Awoke this morning to a beautiful rainbow outside my window over the Mediterranean Sea! What a great start to the day. I had to think fast to get my camera, because in seconds it was gone, but I got the image!!
The group had the option of a short bus tour through Tel Aviv, highlighting the important parts of the city, so I took it!! I think I have had enough shopping, and the rest of the group were talking about going to the Carmel Shuk (market) which we had already done when we came to Israel 2 weeks ago (wow!!), so I passed on that. The bus tour ended in Jaffa, where we walked through the newer section up to the older section past beautiful art galleries and shops.
I met Emily in the lobby when the bus dropped us off back at the hotel, and we decided to walk to try to find an Artist Fair called Nachalat Benyamin that was allegedly next to the Carmel Market, and low and behold, we found it!! What a treat, wacky artists plying their wares. The artist themselves were a work of art, I have never seen hairstyles quite like this. The market spilled into the same square as the Carmel market, so we decided to walk down Allenby towards the water and find some place for lunch.
The beach was very crowded, and the ocean waves were high, giving great conditions to surfers (yes! surfers) and this new phenomenon called kite surfing, which was on a board similar to a snow board, with a huge kite pulling you along.....it sounds easy but let me tell you, it was fantastic to watch some of the more expert surfers who were literally flying across the waves.
We ate lunch at a beach bar. Of course, we ordered way too much food, but it was great just sitting on the beach, closing our eyes, people watching and eating!! We walked back to the hotel where I promptly went back to my room and crashed!! All that fresh air took a toll and a nap was mandatory!
We were to meet in the lobby for a dinner that Wendy arranged at a restaurant "right next door" to the hotel. The hotel staff gave us directions and off we go. Suffice it to say, we never got to the restaurant! I have never seen rain torrentially pouring down, winds gusting and blowing out umbrellas, we were literally 'wandering Jews caught in the storm'. We cut our losses, went back to the hotel to dry off, ordered salads in the lobby of the hotel (some of which never came) and ate snacks that we had been carrying around for a week!
We were then poured into taxis to take us to Jaffa and the show Mayumana that Wendy had pre-arranged back in Atlanta. The show was fantastic, drums, dancing, lights, singing...it was great. Unfortunately, some of us were so tired, and the show didn't start until after 10PM, so we were nodding off. Fortunately, it was dark so no one seemed to notice!
Poured back into taxis to go back to the hotel, and good night!!
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