TEL AVIV

Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think I would travel to Tel Aviv. I certainly went out of my comfort zone to work this flight. I cannot put into words the craziness that takes place on these flights for 11 hours. My head is still spinning!

The Calm Before The Storm

Boarding alone was challenging. I have to mention that the majority of our passengers were Hasidic Jews. They have their own dress, customs and beliefs. They have many children. My 1st challenge with boarding occurred when some of the Hasidic men informed me that their religion prevents them from sitting next to a woman that is not his wife. I told them that they would have to figure their sitting arrangements out on their own. I was not moving anyone. I was told by other flight attendants be firm, but nice. Next they need their luggage near them for reasons you will learn about soon. They would not use overhead spaces that were available if the bin was not directly above them. So boarding is very chaotic. Everyone is walking around even when we have closed the door. It’s like our rules on the aircraft did not pertain to them.

Finally, we got everyone seated and took off. We did our beverage and dinner service right away. This flight like no other had 170 pre-ordered kosher meals. Now we have to get these special meals to their owners. We managed to get everyone a meal and drink. It seemed to me everyone was starting to settle in for the night! I was quickly mistaken.

About 4 hours into the flight, all the Hasidic men jumped up and got their suitcases down to robe their praying garments. They pray at sunrise. Majority of the men pray in front of our exit doors with a window. The men that could not get to the doors, either prayed in their seats or in the aisle. One interesting note is that the men don’t stand still. They rock back and forth in place. I felt bad for all the other paying passengers that were now awake. I was told this is how it is on every flight to Tel Aviv. The prayer time lasts 30 minutes.

We had at least 10 men at this door. Note that we had to cover our coffee bar sink with the curtain because they would take their drinking water and wash their hands in it before praying. We kept telling them to please wash their hands in the lavatory. I asked one of them why he had a white robe on? I was told that the married men wear the white robes. After praying, they put their robes away and finally went to sleep.

Now you are probably saying to yourself, ” why would Nancy put herself through that?” It’s simple……..

Tel Aviv’s entire west side faces the Mediterranean Sea. The city boasts 9 miles – of some of the best beaches in the world with clean wide stretches of sand and stunning views of the sea, white sails and surfers.

We made it to our hotel by 630pm, just in time for sunset and dinner on the beach. We stay at the Hilton Hotel on the shores of the Mediterranean, which consists of a boardwalk that goes for miles. My trip to Tel Aviv was perfect because I had Cori, my coworker and longtime friend from SFO on my trip. Cori and I have had so many fun trips while we were both based in San Francisco. Cori was so gracious to show me all the fabulous sights of Tel Aviv.

Cori and I didn’t want to miss the beautiful sunset. We walked the boardwalk until we found a perfect spot.

After the sunset, we set off to find a place for dinner. We found the perfect spot for delicious drinks and food on the boardwalk.

It was time to walk back to the hotel to get a goodnight sleep. Cori and I were getting up early the next morning to explore Tel Aviv.

It was a nice walk back to our hotel.

Good morning Tel Aviv. This was the view from my bed!

Now it was time for yoga on a paddle board in front of our hotel. No friends, I wasn’t on a paddle board, I shamelessly sat on the bench and watched these girls workout.

Cori and I got an early start on our walk before it got too hot. Our 3 mile walk was to the Old City of Jaffa.

The Old City of Jaffa

It was a pleasant walk along the water to Jaffa. It was fun to see that these beaches are dog friendly and the dogs were having so much fun in the water.

This complex was built as an inn for Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem who, during the centuries that Jaffa lay in ruins, lived among the remain of the ancient structures in 1654, the Ottoman government permitted the Franciscans to build an inn here, which become the first building in new Jaffa. In the 18th century the building was renovated and named Casa Nova. The inn remained in operation until the end of the 19th century. It now houses art galleries, restaurants and apartments.

The port of Jaffa is mentioned in the Bible and is one of the most ancient ports in the world.

Before leaving Jaffa, we crossed The Wishing Bridge. An ancient legend holds that anyone boarding the bridge, holds it’s zodiac sign and looks at the the sea- their wish will come true!

It was about a 3 mile walk back to the hotel and boy were we hot. We definitely needed to get refreshed by the hotel pool.

I can say one thing about this pool, the temperature of the pool took my breath away. It felt like an ice bath. It truly was refreshing. It didn’t stop these two polka dot girls from having fun!

What a great way to end our day! We needed to nap before our 11 hour flight back to New York. It was not as hectic flying back because these passengers never got to see sunrise. We leave at midnight and arrive in New York at 5:00am. This makes for a much calmer flight back.

Tel Aviv has been dubbed the “city that never sleeps”, Tel Aviv is a city that pulses with energy, creativity and a vibrant spirit. It may have been mayhem to get here, but I can definitely say I’ll be back!