A Traveling Adventure

The other day we had a joyous family occasion in Kfar Saba, which is a medium-size city northwest of Shiloh. We got there very easily, since my daughter, who lives in Ofra, picked us up on the way. But afterwards, she had to hurry to work in Jerusalem, which was convenient for my husband, but I wanted to check out some textbooks in a publishing house in nearby Ranaana. My cousin and her husband dropped me off there, but when I finished, things got more complicated.

"Where can I find a bus to take me in the direction of Yarkon Junction or Ranaana Junction?" I innocently and rather optimistically asked the staff.
"Bus?" I don't know. I've never taken a bus here." Responded one of the women. "Do you know where there's a bus stop?" She asked the other one.
"Maybe you can point me in the right direction, and I can walk to the Ranaana Junction?" I asked.
"No, it's much too far to walk." They replied in unison.
"Maybe --(I didn't catch the name)-- knows." And she went to the back to call another worker.
"Walk down the street to the right. Turn left  and then at the traffic light turn left again. Walk another couple of hundred meters, and then you should find a bus stop. Take the #2." He spoke with the confidence of someone who actually takes buses, thank Gd. 

I surprised myself by actually remembering, more or less, the directions, though I did ask a few people on the way, just to make sure...

When I got to the bus stop, immediately somebody asked me about the buses. Apparently, I wasn't the only stranger trying to get out of Ranaana by public transportation. We both kept asking people for help. And I saw there were charts showing all the stops, which was helpful.

Ironically just across the street from the stop was Rami Levy. I debated going in to shop, but didn't need anything and didn't want to schlep.

Eventually, after a long winding route that must have crisscrossed every neighborhood and street in Ranaana we got the last stop, the Ranaana Junction, which has buses to all over. I looked at the listing for buses going in the direction of Petach Tikva and Tel Aviv, since I knew that most if not all would get to the Yarkon Junction where I could get a bus or ride to Ariel. Within just a couple of minutes, I was on my way.

Once at the Yarkon Junction, I knew my way and confidently crossed to the bus stop.

After a bit, I caught a bus to Ariel. And in Ariel I got off by the university, which is building and expanding.

From there I got a tremp home, B"H! Even though I really didn't know how I was going to travel, which buses and where, for some of the way, I must admit that it was a pretty easy trip and didn't take all that long. It almost took longer to blog it...