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Published: March 9th 2008
Mandy, Lee and I
out on Shabat, of all nights! HAMAS has issued new warnings abroad, from what I hear. Life continues on here for most Israelis. Some of the tourists seem preety tense, but all in all, its life as usual. I still don't feel too much tension. Maybe its because Im a native New Yorker and live in DC, or maybe Im too ignorant to realize. My first full night here, Shabat began on Friday at dusk. I assumed everything would be closed. I was starving, so Mandy and I took a walk. The only thing we could find was McDonald's. I don't even eat McDonald's at home, but since I was hungry, I had to give in to the Big Mac and 6 piece nuggets.
We went back to the hotel afterwards and hung out in the lobby. We met Lee, a Jewish man from guess where? DC of course. He was in Israel on business, but had the week off to himself. He worked in the computer industry for the government and was here for pleasure. We all decided to go out and find a place to have a drink. I didn't think much would be open because of Shabat. How wrong I was. In
Ramparts Walk
View of Jerusalem from atop a lookout, inside the Old City the holiest of cities, on the holiest day of the week, the semicircular row of bars and small dance clubs by our hostel was teeming with young Israelis; hordes of teens seated at outdoor tables, sipping on beers and smoking hookas. I was taken aback. It was such a contrast to what I expected. Up and down they went, greeting each other with laughter and hugs. Mixed into the crowds were plain clothes adolescents with automatic rifles slung behind them, almost protruding from their asses. I'm not quite sure why they were in plain clothes, but nonetheless, they were apparently here for our protection. If they weren't holding weapons, you would have thought they were a part of the young, hip crowd, as they also mingled freely with others that crossed their path.
It probably wasn't the best idea to mingle in such a concentrated area, as this part of Jerusalem had been bombed before. The plaza across the street from our hostel was bombed years ago. Actually, we weren't really supposed to be here at all, as U.S. government workers were banned from public transportation and businesses that served only alcohol. They are obviously high on the terrorist
Ramparts Walk
The Dome of the Rock target list. Government workers are also banned from traveling further south of here. Therefore, it is recommended that all US citizens follow the lead. However, I have to head that way in order to get to Jordan.
Lee, Mandy and I had a drink at 3 different bars. mandy left after the second bar, while Lee and I stayed behind. We ended up at a bar called Yankee, named after the owner. Yankee told us that most in the crowd were soldiers on holiday, 18-20 year olds (because of the mandatory military service for all men and women). We talked for an hour before heading back to the hostel at 3am.
I woke up at 1030 the next morning, ready to have breakfast and get the morning started. There was much to do and see. Mandy's friend and boyfriend visited her at the hostel. We all went out to breakfast in the Old City before parting ways. I wanted some alone time to see what I wanted to see. I began with the Ramparts Walk, a 1km jaunt around the Old City atop the surrounding walls. For 16 Shekels, I walked around most of the Old City from
Mt. of Olives
Russian Orthodox Church above, occassionally stopping to snap photos. It was an interesting perspective. I was able to see all the different segregated neighborhoods from above. I was also able to see much of Jerusalem outside the Old City.
After the Ramparts Walk, I decided to head to the Mount of Olives, outside the Lions Gate and the Old City, where I had exited from the walk atop the Wall. The path there was an arduous walk up a steep, winding hill. I was disappointed at how winded and sweaty I was during and after the ascension. My first stop outside the walls was the Mt. of Olives Cemetary, the largest continuously running cemetary in the world. Over 150,000 Jews strong were buried there. It was stated in the Old Testament Book of Zechariah that God would begin the ascension at this site. Therefore, Jews are lining up to be buried here when they pass. It was impressive, raised white entombments lying next to each other in rows upon rows, ascending up the gradual hill. I was able to take some brilliant shots of the city itself. I had a clear line of site to the Dome of the Rock, located in
Mt. of Olives
Cemetary, largest continuously running one in the world the Muslim Quarter, with its gold colored dome shining in the distance, and the Russian Orthodox Church, located just below me, with its tear shaped domes also glistening in the sun.
