West BankThis morning we faced the challenge of how to get across the country without public transportation because of the holiday. We had already done everything we wanted to do in Tiberias but the buses weren't going to start running again until 4.
We got together with a German hostel-mate who was also looking for a way to Jerusalem and decided to split a taxi ride. It definitely cost more than we wanted to pay but it was worth it to get to Jerusalem by lunchtime.
The taxi driver took us across the West Bank, a Palestinian Territory, to Jerusalem. The highway ran parallel to the Jordan River. Because there are so few trees, we could see for many miles, including the mountains of Jordan beyond the River.
There are three categories of control in the West Bank - total Israeli control, total Palestinian control, or a combination of the two. The majority of of the West Bank is under total Israeli control so for the most part, Israelis can move about freely while Palestinians are more severely restricted. A few areas, including Bethlehem, are under Palestinian civil and military control and no one with an Israeli passport can enter.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal by the UN and the United States. Our taxi driver didn't speak much English but would point to towns as we passed and say "Jewish" or "Arab".
Jerusalem Street
Jerusalem is a very interesting city. It is surrounded by walls and the only way to get in or out is to pass through one of the gates around the perimeter. It has a Christian Quarter, a Jewish Quarter, and a Muslim Quarter. The narrow stone streets are crowded with Muslim women, Orthodox Jewish men, and everything in between.
Temple Mount
We got together with a German hostel-mate who was also looking for a way to Jerusalem and decided to split a taxi ride. It definitely cost more than we wanted to pay but it was worth it to get to Jerusalem by lunchtime.
The taxi driver took us across the West Bank, a Palestinian Territory, to Jerusalem. The highway ran parallel to the Jordan River. Because there are so few trees, we could see for many miles, including the mountains of Jordan beyond the River.
There are three categories of control in the West Bank - total Israeli control, total Palestinian control, or a combination of the two. The majority of of the West Bank is under total Israeli control so for the most part, Israelis can move about freely while Palestinians are more severely restricted. A few areas, including Bethlehem, are under Palestinian civil and military control and no one with an Israeli passport can enter.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal by the UN and the United States. Our taxi driver didn't speak much English but would point to towns as we passed and say "Jewish" or "Arab".
Jerusalem StreetJerusalem is a very interesting city. It is surrounded by walls and the only way to get in or out is to pass through one of the gates around the perimeter. It has a Christian Quarter, a Jewish Quarter, and a Muslim Quarter. The narrow stone streets are crowded with Muslim women, Orthodox Jewish men, and everything in between.
Temple MountThe city is crammed with history and is very significant to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. We went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which stands at the place where Jesus was though to be crucified. Everything seems to be symbolic - the site of King David's tomb, the site where the Virgin Mary was thought to have been born, and the list goes on.
We're always at our best when eating a falafel sandwich.
We're always at our best when eating a falafel sandwich.Jerusalem offers wonderful culinary opportunities including falafel, shawarma, baklava. Since we love Middle Eastern food, we're in food heaven.
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