The Cleaning Lady in the Armenian Quarter

It was one of those serendipitous days that sometimes happen while traveling. One of those days where you just wander, going with the flow, going wherever a local may suggest and happening upon some of the most incredibly visceral things you've ever experienced.

Starting out in the Muslim quarter, another wander around the Pool of Bethesda complex and some introspective time. Next, the hunt for the stations of the cross we'd missed actually seeing for the entire two-weeks we'd been passing them (they're surprisingly difficult to find!) and then the search for the entirely passed-over Armenian quarter led us to the shop of one particularly lovely jewelry shop owner who invited us up to the rooftop of his shop and then gave us a tour and a history lesson of Jerusalem from that roof.

Afterward, he sent us on a quest to find the Armenian Upper Room. "You must look for the cleaning woman. If you are very lucky, she will share with you her story. She is..." he waves his hand next to his head, "...special, but it is very good."

Right on. Challenge accepted!

A Jewish man enters a Torah school on the fringes of the Jewish/Armenian quarters.

The Armenian quarter, though very small, is lovely, cheerful and immaculately clean.

Winner! We found the Armenian "Upper Room," which also boasts a few other historic things...

The woman on the left is the church's caretaker.

The Cleaning Woman in the Armenian Church was one of the most interesting people I have ever, ever met. As a schoolteacher she visited Israel many years ago. When she came to this church she felt the calling to leave her job and serve the church. So she did. She cleans and cares for the place and will gladly share her story, the stories of the miracles she has witnessed there and many other interesting facts with you, if you but give her your time. The locals think she might be a bit crazy and eccentric. I can't tell you if her stories are legitimate, but I can tell you that she is certainly convinced of their truthfulness. That, and the time I spent with her was wonderful.

So sit back, relax, and if you're a woman, don't cross your legs while sitting on the church pews, just your ankles. I'm still not sure why, but she will tell you "we must give praise to God."

She honored us by singing to us in Aramaic, to share the ancient language with us. It was quite beautiful. Enjoy:

Just a Normal Friday in the Jewish Quarter...

If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop on by Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter on a Friday morning.

Pop into a local bakery and buy a loaf of Shabbat bread (Challah Bread/braided egg bread) or three. (They're only available on Friday mornings.)

And then I dare you to ignore the procession of  of happy families, photographers, videographers and musicians dancing through the streets, celebrating Bar Mitzvah after Bar Mitzvah!

I dare you to try not to join in, and to try not to contribute a congratulatory smile to the lucky youth's celebration day!

 

This Rabbi was my favorite part of the day. He was so genuinely full of joy!

Aaaaannnnnd.... Here's a video... I rarely shoot video for anything but work (because I do it too much at work...), and I apologize for the shakiness/out-of-focus images. Canon cameras shoot beautiful video as long as you're still/fixed on a tripod... Steadycam shots are not so much their forte. But that's all beside the point because the (every day if you're Israeli) sights and sounds of these videos are kind of, well, amazing. Que Sera.

Seen While Driving // Israel

I drove nearly 2,000 miles while in Israel and had the opportunity to see a great deal of the land's variety. From wooded forests to saline lakes to stony, mineral rich deserts and waterfall oases, Israel spans a vast range of Eco systems, occupies an inordinate amount of history, gives color to an amazing part of our imagination, and makes religion tangible for many.

So it's only fitting that Israel's freeways display an equally random offering: tomato and banana plantations, historical markers for places like "Lot's Wife (the Biblical pillar of salt), an entire stretch of freeway with sculptures made of old tanks and dedicated to the anti-war//make love not war sentiment. Bedouin settlements, (oxy-moronically) Camel ranches, military vehicles and fully-loaded helicopters. And, my favorite place, a Crocodile farm:








It seems to me that any place can be just about anything anyone can imagine it to be.

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What's the most random thing you've seen while driving?

Crossing from Israel into Jordan: The Jordanian Taxi Mafia

It is not a difficult thing to cross into Jordan from Israel at the Eilat/Aqaba border and take a taxi from there to Wadi Rum or Petra, if you know what to expect. My friends and I rented a car and drove from Jerusalem to Eilat. Rental cars are not allowed to cross into Jordan (don't even try it, for locals it's a crazy process: registration, fees, switching license plates... all involved. Foreigners would never ever get away with it.) The upside is that you can expect to safely leave your rental car at the border crossing parking lot (for free). Once you cross the border into Jordan, be prepared to for a bit of a culture shift.

