Israel Day 8: Tel Aviv

It was so nice to wake up and not have to pack everything up!  Don't get me wrong, I've loved all that we've done and seen since arriving a little over a week ago, but these last three mornings where we had to be packed and out of the hotel by 9am at the latest has been tough. Since we are spending our last two nights in Tel Aviv, it was a relaxing wake up and go kinda morning!

This morning when we were all up and functioning, which was 9:30, we met up in the lobby and walked along the boardwalk to Old Jaffa for breakfast. We also wanted to check out the flea market and antique market there. Old Jaffa is the "old" part of Tel Aviv and had those beautiful old stone worked buildings and an incredible square with old shops and restaurants. 

After our (so not short) walk along the beautiful coast of the Mediterranean, we checked out the different options for breakfast. There were quite a few choices tucked away into these old stone buildings. After checking out all the menus, we settled on a place called Cassiopea, partially cause of the incredible view, partially cause of the menu. Considering we have been eating hotel breakfasts (read: identical) for the entire trip so far, it was a nice treat to eat elsewhere. And let me tell you, it was the best food yet!  Well, aside from the Shwarma. Everyone was thrilled with breakfast, so much in fact, that we made dinner reservations for the same place!

From there, we headed to the flea market. It was a bust. Ironically, it was filled with all sorts of American tzatchskies which none of us were interested in. So we headed to the antiques section. It wasn't anything to really write home about, and by that time, time was drawing short of we wanted to get to the artist market before it closed, so we took our first Israeli can and headed back toward the hotel area to check it out. 

That was an awesome market!  There were so many unique items, from prints and jewelry, to wire work and plush, it was really nice to spend time enjoying all the different artists. We even caught a bit of an accapella group singing!  Since the hotel was so close to the market, we walked back and readied to hit the beach. I mean, it's February and back home it's in the 40's and gross.  Even if it was only 60 and sunny we still would have beached it, just because!  Thankfully, it was actually quite nice and we enjoyed hanging out in the sand and chatting. 

At that point we were all pretty tired, so we headed back to the hotel to rest, change, and ready for dinner. My sister came in for the night, and the group had a nice little Shabbat in the lobby.  When our cabs arrived to take us back to Old Jaffa, we were ready!  Funny thing is, one cab got us straight there, while the other cab, which left before the one I was in, got there a good few minutes after we did!

Dinner was delish. Some very unique items on the menu, including a Dream Loaf, which was basically an entire loaf of challah stuffed with meat balls. From there we walked a bit and saw what used to be an old church, but now is basically home to bats. It was creepy to hear the, all and watch the, flying around, nut neat at the same time. It seems that in Israel, if an old building is empty, it isn't torn down, it waits to be repurposed. So different than back home. 

At this point the group split up, some of us (including me) headed back to the hotel, while others continued exploring the city under my sister's guidance. It has been a long and overstuffed week of amazing experiences!  Not sure what we will do in our final 24 hours to cap it all off!

Israel Day 7: Tiberias and Tzefat

A much needed late(ish) wake-up started this morning. That was followed by the best chocolate croissants yet!  Once we loaded up and hit the road at 9:00, we headed to Tzfat to visit the artist galleries. We took the senic route and along the way gathered more glimpses into the historical beauty that is Israel. We even made a brief stop in the city of Amuka which is the site of Rabbi Jonathan Ben Uziel is buried. Suposedly, his grave is the place you're supposed to go to when you want to find the one you will marry.  Women speak a prayer as they circle the sacred dome seven times, and legend has it, they will meet the one shortly after their visit.

Tzfat itself is surprisingly small.  There was a small courtyard mall along the street that had a few art galleries. What was unique about this court- Fig tree court - is that the court was a shambles until an American Jew bought that part of the street.  As he began renovating, a tangled, twisted fig tree was unearthed.  Amazingly, after light and air began reaching the old tree, life was breathed into the branches and new growth revived its leaves. 

We toured the galleries, which were filled with a variety of styles and mediums of pieces. We also visited two synagogues. One of them, called Abuhav, was actually closed to the public because of a Bar Mitzvah, we were able to visit thanks to our amazing guide.  We were directed immediately to the women's section, which gave us not only a beautiful view of the synagogue itself, but we also experienced a Sephardic Bar Mitzvah service!

