Jerusalem

well, let's just try before, before we go to Jerusalem!

 

Petra was quite an experience.

 

Realising that going down the Siq was impossible I took the horse drawn cart option.  Chris Ledger and I bumped our way down and the poor horse did an amazing job! so then we gazed upon the Treasury building and I took a camel to see a little bit further! yes, there is an animal welfare organisation ensuring the animals welfare. Reading the paper though, no one ensures that the boys who have to work with the animals can get to school and learn to read.

 

 

then on Friday 18th September. taxis to the Allenby Bridge. It is a very steep drop down into the Jordan Valley. eventually we got through to sitting on the bus to go over the bridge. The man who had difficulty walking turned out to have MS. The Indonesian family might have been coming back from Mecca; my tiny bit of Indonesian was useful. The woman beside me was returning to Nablus for the first time in 15 years. She can do that now because she now has a USA passport....

 

and there we all were crammed into a totally disorganised and chaotic situation on the Israeli side... suitcases over here; with assports on top! Passports disappear; wait; will we ever see them again?

 

 

yes we did, to go to another area, another queue.... "fearless leader" was quizzed: are you going to the West Bank? ... yes, he says; Jerusalem! ummm, not quite the right answer; but eventually we are through and a mini bus taxi brings us here.

 

Our first experience of what it is like to get through check points...

 

Then we re in the old city, in Knights Palace Hotel and recovered enough to explore! the crowded alleys and amazing things... It takes the breath away. Unfortunately it also took my legs away, so Chris and  I peeled off and returned up the Via Dolorosa. slowly. very slowly.

 

today was another MSsey day. I stayed behid and walked down the outside of the wall to the Damascus Gate. What an amazing crowd and celebration! fInal preparation for Eid... more later