Breaking a Cardinal Rule

I always say that there's one very important rule to follow if you're tremping aka hitchhiking. 

• You must know the route to where you're going and where it is.

I broke that rule this week when I went off to pay a shiva condolence call to rickismom.  She lives in Bnai Brak, which is near Petach Tikvah.  I know where Petach Tikva is, how to find it, but I don't know my way around it.  I certainly don't know how to get to Bnai Brak.  I had set up to meet a friend at Tzomet Geha, and I still don't know where that is.  I had been told that it's "after Tzomet Morasha," and I think that's someplace after Tzomet Yarkon. 

Now, I do know where Tzomet Yarkon is, because you make a right to get to my cousin's, if you're coming from Ariel.  You need to go straight or to the left to get to all those other places.

But since I was off to do a mitzvah, a holy commandment, I was confident that somehow it would all safely work out.  And of course, being that I was counting on miracles, yes tremps/rides, I had now idea how much time to give myself.  I just had to forge ahead...

My trek started well when a neighbor picked me up.  She was on her way to Ashkelon via Ariel and then the Number Six Highway.  The question was where to let me off.  Two teens were also in the car going to Tel Aviv.  They were told to help me out, and we got off at the machsom, border check just before Elkana. They quickly caught a ride and I was on my own.  After a bit of a wait, a young woman joined me and she was also on her way to Tzomet Geha.  I announced to her that she had arrived to help me and would share n the mitzvah of nichum aveilim, comforting the mourners.  She accepted the responsibility the the patience of a long-time trempisitit. 

After a bit she, being young and pretty (and perfectly modestly dressed with a lovely married woman's head scarf) convinced a driver to take us a bit out of his way to Tzomet Geha.  It wasn't so simple and we ended up someplace else where there was a bus stop to Tzomet Geha.

And from that bus stop we had to walk under a bridge and keep going until I found the spot where my friend was waiting for me.

Baruch Hashem, thank G-d, I arrived safe and sound and only seconds after the time we had set to meet.

And yes, I guess there are exceptions to my rule.