The First Surprise on the "Pilgrimage"

I am going to Israel for the TAU conference! When thinking of Israel, what comes to your mind? Religious history, rich culture, historical locations? As a person loving history, I have watched many YouTube videos about Jerusalem and several documentaries about Israel before the journey, such as Dancing in Jaffa, the Gatekeepers, etc. I am earnestly looking forward to the trip.

Scenes from the viewpoint near Hebrew University of Jerusalem

At the airport, I started to feel the ambiance of Israel. It was probably the most rigorous security check I have experienced all these years---indeed, this is one of those on the journey that I will encounter as the first time in many years. The boarding gate was separated from other gates and everyone, even those in premium member status, had to wait in one line and went through manual examination, one more time after the normal security check. Except that, the plane to Tel Aviv seems to have more men carrying a hat box, which Google says it is called "Tefillin". The plane also had many children and of course, many families in a large size.

We happily landed at Tel Aviv, the jewel of the Mediterranean Sea.

Tel Aviv, view from the Jaffa port

Whichever city I visit for the first time, I'd like to follow some conventions to get to know the place best. 

Rule 1: take public transportation alone to the lodging; no taxi, no Uber/Lyft. 

The test was easily passed. I collected a city map from the information desk at the airport, purchased a local transportation card called Rav-Cav, took the train from the airport to the nearest station in the city, then transferred a local bus and arrived at my lodging in one hour. Except difficulties in reading Hebrew, the trip was smooth. Israel is an English-friendly country, which makes the communication much easier, though most time a map is sufficient for me. 

In the afternoon of my first day, I already can move freely with any bus in Tel Aviv. I took different buses to and from Jaffa harbor and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the Ilana Goor Museum. 

View from the Sculpture Garden in the Ilana Goor Museum

Rule 2: rent an airbnb apartment and talk to local people.

 I enjoy talking to local residents. They often share with me their favorite restaurants which only locals frequent. In this trip, I tasted the best hummus in my life. Even writing this sentence, I can recall the luscious taste when having in mouth the warm hummus covered by juicy eggplant. In the culture of Israel, food is love.

Hummus at Etsel Mikha

Rule 3: shop in local grocery stores and cook breakfast with local yogurt, fruit, and veggie

My favorite drink in Mediterranean area is pomegranate juice, freshly squeezed. In Tel Aviv, there are many fruit stalls, some even running 24 hours. Getting a cup of pomegranate juice is always the highlight of my day. Just a sip can feel like an instant immune booster injected straight into your veins, which isn’t that far from the truth.

Rule 4: visit a local yoga studio

I squeezed in one yoga class on Tuesday morning before the start of the conference. Chandra yoga studio is located in a quiet residential area and I didn't expect that I would learn something new: Vijnana yoga, which extends Iyengar Yoga while emphasizes practicing, feeling, and understanding from inside. Quite a satisfactory experience, such unexpected moments are the beauty of travelling.

The first surprise

Some unexpected moments are beautiful, some are not.

Twenty-four hours after landing, I lost my wallet, the first surprise in this journey. For no reason the wallet slipped from my hand after paying lunch, without a notice. Hm...when was the last time I lost my wallet? Almost 15 years ago! Such odds -- probably I should buy lottery. Instead of buying lottery, I made a journal submission that night. Let's see what will happen. :)

Coming up with the surprise is my first lesson learned on this trip:

On the road, always having a backup credit card and cash in a place other than the wallet, for example, the luggage. 

Fortunately, I still had my passport. Even more, I had about 170 Israel Shekel exchanged earlier at the airport. Though it was less than 50 dollars, it turned out sufficient for the remaining three days. Thanks to the generosity of the conference organizer for providing free lunches and dinners. Thank you, Francesco, for paying me the dinner. Thank you, Yaron, Zack, Yuliy, for offering to lending me money. With a zero cost of capital they offer me, maybe I should borrow some? Remember Finance 101, there is no free lunch! :)

Still, thank you, my friends! It is such a great pleasure to get to know all of you in Israel!

Photographed by Jennie Bai.

Copyright ©Jennie Bai. All Rights Reserved.

More stories:
--The Second Surprise on the "Pilgrimage"
--The Third Surprise on the "Pilgrimage"