Sunday, April 23, 2017
The trip from Nablus went fine. Ja'far and Saad walked me to the bus station. There are MANY stairs between my house and the bus station. They are all downhill, but still with my rolling duffle bag, it would have been difficult without their help. You can take a service (shared taxi) or a bus to Ramallah. The difference in price is only about a shekel. Most people prefer the service. It's faster. I think the bus is safer, and, an added bonus on a very hot day, it's air conditioned. I was expecting it to take 2.5 hours to get to Ramallah. That's how long it took me to go from Ramallah to Nablus 2 weeks ago, but guess it all depends on traffic. It took only an hour. Then I got on a smaller bus/van to Jerusalem. On the big bus, my bag goes in the cargo area under the bus, but on this one, I had to bring it up on the bus. It takes up a whole seat. We went through the checkpoint. Two Israeli soldiers come on the bus. One stands at the front by the driver. The other goes back and checks each person's ID. The guy checking ID came back to the other guy in front holding a pink ID. It wasn't a passport. They called someone else on the phone. In a little while, a woman soldier came on. She took the ID and went to talk to a passenger a few rows back - a blonde woman in her 20's. The woman said she had forgotten her passport "at home." When the soldier asked what the ID was, she said it's her Austrian drivers license. The soldier asked if she was a tourist and she said yes. (Then how did she leave her passport "home"?) The soldier told her she can't enter with that. The Austrian woman acted exasperated and said 'it's 2 hours to go back". Then the soldier just right away said "okay. It's fine. No problem." and gave her back her ID. The bus drove a little further and then everyone started getting off. I waited for everyone else to get off because I knew it would be difficult with my bag, but the driver said, "I will help you" and he carried it off for me. I thought we would be in Jerusalem and was totally lost. The driver then pointed out the next bus I should get on. Apparently, that little one just takes you through the checkpoint. (It's still not a short trip because the vehicles are in line for a long time at the checkpoint.)
I was a little nervous because now I wasn't sure the bus would go to the station I know in Jerusalem (the Arab bus station by the Damascus gate). The bus picked up quite a few people on the way. A group of boys (at least 10) got on. The bus was so full that they were all in the aisle. At first, I couldn't tell whether they were Israeli or Arab, but then they started speaking Arabic. That reassured me that I was on the right bus. There was a girl with Down's syndrome sitting in the first seat. She was taking up the 2 seats. She got up and tried to give her seat to one of the boys. They had to do a lot of insisting to get her to keep her seats. I don't think the boys minded standing in the aisle at all, although I moved my backpack so someone could sit next to me and one boy did. After a while I started seeing familiar streets and recognized right away when we were in the right neighborhood.
This time I am staying at Saint George's Guest House. It's the same place where I went to church on Palm Sunday. It's also where I stayed 2 years ago with the church group (in the dorm rooms across the courtyard) and where I stayed the first night of this trip. It's a lovely place. (Although, two weeks ago, I stayed at the Jerusalem Hotel and I liked it there a lot, too. They are only about 2 blocks from each other.)
I checked in and as soon as I got wifi, my phone was pinging with messages from Paul and Ja'far - Paul to tell me about the March for Science and Ja'far to say I should text him when I arrive in Jerusalem. I told Ja'far about the Austrian girl who forgot her passport. He said he had never heard of anyone that stupid. If a Palestinian did that, the Israelis would put him in prison. (I have heard that from many Palestinians. Israeli law allows them to arrest Palestinians and hold them indefinitely without charges. Many Palestinians have been imprisoned for years without ever getting an explanation).
Then I went out to get some food. I was really hungry. It was after 2 pm and I hadn't eaten since the bread and hummus I had for breakfast at 8:00. I went into the old city. Last weekend when I was here, each day I got a shawarma sandwich at a little place that I liked because the owner spoke Arabic with me. The place I went to yesterday was more touristy. The owner spoke English to me and when I asked for shawarma, it was a platter - not a sandwich. It was healthier - it came with salad and the bread was on the side, so the meat was a nice pile. I also got a "lemon with mint" drink. In Nablus, this is delicious - fresh lemon juice, sugar and fresh mint. Here, it was a slushy. And the bill was 60 shekels! At the other place I can get my shawarma sandwich and a fresh squeezed orange juice for 26 shekels.
I walked around the old city and went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher again. It was really packed this time - more than Palm Sunday. Maybe groups tend to go there on Saturday evenings. Jerusalem is interesting that way. You see groups of people - usually church groups. They are following a guide who holds a stick with a flower or something at the top so they can see him/her. They often have the headphones, like we had two years ago. Those are very good because you can hear the guide without him having to compete with the other groups. Everyone you pass is speaking a different language. There are many Ethiopian, Indian and Philippino groups. I walked around the church to less popular areas that wouldn't be crowded. I hadn't been in those areas before. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built on the site where they believe Jesus was crucified. It isn't a building like I would think of a church. It's a big place with many altars and other areas. You could get lost in there. Two Russian women came up to me and started speaking Russian. Then they realized I wasn't Russian. That 's the first time anyone has ever thought I was Russian!
