A short’s day today. Too hot for jeans! My grandson Mikan sometimes likes to have “no pants” days. But we still needed to wear our pants.

Today was a day when we set out with a goal – that didn’t get realised – but we had lots of other serendipity discoveries instead that made it fun and exciting.

We had had another disturbed night. Two young girls in the room next door to us left at 1.30am, but it took them over an hour to get ready and they did it VERY LOUDLY. At the top of their voices. But we were able to sleep in.

Breakfast in a cafe on the beach again. We shared the Israeli breakfast. Philip had the eggs and toast and jam. And I had the tuna, feta and salad. How predictable are we!

Then we set off to walk along the path by the beach to Joppa (also called Jaffa) again. Our goal was to find the Museum of Antiquities.

Joppa is an old port – going back 5,000 years. Tel Aviv as a city has grown up around it. It has seen countless people groups and conquerors moving through. Some left their mark, others more transitory. Some demolished it, others used it and changed it.

Coins with Alexander the Great’s head

We wandered around narrow little alleyways, up and down steep stone stairs and tight corners. Found little displays of artefacts going back centuries that they’ve recently dug up.

Saw the outside of a house that is called Simon the Tanner’s house. Lots of references to his house in the book of Acts. (I’m personally not sure how authenticated it really is, but it was fun to unexpectedly come across it as we rounded a narrow corner in an alley.) It’s still a private dwelling and behind the high stone wall around it the ruins of a little lighthouse where the family that lived there used to light it every day with kerosene lamps.

Simon the Tanner’s house with lighthouse poking up

Another little exhibition on top of the hill that overlooks the Joppa port  highlighted how quickly the centuries have passed. And how quickly and fleeting the conquerors down through the centuries have passed on by. Their lives like grass.

Looking out over Joppa port

We finally found the Museum of Antiquities! To discover that you can only go in there as a pre-booked group. So we couldn’t go in. And we decided that we’d already seen and enjoyed exploring lots of history. It was getting hotter too. Time to head back to our accommodation.

Where we packed up. Refueled with a slice of home-made apple pie and asked the most helpful young man what was the best way to get public transport to Jerusalem.

We found a little yellow mini-cab that took us to the huge Tel Aviv bus centre. Needed to go through another baggage check to get on the bus. A huge coach that filled up fast and off we went.

One of the things I still haven’t got used to is the abundance of machine guns everywhere. I’m used to soldiers carrying them around. I’ve seen them before in countries like India and Lebanon. But here you see young men dressed in t-shirt and shorts and thongs casually slinging them around as they wander around and chat to each other. When we’ve been to places like museums they ask us as they inspect our passports, “Do you carry any weapons for self-protection?” So what I’m making up about all this, is that if you feel you need a semi-automatic gun for self-protection, you can!

It was less than an hour by bus to Jerusalem, along mostly 6 lane highways and huge interchanges. Along green, hilly countryside well-cultivated and huge electricity pylons marching through the countryside. As we got closer to Jerusalem the hills got steeper and stonier. My ears even started to “pop” as we climbed the hills. Jerusalem is a huge city. I’d heard that before, but I hadn’t realised just how far it sprawls.

After another bag search after getting off the bus we got a taxi to our accommodation. A “proper” hotel this time. Our Arab taxi driver was hard to understand through his accent as he answered my questions, but I think I got the gist of it.

We’re staying in a hotel in the Arab quarter. The road to it was quite rough because the Jews don’t like spending money in the Arab quarter. I think that’s what he was telling us. I have heard that before. The 7 Arches Hotel overlooks the valley to the gleaming golden Dome of the Rock and the old city of Jerusalem.

It’s only a 10 minute or so walk there. We’re going very soon. And I’ll tell you more next time!