We had been warned in advance, luckily, about what we'd find on the far side of the Jordanian border crossing at Aqaba.

The night prior to our departure from Jerusalem to Jordan, group member Heidi did a little internet travel forum diving and discovered a blessed tip about the state of hiring taxis once across the Jordanian border. It went something like this:  "There is an evil little man who runs the taxi mafia at the border. He will try to take you for all you're worth. He reigns over the green taxis. The cab drivers are all terrified of him and he's an aggressive sunova***** The best way to avoid him is to hire a cab to take you just to the city center bus station and then hire a normal, white taxi for far less to get to your final destination."

Sold. So we were quite prepared to play it cool and mention nary a word about the fact that we were ultimately going to Petra.

Photo by: jacobzoethout, from here: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Middle_East/Jordan/Muhafazat_al_Aqabah/Aqaba-1800290/Transportation-Aqaba-TG-C-1.html

"Youneedtaxi? Whereareyougoing?" The heavyset man with weasely eyes approached us immediately once we were through the border fence.

"The bus station, please." We replied firmly, with braced smiles.

I could go on all day about the ensuing conversation/negotiation/near argument, but suffice it to say that it took a solid ten minutes to convince the man that we were only going to: A) take one of his green cabs to the bus station, and B) pay the 10JOD rate listed on the sign by the taxi stand, instead of his demanded 20JOD.

The border was not very busy at all that day, so he finally acquiesced, probably figuring that ten bucks was better than nothing at all, and once we walked back to the border gate and asked the guard for walking directions to the city bus station, we'd proven we were willing to walk away. (Winning that negotiation was one of those empowering life moments, I must say.) As we got into a dusty, beaten-up cab, we handed the money to the Mafia king and he took his cut and handed the meager remainder to the driver. So sad.

Once we got to the bus station, our driver could tell we were only going directly to the other cabs, whose drivers were calling out to us in droves before we even got out of our car. So with his broken English, our border-acquired cabbie tried to negotiate a fare with us to get to Petra. We were only willing to pay an additional 35JOD (having done our research). We succeed, much to the driver's consternation.

We drove far, far out into the desert, the sand and dirt all around us changing in color from golden tan to dusty rose over time. We passed Wadi Rum desert preserve (Where Lawrence of Arabia was filmed, and where I spent a night in a Bedouin camp two years prior) and kept on going, our driver muttering curses at us in Arabic the whole time. At least I think they were curses, he kept glaring at us and muttering. Not the most pleasant experience.

Now that the drive is well over, I think it would have been much better to switch drivers.

So now you know. There is an evil Jordanian taxi mafioso at the Israeli/Jordanian border crossing at Aqaba. Be firm. Stay calm. Act like you know what you're doing. Don't anger him. Because the city center is probably a good five mile walk.

Here's a Lonely Planet forum link about the subject, discussed at length!

Jerusalem: The Ramparts Walk

A great way to see the city, literally, is to go on the Ramparts Walk. The Ramparts Walk is exactly what it sounds like: The ancient city's ramparts (the walkway atop the city walls) are available to be walked on. Just be aware, the entrance to is ridiculously difficult to find, and the walk has very limited hours. But the view is something else. And sometimes it's really, really something else... and sometimes is smells like something else. (Yuck!) But it's a great experience that shouldn't be missed, if you're so inclined.

 Above the Dung Gate. Muslim Quarter.

The details:

-Distance: ~2.5 miles.

-The walk does not circumnavigate the city. It stops on either side of the Western Wall.

-Wear Sunscreen and bring water. There is no shade for the entire walk. And you have to go from one end to the other, or go back to the entrance to get out. It's all fenced in.

-If you have balance issues, skip this feature. The walkway is extremely uneven and narrow. The iron railings that line the interior of the wall are, at times, very rickety.

-If you are traveling with small children, skip this walk. The whole time I was on the ramparts I kept having visions of my (then) two-year-old nephew (who was NOT with me on this trip) slipping through the iron grating, falling into random holes in the stone turrets and plummeting to his death a million other ways. It's NOT for children. Don't take them.

-The walk spans the entire perimeter of the old city, so you'll see very different walks of life: extreme poverty to very nice places.

-Just as often as you look below you at the people and their lives, they'll be looking at you, so be nice and considerate and don't stare.

