Wisemen and Grafitti Artists
Trip Start
Dec 13, 2007
1
7
20
Trip End
Jan 06, 2008
Bethlehem,
Palestinian Territory
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
I slept pretty good last night for the stinky dorm In Jerusalem, so got up again at a resonable time and ventured over to Mt Zion for my last couple of Jerusalem sites. First up the Tomb of King David, again pretty quiet and above here the room of the last supper...again quiet and for the first time not with a church built over it, probably because of Davids tomb. A short walk away was a Christain Cemetary with the grave or Oscar Schindler famous for saving the lifes of 1200 jews in the war.
So once checked out of my hostel I jumped on a bus to uncharted waters and into The West Bank
Bethlehem 1
.So a quick 15min bus journey and I was at the check point...or course best behaviour, men with big guns and countless scanning and bags checks off I go. Typical border crossing, people trying to sell you stuff and begging. Taxi drives trying to tell you that it a long way and no buses go to town...bullshite!!!
What is amazing it the amazing grafitti art, of course with rubbish tags and scribes. But many Western artists come here to write across the dividing wall, which is huge. Guard towers look down on you and i guess its the closest I will come to feeling like a prisoner.
A walk into town and up to Manger Square, how apropiately named....a quick break and into the Church of the Nativity, of course the birth place of Jesus.
The church ozzes atmosphere, a small entry hole built by crusaders to stop attackers entering and a mosaic floor centuries old. The back to the church down a small stair case lead me to the actual birth spot and luckerly enough got there just before they closed the doors for a ceremony
Bethlehem 10
. So myself and countless priests started to pray along with a TV crew!!! Pretty amazing video footage on my camera.After spending a good half hour in here I ventured back out into the square and started filming a Palestine Officer being inteviewed by the press. Once more men with guns came my way I decided i was time i stopped filming and left them to it.
Across the square was an art exihibtion of the western grafitti artist I had taken pictures of there work on the way in. A bloke from Clapham discribed alot of the work for me, including work by Banksy a london artist. The idea behind the area is the rasie money and awareness, so I took flyers back to leave at the hostel.
So another walk back people hassling me and actually a great experience of entering Palestine, its really a eye opening of how the people live here and actually while here I felt pretty damn safe, although I guess its a good time of the year to visit and there have been no recent problems!!
I was lucky to get a spare sit of a bus bound for Eilat that stopped in Masada...now I am shaved clean from the stinky place in Jerusalem and ready to climb the desert fortress of Masada tomorrow morning for sunrise.
