Landing in Jaffa
The town and its suburbs
Ships would arrive in Jaffa at dawn and anchor at least one kilometer from the coast, beyond the reefs that prevented ships from entering the anchorage. Passengers and cargo were unloaded from the ship to rowboats manned by experienced Arab seamen. The saga of landing in Jaffa and rowing among crashing waves to the anchorage appears in most travel books. Scenes of Jaffa, its dirty, narrow and noisy alleys were the first encounter with the Orient by most of the bewildered tourists. Only a few, mainly devoted Christians, spent more than a few hours in Jaffa. The town was simply the starting point for the journey. The row of hotels and boardinghouses of the American-German colony at the edge of the city were the preferred place for breakfast, sleeping arrangements, and in particular, to meet up with the guide - the Dragoman - and his team.