I was really tired when I got back to the hotel. I think I'm getting a cold. Also, I didn't sleep well Friday night because it was so hot. (And today it's really cold again!) When I got back to my room after wandering around a little, it was about 5 pm. I sat on the bed and kept falling asleep. I had lots to do - organize my packing and wash out some clothes in the sink, but I couldn't get up the energy. Finally, at around 7:00, I got up, washed out the clothes and went out to buy an ice cream. I had seen a store with a case of Al Arz ice cream. It's made in Nablus and it's delicious. So, I went back there. They had bottles of water lined up on top of the case. I don't know how I didn't realize that if I slid the case open, the water bottles would go flying. The man was very nice and told me it was no problem. He even reached down in the case to get me a nice, cold ice cream. Then, I came back to my room and fell asleep by 10:00.
I woke up at a normal time this morning. I think I'm done being tired. I had breakfast and then went to church at 10:30. It's always such a nice service. And at the coffee hour after, they serve Arabic coffee something they don't have at the breakfast at the guest house. It is a good breakfast, though.
At coffee hour, a woman who lives here told me that the dean of the cathedral (a priest!) gets strip searched by the Israelis every time he returns from the West Bank. He keeps his dignity by saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry. This must be such an awful job for you." I thought it was easier for Palestinians living in Jerusalem, but she told me that kids are often arrested on their way to or from school. They're held for a few months and then released - without ever being told why they were arrested. Their mothers must constantly be worried that their children won't come home from school.
Here are some photos of the guest house and the breakfast.
This is the area where they have the coffee hour after church and where you can get a glass of wine or whatever in the evenings:
And here is my room:
I walked over to West Jerusalem in the afternoon. I wanted to find a place for a mani/pedi, but wasn't successful. I will look again tomorrow. This evening, I ate at the Mihbash Restaurant - right down the street by the Damascus Gate. It was really nice. I had salmon and it was delicious. I also had a glass of wine. That seems like such a luxury after Nablus, where there was no alcohol. One thing that I won't miss about the Middle East is the people smoking cigarettes and hookah everywhere. No one was smoking at the restaurant tonight, but I thought it was funny that right over my table was a sign that said No Smoking, but there was an ash tray on the table.
After dinner, I came back to Saint George's. I went out to the bar area and ordered another glass of wine. It was incredibly busy. I had trouble finding a place to sit. There are many more people drinking at night than there are eating breakfast in the mornings!!!
The trip from Nablus went fine. Ja'far and Saad walked me to the bus station. There are MANY stairs between my house and the bus station. They are all downhill, but still with my rolling duffle bag, it would have been difficult without their help. You can take a service (shared taxi) or a bus to Ramallah. The difference in price is only about a shekel. Most people prefer the service. It's faster. I think the bus is safer, and, an added bonus on a very hot day, it's air conditioned. I was expecting it to take 2.5 hours to get to Ramallah. That's how long it took me to go from Ramallah to Nablus 2 weeks ago, but guess it all depends on traffic. It took only an hour. Then I got on a smaller bus/van to Jerusalem. On the big bus, my bag goes in the cargo area under the bus, but on this one, I had to bring it up on the bus. It takes up a whole seat. We went through the checkpoint. Two Israeli soldiers come on the bus. One stands at the front by the driver. The other goes back and checks each person's ID. The guy checking ID came back to the other guy in front holding a pink ID. It wasn't a passport. They called someone else on the phone. In a little while, a woman soldier came on. She took the ID and went to talk to a passenger a few rows back - a blonde woman in her 20's. The woman said she had forgotten her passport "at home." When the soldier asked what the ID was, she said it's her Austrian drivers license. The soldier asked if she was a tourist and she said yes. (Then how did she leave her passport "home"?) The soldier told her she can't enter with that. The Austrian woman acted exasperated and said 'it's 2 hours to go back". Then the soldier just right away said "okay. It's fine. No problem." and gave her back her ID. The bus drove a little further and then everyone started getting off. I waited for everyone else to get off because I knew it would be difficult with my bag, but the driver said, "I will help you" and he carried it off for me. I thought we would be in Jerusalem and was totally lost. The driver then pointed out the next bus I should get on. Apparently, that little one just takes you through the checkpoint. (It's still not a short trip because the vehicles are in line for a long time at the checkpoint.)
I was a little nervous because now I wasn't sure the bus would go to the station I know in Jerusalem (the Arab bus station by the Damascus gate). The bus picked up quite a few people on the way. A group of boys (at least 10) got on. The bus was so full that they were all in the aisle. At first, I couldn't tell whether they were Israeli or Arab, but then they started speaking Arabic. That reassured me that I was on the right bus. There was a girl with Down's syndrome sitting in the first seat. She was taking up the 2 seats. She got up and tried to give her seat to one of the boys. They had to do a lot of insisting to get her to keep her seats. I don't think the boys minded standing in the aisle at all, although I moved my backpack so someone could sit next to me and one boy did. After a while I started seeing familiar streets and recognized right away when we were in the right neighborhood.