Next, I headed all the way down to the Church of All Nations. called so because 12 nations donated the money to build it in the 1800's (I believe). Located within the confines of the church was a garden called Gethsamane. Apparently Jesus spent his last night here and also was arrested nearby. Eight olive trees, some of which has been scientifically dated back to 2,000 years, bire witness to these important religious and historical occurrences. Silence had to be observed in the church itself. The cielings were high and the atmosphere was haunting. The dim lighting and shadows could have played a part.
I then headed to the Church of St. Anne, just inside the walls of the Old City and the Lions Gate, where I had exited a few hours before. I wasn't going to go in, but I made the decision to enter after reading a bit about it in my guidebook. I paid the $2 entry fee and made my way around the
Garden of Gethsemane
Olive trees witness to Jesus' night before and day of capture facility and garden. The grounds were beautiful and well preserved. The cistern built long ago was in ruins, as to be expected. The guidebook noted that the acoustics in the church itself was some of the best and it wasn't uncommon to hear religious songs being sung by tour groups. Something happened while I was there. I cannot put what happened into words, but I will do my best. I heard beautiful singing reverberating within the walls of the church, pouring out of the three entrances. It hit a chord within me and resonated through every fiber, cell, molecule. I approached with curiosity and trepidation because something began to well up. I sat down in one of the chairs and began filming. The people singing Amazing Grace was a Korean tour group taking advantage of the acoustics within the church. It sounded Latin to me from outside, but what did I know? For whatever reason, I suddenly began to sob, softly at first. I put the camera down and closed my eyes, trying to hold back whatever it was trying to get out. They finished the song with an amen. I wiped away the lingering tears and immediately headed to
a row of stairs that disappeared underground. I though it was over, sniffling as I grabbed my camcorder to tape the mural, statue of the Virgin Mary, and a small lit cross in the center of the room below. I couldn't completely shake whatever it was, as hard as I tried. They began singing again. The sound coming from their collective voices was amazing and beautiful. As I continued filming, the tears flowed again, slowly at first. There was another woman in the room, sitting on a bench in front of the small, lit cross. I was too embarassed to approach, so I went around the other side, sniffling as I walked. I saw her get up, so I approached the bench, camera in hand. There was no way to hide what was happening, but I didn't acknowledge her. She passed by, I sat down in her place. I stopped recording, put the camera down, and closed my eyes, occassionally cupping my hands over my them to wipe the tears. I decided to just let go at that point. For a good 3-5 minutes, I sat there alone, weeping. It was a feeling of immense sorrow and relief. I don't
Church of St. Anne
Virgin Mary, witness to my sobbing know how else to put it.
I left the church, eyes swollen and nose sniffling. I walked in a light daze, meandering around the old dilapidated cistern area, approachable through various entrances, snapping unimportant photos. It was something to do besides acknowledge to myself what had happened. I didn't realize until today, Jerusalem had been calling me.
I headed through the Muslim Quarter and bought a shwarma. There was immense activity and ordered chaos, rival strawberry sellers yelling competing riffs of pitches, trying to entice the crowd bustling every which way. I sat and ate my food on a chair next to 2 others, watching the flurry of activity, smelling the spices, and listening to the voices of the people rushing by, every which way.
I arrived back at the hostel and met a girl named Melissa and her friend. His name escapes me at the moment. They were both firefighters from Colorado, but had spent some time as search and rescue volunteers in Antarctica. I was impressed, to say the least. I also met Tara, a pretty 22 year old originally from Austin TX, but now living in Moscow working in publishing. SHe graduated college two
Church of St. Anne
cistern outside the church years earlier and moved to Moscow for work, since she spoke fluent Russian. I also found out she was converting to Judaism. Quite a surprise since she was Italian and raised Roman Catholic. An American named Sam was also my soon to be roommate, one of eight anyway. He worked for the Dept. of Water in Italy. He was gregarious and sarcastic, kind of annoying at first, but well intentioned and funny.
