So now my last day has arrived, my adventure has come to an end. Time, as usual has flown by!
Today is Saturday and The Jewish community are now celebrating Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest so once again the city goes back into hibernation. Luckily, I was already aware of this and planned my activities accordingly. Today I planned to visit old Jaffa.
The Old City of Jaffa is the historical part of the Israeli city of Jaffa. It is located in the southern part of the Tel Aviv.
Once again, it was like entering a world back in time, 2 miles away from my hotel , the beach and the modern world sat Old Jaffa and the Port of Jaffa. As I walked into the town the first thing i saw was the clock tower, surrounded by many old building, different to what I had seen before. I took a right turn intending to loop the town and get a feel for it. However my right turn actually took me straight to the port as as I walked round behind me was the skyline of Tel Aviv, where I had just walked from. As i walked into the port I saw all the boats, most of the aged and a little battered. It was a beautiful day, a comfortable 27 degrees but I was surprised that not many people seemed to be in their boats or leaving the port. It was 11am by this time and not many people around so I could wander freely and explore the port. I walked past a few seafood restaurants all the way round to the warehouses at the end. A few of the warehouses were still in use, people trading out of them as unofficial stores but a few of them seemed to just be the original iron skeleton of the warehouse with no walls or ceiling. There was various equipment stored in them but they were clearly not in use. Unfortunately there was no information anywhere to tell me why so it remains a mystery. As I walked back through the port and back into town I spent a while just wandering around the streets looking at the buildings. It was very quiet, not many people around. I did wander how the atmosphere would have been if the stores weren't closed for Shabbat. After wandering for a while and once again not finding any quick eats I decided to head back to the port and treat myself to a fresh seafood lunch.
As I sat down I ordered a Halloumi starter followed by a mixed seafood main. Once I placed my order the waiter bought out bread followed by 5 different dips which I was not expecting! One was humous which didn't surprise me as it seems to be the only thing people in Israel eat! One was Tadziki, one sweet cabbage, one carrots and one I didn't try as it looked like sick. I think my stomach has shrunk a bit from being here from my lack of appetite or available food so I only managed one bit if bread before my large halloumi started came out. I was about halfway through when my main came out! A lovely mix of calamari, prawns, crab and mussels in a garlic butter sauce. I was a little embarrassed by how much food i had in front of me! I ate what I could and enjoyed it. Once I left old Jaffa and walked back I bumped into my Polish friend from Jerusalem, Elizabietta. Unfortunately she was in her way to the airport so we had a quick catch up before heading our separate ways. I managed an hour on the beach before heading back to my hostel.
I had to get up at 1am for my flight so wanted to try and get a nap in beforehand so I wasn't too much of a zombie for my flights home. Unfortunately this was to no avail and I just spent a few hours watching a movie before getting up and heading to the airport.
I was a little concerned that o hadn't been able to check in online but the flight home was pretty pain free!
The stop over in Istanbul was pleasant I guess apart from the drama at the gate with man chatting on the phone to a banana for 20 mins and people getting annoyed that other people were filming him. Oh and the lady that lost her purse on the plane and delayed us for 20 mins while the police arrived. To be honest the taxi ride to the airport was more stressful. Israeli drivers are very impatient, beeping their horn for any imaginable reason and speeding across lanes on the wrong side of the road. But hey, I still managed to make it home in one piece!
Israel... done!