Jerusalem

(photo:View from Mt. of Olives)
Wednesday
Today was my big trip to J- town (Jerusalem) I decided to brave the bus for the hour or so ride to town. I had not been taking any buses. Deb is not allowed to and had been pretty much sticking to the rules that the embassy staff have to follow just to be on the safe side (i.e. no buses or public transport, no nightclubs, avoid heavy crowded areas etc…) But I was starting to get he hang of it here, and while I still prefer the taxis to the regular bus (okay that may have more to do with convenience than safety) I decide to risk the bus. I managed to maneuver through the gigantic bus station that is more like an indoor mall with some buses and made it on the right bus – only 17 shekel (about 4 dollars) Nice big air conditioned bus. Yes, several off duty soldiers with their ubiquitous machine guns were also on board but I am beginnings feel safer when that happens instead of disconcerted. Nice ride and a great view of the area in between the two cities. I arrive in Jerusalem and ate yummy lunch at an Arab restaurant in the (Photo: Garden of Gethsemene) J-town bus station. I didn’t recognize anything so I told the guy to just give me something he thought was good. At first he was a bit discombobulated by this request (imagine going into McDonalds and saying that) but the he got into it and I got a tasty lunch. And then the adventures began.

(photo: Wailing Wall) Deb had made reservations for me the at the EL Dan hotel. The taxi driver said there were two of them. I had no address, just the name of the hotel. I knew mine was near the old city so I said to take me to that one. After hitting on me for awhile (from now on I am just going to say I am married) he asked if I would like a tour of the city later for 100 shekels (about 25 dollars). I mumbled okay – since I wasn’t quite sure what he was saying (his English wasn’t that great) and I figured I could always cancel after I got to my hotel. He keeps talking and after a bit I realize he is taking me to the Mt. of Olives. I said I wanted to go to the hotel and tells me he is giving me the tour I asked for! He said the hotel was in the other direction and we were almost at the Mt. of Olives. At this point I know I am going to get ripped of big time. But in my usual confrontational manner (said sarcastically- I am the biggest wimp around when it comes to this stuff) I was like fine whatever, take me there and then to the hotel. I had learned my lesson after that and every time he asked if I wanted to see something, I just kept saying no thanks just take me to the hotel. All in all, the taxi drive when I finally go to the hotel was about 75 dollars! But I was so happy just to get out of the taxi and into thee hotel I didn’t care and just gave him the money and chalked it up to experience. Then go to check in and they don’t have a reservation for me! So they call the other Dan hotel and they don’t have a reservation for me either! I try calling Deb but just get the answering machine (she has a shindig at the ambassador’s house and won’t be home till late) so I ask if I can book a room now. Turns out I can and I end up staying there. It was a great location, right across the street from the Jaffa gate to the old city and it would have been fine except when Deb finally was able to get back to me, it turns out she had already paid for my room at yet a third Dan hotel! After paying for two different rooms, I could have stayed at really swanky hotel!
At any rate, I didn’t want to waste any time in town because I only had to days and it was already the afternoon of the first day. I called a guide the hotel had recommended and arranged to meet him in an hour. Nasser took me all around the old city…I t was extremely cool. Jerusalem is very different from Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is really like any big city. A bit more European that American, but very modern. Jerusalem, especially the old city but really most of it, is what I had imaged all of Israel to be like before I came. Old low building made out of giant blocks of stone, twisty streets, and even the many of the new building are built in a similar architecture and style to the old ones so the town looks like a biblical town. The old city was amazing. Having seen the Passion, I think Mel Gibson did a great job recreating how it actually looks. Walled cities are very unusual in that when in the streets/corridors/alley ways, you are simultaneously inside and outside. It is an odd feeling. (Photo:Jerusalem) There ware narrow streets that were lined with vendors selling all kinds of things from clothing, carvings food and souvenirs to luggage - looking very much like what I imagine it did 100 years ago or even 2000 years ago. The items may have changed, but that’s about it. The streets are narrow and somewhat crowded and most of the buildings date back to the era of the crusaders with some going always to Jesus time. The streets are cobblestone, sloped and filled with stairs. Nobody who lives there needs to every join a gym! Nasser took me down the Via De La Rosa and we hit many of the Stations of the Cross. It was weird to be standing in the middle of a bustling market and looking at a marker showing that this is where Jesus dropped the cross (the stations are marked by signs and a pattern in the street stones put there by Helena, the mother of Constantine, in 300 AD when whey converted to Christianity. Most of this dates back to that time period, when Helen came and identified the significant Jesus sites and established churches there. Many where torn down later as various groups fought over the city but the crusader usually rebuilt over the original ruins so the sites remain the same places since 300 AD with various layers of churches and styles. These often includes Muslim stuff because, as I learned from my guide, Jesus (and Mary) are extremely important and Holy figures in Islam so many times the Muslim invaders would just convert the sites to a Muslim holy place. In addition to the stations, I visited Mary’s tomb, Jesus tomb, where he was anointed where the last supper was,(photo:posters calling for Sharon's death)the Wailing Wall (the only part of the old temple left after it was destroyed in 70 A.D.) We also walked though all the quarters of the city (the old city is divided into Arab, Christian, Jewish and Armenian quarters.) We only walked around the Armenian one because you aren’t allowed inside) (photo:Protesters) We often had to take a circuitous route because there were huge crowds staging a demonstration because of the upcoming disengagement from the Gaza strip. 70,000 people came to the Wailing Wall to protest that day. They were arriving in droves (carrying orange or wearing orange streamers, bracelets etc...Orange being the color of pro-settlers) as we were leaving. It was quite a sight. We finished up around 8pm and I can tell you I was exhausted. I had thought I would go back at night with my camera on my own and do some more shooting but it was all I could do to get to my hotel room bed and collapse. But as he was dropping me off, Nasser said he was taking one other person to Bethlehem tomorrow and would I want to go, it was only 23.00. I didn’t think we were allowed go but Nassar said it you weren’t Israeli you could go, so tomorrow morning Palestine!
(photo:Desert that Jesus went into for 40 days)