Chik Chak Juk (Faster Cockroach)

When you're travelling one of the best experiences you can have is seeing an aspect of the country that you would have never dreamed existed. I recently had one of these in Tel Aviv.

Now, Israeli's have a reputation for being business minded and entrepreneurial. Many of the world's security systems and technology platforms come from the little country. But I think one of the finest examples of pure entrepreneurialism comes in the form of a cockroach.

I found out about it from a friend one night in Tel Aviv as a cockroach scampered across his living room floor. The girls we were with started screaming and standing on the lounge, petrified. One girl, a lot braver and more composed than the others started yelling "Chik Chak Juk". My mate proceeded to tell me about Chik Chak Juk and I thought it was hilarious, one of those cultural phenomenons that you never find out about unless you really live with the locals or are tipped into it by a friend.

Chik Chak Juk means 'Fast Cockroach' and it's an 'emergency' service that comes to your house and takes care of that rogue cockroach that has you standing on a chair in the middle of the loungeroom screaming your lungs out.

Like a cross between Ghostbusters and an ambulance it has a custom fitted car complete with a singing cockroach band, a theme song and a whole heap of willing customers. And like Australia's Mr Whippy, kids and adults the country over burst out in song whenever the Juk car drives past. I had to wait for days to get a shot of this elusive mobile cockroach hunter. Then one day, as if I were waiting to photograph a lioness in the plains of Africa, I had a fleeting chance.

In a hot and humid city like Tel Aviv, the shrieks of frightened Israeli girls and guys are only drowned out by the inexplicably catchy Chik Chak Juk tune. Like the Pied Piper of the bug world, kids run from their homes, adults put down their hommous and everyone comes out to watch Chik Chak Juk drive past on his way to kil another flying roach and collect his 30 shekel ($10) fee.

Unbelievable.

If you'd like, here's a video of Chik Chak Juk to laugh at.