First Full Day (with photos!)

 I woke up on the first morning in Tel Aviv with a start. Disoriented, I peeked my eyes open to see Dad hovering over me, “Leigh Anna, wake up. Let’s go out to the beach, but are you going to run? They have a great breakfast down there. Why don’t you eat and then we can go out and explore some before we hang out in the beach. I want to explore north of here blah blah blah blah.” My god can you give me a second?! I replied, “Ok, hang on, let me wake up.” I closed my eyes to save them from the sharp morning light. I rest, try to gather my thoughts, a few beats pass. I peep my eyes open again to see dad still hovering over me, silent, just looking at me! “CAN YOU GO AWAY?!” 


So I was grumpy, Step 1. Step 2- get ready to run. Since Dad was so freaking pumped about walking north, I took off to the south. We’d meet back up in an hour. The promenade was buzzing with beach-goers, even at 9:30am!! I jogged 2 miles along the sea to Jaffa Port, the oldest part of the city. There was something new and interesting to see with every few steps. Young people were jogging, skating, picnicking, playing matkot and other beach games! The energy was fantastic. Families were walking along the path, electric scooters were darting left and right. It’s glaringly obvious the city has put a lot of emphasis on public areas; there were so many interesting playgrounds, water fountains, rec areas, free outdoor gyms, and even a Ninja Warrior practice arena! I was just bebopping along at an easy pace. Bliss. When I got to the old port I stopped to read a plaque the city installed along the walkway at the edge of the sea. It pointed out that a particular piece of the wall just ahead had been part of the sea wall when the Crusaders arrived in the 1100s. This blew my mind.

Back at the hotel, Dad and I ate breakfast and gathered our beach equipment. My goal was to legit swim in the Mediterranean Sea. At the beach we rented chairs, set up, and I darted towards the water with my swim cap and goggles. YES I brought my swim cap. Lord was the water wintry. If that had been Lake Lanier I would have turned around and driven home. But this was the Mediterranean, I had to get some yards in. Slowly I acclimated, then I took off. I swam off 350yd parallel to the beach then back, making sure I could touch the ground the whole way. Much of the beachfront in Tel Aviv has man-made wave breakers that prevent the formation of waves and crazy currents, so that wasn’t a problem. But every once in a while I’d swim through a couple yards of blistering cold water that would knock the breath out of my lungs, causing me to have to skip a breath or two. I’m just now googling that there are 47 shark species in the Mediterranean. Glad I waited to google that.

Dad and I soaked up some sun and then headed out to explore together. We wondered along some market streets in Jaffa, ate the first of what would be MANY falafel pitas, and visited a cute whale statue that commemorates Jonah’s launch from the port to go get swallowed up! I’ve always loved that Bible story, so I got a real tickle out of this. Dad bought some old Israeli money from 1978. We walked and walked, absorbing the energy in the air. It was the first day of Ramadan too! 

At around 5pm we had to grab a taxi because we were outta there! Off to Rehovot, just a bit southeast of Tel Aviv. This was the location of my dad’s conference he was meant to attend. I was worn out, my heels were sore! The location of the conference is the Weissman Science Institute. Very wealthy little institution named after Israel’s first president and the inventor of acetone, Chaim Weissman.
Here we’d be for the next few days. 


 





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