Blog 7

Jerusalem

It is currently the five day Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha. The first day of the holiday was accompanied by sporadic shooting all day - I couldn't tell whether it was the holiday spirit or the execution of Saddam that provoked this response. No body seemed particularly concerned and there were no reports of trouble.

The trip to Jerusalem from Ramallah starts at the market in the centre of town where one catches the Service (Palestinian mini-buses that are the only form of public transport in the West Bank). The Service takes you to the outskirts of town to a major checkpoint in the Wall, which at this location consists of concrete, watchtowers, machine guns and graffiti. The bus is not allowed through the checkpoint, along with most Palestinians who do not possess the correct permit. You enter a large covered area on foot with many aisles leading to turnstyles. About three people at a time are permitted through the turnstyles into a space containing an x-ray machine and bomb proof glass, behind which the guards observe you. You remove you coat and place it with any bags into the x-ray machine and place your ID up against the glass for inspection. If approved, you pick up your things and wait at the turnstyle at the other end to be released into East Jerusalem, where you pick up another bus to take you to the old city. The wall cuts right down the middle of the street with Palestinians on both sides at this point.

The old city is surrounded by 4.2km of wall dating from the 16 century which you can walk along from the Jaffa to the Damascus gates. It is a beautiful city of limestone, with busy alleyways, markets, churches, wailing walls and mosques on rocks.