All's Well That Ends Well-- The Miraculous Trek Home From Jaffa Port

 

The trip home from Jaffa Port was complicated... read all about it...

 

Whenever I'm not sure of the route, I trust Google Maps, which is pretty reliable, especially nowadays when there are so many changes in bus routes and bus stops. Actually, I arrived at the Jaffa Port reasonably easily via Ariel, where I had taken one of the buses to Tel Aviv and had gotten off by some government offices. From there I had no problem finding the 44 to the port. The instructions for the walk to the port weren't all that clear, but by concentrating on how many meters were left, I could see if an about face was needed. Trust me; there were quite a few. But then I saw the massive building by the port and just had to find the entrance. 

Where was I going? To a beer festival, the Beer Market had returned to Jaffa Port. Last time I traveled with the rest of the beer tasters via Jerusalem, but since then I discovered that it's easier and faster to get to and from Shiloh via Ariel. 

I was the first of our group to arrive; most arrived soon afterwards. This post isn't about the festival and beers, though I hope to blog about some favorites at a later date. Wisely I packed a nice vegetable omelet for dinner-- to counteract the alcohol of the beer and give me healthy energy for the trip home. 

As usual I consulted Google Maps and then was happy to discover that my favorite Tel Aviv-Ariel the express bus was listed as the one I'd catch "somewhere," but before I left the port the instructions began changing rapidly with all sorts of cancellations. 

The Beer Maven invited me to join them in the taxi to the Tel Aviv Train Station, where they were catching the train to Jerusalem. I thought about it for a nanosecond but decided it would just increase my trip, and I may be stuck in Jerusalem. I needed a bus to Ariel where I could catch a bus to Shiloh. 

With Google Maps, and a number of helpful strangers, to guide me I finally found the 44 going back to Tel Aviv. I got off where Google Maps instructed but couldn't find an Ariel bus anyplace. I kept asking people, but they didn't see the 286 number anywhere either. Finally a nice young man took out his earphones and began searching via the app Moovit. Apparently some big event in Tel Aviv changed traffic and bus stops. 

After we walked close to a kilometer we returned to where I had gotten off the 44, and we crossed the street. The 286 wasn't listed, but there was a 285 to Ariel on a sign, but it wasn't on the board  of "live" buses. He insisted that his app said the bus was close. He spotted a bus passing us and managed to hail it for me; yes the 286. I thanked him and climbed in through the back door. Yes, the bus hadn't realized that I was waiting. That tzaddik-- righteous man really saved me. 

I used my efobus app to check if I had a chance to catch a Shiloh bus in Ariel, and thank Gd I did. It wouldn't be true to say that the trip was uneventful or quick, but I got off at the first stop in Ariel on time. 

Then I walked slowly through the Ariel Shopping Center on the road, hoping that a neighbor would notice me and take me home. Finally, at the bus stop I waited for the bus which would take me to my street, ok via the scenic route of Eli, but it was MY BUS. 

Since my phone's battery was too close to zero for anything not urgent, I didn't check how the rest of the crew was doing. Once home, I plugged in my phone and contacted them. The Pisgat Zeev Beer Tasters had "landed" in Jerusalem but still not near their neighborhood. 

I enjoyed the beer and the company... and thank Gd and wonderful strangers I made it home safe, sound and sober.

Living Without a Car, How Do We Travel?

How do I manage to travel, even though we don't have a car, and public transportation can be rather complicated?

Sometimes it can be very easy, but days like yesterday can be rather complicated. I had to get to my cousin in Hod Hasharon, which in theory shouldn't be all that complicated --our 461 to Ariel and then there are usually many buses from there to the Yarkon Junction.

But the Transportation Ministry has decided that people don't travel on Israeli Independence Day by bus. Most of the buses to Ariel had been canceled, so I took the first one, which came to Shiloh about 10am. For a few stops I was the only passenger on the bus! Then some more came on.
As we arrived in Ariel, I checked on the bus app (efo bus) for buses to Yarkon Junction. They all said "day+" meaning tomorrow. That wasn't very helpful. I didn't want to tremp-- hitchhike.

Suddenly it indicated that an 86 to Petach Tikva would be at Ariel Mall stop in about six minutes. I was a few minutes from there, but if the driver was planning on letting us off at the official last stop, I'd miss the bus.

At times chutzpah is necessary, so I asked the driver to let me off a few hundred meters early, and he agreed, so I easily caught the connecting bus. The next bus was about an hour or more later. Neighbors would be passing by about a half an hour afterwards, so they could have picked me up. I only found out that they'd be traveling in the direction I needed after I had left on the 461.

At Tzomet Yarkon I was picked up by my cousin. The return trip was a bit more complicated... If you want to hear, please let me know.

Friday's Travels, Tremps & Buses, Life in The Slow Lane

Friday morning when I left home to catch a ride at the Yarkon Junction, I was very optimistic that I'd be on time. Usually I am. I got to Ariel, near the university with time to spare, so I decided to go to the nearby mall and use the loo. Blog post on that, Gd willing, in a few days.

I was disappointed to discover that the Ariel Municipality still hasn't made a safe sidewalk for pedestrians entering the new mall from the university, bus stops etc.

 As you can see from the above photo, there's still a dangerous "under construction" sidewalk of sorts along the main road to the mall. Whenever I've found myself walking in the dangerous mess over there, I think that Ariel Founder and Mayor, the late Ron Nachman, Z"L, would have made sure the sidewalk was safely completed before the stores had opened.

