Here we are! On the finish line of our trip to Israel. *inserts girl in tantrums emoji* But let us make the most out of this blog. 😭😭😭
On the night of Day 8, we then held a family meeting (cause we’re that kind of family ya’know?). We discussed the probable places to visit around Tel Aviv. Our flight the next day was set on 10pm. And we still have time to roam around.
Day 9
The last day, when dad surprised us that we are going to Caesarea via train. He did a lot of research last night to make sure that we make this last day as memorable as the other days. Since the checkout time in Abraham Hostel Tel Aviv is 11:00AM, we checked out early and leave our luggage on the Luggage Room for free (do check their site for more details).
We then hailed a cab to the Tel Aviv-HaHagana Station and bought tickets going to Kessariya (Caesarea). It was quite a long ride, but we didn’t miss our station. I guess we learned a lot on our first. 😁😁😁
From the station we hailed another cab going to the National Park. As soon we arrived, dad asked the cab driver how can we go back to the station. He handed us his calling card and told us to call, he’ll be arriving in a few minutes.
Caesarea National Park w/ entrance fee
Don’t lose your receipt! Some guards check for it. It is a huge park filled with the ruins from the Roman time.
Theater
Columns and other Ruins
Herod’s Racetrack/Coliseum
They offer “gladiatorial” shows and horse races too. But we didn’t get to watch it.
At around 14:00 we then head back. Now, this part of trip really taught us a lesson. Almost all National Parks in Israel aren’t accessible to the public transportation. And so I would advise that if you want to do this DIY, then buy an Israeli simcard to call for a cab. Also, ask for your cab driver’s calling card.
So when we were about to go home we asked the Information for help and were pointed to the Payphone booth. Thank goodness, we asked a local on how we can call for a cab. The kind woman volunteered calling for us and gave us the taxi number, where to wait and the time of arrival (w/c will take around 8 mins).
We waited anxiously as we didn’t want to be late from checking-in the airport. But like as always, the taxis were punctual *breathes with a sigh of relief* and we went back for our luggages. We hailed a cab again back to the train station and from there we bought tickets to Ben Gurion Airport Station.
From there we had a safe flight to Hong Kong arriving at 6:00AM waited for some 6 to 8 hours for our flight back to Manila. It was a great blessing to our family to have this 13 day trip to Hong Kong and Israel. We are looking forward for more. To God Be the Glory!
To Take Note: Most souvenir shops at National Parks offer a tax refund for tourists. Be sure to ask for one. You will claim it at the Duty Free area at the Airport after your check-in and claiming your Immigration exit card. You have to pack your souvenirs on a carry-on baggage as you will need to present it at the Tax Refund area.
Merci beaucoup et á bientôt!
NicaCanWrite 