Just Call Me Yentl
Trip Start
Sep 19, 2008
1
7
11
Trip End
Sep 23, 2008
Jerusalem,
Israel
Thursday, September 18, 2008
My favorite part was that, as we are driving into the convent grounds, The Inspector proceeds to tell me that during the last Hamas uprising 1-3 years ago, a shell was dropped in the convent's backyard. How's that for a bedtime story? Talk about not wanting to sleep the 'sleep of the dead'! By the way, The Inspector informed me that the shell dropped right beside a statue of the Virgin Mary, thereby averting any damage whatsoever.
The touring was historic but non-religious today. In short we toured the Bahai Gardens in Haifa, a Crusader fortress in Akko, and yet another one of Herod's palaces in Caesarea. It seems that Herod had just about as many houses as John McCain. At the Bahai World Centre we received a pamphlet that discussed their principles. My favorite was "Recognition that faith must be consistent with reason and that science and religion should be in harmony". Since, according to Webster's, faith is a "belief that is not based upon proof", it might be difficult linking up faith with reason and science. My point being you can't prove faith-based beliefs. Anyway... obtained some good pictures, but not much more to report about those places.
The real adventure today began when I got back to Jerusalem. I had booked a tour of the tunnels that are underneath the Western (Wailing) Wall. I was told to leave my hotel 15 minutes prior to my reservation. Of course I left :30 ahead, which ended up being about :15 too late. Traffic was horrendous. The cabbie couldn't believe it. He said he'd never seen it like that. So when we got, according to the cabbie, '5 minute walk away', I got out and started walking- fast, as time was ticking. Well, 2 miles later I finally arrived- :10 late. When I got to the atrium in front of The Wall (at the opposite side from where I needed to be) it was like a humongous Mosh Pit. Imagine a football field FILLED with people; we're talking multiple thousands, all crammed together. I thought to myself, 'There's no way I'm going to make it'. (Actually I thought, 'If there was ever a prime time & place for the PLO to set off a bomb, this would be it.') I really wanted to see the tunnels, so I decided to go for it. I noticed there were a lot of military folks in the sea of humanity, which therefore meant lots o' weaponry. It turns out the event was the swearing-in of all the new Israeli Paratrooper graduates.
After parting my way across the sea, I eventually arrived at the ticket desk only to be told that I was too late. Right then and there I decided to don my thorns and become, if necessary, the ultimate 'cactus'. I whipped out my confirmation, explained that when I called for reservations they should have told me about whatever event was obviously taking place at the Wall tonight; told them I had left my hotel :45 minutes early for what their reservationist had said would be a mere :15 ride; and said that I had a 'confirmed' reservation and therefore they must grant me entry. And Oy Vey- they did it! Obviously they mistook me for one of their tribe. I caught up with my group and had a GREAT tour, inclusive of stories!
The real excitement came when I departed the Wall area. Turns out the sea of folks was leaving along with me. There were no taxis as the police had sectioned off the streets to every vehicle except buses. I thought about walking the 2 miles in the dark, but given the fact that it was already 10:30, I decided that surely there was a better way. I considered trying to sneak on a departing tour bus, but then thought that idea might not turn out so well. Then I noticed the public buses coming and going. I thought: 'I'll just jump on one and ride it out of this craziness to someplace where I can get off and catch a cab'. The next challenge was getting on a bus as people were mobbing them and literally cramming on as soon as they came up to the stop. One of them took forever to be able to shut its doors as people continued to shove onto it. Finally I was towards the front of the line for one and jumped on.
After I was on the bus for a few minutes I began to notice something... I was in a bus of black and white. No, not black and white people, but rather white people wearing nothing but black and white. Specifically black pants, black jackets, black shoes, black hats and a white shirt and they wore long curls in front of their ears (peyot). The women wore long black skirts, black scarfs/turbans over their hair, white shirts, and absolutely the most sensible black shoes (orthopedic-style) you ever saw in your life. All the sudden I'm starting to add 2 + 2. You guessed it...
Bahai Gardens
I was on a bus full of the Hassedim (Hassidic Jews) headed for home, in this case home being Mea Shearim, the ultra-Orthodox (some say ultra-ultra) Hassidic neighborhood. Think 'Yentl' minus the Barbara Streisand soundtrack.Now I had hoped to take a tour of Mea Shearim but not in this fashion. You see I was wearing a bright blue short-sleeved shirt and had 3 cameras on me, which is not going to exactly net you the Welcome Wagon in the all-Hassidic, Mea Shearim neighborhood. They allow outsiders in, but only if they are dressed modestly (long sleeves) and they forbid pictures being taken. Think of the Amish to the 'nth degree. In fact, they've been known to stone and spit at offenders on occasion. I decided then and there it was time to 'get off the bus' or at very least sit in 'the back of the bus' as opposed to the front, where of course I was located. I quickly rang the conductor bell and hastily exited right in front of the neighborhood gates where I caught a cab waiting nearby. Unwanted adventure averted! Within 10 minutes I was safely ensconced back in the cocoon of the American Colony hotel.
Going from the convent to the Colony was quite a dichotomy. There is one thing they share in common however- they both had bombs land on their property. Sweet dreams!
One other note: While riding the bus, I asked a woman if she had been attending the graduation. She replied yes, that her grandson had graduated. I said he must certainly be brave to jump out of an airplanes. She said that she had asked him which branch he was going to join when he enlisted and he replied 'The fighting squad of course.' She asked him, 'Must you?' He replied, 'If I'm going into the Army I am going to give them all of me.' She told me, 'That is how all our young people feel these days.' So there you have it.
I'm through with all my structured touring, so now it's on to the Red Sea for some R & R..
Akko