Cost: 9 Shekels (Cash only, exact change)

Start: Look for signs by the money changing booth at the Lion Gate. End at the Dung Gate, in the Muslim Quarter (on the Via Dolorosa).

Hours: Daytime. Generally, 9am to 4pm. No Holidays. Fridays until noon only. Closed Saturdays (Shabbat). Closed for any other number of reasons, too. Good luck.

Jerusalem: The Melting Pot, in Pictures

Where else on the planet can you find this many peoples/faiths/nationalities/walks of life in a few, short blocks?

Various Christian sect members @ the Pool of Bethesda

Catholic Mass

 Israeli Soldiers at the Western Wall

Jewish girls at the Western Wall

Cross-carrying Christians traveling the Way of Agony

Some type of Orthodox Christians (Russian?) in the Christian Quarter

Now if only everyone could get along all of the time...

A Walk Through Jerusalem's Souk

In Israel, the bazaar, or marketplace is called the souk (pr: shook).

Old Jerusalem's souk is a glorious maze! It winds from the Via Dolorosa, sprawling along every street and every corner until one reaches the Jewish and Armenian quarters. It is truly one of those places on earth someone could get lost in and never be found again. It's like the shopping world's equivalent of the Bermuda triangle. There are many parts to the whole. Nearest the Christian quarter and the Stations of the Cross in the Muslim quarter, you'll find shops set up expressly for the tourists. Beads, carpets, juice vendors and schwarma stands, baubles, t-shirts proclaiming "Welcome to Palestine. Don't call it Israel" and I heart Jerusalem can be found everywhere. Every so often, you'll find a really cool store so packed full of trays, lamps, and other metal wares that you'll think you ended up in Aladdin's cave. Leather goods, jewelry, electronics, sweet shops: all can be found in the touristy part of the souk.

But should you venture deeper into the recesses of the souk, in the heart of the muslim quarter, you'll find the inner workings of daily life in Israel: homeware stores, spice shops, butchers and fishmongers, clothing sellers and fabric stores. Here you'll be harassed by eager shopkeepers less than you would on the outskirts of the souk. Here is the real, beating heart of the souk. Grab a falafel and go for a wander.

 A pair of doves for purchase in the market. I wonder if these have been trained to fly back to the shop keeper when released?

The best spice shop my friends and I found in the whole of Jerusalem. The shop keeper (pictured) chatted with us for nearly an hour, telling us what each spice was, what it could be used for and telling us recipes. He even invited us to eat with his family, sadly, we were leaving town and couldn't accept.

 

 Women shopping for their meat. Lamb, anyone?

 A tailor, using one an old-school sewing machine. They don't build 'em like they used to.

 Near the Christian quarter, we found this fantastic textile shop. Absolutely gorgeous fabrics, table dressings, scarves, etc. The owner was trying to sell Rebecca a "dancing outfit." (If you go into this man's shop, beware, he's sweet and friendly, and handsy!!)

Heidi and Rebecca with the shop keeper in their finds.

Jerusalem: The Garden Tomb

One of the hands-down most interesting experiences I had in the Holy Land was a visit to the Garden Tomb.  If I'd visited Israel during a busier time (ie: when there wasn't a war raging) I think I would have experienced much more religious mania and than I did. As it was, The Garden Tomb comes to mind as a singular experience in religious zeal!

The Garden Tomb complex is a series of gardens and little amphitheaters, places to sit and ponder and, of course, the actual Garden Tomb (or what is commonly accepted as Christ's Tomb). Walking around the complex can most easily be described as a smorgasbord of Christian religion. Groups and Congregations from all over the world, practicing very diverse forms of Christianity and praise could be found at the various gathering places, singing, praying, dancing and chanting. I literally walked down the path, wandering around the complex, and was bombarded by the varying versions of faith. It was astonishing how different each congregation's manifestation of their faith were from each other.

If ever you want to see a number of Christian sects up close, personal and nearly side-by-side, look no further than the Garden Tomb.

 One of many little plaquards and signs placed all around the gardens that make up The Garden Tomb complex.

This is the alternate site where Jesus was thought to be crucified. Historically, this spot makes more sense to me as Golgotha means "place of the skull" and just above this rock face would have been a cross-roads of a very busy roman street, which was commonly where crucifixions were carried out. (The first place thought to be where Christ was crucified is located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher)

"He is not here, for He is risen..."

The World's Best Falafel

Did you know? Did you know that Jerusalem boasts the world's best Falafel?

