After a month of travel, it was my last full day in Israel. Danna, my airbnb hostess, had picked me up the day before at Sde Dov, a small airport outside Tel Aviv. Coming from a few days in the quiet seaside town of Eilat, I found Tel Aviv irritatingly crowded. Perhaps because it was Sunday, but there were people everywhere. In cars, on foot, and riding on every conceivable mode of wheeled transportation imaginable, this city was bursting with activity!
One after another, we passed crowded beaches en route to King George St, where Danna lived. With its rounded and stately Bauhaus architecture, it was easily one of the busiest thoroughfares in this coastal city. My second story windows overlooked the street and didn’t close fully, so it was pretty noisy. Until now, my airbnb choices had been private studios or apartments. I had chosen to stay with Danna because she offered airport transportation. It was convenient, and well worth 300 shekels ($100 USD) to be picked up at the airport when I arrived. Although my original itinerary did not include Tel Aviv, I realized that with such an early flight, it made sense to be fairly close to the airport. Having my own in-house driver was icing on the cake.
My bedroom for two nights in Tel Aviv. This is the only time in a month that I actually shared living quarters with an airbnb host.
View from the window overlooking King George St. Tel Aviv was about as far as you could get from Eilat in terms of noisy and crowded.
This morning I decided to pack a lunch and walk to Jaffa. Although a city bus runs there frequently, I was focused more on the journey than the destination. Tel Aviv sprawls along the northwest coast of Israel, so if you walk due west, you are sure to arrive at the Mediterranean sea. The bustling city was quieter today, and from King George Street, it didn’t take long for my toes to find the sand.
To the north was the walled Religious beach, Hilton Dog beach and Gay Beach, but I turned south at Gordon beach. Frischman, Trumpeldor, Jerusalem, and many other beaches passed under my feet.
I could not remember a more beautiful day in mid-October. Bright blue sky, gentle breeze and sunshine. Barefoot, I followed the gently curving coastline toward the prominent clock tower of Jaffa.
I picked up shells and beach glass, talked with other tourists, and took lots of pictures. When I got hungry I picnicked on fresh bread and hummus, along with an avocado and a red pepper. Seated on the ocean boulders drenched in sunshine and crashing surf, it was a day I wished would never end. As I reflected on my adventures of the past four weeks, I realized I had fallen hopelessly in love with this beautiful country. As much as I was looking forward to my own bed, it saddened me to think about leaving.
About ten minutes after resuming my trek towards Jaffa, I spotted something that looked oddly out of place. Lying directly in my path, on the narrow strip of hard packed earth between the sand and the sea, was what appeared to be a bouquet of flowers. As I got closer, I saw three white roses with greenery, tied with a white ribbon. Pristine in their cone of florist plastic, they appeared to have been recently dropped there. They were gorgeous, and I remember thinking that it would be a shame to leave them there. I figured if they survived the rest of the day in my back pack, I would put them in water and present them to Danna, when I got back to her house.
Being a Monday, it was not crowded, but there was a smattering of beach goers. Looking around, I saw a young man sitting under a striped umbrella playing his guitar. I had just passed a woman throwing a ball into the water for her dog, and there was an older woman building a sand castle with what appeared to be her grandchildren. All of this was happening within twenty feet or so, but no one was paying the least bit of attention to me or the flowers.
Even as I reached for them, I noticed there was something wrapped around the stems. It appeared to be an envelope, and upon closer inspection, I detected the familiar circles of a 100 shekel note. There was money contained in these flowers! I looked around again, to see whom they could possibly belong to, and then picked them up. Excited and strangely nervous, I sat down to open the packaging.
The saturated envelope fell completely apart as a handful of wet currency dropped onto the sand at my feet. It felt like one of those dreams where you start finding money, and then wake up. I was flabbergasted for a minute, and then I felt guilty. It was definitely one of the stranger moments in my life. Although the saturated currency was stuck together, I counted (5) $100 bills and 260 shekels, for a total of about $580. I continued to scan the people around me, but when it was obvious that its owner was not going to rush up and claim them, I picked up the money and the flowers, and continued my walk towards Jaffa.
Click on the audio link above to hear my actual words and reaction at the time I found the money.
I commented on FB… but this was just so cool!!! Prayers for continued safe travels. I would love to know about some of the different foods you’ve tried!! 🙂
Love this example of His overflowing provision for you, with the sound of the sea in the background! I’m grateful to know that sand and sea and that clock that you were headed towards in Jaffa…
Marie, wanted to write a note to say how blessed I was that our paths crossed today at Sassy Snips.
God brought us together that I know was in His plan. Thanks so much for the beautiful love gift you shared with me. It was truly an answered prayer.
I will always remember you for your lovely smile and the love for God you so willingly shared.
Be Blessed and I will keep you in my prayers!
Love, Marlene