Jerusalem

This morning we left our hotel in Bethlehem, I will not miss having wet feet all the time from the puddles on the bathroom floor. When we got to the checkpoint today, we didn't have to get off the bus, but 2 guards with machine guns boarded the bus and looked at all our passports. Oh, how I wished for a picture! But I didn't wish for trouble!

In Jerusalem, we started at the top of the Mount of Olives, which I didn't know was covered with thousands and thousands of graves, some Jewish and other sections muslim. We walked the path into the city that Jesus probably walked on Palm Sunday, but no one was waving palm branches for us. Just begging for money. The path was cut stone worn smooth, and very slippery since it was mostly downhill and then up again. We went to the Western Wall, where we had to go through a security check complete with x-ray, men through one side and women through the other. Then you had to pass the modesty police. Legs covered up to the knee, and shoulders covered. Always bring a sarong. Even some of our men had to wear them :) Bruce looked very dapper.

At the Western Wall, men were designated to one side and women to the other, with a row of dividers with umbrellas down the middle. Monday is bar mitvah day, so lots of Jewish families were there having their sons declared men. The women were all standing on chairs hanging over into the men's side, so they could be part of the ceremony too. The women's part of the Western Wall is much smaller than the men's so I could only get within 5 feet of it, it was packed. But Anton and Sebastian managed to make their way and touch the wall. We are told that we will have another chance tomorrow. For those who don't know, the Western Wall is the only remaining part of the temple from Jesus' time.

We are back with Shmuel today, and he took us to an out of the way quiet and very good place for lunch. Afterwards we went to the remains of King David's city, which was built below the temple, strategically located beside the water source.

From there we walked through King Hezekiah's tunnel. He built cisterns below the city to hide the water from his enemies. It is 538 m long. It was dug from both ends and was only 4 cm off. It took 45 minutes to walk through it, very narrow one way traffic, sometimes very low, but always walking through water. It came out at the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the blind man.

Finally to the new hotel, the Olive Tree Hotel. This is definitely a luxury hotel, with a gorgeous lobby and beautiful stone work in the washrooms. We are on the top floor, and the hotel is booked solid.

Before dinner we went for a walk with Sebastian in through the Damascus Gate which took us into the Suk Market again. This was all in the muslim quarter. The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into 4 quarters, the Muslim, the Jewish, the Christian, and the Armenian. The Armenians were officially the first Christian nation due to the work of Thaddeus and Bartholomew. They have had a presence in Jerusalem since the 1st century.