03-04 September 2012
Dear Journal:
I thought I would try to pen a last note, summary as it were of these last months. Today Jan and I went to the Garden Tomb and asked the British guide if we could have a tour "as if we had never been here before." Paul was our guide. He is a retired minister from Birmingham, UK. We visited, he taught and we listened and agreed that we don’t worship this site but the resurrected Christ and because of Him we may be forgiven and eternal. It was a lovely experience and we stayed at this site in front of the Garden Tomb quite alone with our thoughts.
We decided to go to the Western Wall and have some lunch in the Jewish Quarter. As we walked slowly thru Damascus Gate and into the Old City and into the courtyard of the Western Wall we each walked to our separate parts and there were several young men with their families participating for their first time in reading the Torah from some sacred scrolls. Lots of singing, throwing candy, echolalia and gathering about their son (sort of - women standing high on chairs on the women’s side, men on the other but each separated by a thin wall partition. These celebrations are not unlike our young men as they enter into the Aaronic Priesthood (perhaps not so exuberant however) and we enjoyed their enjoyment.
After a falafel, ice cream and some shopping in the Jewish Quarter we heard a trumpet, drum and shouting and around the corner by the Cardo and restored Synagogue came a family with a canopy over their son, the mother dressed in white and all celebrating his coming of age (bar mitzvah). As we took pictures and watched and listened a man who had been near us came over and explained what was going on. Exceptional to be approached by a Jew in this manner - we loved it and thanked him. We knew just about everything he was explaining but we were so pleased that someone would want to share.
Then a walk back thru the Old City. Throngs of people, shopkeepers sitting by their wares only half heartedly speaking out if we paused for a moment - "going out of business, everything 5 shekel; hello, where are you from? Mormoni? No charge for looking." All this in thick Arabic accented English. Tourists with their bright colored caps and tour guides holding up a flag or marker as they led their flocks along thru this confusing market place. Occasional groups with someone carrying a heavy cross as they sing and traced the path of the Christ along the way to Calvary. Women in thick black full length dresses with head scarfs (Hijab). Young Arab women and girls with school uniforms and white head scarfs tightly covering their heads and showing a circle of beautiful faces smiling at Jan as they walk by. Rowdy teen age boys pushing their way thru the crowds, making teen comments, boys and men pushing huge loads on carts and whistling, shouting as they move rapidly up and down the narrow streets making the unwary wish he or she had paid more attention. Motorcycles buzzing thru the crowds daring anyone to step in the way. Incense, cooking odors, sweet tobacco smells, garbage and sweat all intermingling. Israeli police and Army men and women young soldiers loitering with their big weapons, texting on their smart phones, talking with each other, occasionally bothering a young Palestinian man and asking for identification papers. Beggars along the sides of the streets with hands outstretched - "one shekel?" Bedouin women sitting with their products along the way with wonderful huge grape clusters, peaches, vegetables, grape leaves, figs and bartering with those who stop to buy. Other Bedouin women with miniature "DIs" selling their used clothing, kitchen utensils. Shops of all kinds, shapes and types - dusty many of them from months or years of non sales or use. Meat shops with no open stalls this time but not appetizing looking cuts of meat and chickens hanging - Jan has been mostly unable to eat meat because of this much like our experience years ago. Confusing streets, side alleys, private residence stairs and everywhere present the feeling of helpfulness interspersed with pushing, shoving and impatience. Of people in a hurry to get somewhere and no courtesy but only a need to be there ahead of others. Occasional brightly painted door frames from those who have made the Haj to Mecca. Israeli flags occasionally seen in the Moslem Quarter where some Jew with motives to "settle" wherever he wanted by subterfuge purchased property and flaunted his Israeli "rights." And often soldiers guarding this spot. Multiple churches, bells ringing, religious leaders in all kinds of religious attire as they move along their paths. Call to prayer echoing along the way. Impossible really to describe all of this - it must be seen and enjoyed for what it is - a remarkable cultural experience unique in all the world. A mixture of devout religious fervor coupled with a circus of thousands of unique sights, smells, sounds and people.
We took a bus back up "suicide alley" to the Center and waited quite a long time for Bus 75 - there are several 75s but not all go on our route and we were turned away several times by people and bus drivers who knew we didn’t want to go on their buses - obvious that they know where these Mormon types should be going. Helpful students and others who haltingly try to answer our questions. Young smiling happy chattering school girls in their school uniforms smiling at us and one lovely tenish girl as she passed said "I love you."
Dome of the Rock
Western Wall
View from the Mount of Olives (that's one of the faculty member's daughters)
