Tag Archives: camping

Shopping Mall Campers

The Israeli group Shuk.Li recently got a large group of participants to go camping in a huge mall in Tel Aviv. They write:

Dizzengof Center is a very big mall in Tel Aviv that is an architectural masterpiece of twisted space. It is quite hard to navigate, and every time I go there, I keep getting lost. It is a perfect place for us to act as if we are tourists from the suburbs of Israel, coming to see the sights of the big city. The mission had three parts. First, the happy campers trekked the mall dressed in their best trekking equipment, asking people for directions, etc. Some of us even had maps of the mall or maps of the city.

The second part was a guided tour. We had an actor portraying a tour guide, telling stories that are tied with local folklore and culture – things any one in Israel would instantly relate to and recognize. Only, each story was twisted to fit some part of the mall. The tour was really fun for all of the participants (including one or two bystanders who joined in the middle).

The last part was actually building a camp. We planned a little surprise at this point. While the campers were unpacking their sleeping bags, two forest rangers jumped the group. They told them this is not a legal camping site and asked them to leave so they do not disturb the habitat of the local animals – to the surprise of everyone, campers and bystanders alike. All in all, a great success.

Here’s their video, in Hebrew.

Full Mission Report