City Inn Ramallah

Eigentlich wollte ich ja nach Jericho, die aelteste Stadt der Welt. Das hat aber irgendwie nicht geklappt, vor allem, weil ich nicht in Erfahrung bringen konnte, was es dort genau zu sehen gibt, und weil die Alternative Couchsurfen im Staedtchen praktisch nicht existiert. In letzter Minute konnte man mir dann eine relativ guenstige und recht bekannte Tour dorthin empfehlen, die aber nur donnerstags stattfindet... also aus Planungsgruenden nicht moeglich. Selbiger ...

... diesem Juni 1967 an das Westjordanland ununt**brochen durch die israelische Armee besetzt. Was ab** noch hinzukommt (und da liegt d** Hase im Pfeff**): Weil das biblische Israel fu** die Juden ja das "Gelobte Land" ist, muss ihr** Meinung nach ja auch das Westjordanland besiedelt w**den, da es abgesehen von den politischen Grenzen Israels genauso zum Land geho**t wie Tel Aviv od** Haifa auch. So siedelten sich in den letzten gut vi**zig Jahren knappe 300.000 Israelis in den ...

Today was a very interesting day. <br><br>I met Michelle and we got on the bus to Ramallah. It only takes 30 mins but right at the end you pass through 'the wall'. For those that dont know It is a security fence that passes through Israel - roughly along the lines of the suposed border between the westbank and Israel. It is a horrible contraption and no one seems to be happy about it ...

... desalination plants, is one of the few countries in the world where the number of trees actually increased in the last decade, and my Motorola Razr was made here. They have a high tech center in Haifa, a nuclear power plant in the desert, and who knows what all else.<br><br>Interestingly, they also have security scans for as simple a thing as going to a movie or entering a shopping mall. To tour the Knesset, we essentially had to put all our personal belongings into a zippered, numbered ...

On Monday we visited Al Haq, a Palestinian organization that promotes and protects human rights in the occupied territories. They attempt to bring about action and change through international litigation against Israeli violations of international law. <br><br>One of our presenter's most important points was that the occupation has become highly profitable for the Israelis. Because there is a lack of proper economic infrastructure in Palestine, supplies needed to ...

... the Jewish area) to East Jerusalem (the Arab area) and he kept telling me " I can't believe you speak Arabic because as soon as I saw you I thought you were a Jew."  I said nope, American Arabic speaker.  Nice guy, definitely annoyed at Israel, and feels wronged by them and has nowhere to go or any future.  He worked as a bus driver between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and said even though he had only been in Tel Aviv for a few hours that he missed speaking Arabic ...

Friday, July 4th, 2008 I left Amman early in the morning from my friends, Rajai and Mona's, apartment, where I was temporarily staying thanks to their generousness. I found a taxi and told the driver to take me to Abdali, where the service taxis are that go to the King Hussein Bridge. He told me though that there are no service taxis at Abdali anymore so he would instead take me to another place. I was confused and thought my Arabic might be ...

... because the Prophet is supposed to have ascended into Heaven from the rock on which the mosque was built. I later learn that this is a "legend" because the truth is the Prophet never set foot in the Holy Land. I guess every monotheistic or Abrahamic religion tries to justify their claim on the area one way or the other. The guide is very intent on getting me to touch the Rock although I am an Infidel: maybe if I am immediately cured, it will prove the world Islam is ...

Checkpoints and Spiritual Pilgrimages Yesterday, we drove to Bethlehem and the checkpoint was moved from where it was in 2005. We found the entrance, and after showing our passports and being asked why we wanted to go to Bethlehem, we entered. We wound our way up the hill to Manger Square and pulled into a garage labeled "public parking," a half a block from the corner. (The large public parking garage we ...

Ahh, so beautiful it is. However wearing a long sleeve tee may not have been the best idea. By the later morning, I was soooo hot. Gosh were to start. Ahuvah and I went into town together on bus 13. We figured out where were going to meet up after she was done with work. The intersection between Jaffa Rd and King David St. Ok. Ahuvah warned me not to enter into area's that aren't too populated or areas that are Arab. I thought, how hard could that be?? haha. I walked ...