This time I am staying at Saint George's Guest House. It's the same place where I went to church on Palm Sunday. It's also where I stayed 2 years ago with the church group (in the dorm rooms across the courtyard) and where I stayed the first night of this trip. It's a lovely place. (Although, two weeks ago, I stayed at the Jerusalem Hotel and I liked it there a lot, too. They are only about 2 blocks from each other.)
I checked in and as soon as I got wifi, my phone was pinging with messages from Paul and Ja'far - Paul to tell me about the March for Science and Ja'far to say I should text him when I arrive in Jerusalem. I told Ja'far about the Austrian girl who forgot her passport. He said he had never heard of anyone that stupid. If a Palestinian did that, the Israelis would put him in prison. (I have heard that from many Palestinians. Israeli law allows them to arrest Palestinians and hold them indefinitely without charges. Many Palestinians have been imprisoned for years without ever getting an explanation).
Then I went out to get some food. I was really hungry. It was after 2 pm and I hadn't eaten since the bread and hummus I had for breakfast at 8:00. I went into the old city. Last weekend when I was here, each day I got a shawarma sandwich at a little place that I liked because the owner spoke Arabic with me. The place I went to yesterday was more touristy. The owner spoke English to me and when I asked for shawarma, it was a platter - not a sandwich. It was healthier - it came with salad and the bread was on the side, so the meat was a nice pile. I also got a "lemon with mint" drink. In Nablus, this is delicious - fresh lemon juice, sugar and fresh mint. Here, it was a slushy. And the bill was 60 shekels! At the other place I can get my shawarma sandwich and a fresh squeezed orange juice for 26 shekels.
I walked around the old city and went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher again. It was really packed this time - more than Palm Sunday. Maybe groups tend to go there on Saturday evenings. Jerusalem is interesting that way. You see groups of people - usually church groups. They are following a guide who holds a stick with a flower or something at the top so they can see him/her. They often have the headphones, like we had two years ago. Those are very good because you can hear the guide without him having to compete with the other groups. Everyone you pass is speaking a different language. There are many Ethiopian, Indian and Philippino groups. I walked around the church to less popular areas that wouldn't be crowded. I hadn't been in those areas before. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built on the site where they believe Jesus was crucified. It isn't a building like I would think of a church. It's a big place with many altars and other areas. You could get lost in there. Two Russian women came up to me and started speaking Russian. Then they realized I wasn't Russian. That 's the first time anyone has ever thought I was Russian!
I was really tired when I got back to the hotel. I think I'm getting a cold. Also, I didn't sleep well Friday night because it was so hot. (And today it's really cold again!) When I got back to my room after wandering around a little, it was about 5 pm. I sat on the bed and kept falling asleep. I had lots to do - organize my packing and wash out some clothes in the sink, but I couldn't get up the energy. Finally, at around 7:00, I got up, washed out the clothes and went out to buy an ice cream. I had seen a store with a case of Al Arz ice cream. It's made in Nablus and it's delicious. So, I went back there. They had bottles of water lined up on top of the case. I don't know how I didn't realize that if I slid the case open, the water bottles would go flying. The man was very nice and told me it was no problem. He even reached down in the case to get me a nice, cold ice cream. Then, I came back to my room and fell asleep by 10:00.
I woke up at a normal time this morning. I think I'm done being tired. I had breakfast and then went to church at 10:30. It's always such a nice service. And at the coffee hour after, they serve Arabic coffee something they don't have at the breakfast at the guest house. It is a good breakfast, though.
At coffee hour, a woman who lives here told me that the dean of the cathedral (a priest!) gets strip searched by the Israelis every time he returns from the West Bank. He keeps his dignity by saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry. This must be such an awful job for you." I thought it was easier for Palestinians living in Jerusalem, but she told me that kids are often arrested on their way to or from school. They're held for a few months and then released - without ever being told why they were arrested. Their mothers must constantly be worried that their children won't come home from school.
Here are some photos of the guest house and the breakfast.
This is the area where they have the coffee hour after church and where you can get a glass of wine or whatever in the evenings:
And here is my room:
I walked over to West Jerusalem in the afternoon. I wanted to find a place for a mani/pedi, but wasn't successful. I will look again tomorrow. This evening, I ate at the Mihbash Restaurant - right down the street by the Damascus Gate. It was really nice. I had salmon and it was delicious. I also had a glass of wine. That seems like such a luxury after Nablus, where there was no alcohol. One thing that I won't miss about the Middle East is the people smoking cigarettes and hookah everywhere. No one was smoking at the restaurant tonight, but I thought it was funny that right over my table was a sign that said No Smoking, but there was an ash tray on the table.
After dinner, I came back to Saint George's. I went out to the bar area and ordered another glass of wine. It was incredibly busy. I had trouble finding a place to sit. There are many more people drinking at night than there are eating breakfast in the mornings!!!
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