I asked to switch rooms b/c of the distincet funk permeating the air. Naked Old guy was one of the culprits. It also didn't help that I found a TP roll lodged in the center of the toilet the night before. Its not what you want to see at 4am, when you're trying to handle your business. It must have fell in from atop somehow. Lee and I decided to go grab a bite to eat before going out. A local shwarma shop sounded good enough. Tourists and locals alike lingered in every corner of the shopping plaza. It had a festival atmosphere to it. We noticed a small crowd of young university students sitting in a circular pattern in the plaza across the street from our
Zion Square
Vigil for those that fell at the hands of HAMAS hostel and very close to the shop. A vigil was being held for the 8 slain students of the terroist attack the evening before. Before gathering the troops, we decided to have a drink on his balcony. We watched the vigil from above, the crowd larger at that point, candles lit in the center patterned after the Star of David. We noticed how many of the students were somber, but some that were laughing and joking. Since we weren't in there shoes, it was difficult to imagine their individual motivations. Eventually, the male students gathered in what looked like a mosh pit formation at first, singing, dancing, celebrating....life.
Sam, Lee, Melissan, and I decided to head out to the row of bars we had traveled through the night before. We hit up Mike's, which had a pool table and an Irish feel to it; at least as Irish as you can get in the holiest city in the world. Melissa left us after Mike's. The leftovers headed to a bar with outdoor seating, where Lee, Mandy, and I had a drink the night before. It was perfect for people watching, since our table was located mere inches away from
the foot traffic passing by, furthest out from the cafe/bar itself. Sam and I drank liter mugs of beer, Lee a vodka concoction of some sort. Before I knew it, Sam had a hooka in front of him, a sweet smeeling strawberry blend of tobacco, if I'm not mistaken. It was Saturday night, the official end of Shabat, and people were out in full force, more so than the night before. It was 2am and I had much to do the next day, so we decided to retire, but not after grabbing a slice of NY style pizza. I told Lee to wake me up the next morning so we could see the Dome of the Rock and the mosque nearby.
Lee and I headed out this morning at 930. We grabbed a quick bite prior to the security checkpoint in the Old City. We headed toward the Western Wall, approaching another checkpoint to the Muslim Quarter. No luck. It didn;t open until 1230, so we headed for the City of David. We tagged along another tour group, not realizing where the ticket booth was. 23 shekels seemed like a hefty sum. I'm not ashamed to say, we didn;t
Crazy Sam...
and his beerhookah pay it. We meant to, but wandered too far in. We hitched along the tail end of an American group. We descended down flights of stairs, eventually leading to Hezekiah's mine. It was a manmade waterway built and used to supply water to the city. Bible verses in the Old Testament referred to it.
The Dome of the Rock was our next destination, one of the most important structures of Islam. There apparently is a large stone and beautiful murals inside. The footprint of Mohammed is said to be visible from a corner of the rock before his ascension to Allah's side. We wouldn't know though. Non Arabs weren't allowed. It was the same for the mosque. We were privy to the outside, simple and beautiful.
On our walk back to the hostel, Lee was still deciding whether to go North or South. I convinced him to come with me to Eilat, since it was his idea for me in the first place, the night before. Why go over to the conservative Jordanian side and spend the night, when there were women in 3 piece bikinis: "a hat, sunglasses, and bikini bottoms?" Good point, funny guy. We retrieved
On our way to the City of David...
beautiful soldiers...they're EVERYWHERE! our gear and headed to the bus station. The smart thing to do would have been to check the bus schedule prior to our arrival. It was 230PM. The bus didn't leave until 5pm. We decided to grab a late lunch inside the Central Bus terminal. We sat for well over an hour before heading to our departure gate. We waited in line. With 20 min. before the departure, I realized something. SHIT!!! I left my extra camcorder battery charging by the front desk of the hostel. Long story short, that's why I'm sitting here in the same freaking hotel in Jerusalem, instead of getting ready to go snorkeling tomorrow.
