Tel Aviv Touring: the last days

No one really wants to complain about the pace and the activities of our trip: it’s difficult to say with a straight face that touring Israel in a big bus, going to great sites and staying in 5 star hotels (except for the Dead Sea Golden Tulip…), is hard work. But I got to say: I am really tired. We’re all a bit road weary and I think pretty resigned to our imminent return. We are in Tel Aviv today in the David Intercontinental Hotel, the best of the hotels we have stayed in. Big, immaculately clean, close to everything, and a striking view of the Mediterranean Sea. In fact, the view out my window is truly breathtaking. The city’s tall white hotels and office buildings shine brightly and reflect the light coming off the sea.

When we arrived in the big T-A, we strolled over to the Carmel Market, a very big, open air marketplace, to find some lunch. The area was memorable. The stink and the filth was by far in a league of its own, surpassing Mahane Yehudah in Jerusalem exponentially. So much garbage lying around, so many beggars panhandling, so… dirty. I know Americans are way over the top obsessed with cleanliness and germs. But even given that: feh!

After checking in and unpacking – again! – we made our way to the old city of Jaffa, which is becoming an increasingly impressive artists’ colony. We wandered about this very picturesque place at a very slow pace as traveller’s fatigue set in. Stumbling back to the bus, we toppled out at the hotel and ‘forced’ ourselves to clean up for a great dinner on our own.