Monday, June 17, 2013
Most of today was spent traveling by bus, train, plane, and shuttle van to get from Athens to Jerusalem, Israel. Then we did a little bit of touring.
Our passports were checked four times before we flew and once after we landed. Our luggage was inspected twice and we were interrogated in great detail regarding our travel plans. Israeli security is very serious and thorough. We ate at McDonalds tonight. The prices were high, probably to pay for the security guard at the door. We did some shopping and the supermarket had a guard, too.
Our room is in the basement of a 130-year-old house. We enter the house through a tiny street and a courtyard. Our bed frame is made of stone and mortar and it has a mattress on top.
After getting settled at about 4 pm we walked a few blocks to "Old Jerusalem", or "The Old City". After entering the Jaffa Gate we took a wrong turn, walked through the Armenian Quarter and out Zion Gate. We asked directions and went back and through the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wall, aka The Wailing Wall. Our bags had to be X-rayed for that. Then we headed for home but took another wrong street and wandered through the Muslim Quarter and the Christian Quarter to the Damascus Gate before we got straightened out. We stopped to look at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre but didn't know what we were looking at. We'll have to look that up.
Overall, the Old City is mostly a maze of narrow passageways, many lined with open-fronted shops for easy tourist access. The Wailing Wall is really tall. Part of it is underground in a large tunnel that is never shown in photos. That is where most of the men were praying. Every available crack is stuffed with paper.
Most of today was spent traveling by bus, train, plane, and shuttle van to get from Athens to Jerusalem, Israel. Then we did a little bit of touring.
Our passports were checked four times before we flew and once after we landed. Our luggage was inspected twice and we were interrogated in great detail regarding our travel plans. Israeli security is very serious and thorough. We ate at McDonalds tonight. The prices were high, probably to pay for the security guard at the door. We did some shopping and the supermarket had a guard, too.
Our room is in the basement of a 130-year-old house. We enter the house through a tiny street and a courtyard. Our bed frame is made of stone and mortar and it has a mattress on top.
After getting settled at about 4 pm we walked a few blocks to "Old Jerusalem", or "The Old City". After entering the Jaffa Gate we took a wrong turn, walked through the Armenian Quarter and out Zion Gate. We asked directions and went back and through the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wall, aka The Wailing Wall. Our bags had to be X-rayed for that. Then we headed for home but took another wrong street and wandered through the Muslim Quarter and the Christian Quarter to the Damascus Gate before we got straightened out. We stopped to look at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre but didn't know what we were looking at. We'll have to look that up.
Overall, the Old City is mostly a maze of narrow passageways, many lined with open-fronted shops for easy tourist access. The Wailing Wall is really tall. Part of it is underground in a large tunnel that is never shown in photos. That is where most of the men were praying. Every available crack is stuffed with paper.
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| The Old City from Outside |
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| The Wailing Wall with Dome of the Rock on Left |
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| Typical Street in The Old City |
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