I’m one who typically has insanely favor-istic fortune when traveling. My flights arrive early, my luggage always shows up and I meet interesting people…yeah, a few celebs and athletes along the way. So, I went into this trip like every other trip thinking “I got this”. Well, let’s just say, traveling to “the source” has the tendency to test your character with a particular aim at patience!
While in route to Tel Aviv, I landed in Amsterdam and checked my phone for the auto time change. Yup, looks good and proceeded to walk to the KLM lounge to hang out until my transfer flight. It’s a gorgeous lounge with a great spread, free drinks and a little movie theater. I snuggled into a little booth with my snacks and laptop and thought “this is the life”. I kept a close eye on my phone clock and was about an hour out from my next flight and thought I’ll stroll over. To my surprise, my flight was backing away from the tarmac. I missed it! Seems my phone changed time zones but to London, not Amsterdam. So, when I thought I had an hour to stroll over…I was actually an hour late.
It was early afternoon so I thought I’d have options but I didn’t, I had to spend the night in the airport and fly out at the same time the next day. It was Christmas eve. The humor of the fact that I was looking for a “room in the inn” on Christmas eve was not lost on me. Fortunately, I found a bed vs a manger and made my way on the next day.
My arrival at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv was at 2:00 am. Not an uncommon arrival time in the middle east. For those traveling in, don’t worry about transportation from the airport. Plenty of cabs and it’s also connected to the train station. In any event, I grabbed a cab and made my way to Jerusalem where I was staying. About 30 minutes into the drive we entered what could be construed as biblical like fog. I’ve never seen anything like it. I must confess, after my travel challenges (which I never have), then entering this crazy pea soup fog, I had the thought that “someone doesn’t want me here” followed by an “aint to mountain high enough” attitude.
Despite my crazy daisy-chain of weird experiences in transit, I did make it and checked into my hotel. I knew it would be nice, but I didn’t know just how nice. I stayed at the Leonardo Plaza hotel in the lovely King Solomon suite. For those who follow my blog, you know that I search out rooms with a view, and good lord did this room have one! It’s from this view that my hostess (and pretend niece, Lily) reacquainted me with the city I visited over 20 years earlier.
Getting here was a press. It was frustrating. It was exhausting. It required additional finances in route. But if there is anything I’ve learned, it’s that these types of “markers” signal something special on the other side and when I walked into my room, I felt that “pop”. Like the pop of a cork after your struggle to get if off the bottle…here comes the bubbles!