Jerusalem, where I have spent most of my time, is an interesting mix of religions and cultures, old and new. Walking in places where Jesus lived and died has also been quite profound, but getting a sense of the way that this land has been pushed and pulled over the years and also some of the frustrations that lead to some tension (even without the coloured history) has helped me see how we are all quite similar – all a little selfish and in need of more patience and thought for others. Well, at least that is how I see myself!
I have wondered round the Old City which has a great feel to it, seemingly in contrast to the region’s tensions with Jews, Christians, and Muslims all living on top of each other. The markets, the smells, the yummy food (lots of hummus, kebabs, falafel, pitta bread, and also good coffee and chocolate croissants)...then there is the Mount of Olives, the churches, the mosques, the new city centre, the various markets, the parks, the shopping malls, and all the buildings made of the locally sourced limestone (a rule that was passed here) which makes the whole city really attractive.
A quick trip to Bethlehem one morning meant going through the Separation Wall. The feel on the other side in Bethlehem is much more Arab influenced and very friendly. The graffiti on the Bethlehem side of the Separation Wall was really interesting – a mixture of anger, hope, passion, love, and humour. One taxi driver when we came to a dead end, said to us, “if you want to get to Jerusalem, then do just hop over the wall!” Another graffiti said “Please can I have my ball back?” Banksy, the famous British graffiti artist has done some work here; one shows a bow with the words “Nothing lasts forever”.
Jericho is also in the West Bank, and again we had a friendly reception. Jericho which lays near the Dead Sea and is the lowest and oldest city in the world (or at least that what it says), is an oasis in the desert with a spring (Elisha’s spring) gushing water at apparently 1000 gallons a minute. It is very hot here, but great to see the monastery on the hill where it is said that Jesus was tempted, the walls of Jericho which came tumbling down, and Hisham’s palace with well preserved floor mosaics.
A day in Tel Aviv was different again – very Mediterranean and secular with beautiful beaches, high rise city buildings, an interesting Yemenite area with narrow streets and feeding into a lovely market.
At the weekend when I first arrived, we went to the Lake Galilee area, driving through the West Bank, on down below sea level, and round the lake to the place of the Sermon on the Mount, the feeding of the five thousand and where Jesus walked on the water. We had a very hot sweaty walk down from the church that has been built on the Mount of Beatitudes down to the lake and found that swimming was a) much more pleasurable than in the Dead Sea and b) infinitely easier to do than walking on water! In the evening we staying in a log cabin complete with Jacuzzi and shower massage, which are apparently all the rage and Israelis holidaying in this area simply won’t live without! The next day we went for a beautiful walk in one of the national park areas near the Lake down through the very dry forest, to a cold pool, formed from the most spectacular hexagonal shapes natural lava rocks. It was very welcome after the hot walk, but it was a shame that there wasn’t another plunge pool at the top for when we had finished hiking up again!
Of course for me the best part about Israel was the yummy chocolate croissants and coffee... no course not!!! The best part was the chance to spend a week with my sister and the family and enjoy all the stories and laughter and I tried to not be too sad when I had to say goodbye.
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