Thursday we had a full day of class in Tel Aviv, which some of us turned into a weekend in the city. In the morning, we had the incredible opportunity to meet with a US diplomat from the embassy, who has been in the Foreign Service for the past 15 years, about US foreign policy in the region, specifically in regard to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Since it was raining (and most people are from the South, hence think beach means sun. HA! Come to the Oregon Coast), we skipped the beach and instead went to the Jewish Diaspora Museum. Very interesting exhibits on Jewish life in the diaspora, from 70 AD, persecution in Europe, and the Holocaust, through the creation of the Jewish State.
In the evening, we listened to a panel of Israelis from differing backgrounds talk about Jewish identity and what that means to them. Those of us who were staying the night then went to wander the city, and found this awesome fountain in downtown Tel Aviv. Hence spent a good 30 minutes taking cool jumping pictures. You're welcome. We then grabbed dinner at a cute Italian restaurant, because nothing says, "I'm in the Middle East," like a good ravioli. Our multicultural evening included sampling all their desserts, just to be fair.
After dinner, we went down the beach to "look." Also known as getting in the Mediterranean Sea with our clothes on at 11 pm. Best experience of the trip thus far: wading in the Mediterranean, looking up at a starry sky, with giant breakers crashing in front of me, racing waves back to shore with good friends, while watching people at the marina shoot off Roman Candles. Yep, studying abroad is really hard.
We got up the next morning at took a leisurely stroll down the beach. Along the way, we found: 1) Work Out Parks- they look like a playground for kids, but are really work out stations for adults. So. Fun. 2) The best playground ever created. Bold claim I know but its true. Probably more fun because I'm pretty sure some of the play structures wouldn't pass safety codes in the US, but oh well. A giant pyramid of ropes tied together that you can climb, 25 feet tall, overlooking the sea. The best.
We made our way down the beach to Jaffa. Tel Aviv is a fairly new city, but Jaffa can be dated back to biblical times (then Jappa). We explored the old city, including the clock tower, built by the Ottomans. As you wander through, you feel like the streets belong in southern France or Italy, rather than the Middle East. We saw the famous floating orange tree, the harbor, many art galleries, and lots cool architecture. After lunch and gelato, it was pouring rain, so we decided to head back to Jerusalem.
It was the best weekend we've had so far, and I loved seeing a different part of Israel. While Jerusalem is religious, traditional, and historic, Tel Aviv is secular, modern, and cutting edge. It was great to not only explore new areas, but to see the different kinds of people that live in Tel Aviv. It definitely attracts the younger crowds, and for once, we didn't feel like we stuck out everywhere we went. Tel Aviv was a blast, and I definitely hope to go back to again on this trip, and in the future.
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