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  Jerusalem, Israel
Saturday, November 22, 2008

Dear All,
we just wrote a really long wonderful blog for you all, but it has just disapeared much to our frsutration, so here is a shorter version.


Our day began yet again with a trip to our 'local' to pick up an array of exciting pastries (Hana insists on a list); un pain du chocolat, an apply thingy, a custard roll thingy and a cinamon spiraly thingy.
WE ate this on agrassy patch in front of Damascus gate before continuing just up the road to the Garden tomb, the alternative site to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the crucifixtion and burial place of Jesus. Even in WInter, the Garden is filled with plant and bird life, a beautiful peaceful contrast to the alternative (we culdn't help but compare). There we saw the surmissed Golgotha (a roky hill that really does resemble a skull), and a huge water cistern and wine press, which indicate that it indeed was once a garden or vinyard belonging to a rich man, like Joseph of Arimithea. Then there is the tomb itself... a small rocky room carved into the cliff, with grooves where a large stone would have been placed in freont, one small window and and body-shaped hollow in one corner... and herein lies the point... the tomb is empty!

Lunch was at a restaurant with fond memories of falafals for Susan, the 'Four Season's.'

UNDER
We continued to walk aroun to the Lion's gate but were waylaid by discovvering the entrance to a huge cave which goes under the walls and houses of the Old City itself, known as Zedekiah's Cave, or King Solomon's Mine. It's believed to have been a rock cave, it goes quite far back under the city, and is dark and exciting!

We then decided to traverse the Mt of Olives (the name 'Mount' is a bit deceptive, it's not that big). At the top is the iconic view of the Old City with Dome of the Rock and Golden Gates. WE then taried to get down a different way and got rather lost, taking a very long road down where it became neccessary to whip out the tramping songs and startle passers-by.

OVER
On making it back to the old City, we wanted to try the fabled Rampart's Walk aln the walls, but to our (brief) disapointment the wire gates were locked. Buty (you knew this was coming) thanks to the help of some friendly non-english speaking tourists we scaled the fence and wandered alog the stone walls and steps, almost the entire way around the city. quite a long walk, with a brilliant view on either side! Up there we discovered another entire world above the dark covered market streets below. Schools, playgrounds, houses and back yards were all constructed on what looked like gound level but was actually 1-2 stories up! On reaching the other end, we found the gate locked ut this time untraversable, so had to back track a bit.

n the way home we made use of our 1337 haggling skills to purchase some scarves, and stopped again at our local for more pastries and far-too-expensive corn chips (at Hana's insistance) to be enjoyed once again on our rooftop.

Things you needn't be jealous of;
- lack of laundry facilities and subsequent lack of clean clothes
- toilets (need we say more)
- harassment by men and boys in shops (do we look that gullible?)

things that have startled us;
- sudden onsets of noisy clanging bells at any time of day or night
- the sheer volume of cats - mostly rabid looking - that occupy Jerusalem
- the camel sitting at the lookour on top of the Mt of Olives
- honking cars
- crowds of obnoxious noisy tourists of which we like to consider ourselves NOT one of
- the price of corn chips

things we have enjoyed;
- these corn chips (sorry they kee coming up, but we are eating them right now... actually Hana is eating most)
- again feeling like Indiana Jones exploring the cave
- formulating McGuyver-like plans to escape from the Ramparts. Hana actually wanted to jump onto the shadecloth of a restaurant below. lucky she has me to stop her from such silliness. Thats right, I'm the sensible one
- the beautiful crazy randomness of the old city, filled with arches and courtyards and doors and paths and funny-dressed people (not that we are so swishly dressed ourselves)
- our new Pashmina scarves

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