Not wanting to walk on the rocks and along the road in the direction of traffic, I crossed back to the bus stop I needed far from the "crosswalk."

Unexpectedly I discovered that it would be at least fifteen minutes to a bus, which meant that I'd be cutting it close at best. Davka, I didn't check in advance and chose the time of the morning with the least buses.

Of course, the bus was late, and a dozen or more people got on. Some of them with travel bags, which the driver insisted should be put under the bus. When one of the passengers with a bag on wheels sat in the front and looked totally blank and uncomprehending at the driver's request to sit in the back, I spoke to the man in English. Thank Gd, I guessed correctly, and he took himself and his bag further back.

There are signs available for those looking for rides that can show where you need to go.

Of course I updated my ride that I'd be late.

I'm glad to have discovered that bus routes in Ariel have changed. I don't know if it's all the buses, or just the ones I went on, 186 and 86, if I remember correctly. They now take the new bypass road at the Rami Levi Mall. This makes it easier to get to those stores. That means there's less bus service to the old industrial zone.

Luckily it didn't really matter that we were "later than planned" to the event we were going to, because there was no formal program.

Going home, I was dropped off at the Yarkon Junction and got a ride to the Gittit (Revava) Junction. There after a short wait, I caught a bus which took me to the Ariel University. I got off a stop early, so I could walk a bit. Then I got a ride with a neighbor.

And I managed to finish everything necessary at home before Shabbat. That's pretty good, since it was one of the "shortest Fridays" of the year.

Yes, this is how I survive without a car.

New Mall in Ariel Near The University

For months, OK ever since I noticed the construction, I've been impatiently awaiting the opening of the new mall in Ariel. It's right across from the Ariel University and a minute from  where we catch rides and buses to Shiloh and nearby communities. The Rami Levi Mall, which is at the other end of Ariel, is very inconvenient for me, since I don't have a car.

This new Ariel mall has a gas station, a supermarket (Supersol Deal,) quite a few restaurants, a bookstore, clothing and accessory stores and best of all a FOX home, which is a big favorite of mine. The only thing I didn't see was a children's clothing store. The clothing stores in the mall all seem to cater to adults only. Like the Rami Levy Mall at the other end of Ariel, this "mall" is open. In that way it resembles "shopping centers" of my childhood, except for the fact that it's two stories tall and has an elevator. Rami Levy's also has an escalator.

I was in the new Ariel mall yesterday with a couple of friends. We ate lunch, and Gd willing I'll review the restaurant in a couple of days.

I can imagine myself tremping to the new Ariel mall just for fun.

Pishers' Guide to... Ariel Mall!

Just because I was in Ariel, didn't mean that I couldn't try out  and review their public toilets. The Ariel Mall aka Rami Levy Mall is at the "other end" of Ariel, not near the university. It's two floors, mostly outdoor, partially covered, and the two floors are connected by stairs, escalators and an elevator. Besides the large Rami Levy Discount supermarket, there are a great variety of stores, larger ones on the ground floor level and smaller ones upstairs. There are a number of strictly kosher restaurants, too.

I was there to have the phone store see if my smartphone could be repaired.  While waiting for the store to open, I checked out the facilities, aka WC, 00, yes the public toilet. Yes, I followed the signs, no smells.

They seem to be kept clean.  There are two stalls, one regular, for men or women. And the other is handicapped, which is set up according to Israeli standards.  See the bottom photo.


There were soap and toilet paper, too. Of course I was there pretty early in the morning, before most of the stores had opened. But in my experience, Rami Levy is pretty good when it comes to WC upkeep in his supermarkets.

handicapped facilities

I enjoy giving a good report, though my phone couldn't be fixed.

Phone Death Confirmed

Last night I blogged that my Samsung J7 had died. Honestly I had been hoping that I was wrong and a simple "lung" battery transplant would bring it back to life.

So this morning my friend drove me to the phone place in Ariel, near the Rami Levy. I got there a bit too early, so I did some grocery shopping and then made sure I'd be first on line when it opened at 9:30. I had gotten glowing recommendations about the place, and it is pretty close to Shiloh.

Actually, time-wise, Shaar Binyamin and the Ariel Rami Levy Mall are about the same distance from Shiloh, but the ride to the Ariel one is much more pleasant. They both have branches from the same Rami Levy and phone place, but the road to Shaar Binyamin is via Waadi Charamiya, while half the trip the the Ariel mall is within Ariel.

The Ariel Mall is filling with lots of nice stores and kosher restaurants.

Back at the phone-repair lab, the charming and polite young man tried everything in his repertoire, including calling the manufacturer. Finally, he had no choice other than confirm the sudden-death of my phone.

Since I said that I wasn't about to spend a lot on a phone, since they just don't last very long, he recommended buying the chinese Xiaomi. So now I have less than a day to get advice on which to buy and where. One thing I really liked about him was that he didn't start on a hard sale. He told me to do my research and decide which phone I wanted. I was surprised and relieved.

Today I need to be home since I'm expecting two important kitchen workers. I'm even missing a wedding for them. Tomorrow I will buy a phone Gd willing, either in Ariel, Shaar Binyamin or in Jerusalem. Please quickly write your advice and recommendations, yes, ASAP. Thanks. Only phone me if you have my home number, since, obviously my cell doesn't work. Otherwise comment here.