Jerulsalem-Bethlehem-Ramallah-Masada-Dead Sea

The past few days have been jam packed, what with activities, new friends, nightlife etc.

My day trip to Masada and the Dead Sea on Saturday was amazing. We drove out of Jerusalem into the Judean desert, through a Palestinian checkpoint guarded by Arabs in Bedouin dress with machine guns. The desert is starkly beautiful with beige sand dunes that stretch for as far as they eye can see, and giant cliffs dotted with caves. Some of these caves are actually where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. As you draw closer to the coast, it starts to resemble the Grand Canyon a little but in different shades of brown. En route, we passed a number of Bedouin tent settlements, shepherds herding their goats, and camel caravans crossing the desert. In one spot there were a few decrepit convenience stores by the side of the road…and instead of cars parked out front, there were camels lined up in the parking lots! I am often struck by just how completely different and even primitive every day life can be here.  People’s lives seem so simple! Like, where will I herd my goats today?

Masasda is straight up spectacular – there is no other word for it. It was a winter palace of King Herod and was the location of one of ancient history’s most famous sieges (the inhabitants committed mass suicide rather than submit to Roman slavery).  It is located on the top of a very narrow mountain (about 450 m in height) overlooking the desert, the Dead Sea and Jordan, and surrounded by very sheer and sharp cliffs.  The only ways to the top are via a precarious looking staircase that puts the Grouse Grind to shame (not for the feint of heart), or by cable car. My fear of heights dictated I take the cable car. Once you reach the top, you have to walk along narrow wooden walk ways (more like planks, really) to get from the cable car station into the main fortress area. I needed to be coaxed to let go of the railing that I was clinging to in terror. Luckily I met a nice American who helped distract me for long enough to guide me to the mountain top fortress area. We toured around the massive fortress remains, which included catapults, Roman baths and Roman soldier camps from well over 2000 years ago.  The views were unreal and the sky here, especially over the desert emits a light like I have never seen before. Imagine dark clouds that form visible shadows over the desert landscape, but with breaks where they split open and one bright beam of sunlight shows through. It actually looks almost mystical. I can see how people viewed it as the holy land.

Next up was the Dead Sea, which was fun. Even though we picked one of the ten rainy days the area sees all year for our trip, the water by En Gedi was still really warm –it’s actually like getting into a bathtub, except lined with really sharp rocks. Once you’re in, it’s impossible to submerge your body for more than a few seconds. Every time you try, you float right back to the surface again. Any objects you may have with you float on the surface as well. A thin, foamy layer of salt coats the top of the water, and surprisingly, some waves. It almost feels like you’re flying, but you have little control as to what direction your body starts floating in…it’s pretty fun, and I didn’t want to get out. Unfortunately, I did the two things that everyone warned me not to do – though not intentionally. First, I got some water in my mouth. It tastes vile! Not just insanely salty, but almost toxic. Second, I got water in my eyes - AGONY! I was literally temporarily blind. Otherwise, it was awesome and the setting was spectacular, surrounded by the giant desert cliffs, Jordan on one side, Israel on the other. Once you get out, you are desperate for a shower – think salt coated dread locks and a thick, crusty film of salt on your skin.

Another day, I met a fellow traveler from New Zealand and we headed off to Bethlehem together, with the help of a local guide. It turned into a far more interesting trip than expected. We visited a Palestinian refugee settlement (the living conditions were really disturbing) and went to a local refugee centre of sorts for Arabic coffee and to discuss their plight. Israel has built a huge concrete wall lined with sensors and barbed wire reminiscent of the Berlin wall along the border (which seems quite arbitrary), and the Palestinians have decorated it with freedom themed murals featuring portraits of martyrs and children that have died in the struggle. Banksy, the famous graffiti artist has actually visited the area and done a number of paintings along the wall.

We next visited the centre of Bethlehem, and went for a wander through the streets. Many of the stores were closed since they only sell Christmas merchandise – though Armenian Orthodox Christmas is coming soon. I bought some really nice embroidered pouches that the local refugee women make to raise money as souvenirs. The other main thing they sell there, besides horrifyingly tacky Christmas kitsch, is carvings made from olive tree wood. Apparently this is what the town is known for.

Next up was the Church of the Nativity, which was obviously a big deal. I found it totally surreal actually. It’s really, really hard to wrap your mind around the fact that you are in the manger where Jesus was born. I’m not religious per se, but couldn’t help but feel awe. The church is beautiful inside – partially decorated in the glitzy manner of

Greek/Armenian Orthodox, partly simple. It has been destroyed and rebuilt at least once through history, but the grotto, which is the downstairs area where the manger was located, has survived. Hadrian marked the exact spot with a star, so the location of His birth has survived through history. My only complaint is the number of tourists and the way people consistently behave in spots like this. Even though it was a slow day by usual standards, there was plenty of budging, shoving and hogging going on. Also worth noting, the courtyard and statues by the church was riddled with bullet holes (as are many places in Jerusalem), mostly from a siege by gunmen back in the 1990s. After the church we visited the Milk Cave where legend has it Mary spilled two drops of milk while feeding Jesus…it is now regularly visited by the pious looking for help with conception and fertility.

