We were on the way to Amman and fully intended to go on from there to Damascus but a last minute decision saw us heading for the Jordan/Israel border in a service taxi, rather than for the Jordan/Syrian border in a big bus. We were taking a few chances trying to cross the border so late in the day and its hard to know who to believe as we were being told varying stories (people telling us the border closed at 1500, no-one else would be going across, we’d get stuck and so on) but we went for it anyway. The security procedures around the border crossing were a bit extreme. Basically went something like this: Service Taxi to the Jordanian border, get exit stamp for Jordan, board the bus that took us the 4km to the Israel border, through about four heavily armed police checkpoints. Offload outside the Israeli border and all luggage goes through security that would put an airport to shame. There, (we must have looked suspicious) we were asked loads of questions, made to fill out form after form, wait for ages, asked more questions, fill out more forms, asked further questions (we clearly look too old to be normal backpackers!) then, after a few hours, we were allowed through. I have never seen so many machine guns in my life. Onto a sherut (shared mini-bus) through a very barren part of the West Bank and into Jerusalem. We caught sight of the huge wall that separates Palestine from Israel. A huge great thing stretching for some 700 plus km, 6m high and a huge cost – something like US$3 billion to build and millions to maintain apparently.
Barren part of the West Bank
We entered the Old City from a very non-tourist side – the Muslim Quarter – and on hindsight, it wasn’t a very smart thing to do (but we didn't know not to). I’m sorry to say we were harassed by kids (one threw a stone at Euan (damn good shot too), I got punched in the arm a few times etc (it didn’t feel right to punch them back)) and it was sad that they felt compelled to treat westerners that way but is an indication of the sense of injustice obviously felt and therefore taught to the kids.
Now, I’m not religious in any way shape or form but I would challenge anyone, religious or not, to come to Jerusalem and honestly say that they’re not blown away by it all. Its difficult to describe but there is just so much history you can’t help but be impressed. We stayed for three nights and 2 full days and didn’t get to see nearly as much as we could have. The Old City is a place to get lost in and that we did. We even went full circle on our first night there! We managed to find somewhere to stay – a very strict Muslim place where there was no alcohol, a curfew and unmarried couples were not allowed to sleep in the same room(!!).
We visited the Church of St Mary Magdalene where there were two tombs – one for Tsar Alexander's mother, the Grand Duchess Elizabeth, and Princess Alice of Greece (Queen Elizabeth's mother-in-Law) who harboured Jews during the Nazi occupation of Greece. The behaviour of those visiting all these holy sites was moving, fascinating and, at times, plain disturbing.
Mary of Magdalene Church
Nearby is the Church of All Nations that houses the rock of agony. The olive trees were most impressive.
Church of All Nations
Olive grove in the Garden of Gethsemane
It’s estimated that these trees are up to 2000 years old (the Romans cut down the originals in 70 AD)
View of Old City from Mt of Olives. Jewish Cemetery is in the foreground.
There is a water tunnel (Hezekiahs Tunnel) that was dug about 3000 years ago by Canaanites to secure the water supply for the City. The tunnel is over 500m long, very narrow (to narrow to turn around) and water is about 70cm deep in places and it leads to Siloam’s Pool in the City of David. Cool experience but spooky if you switch the torches off. When we went down it was just Euan and I so we could fool round a bit with switching torches off and walking in the pitch black etc but it wasn’t really that funny (I was at the back and got quite spooked).
Jerusalem really is a melting pot of religions. The City is clearly split into quarters and whether the split is conscious or not, the way the people change from one section to the next is freaky. I can’t see how the Palestinians are going to take part of the Old City as their capital and Israel take another part for theirs. It’s just a myriad of streets, walkways and steps so any kind of formal segregation would be a nightmare to adhere to.
The Temple Mount is very close to the Western (Wailing) Wall and is a huge site. It was virtually empty and we weren’t allowed in the Dome of the Rock so just had a look round outside. The Western Wall is the only remnant of Judisms holy shrine – originating from 20 BC.
Mt of Olives and Temple of the Rock
Praying at the Wailing Wall
Dome of the Rock at Temple Mount
The presence of guns in Jerusalem is quite unnerving at first. Gangs of teenagers walking down the street with semi-auto weapons casually slung over their shoulders, or girls walking round with pistols. Soldiers seemd to be everywhere and all were carrying at least one weapon. Seems to be completely normal though and after a day or so you don’t really notice.
Barren part of the West Bank
We entered the Old City from a very non-tourist side – the Muslim Quarter – and on hindsight, it wasn’t a very smart thing to do (but we didn't know not to). I’m sorry to say we were harassed by kids (one threw a stone at Euan (damn good shot too), I got punched in the arm a few times etc (it didn’t feel right to punch them back)) and it was sad that they felt compelled to treat westerners that way but is an indication of the sense of injustice obviously felt and therefore taught to the kids.
