Day 2 + 3 - The Green North and Wonderful Tel Aviv
Greetings from Shorashim Bus 49! As I write this, we are leaving the beautiful Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv for Jerusalem, where we will stay on our second kibbutz of the trip. We arrived in Tel Aviv late last night, exchanging the chilly mountains of the upper Galilee for the warm, seaside climate of this bustling city. Fortunately, Birthright went all out and sprang for the Dan Panorama hotel, where we were treated to a delicious meal and a musical performance by Udi Krauss, the talented Israeli musician. After the performance we all went out for a night on the town, where, needless to say, good times were had; Tel Aviv’s reputation as the center of the Israeli nightlife is well deserved.
Awake at the crack of dawn, we went down to the dining room for another delicious Israeli breakfast, with fresh-squeezed orange juice, shakshuka, a ridiculous assortment of pastries, and many more things that I was too full to try. After breakfast we went to Independence Hall, the place where Israel’s Declaration of Independence was signed. We learned about the history of Tel Aviv, how the city arose from the desert just one hundred years ago. We walked through the winding streets of the city to Neve Tzedek, and then to the Shuk HaCarmel, a huge open air market full of people selling tchotchkes and delicious food from stalls on the street. We went to Rabin Square, where Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated, and learned about his life and his struggle to bring peace to the land of Israel.
Right now, the sun is setting over Tel Aviv as we drive out of the city. Although this is only the fourth day of our trip, it feels like we have been here much longer. I need to close my eyes for a little bit and get some rest before we arrive in Jerusalem, so until next time, shalom from Israel!