Other stops included full tours of Jerusalem’s Old City, which as I wrote previously is actually a nightmarish blend of aggressive Arab vendors and cheap junk, and incredibly fascinating religious sites (called ‘stations’). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre features one of two potential tombs of Christ, as well as “The Cross”. We waited nearly an hour to crawl into the tomb for a 30 second visit, but it was amazing to see and worth it! We actually saw a ritual of some sort carried out in the tomb by orthodox priests and a choir of altar boys. There is also the Via Delarosa, the route where Christ is thought to have walked to his crucifixtion bearing the cross on his back, the Western (or Wailing) Wall, where you can see people of all denominations praying and stuffing notes between the cracks. The Temple Mount is considered the holiest spot for Jews, and third holiest for Muslims and includes the ornately tiled and 24 karat golden roofed Dome of the Rock, which houses Mohamed’s footprint. Only Muslims are allowed to enter the dome, which is guarded by men with machine guns. The entire Temple Mount is only even open to tourists for a few hours on certain days (it is under Muslim control), and when we overstayed our welcome by three minutes past closing, were yelled at and forcibly removed by heavily armed soldiers. We also visited the Garden Tomb, which is where the Protestants believe Christ was interred, walked along the ramparts of the Old City, visited the Mount of Olives where Mary’s tomb is located, the Church on Mount Zion where Mary ascended to heaven and where we had a horrible run in with a thieving Arab devil child who needed a good spanking, toured the old walls underneath the city (a totally claustrophobic experience), and so, so much more. The fellow travelers I befriended who were of religious background found the entire experience to be awe inspiring as did I, though from a purely historical perspective.

The Old City is a crazy maze of alleyways and narrow streets, in which even the most street savvy traveler will get totally lost – and harassed by the horrible Arab merchants who offer you directions then try to make you buy something from their stores.  I just put on my bitch face and ignored them as much as possible, though I met a few travelers who were sucked into their scams. Horrible people! There are large gates that mark the entrances – the Damascus Gate, Zion Gate, Jaffa Gate, Dung Gate etc…all from ancient times and pointing towards their respective name places.

The nightlife in Jerusalem actually isn’t bad. We went out most nights and always found fun things to do. We had one wild all-nighter (on Shabbat of all nights) at a club that featured hands down the best electro house DJ I have ever heard. We also hit up a number of pubs, drank terrible Israeli wine (tastes like apple juice gone bad) and vodka (tastes like Anise) and finally got around to smoking a sheesha. Luckily I made lots of friends on tours and at the backpackers (all guys, but that worked out well because I was harassed much less when I had men in tow), including a *very* tall and cute Brazilian named Pedro, who has invited me to come stay with him in Brazil. We wanted to try and meet up again in Israel to spend some more time together, but unfortunately he’s living on a Kibutz and can’t escape until the day after I leave for Cairo. Pooh! In general, Israel attracts a different kind of traveler – not the sleazy party animals you find elsewhere. People come here looking for religious, spiritual and political experiences. It’s a place to have fun but to also have interesting conversations and meet people with some depth – which I very much liked.

The food is fantastic, and I am definitely not fitting well into many of my pants after eight days here. Everything is so rich. Pastries are everywhere, as are falafels, shwarmas and the BEST waffles I have ever eaten in my life.

The tension runs high in Jerusalem – it is the opposite of Tel Aviv’s carefree energy. I’d say Hasidic Jews make up a solid 50% or so of the population, and holy men, monks nuns and friars of all denominations are found in high concentrations all over the city. Actually, I was followed by a Hasidic for two hours the other day – and he tried to ask me out. It was totally bizarre, because they aren’t even supposed to talk to non-familial women. I think it made his year when I shook his hand, ‘touching’ him. The little guy was actually really sweet and shy, but…well…Hasidics aren’t quite my style. Actually, I saw a big altercation on Jaffa Street yesterday afternoon when some Hasidic Jews tried to knock over a statue on the street (they are opposed to all statues and street art), and proceeded to get into a big flight with an Arab shopkeeper. It got pretty nasty, but was a good illustration of how tense the city can feel. It is not a harmonious coexistence here – about the only thing people can all agree on is that they all dislike the Hasidics who are apparently tax evaders and military service dodgers. Jerusalem has a heavy energy, and is a far poorer city than Tel Aviv. I can’t say I was sad to leave.

For my final morning, Alex and I once again headed over the border into Palestine with a private guide, this time to visit Ramallah and El-Bierah– the capital. Arafat’s tomb and presidential palace are located there, as are some large and notorious refugee settlements. Construction is everywhere, and I was surprised to find many nice buildings, most of which belong to the wealthier Christian Palestinians. UN vehicles and compounds are ubiquitous, as are the World Bank and various NGOs. Israel recognizes Palestine as separate, yet keeps their military there in full force and has road check points dispersed throughout the country. They deny the Palestinians everything (even entry into Israel) and the place is covered in garbage since they aren’t even allowed to form their own garbage collection service. But the people are surprisingly resilient, and the ones we stopped to speak with were decent, good and intelligent people. There are NO tourists there at all, so we were quite an anomaly. But no one bothered us, or tried to sell us crap – except for a few impoverished children asking for coins…it was a pleasant change.

Unfortunately, leaving Israel was far from enjoyable. You need to arrive at the airport four hours prior to your flight time to complete the massive security checks. They rip apart all of your luggage – and go though everything invasively, asking the strangest questions. I was interrogated because I made the mistake of putting each of a pair of shoes in different suitcases. And they could not fathom that a female could be traveling in the Middle East by herself. And once they complete the hour-plus check of your checked suitcase, they then escort you to the ticket counter, and put you through another hour-plus inspection of your hand luggage. Exhausting!