Lee and I parted ways and decided to meet up tomorrow. He would e-mail me the details of the room. On my way back, I asked for the cab driver to take me back. He tried to charge me 50 shekels! I was already angry over my forgetfulness and now this guy was trying to rip me off?! I looked at him incredulously and tore into him, in as few words possible. I walked away, cursing him under my breath, but still more angry at myself for forgetting the
City of David...
a tour of their own. damn charger, battery, and adapter. I stated my price to the next driver and told him I was no idiot (when it comes to cab rides, that is). He tried to charge me 5 extra for my backpack. I told him to let me out. He protested and I finally gave in, defeated but still angry. He tried to converse, but I was not having any of it. I responded in curt, abrupt answers to his questions. It was true, there was not one trustworthy cab driver in all of Israel. Well, except maybe the one who took us to the bus station to begin with. He charged us one rate for both of us, no baggage fee. Neither driver helped us with the baggage anyway, so what the hell is the charge for? WHOOOOOSA.....
Anyway, the line is, if everything goes right, you wouldn't have stories to tell. Well, story of my life, but I just roll with it. I beat myself up for only 20 min., even after realizing I lost 78 Shekels, probably by giving shwarma guy at the bus station 100 NIS bill, rather than the 20NIS I though it was. I decided that worrying
City of David
descent into Hezekiah's Tunnel about how much I spend would only ruin the trip. I'm not going to live extravagantly, mind you. I'm just not going to sqabble with myself over 5 or 10, though it does add up. I saw some familiar faces at the hostel, the one I had left just a few hours before. I spoke with Tara as she walked in. I told her that she was going to keep me company later on, at least for a drink, after explaining my situation. She herself was having a crappy day, so she said she would join me. A few hours later, after working out in the room, showering, and shaving, I ran into Tara, who was heading out for a walk. I borrowed nailclippers and asked if I could join her. I knew how important alone time was, but she had been used to being alone, so she said she didn't mind the company. We were both starving, so we walked around the area, searching for a non-shwarma related dinner. We were both sick of shwarmas. We passed by a restaurant her boyfriend had mentioned. It was a nice, clean, shwarma free establishment. I was craving wine. Lo and behold,
there was an extensive wine list. The entrees were reasonable priced, $10-15 US for a kosher meal. I did my happy food dance in my chair. We ate and drank a bottle of wine. Of course I finished off with dessert. We talked for almost 2 hrs., about the upcoming election, status of Russia, life, happiness...blah, blah. The usual topics I like to talk about. It was a good end to a crappy afternoon. It was just what I needed...to splurge for a nice meal, wine, and good conversation. And it only cost me $30 and a few greay hairs. Tara and I said goodbye at the hostel. She gave me her e-mail address and we both said that if we were in each other's neighborhood's....uh, yeah, I'm not going to the most expensive city in the world. Thanks though Tara, appreciate the invite. She said she had a best friend in the DC area, so she just might see me again.
Tomorrow, I'm off to Eilat. Snorkeling in the Red Sea, hiking along dunes and canyons, and hopefully, seeing the largest crater in the world. I hope to be able to update soon, cause I've been writing for
a helluva long time........
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Cory
non-member comment
Stop losing crap!!
Next time, I'm buying thousands of velco strips and velcroing everything you own to you. Glad you're having a good. The Church story is pretty moving. Its cool that you are getting to see some places straight out of the formation of a lot of the world's major religions. Gethesamane must have been pretty amazing, being it is where Jesus spent his last night before his capture and crucifixion over 2000 years ago. I wasn't aware it was still there. Hope you continue having an awesome time. Be careful and stop losing crap.