Sunday April 21 Tel Aviv

The Aegean Air flight touches down in Tel Aviv, 12:20, just past midnight. Drizzle on the windows.  You see movable stairs at the ready to pull up to the jet door, and there's the airport bus to take the entire plane load of passengers to the terminal. And you have that heavy carryon suitcase. 

Oh well.

At the bottom of the jet's metal staircase, a dapper fellow in suit and tie asks, ' Are you Mr and Mrs Whiting?' 

YES WE ARE!

'Follow me' he says, and we do. To a waiting white Mercedes van. He wheels our two bags, opens the van's door. Welcomes us, asks how was the travel. He's taking us to immigration to get our visas, then to customs, and then he will deliver us to our driver. We are driving around where the jets are. We never go out a security gate, he stops by a curve (no signs), escorts us up an expansive marble ramp. Through glass doors and we are inside the terminal. He takes us to the no-line 'special' immigration booth, we get our visas, and then walk through customs without even nodding our heads to anyone. He finds our driver, hands off our suitcases, and we are in our second Mercedes Van, heading towards Tel Aviv. 

It was less than 15 minutes from touchdown to in the Van to Tel Aviv. At one point I did say to Mike, what if this is a kidnap. We didn't ask HIM for identification. But then, we knew A & K were going to meet us a the airport and drive us to the hotel. Didn't really think they would help us out inside the airport. I was just too ready to get out of the rain to worry, wanted to avoid the lines. And it worked out great. We were in our hotel room a bit after 1:00 AM. 

This is VIP treatment. Man, I could get used to this. Love this tour company. 

Woke up at 10:30 am. No plans today. Thought we would explore Tel Aviv for lunch, went out the front door and it's raining. RAINING, this is a desert!  Still there are 25 surfers right off this beach. Rocky beach here.  

View from our hotel, and from street looking up at the hotel. Mosque is  right next door. 

At the business lounge this afternoon, a group was discussing buying the adjacent property to build apartments. This is Mediterranean frontage property used as parking lot, bus station, and tow truck parking. Could be put to better use. 

So we turned around, came to the main lobby for brunch/ lunch. Didn't want the breakfast buffet in the dining room. I like hotel lobby dining, usually lighter, and more relaxed. Really great choice. We shared the Taste of Jerusalem Platter - stuffed grape leaves, falafel, tahini sauce, yogurt w herbs, hummus, baba gahnoush, olives, pitas, chopped fresh vegetables (cucumber, carrot, onion, tomato). And mushroom soup. 

The hotel, and Tel Aviv so far, seems so new. 1960's on. Modern not severe. Colorful. People dress colorfully. Smile. Laugh. We didn't hear much laughter in Athens. 

And the air. Ah fresh air. Salty tang. Breathe it in. Still hear the traffic noise, but you smell the Sea.

Walked along the coast south towards Joppa. Signs in 3 languages.

No dogs loose, cats and birds. Felt safe. Mike walked farther.

Here we are in the Holy Land. Did Jesus ever see the Mediterranean? He and family went to Egypt, so maybe.

 Did they need to? Did they have the craving we do, I do, to see other parts of the world?

What draws us to do this?  I enjoy it. Why? The new and different. Analyzing. Understanding. Just plain fun. 

Why do I want to see the Holy Land in person? Want to know Jesus better. Figure if I see where He lived, I will understand more of what He said. Think of how you understand a person more when and if you visit their home. Deepens the picture.

Joppa, where Peter was staying when he had the dream of the sheet and all the animals he was allowed to eat. Acts 10:1-23.  The clean and the unclean. Then he realized this meant to actively spread the good news to Jews and non-Jews. The clean and the unclean. Jesus came to save everyone.  

That happened at a place I can see from this hotel window. Peter would have looked out over this Mediterranean sometime that day, thinking perhaps of the peoples far and wide. And of the mix of people in Joppa itself, an active port city. 

This is not Winter Park Florida where pretty much every single person speaks English, understands most everyone's religions. This is a place where even street signs are in three languages, and there are many quite disparate religious beliefs. 

So thankful Peter realized the expansive nature of his calling. 

May these days deepen our faith. 

We meet our tour guide and group at 7 PM tonight. Then off we go!