Ramallah, Jenin and the Rest

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Spending a month in Ramallah was a great idea. The small city-town—with its bars, well-paid jobs, expensive restaurants, and international NGO offices—is a bubble sheltered from many of Palestine’s problems. But through its numerous bus and taxi services, I had access to towns and villages all over the West Bank. Day trips to the WB would have been more difficult if I had been living in Jerusalem because of the Qalandia checkpoint. Entering the WB is easy but leaving it can take a looooong time. Up to two hours sometimes.

Actually, what surprised me a lot about Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is the close proximity of everywhere. From Jerusalem, Bethlehem or Ramallah are only a 30-min bus ride, while it takes one hour to go to Tel Aviv. From Ramallah, the furthest city is probably Jenin, two hours away. Traveling around would be even quicker if it weren’t for Israeli roadblocks and checkpoints.

As for Jenin, the town and its periphery have been the site of many battles over the centuries, most recently during the Second Intifada when the Jenin refugee camp witnessed at massacre by Israeli troops. The town and its refugee camps need to be experienced through a long stay and interaction with locals (maybe when my Arabic gets better!). But I only got a glimpse. I just went on a daylong tour on Christmas day with the Palestinian Association for Cultural Affairs (PACE). Our tour guide (an archeologist by profession) complained about the difficulty of building an infrastructure for tourism while under occupation.

It was quite easy for me to find travel information thanks to a great guidebook (Palestine and the Palestinians), tourist information offices in major WB cities and towns, and the help of Friends living in Ramallah and Jerusalem. Word of mouth is the best resource and everyone is willing to help. Transportation is easy and abundant. Before coming, I didn't realize how much beauty and history there is to experiecne—from ancient ruins to bustling cities--I just wanted to get a sense of life under occupation. But being in Palestine highlighted the rich culture (including food!) that has survived, and resisted against, opression for over six decades.

So friends, come visit!

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Photos

All the countries that have accepted statehood for Palestine
Can you spot the Iranian flag?

Bedouin camp on the Jerusalem priphery
First they well expelled from the Negev and how they're even being forced to leave here--to make room for expansion of the Ma'ale Adumin settlement.

Taybeh beer factory
The only microbrewery in the Middle East,

Jericho
Didn't mean for this to look like a car commercial...

Sebastia
Founded by the Canaanites and later a major city under the Romans, the town has been much less visited since the Second Intifada. Some of its archeological sites have been left in no man's land--under Israeli civil administration in Area C but left unattended by the Israelis. Looting has become a problem.