I had no idea... until a friend of mine told me, "Go to the falafel joint when you're walking down from Damascus gate. It's at the split. You can't miss it."

So we looked for it. And looked for it. And every time we passed the legendary falafel joint, it was either not even remotely meal time, or it was closed (because it was too early, or too late, or because of a protest or, whatever...).

But finally! Finally we made it to the Falafel joint when it was open and there were no riots. And, my friends, it is true. The falafel is divine.

When in Jerusalem, eat here, it's just down the hill from Damascus gate, at the split:

And have a chat with the gentleman on the right, because he's pretty cool.

Practiced hands of a falafel-making expert

Underneath it All at the Western Wall

A rainy day in Israel provided the perfect opportunity for an indoor activity: visiting The Western Wall Tunnels.

To visit the tunnels, one must join a tour, which starts at the base of the Western Wall in the Jewish Quarter. It is given from a most assuredly Jewish perspective, which is, at times, hilarious. And at other times interesting/possibly controversial, but always it is just so "Jerusalem."

In any case, the base of Temple mount goes down about four layers of city beneath what is lived in/walked around in today. Over the years, buildings were built on buildings on top of buildings. It's the same in Rome, or any other very old city. The Temple mount as it exists today was leveled out by the Romans, who flattened the area by installing a base of very large to freaking-massive stone blocks. And by freaking massive, I mean larger than a couple of elephants standing side by side. BIG. Way BIG.

Wikipedia has this to say about the largest stone used in the base:

The Western Stone, located in the northern section of Wilson's Arch, is a monolithic stone block forming part of the lower level of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Weighing 517 tonnes (570 short tons),^[1] it is one of the largest building blocks in the world. The stone is 13.6 meters (44.6 feet) long and 3 metres (9.8 feet) high and has an estimated width of 3.3 meters (10.8 feet).

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When the Israeli government dug the tunnel along the base of the Western wall (without telling anyone, which was a HUGE deal when the story finally got out), they were able to literally uncover layers of history dating back through the years, over various occupations: Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad, Caliphate, Crusaders, Ottoman... the proof was all there, in the layers of buildings. 

A model of Temple Mount and Solomon's Temple, used to show the various building phases

Our tour guide was phenomenal. Just the right combination of history and hilarity and not a little bit of Chutzpah. 

Ahead you can see a room built along the base of the Western Wall. The room (shown below) is for Women to pray at the Wall. Men are allowed at the actual base of the wall.

This is considered to be the closest that Women are allowed to the base of the wall, and therefore the holiest spot they have access to.

Rain

"Whatever you do, don't hit the wall too hard. They" Our tour guide motioned up above, to the Temple Mount, run by Muslims, "They have seismographs up there. Any big movement recorded and *smack*," He clapped his hands together in a finite motion, "atomic war!"

At the end of this long hallway is a very, very narrow cleft in the cavern that you have to pass through. It measures only around a foot wide at it's narrowest point. Our guide told us a story about one VERY large guest. He told her she wouldn't be able to fit and she became offended. He shrugged and let her come along. At this point, she tried to shove herself through the opening and became seriously lodged in place. She couldn't move forward, couldn't go back. Other people on the tour had to push from one side and pull from the other to free her... Yah. Tour guides know what's up.

The tour is one-way and exits onto Via Dolorosa, just above an old cistern pool, which is actually connected to the cistern that is under the Convent my friends and I stayed in. Except our tour was apparently 10 minutes late and the Jewish guards who were posted at the exit to prevent heaven-knows-what happening from the Palestinian quarter (actually, violence is known to happen at that doorway on occasion) decided it was their break time, so instead of offering us an escort back to the entrance from street-level (per normal), we were told that we were extremely lucky in that we would be able to wander back through the tunnels to the entrance at our own pace. So we took our time, wandered, really enjoyed it and then walked all the way back to our convent/guesthouse at street level.

Welcome to Israel!

Visiting the "Kotel"/Western Wall Tunnels:
The entrance is located at the base of the Western wall, in the Jewish Quarter. If you're facing the wall, look to the left near the restrooms.

Opening Hours: Sun-Thurs 7am to "Evening"
Reservations: Highly recommended (but small groups of 2-3 will easily be able to join a tour)
Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cost:  I don't remember. Around 20 shekels.
Cool official website: http://english.thekotel.org/VisitorInfo.asp?id=1
Bring: Water, camera capable of taking photos in dark, indoor spaces