From there, we headed to Pe'ing for our Druze hospitality lunch. While plans did not exactly work the way we anticipated, our tour guide saved the event! We didn't get a full Druze hospitality lunch in a Druze cave, but we did have a nice lunch and the restaurant owner was able to share the history of the Druze people as he is one. 

After that, I was excited as we headed to my sister's house. I've never seen any of the places she lived in Israel, and she's liked this house best, so I was excited to see her home. It,was way bigger than I thought, and decorated just the way my sister likes it. The gardens are beautiful, the neighborhood is quaint and I loved seeing my sister in her element. One of her Israeli grandparents brought over some delicious cheese cake bites his wife made for us, along with some fresh dates right from his tree. We sat and chatted and laughed and snacked on palmello and beets and enjoyed the time with my sister. 

(Picture coming soon!)

It was refreshing reaching the hotel tonight knowing that we wouldn't have to pack in the morning!  We ate a light dinner at a beach restaurant (and when I say beach, I mean right on the sand,) and walked back across the street (literally, right across the street!) to our adorable hotel. The hotel, called the Sea King, is a green hotel with some neat energy saving features such as lights that don't activate until you put your key in the key slot. We were all upgraded to suites, and the room is awesome!  Perfect place to wrap up our visit. 

Tomorrow brings out first day in Tel Avov, and the agenda calls for several different markets in the area. I'll keep you posted!

Israel Day 6: Masada, the Dead Sea, Ein Gedi

4:21. That's what time my alarm went off this morning. Why, you might ask? Why would anyone want to get up *that* early on vacation?  I'll tell you why. Cause I'm a sucker for beauty. And in this case, beauty meant leaving the hotel at 4:50 this morning so we could be to the top of Masada in time to watch the sunrise.

In. Sane. We took the Snake Path to the top, beginning the climb at 5:30. Our guide, Amikam, started us off with some history and climbing tips before letting us go at our own pace. He brought up the rest. The rear happened to be me. This how was brutal. I went on one hike in California that was harder than this, but only because it was nearly three times as long. Despite the intensity of the elevation, we managed to make it to the top in only 45 minutes, three minutes before the most magnificant sunrise. 

Call me naive, call me ignorant, call me whatever you want, but I so did not realize there were ruins on Masada. I always thought you hiked to see the sunrise. I am SO glad I thought wrong! The fort ruins were un-be-lieve-able! More history seeped into my brain in that hour and a half long tour than all my history and Jewish studies classes combined. Ten times more. 

Clear as day, history came alive. We saw ancient several Mikva, the most incredible mosaic tile floors, and some unreal fresco walls that were as bright as they were when they were painted thousands of years ago. Everywhere we went there was a black line following us along the walls. Everything below the line was original stone and plaster work. Everything above the line was recreated in the original manner. There was a synagogue where original Torah were found. People hold Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah services there. And areas of the fortress are still being excavated today. 

What really amazed me is the amount of innovation, creativity, engineering, and even physics that have been in play for thousands of years. The way people brought water to the top of the fortress.... The Roman Ramp used to roll a battering ram to the top.... The ingenuity in the cisterns.... The whole place reeked of skills I dreaded learning as I went through school, but now so eagerly will continue to explore. 

After taking the cable car down (these legs were jelly) we headed back to the hotel for a soak in the Dead Sea. Ironically, the only place you could get Dead Sea mud was the gift shop. The water may have been cold, but this time I went in anyway. It was so cool! Literally and figuratively!  It was impossible to sink! I mastered the floating on my back and reading a book pose, but was unable to pull off the belly balance. The Dead Sea has receded drastically over the last forty years, and efforts are being made to prevent further loss of this ancient, healing wonder. Before we exited the Sea, we exfoliated (maybe a little too vigorously,) showered, and headed to the final destination for the day. 

Upon arriving at Ein Gedi, I groaned. Loudly. I knew it would be more walking, but I didn't think it would be more UPhill walking. Thankfully, we started at another ruins, this one uncovered within the last six years. It was a small ruins area, with small living quarters and a beautiful synagogue. I mean beautiful. It had a perfectly preserved mosaic floor, clearly showing where the bima and ark used to be. They have only just worked in one area of the ruins, and over the next years more will be excavated and preserved. 

