The Pilgrim starting in Jerusalam

Last night my accommodation was on the 14th floor and as I went to sleep I thought I hope the fire alarm won't go off today. Oh well, guess what it did go off at 8.00am. Honestly I waited to see if the siren would stop. It did, but that was the end of my sleep.

Went down for my last breakfast at Tel Aviv, and then packed my luggage to get to Jerusalem. Called the ecce homo convent in English this is supposed to mean " behold the man" Words spoken by Pontius Pilet. They told me to make sure I am dropped off at the "Lions Gate" in old Jerusalem. Booked a taxi on Yango. The cost was going to be 271nis. But when the taxi came he said 450nis told him to get lost and booked another taxi the amount was 269nis on the booking. He stops the car, and says it 450nis I said no way it states 269nis, so I said no again to him as well . He then says ok 400 my answer is No. How much he says I say 300. He says no, I said ok then and go back to putting out another booking. The driver comes back and says 350. I thought bugger it, I have 2 suitcases just get the bloody car and go to Jerusalem, because I knew at that end I would have to lug my suitcases from tge lions gate to the convent. I was not looking forward to that. No cars are allowed inside old Jerusalem unless it's work vehicles.

Traffic in Jerusalem is hectic, the driver was getting stressed and I was making sure on Google maps that he was not going to drop me off at another gate. Finally got there and so here I am trying to navigate my self and 2 hefty suitcases up a cobbled narrow street with people, school children from here to Africa. A taxi driver parked there and does a sales pitch to take me to Bethlehem the next day. He helped me to get one of the suitcases through the archway of the very busy Lions gate. Then 2 teenagers must have been around 11 or 12 wanted to help me carry the suitcases. So I said yes to one of them, the other one wanted to get MT second suitcase and I was refusing to give it to him. His trick was he too wanted a tip. On the way up again he says pretty lady let me take it, then he tries to grab it. Honestly it's funny now, but not at that moment. Finally got to the convent. Paid the tip to just one got them out of my life hopefully.😊

On the way up the Via Dolarosa 4 army staff went past me with a young teenager. Once again they all had machine guns and two of them were holding this young lady by his arms.

After doing the paper work I was asked to wait for a sister to come and show me around. A Scottish mum and the son who must be around 16 or 17 came to the reception. I had just enquired from the receptionist about going to Bethlehem and these two were going to Bethlehem tomorrow. So we decided to meet at 8.30 in the morning and go in the bus together. Guess what when the sister came down and we were walking to the lift and she heard I was from NZ she was happy as she was from North Canterbury and did not get much kiwis coming through. She did a high five.😊

The place is great, the dinner was fabulous. This was my first meal after breakfast and I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach.

After getting my bag sorted for 2 days in Bethleham. I walked round to Damascus gate and got some currency put on the rav card. This is the public travel card.

I had passed the church of the Holy Family on my way up to the Damascus gate, so on my way down stopped and went to the chapel and Thanked God for all what he has done so far for me and mine.

Was back in time for a prayer meeting at 6.00pm. That went till 7.00 pm and dinner is served at 7.00. So dinner and now waiting to talk to Colin. Had a good chat with Shan earlier this afternoon.

As the photos show I am in the Muslim quarter, there is the Christian, Jewish and the Armenian quarter being the rest of parts of old Jerusalem. The mosque is very close. There prayers are said over the loud speaker . At 6.00pm this evening the Muslim prayers were blaring, the Jewish prayers were not going to be outdone and then the bells were ringing for the church Angelus. 🙂

Pause for thought.

I am at the church of the holy family

Looing at the picture of the HF I am trying to imagine what the birth of J meant to all of them.

St Jo's would have wondered even though he saw in a dream it was ok to marry Mother Mary. He would have been scared of what did it mean, about the child MM was expecting. Was he human or godly, what would the future be for all them.
From MM side she too would have been concerned about the child she was having in a very strange way.
What was the futre going to be for all 3 of them. Would she have other children.
Would St Jo divorce her after the birth of baby Jesus.

From J point he would have been I think normal child who was good at times bad at times, playing with friends, eating drinking, having fun as a child.

MM would have been his mother and
St J his father.Leer más