Tuesday October 22, 2019
Wedneday October 23, 2019
JERUSALEM, Israel – On Wednesday, we completed our first full day in Jerusalem and still managed to walk over over 13,000 steps, or about six miles.
Our journey back from Jordan on Tuesday was fairly uneventful. We secured a cab ride from Wadi Musa to the Rabin border crossing at Aqaba and arrived back in Israel about 4:30 in the afternoon. We had to pay a departure tax of 10 Jordanian Dollars to leave the country and a money-changing company at the border took $30 US for the 20 in local currency. We happily paid so we could leave Jordan.
After walking back across the border, we picked up the car and drove a few kilometers into the resort city of Eilat. Not terribly impressive with a relatively small beach and a plethora of high rise buildings along the waterfront, we grabbed just a soda from a McDonald’s in a mall overlooking the water and made a supermarket run. Then, a four-hour drive back to Jerusalem.
We had every intention to get an early start on Wednesday but I slept until 9:30. Finally, we were out of the house by 11:30, drove to the Ammunition Hill tram stop to park and commute into The Old City.
There are two major parking lots for commuters in Jerusalem and one is at the Ammunition Hill stop. When we arrived, drivers parked anywhere and that meant against light standards, on sidewalks and stacked in the middle of aisles. Totally insane and we only found a spot because Waynette saw a guy getting out and we were very close. Parking is free with your Metro card and we have had one since riding buses in Tel Aviv.
Regarding Jerusalem, we did not have a strategic plan how to visit the city and started at the Damascus Gate, one entrance into the Old City. The tram left us off a block from the main gate and this area of the Old City separates the Muslim Quarter from the Christian Quarter. Also, there is the Jewish Quarter and Armenian Quarter and each section is on our itinerary.
Entering the Damascus Gate, you quickly disappear into the maze of alleys and vendors. Similar to Carmel Market in Tel Aviv and the Bazaar in Istanbul, the difference here, especially walking through the Jewish Quarter, is the architecture that seems to remain for over 2,000 years. There are stone archways and small alleys which which quickly dissolve into tunnels. Everything and anything is sold among these primitive walkways and because of the vast number of merchants, I continue to marvel how anyone in there can make a decent living.
In quick order, we came to a fork and the map directed us to take the right path. We stopped for a quick bite and ordered a Borek, which is rolled and then toasted. We ordered a vegetarian with potatoes and costs about $5. Perfect for the moment and I also grabbed a bag of fresh popcorn from one of the first vendors we encountered in the market place.
Slowing, we made our way on the Via Dolorosa, a twisting alley that Jesus walked and carried his cross. Just behind a spot on the wall which memorializes Jesus’ path, we came to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, regarded as the second most holiest site for Christians and dates to the fourth century AD. Unique, unlike a cathedral when you enter, pews in the front and the alter directly in front, this building is circular and houses paintings and relics dating back to the age of Constantine I, a convert to Christianity.
The site is believed to be place of both the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus. Because of the importance, the church is overwhelmed by visitors. Particularly, groups of 50 or more descended and make movement about the site nearly impossible. Overall, we spent about one-hour here and when we could no longer move freely, we left and proceeded to the Western Wall.
If this church holds reverence for Christians, then the Western Wall, for the Jewish community, holds equal stature. The wall is the remains from the second temple that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A. D. The site is a major pin on any tourist map and there is a strange amalgam of those who pray at the wall and those who take photos.
For me, this was a surreal experience. I stood there watching, observing and wondering how I should feel. Should there be emotion, passion, commitment, a sense of history absent from any religious exercise, an appreciation that any building could survive for 2,000 years or just an appreciation of seeing something held is such awe and esteem.
In the end, I came to no conclusion but accepted the circumstance with surrounded me. This was not an exercise is religious commitment, a renewal of faith or a rebirth of values dormant for decades. Rather, I felt I belong there, frozen for that moment in time and a comradeship with those within my shadow.
From the Wall, we walked into the Jewish quarter and hoped to find a decent place for dinner, By now, dusk settled and we were at a loss to discover a good restaurant. At this point, we hopped back on the tram and exited at Joffa Street, an avenue filled with shops and restaurants. We found a decent place and finished it off with, of course, ice cream.
For Thursday, this should be pretty emotional. We’re planning to spend the day at Yad Vashem and the museum is open until 9 at night. On Friday, we may go through the tunnels at the Western Wall and plan to visit Masada on Saturday. Despite Shabbat, Masada is open on Saturday, and that’s about a one-hour drive from our apartment.
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