http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Middle East , Israel , West Bank , Bethlehem en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 17:25:10 +0000 Sun, 19 May 2013 17:25:10 +0000 Bus 21 sieht um einiges abgewrackter aus als die grnen IntercityBusse von Egged. Die Klappen der Lftungsschlitze sind kaputt und eisig kalte Luft blst mir in den Nacken. Zu dumm dass ich mein neues Palstinensertuch erst ein paar Stunden spter kaufen werde. Um mich herum sitzen braun gebrannte Mnner mit Silberketten um den Hals und Frauen in langen Gewndern und Kopftuch. Die Schild http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-751452.html The young man39s eyes were trained desperately on the two of us. He needed help. Not sure if we could trust him I kept my mouth shut and let my friend handle it. My friend knew many people in the camp but this one was unknown. He begged us for help just five minutes he said. Please come. Why not So we followed him around the corner to his home and entered.Do you know Mohannad The boy who http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/Dheisheh-Camp-/blog-735931.html The Holy Land Said to be the most fought over real estate in history just hearing the name of the Holy Land brings spiritual and exotic thoughts to the minds of people all around the world. It serves as the holiest place for all of the three Abrahamic religions hence the name The Holy Land and has been fought over this for this reason and political reasons for thousands of years. As a Chris http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/Beit-Sahour/blog-735617.html After Jerusalem we hopped on the bus and went headed to the West Bank We were met by and enthusiastic tour guide Khalid who in my opinion was the best of the 3 we had so far. After we past the checkpoint which I was totally unaware of since I was asleep we headed to the Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born. We parked in a parking structure and it was probably a quarter mile wa http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-730996.html It was about time to ramp up a travel blog for this excursion Over a week and a half after starting out in NYC I at first had made peace with the notion that I would not blog this trip. But we are simply learning and experiencing too much to not share the wealth with whomever might be interested. So I39ll start with the current day and perhaps fill in the gaps later...Yesterday the 21st a http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-718340.html The Israeli separation barrier made of a combination of fence and concrete wall can be spotted from nearly everywhere in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Its ominous contours are unavoidable. Begun in 2002 the wall is set to extend some 470 miles upon completion several times the length of the Berlin wall which was 96 miles long.Theres nothing nice about the wallcalled the Apartheid Wall by its http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-667164.html So today I went to Bethlehem and visited the Holy Land Trust. First I just want to say that I really love Bethlehem. Its an awesome city and I love the atmosphere. The people are so nice and friendly. The history behind the city is amazing. I wish that I didnt live so far away so I could visit more often. It was awesome to see so much of the group again too. The guys from Ramallah we http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-626448.html From the Arab bus station in East Jerusalem just off Damascus Gate I hop on bus number 21 to Bethlehem. My guidebook revealed to me that this way I won't have to pass an Israeli checkpoint. It will make me feel a bit more subversive. It's also cheaper for I won't have to take a taxi after the checkpoint to the centre of Bethlehem. I sit down next to an Arab boy and ask him Is it ok and he http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-563506.html Stories from Palestine Australia South Africa and Asia. The trip turns to conference presentations on the themes hope leadership visionAt the innocent age of 11 Chelsea from Australia was encouraged to ask what can you do for another She visited a home for the aged and asked what colors they like. Knowing that she liked to paint pictures she thought maybe her art would brighten their ro http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-535702.html A bon portMaintenant notre marche prend fin devant les portes de Jerusalem nous avons la joie des pelerins heureux d'avoir ete conduits jusqu'a destination. Pourtant l'echec nous a severement menace. Nos passeports apres 4 voyages inch'Allah presentent une collection quasi complete de visas des ennemis d'Israel. Je ne pense pas que vous puissiez franchire cette frontiere nous lache la douani http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-520984.html Its a late start and down to Damascus Gate to find the No 21 bus to Bethlehem The bus is parked underneath Skull Hill and off I go. The 25 foot high segregation wall is clear to see today but were waved through the checkpoint. A sign reminds Israelis that it is illegal for them to enter the West Bank. I walk up from the bus terminus into the heart of Bethlehem. Through the vibrant market th http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-491766.html Passover is already in the air. The supermarkets are displaying cleaning materials including toothbrushes and matzah and we recently got a notice at Mandel that following our usual Monday tea time in two weeks we will be packing up the cups. Cafes and restaurants are starting to post notices about whether they will be open or closed during the holiday and people are talking about their vaca http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-481848.html Bethlehem is only 10km away from Jerusalem. But it may as well be on the other side of the world.Because getting there so I have to cross the security fence and enter Palestine. Actually I was quite nervous about it as well. The West Bank has been built up by the international media into a extrememly dangerous world loaded with unexploded bombings.Getting into Palestine wasn't difficult I walked http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-462789.html Occupied Palestine Nov. 25th 29th 2009 This blog entry is to show people some of our experiences while we visited the Holy Land in occupied Palestine. In our 7 months of travel not a single place has been as disturbing as Jerusalem and the West Bank. 60 years of Zionist occupation has turned this place into a apartheid state with different laws for Muslims and Jews with the Muslims always http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-456991.html I am already starting to fall behind on my updates. I got back from Israel two weeks ago still need to write two blogs about my various adventures in the Holy Land and just got back from a weekend in Grenoble. I will attempt to update as soon as possible Anyway back to Israel. Jerusalem has a ton of tour groups that will take you just about anywhere in Israel on day trips the country is so ti http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-453575.html Well today we officially go into Palestinian territories to go to Bethlehem finally The lovely Sister Gemma is taking a few of us because the Israelis aren't allowed to go there. Poor Rachel the only Jew on the bus as she likes to put it haha.On Saturday we went on a HUGE trip down to the Jordan Valley past the Palestinian city of Jericho along the banks of the Dead Sea to the historical http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-365041.html I am writing this from the comfort of my living room in Marietta Georgia having just returned from Israel a few hours ago. Many thanks to Patricia and Dale for picking me up at the last minute from Marta and Mitch for taking exceptional care of Snuggles these last two weeks.I have one last entry from IsraelBethlehem from the West Bank. This was definitely not a planned trip but one I will never http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-362744.html I have a confession to make and this confession is that four months ago when I was working in my tall building with my important computers in my expensive clothes in my fancy city I knew barely the bare minimum about the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Nothing and really I didn't even care too much. I wouldn't doubt that many of you reading this probably don't know much or care to know much eith http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-321865.html There's not much to see. A church seemingly similar to any other church. A garden not much unlike other gardens. However this place has a slight edge over its colleagues. It's the alleged birth site of Jesus. Might as well be. If so one of the most important historical locations on the planet. Should be treated with due respect. Nowadays it is not. It is a warzone. Kind of kills the myth that http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-240783.html So over the last days we have been experiencing a whole lot of Jesus. Its very exciting that in three days we have seen various Jesus locations staring with Nazareth where Christ lived as a boy Galilee where he hung out with his friends the disciples and did most of his teaching and ministry the Mt of Olives where he came over the hill and wept over which led me to tears in rememberance of http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/Bethlehem/blog-228345.html