Tel Aviv 2018

Wow, what a trip and where to begin! Luis and I just got back from 6 days in Israel and it feels both surreal that we were there and surreal that it’s over.Masada sunrise 
As we went, I wrote parts of this post to help include as many details as possible.
 
Our first day started way too early at 6 am to catch an 8:45 am flight.is1
 
Everything went smoothly and, despite Luis almost leaving his backpack at security, we made it to Tel Aviv with no hiccups except an insanely bumpy ride that had me simultaneously praying we wouldn’t die and that I wouldn’t vomit.  Neither happened.
 
Once we arrived in Tel Aviv, we had quite the adventure getting to the hostel and it took way longer than expected.  Note to self, take a taxi next time.  We stayed at Abraham hostel and it was great. Super clean, efficient, free breakfast, and CLEAN (wait til I tell you about our awful Airbnb in Jerusalem). 
 
Once we made it, all was well and we headed out to have a first bit of extremely overpriced food and a walk.6 days in Israel
 
Our first stop brought us to Yehuda Helevy Delicatessen, which I fell in love with as soon as we went inside.  I mean…6 days in Israel 6 days in Israel 
After some coffee and a snack, we walked all over…DSC_0521 DSC_0520 DSC_0532 DSC_0535 
And then had dinner at Abu Zaki, where we shared a bunch of plates.dinner at Abu ZakiDSC_0561 
Lastly, we had a lot of drinks while slowly making our way back home. 6 days in Israel6 days in Israel
Those beers are STRONG compared to good ol´Mahou in Spain!

 The next morning, we had our Israeli breakfast provided by the hotel and then joined a small group for the sandemans free walking tour of Jaffa.visit Jaffa
 
I’ve been to Jaffa before, but had never been on a tour and really learned so much in the two hours we were with our guide, Michal.  She was informative and also entertaining, which is good because sometimes I lose focus on the tours.DSC_0615
 
We learned some history of Jaffa and Israel, walked through the ancient cobble stone streets, and the tour ended after just a couple hours.DSC_0625 6 days in IsraelDSC_0626DSC_0658 
From there, we headed straight to the Carmel Market, which is this insane, rowdy, outdoor market.  We walked along the beach promenade to get there…
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And ended up right in the market.DSC_0680
 
But first, we stopped for juice.  This one had beets, carrot, and pomogranate.  6 days in Israel fresh juice 6 days in israel 
We went there to walk around, get ripped off (seriously it’s so hard to NOT get ripped off) and buy some yummy treats.Carmel Market Tel Aviv Carmel Market Tel Aviv Carmel Market Tel Aviv Carmel Market Tel Aviv Carmel Market Tel Aviv
 
After the market, we were completely wiped so we headed to the hostels for showers and a nap before getting ready for the Passover Seder (click that link to read about Passover and the Seder).Passover Seder Tel Aviv
Passover Seder Abraham Hostel
 
We actually chose to stay at Abahams hostel because they had a Seder, but it was quite disappointed with what it ended up being.  The meal was great but the Seder itself was as lack luster as it could get and I was looking forward to luis enjoing his first Seder. Either way, we had a nice time and went to bed soon after because… we had to be up 2.5 hours later. 
 
We caught a 2 am bus to head to Masada and the Dead Sea and let’s just say, that 2 am wake up call was less than fun.Masada sunrise tour 
All of that and some amazing pictures, coming in the next post!