Now, I’m not religious in any way shape or form but I would challenge anyone, religious or not, to come to Jerusalem and honestly say that they’re not blown away by it all. Its difficult to describe but there is just so much history you can’t help but be impressed. We stayed for three nights and 2 full days and didn’t get to see nearly as much as we could have. The Old City is a place to get lost in and that we did. We even went full circle on our first night there! We managed to find somewhere to stay – a very strict Muslim place where there was no alcohol, a curfew and unmarried couples were not allowed to sleep in the same room(!!).
We visited the Church of St Mary Magdalene where there were two tombs – one for Tsar Alexander's mother, the Grand Duchess Elizabeth, and Princess Alice of Greece (Queen Elizabeth's mother-in-Law) who harboured Jews during the Nazi occupation of Greece. The behaviour of those visiting all these holy sites was moving, fascinating and, at times, plain disturbing.
Mary of Magdalene Church
Nearby is the Church of All Nations that houses the rock of agony. The olive trees were most impressive.
Church of All Nations
Olive grove in the Garden of Gethsemane
It’s estimated that these trees are up to 2000 years old (the Romans cut down the originals in 70 AD)
View of Old City from Mt of Olives. Jewish Cemetery is in the foreground.
There is a water tunnel (Hezekiahs Tunnel) that was dug about 3000 years ago by Canaanites to secure the water supply for the City. The tunnel is over 500m long, very narrow (to narrow to turn around) and water is about 70cm deep in places and it leads to Siloam’s Pool in the City of David. Cool experience but spooky if you switch the torches off. When we went down it was just Euan and I so we could fool round a bit with switching torches off and walking in the pitch black etc but it wasn’t really that funny (I was at the back and got quite spooked).
Jerusalem really is a melting pot of religions. The City is clearly split into quarters and whether the split is conscious or not, the way the people change from one section to the next is freaky. I can’t see how the Palestinians are going to take part of the Old City as their capital and Israel take another part for theirs. It’s just a myriad of streets, walkways and steps so any kind of formal segregation would be a nightmare to adhere to.
The Temple Mount is very close to the Western (Wailing) Wall and is a huge site. It was virtually empty and we weren’t allowed in the Dome of the Rock so just had a look round outside. The Western Wall is the only remnant of Judisms holy shrine – originating from 20 BC.
Mt of Olives and Temple of the Rock
Praying at the Wailing Wall
Dome of the Rock at Temple Mount
The presence of guns in Jerusalem is quite unnerving at first. Gangs of teenagers walking down the street with semi-auto weapons casually slung over their shoulders, or girls walking round with pistols. Soldiers seemd to be everywhere and all were carrying at least one weapon. Seems to be completely normal though and after a day or so you don’t really notice.
When signs said leave guns at the gate, it wasn't a joke!
We found the Church of the Holy Sepulchre quite grim – it’s the place where Christ was crucified and buried, and the behaviour of some folk here was just plain disturbing. There is a marble slab (Slab of Unction) inside the main door and people were rubbing things (hands, faces, hats. clothes etc) all over it. One lady had a little plastic (human) foetus that she was rubbing on it. That was definitely weird.
Christs Tomb
Slab of Unction
We visited the Yad Vasham museum (a US$56 million museum complex a 30min local bus ride from the Old City) which, as a museum is mediocre but as an architectural complex, spectacular. Worth a visit only if you have time to spare we think (the London Imperial War Museum exhibition on the Holocaust won hands down in my view).
Jerusalem definitely had its touristy areas but step round a corner and you’re back into the original ancient areas where there is no-one other than locals around. A wonderful place and I was quite sorry to leave.
We found the Church of the Holy Sepulchre quite grim – it’s the place where Christ was crucified and buried, and the behaviour of some folk here was just plain disturbing. There is a marble slab (Slab of Unction) inside the main door and people were rubbing things (hands, faces, hats. clothes etc) all over it. One lady had a little plastic (human) foetus that she was rubbing on it. That was definitely weird.
Christs Tomb
Slab of Unction
We visited the Yad Vasham museum (a US$56 million museum complex a 30min local bus ride from the Old City) which, as a museum is mediocre but as an architectural complex, spectacular. Worth a visit only if you have time to spare we think (the London Imperial War Museum exhibition on the Holocaust won hands down in my view).
Jerusalem definitely had its touristy areas but step round a corner and you’re back into the original ancient areas where there is no-one other than locals around. A wonderful place and I was quite sorry to leave.
Next stop Haifa (we think!).
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