The next leg of Ein Gedi, while filled with beauty, was a bit less enjoyable for me because it involved MORE hill hiking. I clearly heard my hamstrings crying with every uphill step. That said, I have never seen such beautiful waterfalls and natural beauty, especially considering it is in the middle of a desert. We also met an Israeli mammal called shevan.  It looked like a little ground hog, however, it's name is equivalent to the American term "chicken" which was rather funny, as one was less than a two feet away from me!  As we walked past and in the waterfalls and streams, we also saw monks caves and burial caves carved into the mountains. We, once again, we walking past history. 

Our day ended with dinner st Dex, a restaurant that came highly recommended by some of the Israeli teachers at school, as well as a few shop keepers we met in Israel. A long day with two hikes finally gave me a solid night of sleep with no wake-ups in between eyes-closed and morning light. Next up, we head to Tzfat and the Druze Hospitality lunch!

Israel Day 5: City of David, Kotel, and Camels

Today was our last day in Jerusalem. After breakfast, we met our tour guide, Amikam, who will be with us until Thursday eve when he drops us off in Tel Aviv. He is amazing! So much knowledge in one brain!

Our day started with loading up our suitcases and checking out of a hotel I never need visit again. We headed to the Kotel "complex" (best I can describe it!) and soaked in the breathtaking views.  Like, take your breath away views- Mt. Olives, Dome of the Rock, the expansive views of the old city... If we didn't have a time schedule to follow, I have a feeling that we could have enjoyed the views longer. 

Our first stop took us through the Jewish quarter into the plaza surrounding the Kotel. We headed, once again, to the holiest place in the Jewish world. This time we headed directly to the tunnel tours. The guide, while knowledgeable, was definitely not a teacher. We stood a little too long in the "set up" room where she gave us the basics. It felt like being stuck in a textbook, knowing the real learning lay just beyond the threshold only ten feet away. 

Once we got started, though, it was wordlessly incredible. We were underneath the Kotel. At one point, we were 90 feet from the Holy of Holies on Temple Mount, one of the most sacred places on the planet. The stones of the wall, more than a dozen feet below the earth's surface, were unreal. Each rock was meticulously placed into the wall, a chiseled frame, thousands of years ago....  We were literally walking through history, step by step.

We came out of the tunnel tour and headed to the Kotel, which meant so much more to me now than it did just three days prior. After spending some time connecting directly with the Wall, we tres the rest of the grounds. The ruins, remains of the temples, evidence of worlds past, lay scattered throughout, traces of worlds that until now, made no sense, or had any impact, on my life. 

I know some won't agree with my perspective, but that's ok. As our guide pointed out markings in the stones, he drew our attention to a platform near the wall with a few umbrellas scattered about. This section, he explained, opened just one week prior. Up until then, the Kotel was strictly divided into two sections- a large section for men and a smaller section for women. Families had to separate to pray. Now, though smaller than the women's side, a new section of the Wall was opened for any gender. Families, couples, anyone can pray there. Sure, it's a small section not ideally located, but it's a monumental event. The egalitarian section is not yet complete, but at least it is open and available, a fear decades and decades in the making. 

After we marveled at the Kotel, we headed to the City of David and toured the surrounding ruins. They were spectacular. Seriously spectacular!  I mean, we were walking under what only five years prior was buried under a parking lot!  The ruins showed so much detail of homes and buildings, we even saw remnants of mosaic floors in excellent shape. 

I was a bit apprehensive as we headed into the newly uncovered tunnels near the city, as they were incredibly narrow and slick in spots. The green moss on the walls were kinda gross too. Yet, even with my OCD, I was still mesmerized. The city itself was fascinating, but what was revealed via the tunnels was even more mind boggling. I mean, this place, Israel, while not an officially recognized country until 1948, holds so much history that more is being uncovered every year!

We exited the tours through the Jewish quarter and grabbed a quick bite to eat and one more glance at the Cardo before heading back to our van and started the journey to Eretz Bereshit, a few hours away. This was something I was both excited about and dreading. 

I was excited about enjoying a hospitality meal hosted by Avraham and I was excited to see a camel. However, I was far less than excited to put on the attire of the era and sit on the floor for dinner. You know what? Even the things I was kinda sorta dreading turned out to me manageable. Making big progress on this surviving things that feel insurmountable on this trip, let's hope it continues when I get home. 

Setting the alarm for 4:21am tonight as we are tackling Madada at sunrise tomorrow. Love the hotel we are staying in for the night- clean and beautiful and clean!