrating its first anniversary today. We bloggers have been sharing our animal pics every weekend for a whole year now. Come on over.
I see a lot of horse and cart setups used for tourist rides in various cities, but you're right - seeing one used for work is rare.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to have seen Tel Aviv in 1968 (was the year I was born, so I guess I wouldn't have really been able to appreciate it), but you painted almost as clear a picture with your words as your photo!
Thanks for sharing!
so serene sandy
ReplyDeleteMy memory of old Jerusalem would be that the donkey or camel would be the best way to get throught he narrow streets. Not what I remember of Tel Aviv, though.
ReplyDeleteI would have to stop and stare too.
ReplyDeleteThe only horse drawn anything around here is the horse and carriage you can pay to take a ride around the bigger cities.
Oh, my. Wonderful photo with history thrown in. The only time I see something like this is to take tourists around. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely beautiful. Visit my flamingos here, also my colorful parrots here. thanks and happy one year anniversary to you.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful Dina! I saw a lot of people riding donkeys in Egypt. Even in Cairo. But also horses pulling carts. Here we hardly see any horses other than for riding. The horsemen and women have to wear a cap and riding outfit. Keeping a horse is expensive and you need proper accomodation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
A very interesting post.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll see this way of transport for a long time. It keeps giving charm and true atmosphere to the city. Furthermore, it's not a touristic cliché, like the carriage with tourists in it.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice Sunday, Dina.
We have a cart for one of our horses but of course it's just for fun! You can fit four adults or two adults and three kids in comfortably, and sometimes we take it out round the Oxfordshire countryside roads. You can see the delight in passers-by eyes- especially little girls!
ReplyDeleteWe even took it to the pub once!
that is a charming scene
ReplyDeleteReminds me of when i was in Mexico. There would be a horse and cart parked in a parking space between cars.
ReplyDeleteAn Arkies Musings
That is an usual and wonderful site!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBut was it on a Tuesday? I think this would be a more regular site in my hood if they allowed us to keep horses in are yards.
ReplyDeleteDina: I can remember back in the 1950's the rag man would come through on a horse drawn wagon. He would yell rags and if you gave him any he gave you a little money.
ReplyDeleteLiving with history!
ReplyDeleteShalom & Aloha, Dina
Back in 1957 when we lived in Baltimore, Maryland there was a man who came around shouting "Sharpen knives or scissors" and a "Tin man." I had forgotten until I saw you post.
ReplyDeleteGlad you still can find this around there! All the kind of small street businesses are gone for good here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post, with a fantastic photo!
ReplyDeleteNo, you sure don't see much of that anymore, I'm sure. I'm sure it was refreshing to see.
Reminds me of when I was growing up in NZ, in the '50's. There used to be this man who would drive his horse and cart around, doing the same thing, picking up stuff that people no longer wanted. He had this bell that he used to ring as he came up the street.
ReplyDeleteWe called him the 'Rag & Bone Man'..
This is so amazing! What fun to see. I'll bet the grandsons would love this.
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat sight. We have many work animals around here in farming country.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's good for the environment, no pollution.
ReplyDelete