Jerusalem: Day 2

Well, I now live in Korean, hence the delay in getting this up.

After traveling to Jerusalem, the next day we got up an took the 11 AM Holy Sites tour, that took us to the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.  We saw the room where Jesus at the last supper, the Dome of the Rock, walked the roads that Jesus walked while carrying the cross, saw where they believe the cross stood, and the tomb where they believe He was buried.  Funny story -- a Muslim has the keys to the church that stands where they believe Jesus was raised, because the priests from the difference sects of Christianity (variations on Catholicism, I believe; don't recall exactly right now) do not trust each other.

To be frank, I was quite unmoved by the city and the holy sites.  I know the city has been destroyed, but absolutely nothing there feels authentic, with the only exception being the wall around the city.  That afternoon we took a walk around the wall, nearly everywhere except by the Dome of the Rock.  For security reasons, you're forbidden to be in a very high place near what I think is perhaps the most controversial space in the world.  The Dome and that area was probably my favorite part.  The mosque that is constructed there is absolutely huge, and considering it's only steps from the Western Wall, the symbolism and significance is not lost.  Not to mention, the security was at the max here, which typically signifies importance.  I recommend some Wikipediaing to catch up on the history of this site, and why it's so important to Jews and Muslims alike.  Not as much to Christians, though it is still there.

That night we exited the Old City through the gates near the Dome, and were in Muslim Jerusalem.  The difference in setup, people, language, cleanliness, investment, chaos, etc. that exist on the Eastern Jerusalem side and the side with West Jerusalem is absolutely incredible.  Nothing could make this more evident than the bus stations in each.  The bus station we arrived into the first night was big and a mall with restaurants, shops, 4 floors and modern buses.  (Our bus going to Tel Aviv a couple days later even had Wi-Fi!)  The bus station in East Jerusalem is basically, excuse my language, a clusterfuck.  It's a giant glorified parking lot.  There were no Israelis, only Palestinians, and maybe two other foreigners around.  The next night we were going to catch a bus to Ramallah.

Also worth noting is the incredible food we had while on the tour at a local restaurant in the old city.  Egyptian food, while not terrible, was not good.  The food in Israel is exactly what one expects from Mediterranean cuisine.  Delicious hummus, babganoush, and a plethora of other sauces and falafel with pita bread and fries.  Make sandwiches or dunk, everything is communal.  The tour after lunch was a bit more difficult, as I was stuffed (making walking nearly impossible) and thus quite sleepy.

Nevertheless, it was a nice day spent in the old city, and the tour was well worth the money paid.  I learned a lot.  Check me out on Facebook for the pictures, and feel free to contact me with any questions.