TEL AVIV/ JAFFA PORT
The flight from Eilat to Tel Aviv took us over the rough desert terrain of Jordan.
In less than one hour later, we were landing at Sde Dov airport on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.
Tel Aviv was probably the closest I had come to an American city, but very laid back and casual.
The rounded architectural style of my new home is called Bauhaus, and is heavily-concentrated in this area.
Bicycles  and scooters were the preferred and prevalent mode of transportation- they were literally everywhere.
These people were ingenious when it came to maximizing number of riders. Three or four was no problem!
They started them young and trained them up right. The tiniest tot had their own scooter.
Fitness was important, as witnessed by the outdoor gym equipment at a lot of the beaches.
All sorts of recreational activity was available for all ages. I didn’t see a lot of overweight people here.
The beaches, each more beautiful than the last, were interrupted by this lovely park.
The clock tower in Jaffa port never seemed to get closer, although I felt like I had been walking for hours.
This was about the time I noticed the long-stemmed white roses lying directly in my path on the hard-packed sand.
I looked around for whomever may have dropped them, but no one was paying any attention to me or the flowers.
The envelope wrapped around the stems contained nearly $600 in shekels and C-notes.
It felt like a dream, but with no one looking to claim them, I picked up the treasure and continued toward Jaffa port.
As one of the oldest, nearly 4,000 years in operation, Jaffa port is called the gate to the ancient world.
It was like unwrapping a present as I wound my way through the old city. I was delighted at every turn.
This is Simon the tanner’s house, the scene of Peter’s famous vision in Acts 10:15
According to history, the French laid siege on Ottoman-controlled Jaffa in 1799.
FINALLY the bell tower I have been looking at all day comes into view.
I was disappointed that the Zodiac fountain, an ancient ‘wishing well’, was not operating properly today. Â
Up, down and all around, the trek here was a bit demanding.
This mosque emitted its call to prayer just as I was walking up to it and it nearly gave me heart failure.
It was getting late and I had a long walk back to Tel Aviv. The distance is quite deceiving.
I had so much fun on the way back. I talked with and took lots of pictures of other tourists.
After taking a picture for them, I began to get one for myself. It was hilarious when the wind blew the paper into her face.
I got some looks and nearly got run over before I realized I was standing right in the middle of the bicycle lane.
Back in Tel Aviv, I simply stepped off the sidewalk and sat in the sand at Gordon Beach to watch the sun set one more time.
Hope you enjoyed your Israel vacation. Each section is a subset of the whole post. If you would like to enjoy these experiences more completely, use the buttons below. Shalom friends! MH
The story of finding the money and the roses on the beach in Tel Aviv.
My guided tour in Bethlehem’s Aida refugee camp and Issa’s airbnb.
A thorough tour of the abandoned underground bunker at the Syria border.
