It seems like every country has that one small town with its own unique atmosphere that's completely different from everything else. In the old city of Akko, you really don't feel like you're in Israel at all (maybe I just haven't made it to Jerusalem yet)

You constantly hear Arabic being spoken around you, there's this massive oriental bazaar in the center with an unforgettable spice smell, and mosques on every corner with the call to prayer echoing out. A lot of the signs are only in Arabic script, without any Hebrew at all.

At the cafe, I actually had to dust off my rusty Arabic because there was no menu whatsoever, and I couldn't explain in English that I wanted something sweet with my coffee. But they understood the Arabic just fine. By the way, I really recommend trying the local knafeh (that's the one in the photo with the drink).