Mt of Olives, Gethsemane

My plan today was to cover the East side of Jerusalem ie the Mount of Olives Gethsemane and the Kidron Valley area. I found out how to get there and then went off. After I had gone maybe about 10 minutes of Walking I realised you stupid stupid girl. today is Saturday and there is no public transport. Well change of plans go see what I was hoping to do tomorrow now because that was I think walking distance. back to my digs. The lady at the reception said oh your back already, so I explained to her that today was Saturday I guess there is no public transport. I could have walked there to the Mount of Olives, but I did not want to be to tired as I was staying up at the church of the Holy Sepulchre church tonight. The receptioist informed me "No" today there is no Israeli buses but Mt of Olves is East of Jerusalem so there is the Arab buses going there. Talk about confusing us poor toursists.

So turn around and go back again, as if I do not walk enough in a day. Even my sandles were slipping quite a bit today. Not sure if this was the Salt after the dead sea swim. ( I did wash them well, but who konws there was a lot of slipping and sliding going on today). so back again to the plae I was originally trying to get too, which was at the Herods gate to get Bus number 275. I come out of the gate and see the bus stand and bus number 275 was at the halt. Tried to make a dash for it, but I was too far away the bus went off. Oh well, you win some you loose some!!!.

It did not take long another bus came along and off to the Mt of Olives. Got down at the Lutheran church as I had heard thhat it was worth a visit. The tower of this church was so high we could see it from the viewing point of St Georges Monestry when we were in Bethany. When I got in there the young lady says I have to pay 10 NIS. After I had piad and get my ticket she tells me the lift is not working. I rolled my eyes at her, and asked her how many steps to the top, and was informed a mere 223 steps to the top. Sat down first in the church and contelplated the simple beauty of the Mosaic work, and then did the walk up to the tower, and back. Was it worth it, no becasue there was netting all around so you could not een get a decent picture and the saw much better view later on over looking Gethsemane and the Kidron Valley.

Then walked all the way to the Church of the Ascentention, which is a Byzantine church. This church was originally built by St Helena, but differnt empires and kindoms that ruled Jerusalem had put their mark or distroyed it depending their belief and faith. So the structure was not what was important but the history is per the gospel it was some where here that Jesus was on earth for the last time, before he was taken up to Heaven. A rock inside the octangle building with a dome has a rock inside on the floor and the verbal messgae passed down from generation to generation is that is wher Jesus stood for the last time before he was taken up to Heaven.

After that walked down to the Pater Noster church. This is where Jesus taught his disciples the "Our Father Prayer" This was a very simple church run by the Carmelite nuns. Then started walking down to the viewing platform of the Garden of Gethsemane and the Valley below and the Western Wall. I could see lots of people in the distance that was how I knew to walk down there. But I had a very nasty experience. All along this journey I have been pretty relaxed in my walking, I know I have stamina to walk km after km, but I ma not the fastest. So there is was meandering my way it was around 12.15 pm and then a moron and I am truly using that word because I cannot use another worse word in this journal. He was walking up towards me and has this panaroma view pictire which was over a meter long and says 1 dollar do you want to but it. I say No thank you and keep walking, Normally people respect that, worse case you might have to say it 3 times. but no this sos and so says why dont you want to buy it, why, why, why, why this, why that, by then i was ready to blow a gasket. but he was walking side ways to me, and then someting told me to stop. not sure what he is up to behind me with this long picture draped over his arm. so I stop and sai to him can you please stop this I am not interested, and he says "WHY" well that was that I said Because I say so in a frustrated and angry voice. I know I should not be using that tone in a foreign country but I had, had it. I said stop this I am not interested leave me alone. and I did not allow him to be behind me. So he stopped. I went further down the road and stopped and made sure m back pack was ok, guess what he had opened my pack zip half way. I had put my neck wallet in there to start this morning, but thought nah thats jusyt going to add weight, so I had put my passport and money into the inside zip pocket of the pack. He had opened it but he could not see anything that he could get easiy. My Water bottle was at the very bottom, and I had bought a wooden plaque of the "Our Father" and some oil from the Nuns at the same church. this was in a paper bag. That was yet there. He might have flicked it, if I had not stopped, but gone on with him walkin beside me. But alls well and ends well.

The rest of my day is going to sound boaring after that bit of adventure. Went to a viewing point that i saw people from a far. the view was beautiful, then came down the Gethsemane hill. Fact that I did not know before but heard a guide telling a tour group, the East Gate was where Jesus walked into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, So when the Mouslims conqured Jerusalem they bricked up that gate so Jesus could not come through there. As it is written he will come back to Jerusalem on the last day. Then they made a cematary there. So the Jews to retaliate to that made a cemetary on the oppwesite side of the hill. A fact I heard from one of our tours earlier on in the peace was that to be burried in the Jews arrea you had to have around US $30,000.00 other than being a Jew. Coming down the hill was risky as my feet kept slipping. I had been told this morning that it was going to be teh hottest day so far this month and they were not wrong. So not sure if it was my sandles or the stones were more slippery due to the heat. Once I just went down hill with the momentum and no tracktion. thought I was going to land on my face on the stony pathway. But made it safetly walking gingerly holding on to the pole on the side when ever that was on the sie walls of the road I was walking on.

Then came to the shurch of all nations, again it was lovely. The Church of All Nations, also known as the Church or Basilica of the Agony, is a church located on the mount of olives in East Jerusalem next to the Garden of Gethseamne. It enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest.
On the way down I wanted to visit two other churches on my list but it was now closed till after 2,00pm. So decided to to the room and rest for the evening plans. But then when I got to the reception the sister from NZ was there. So she said it was best I made sure i knew where I was going to night. So had to walkd another 10 minutes each way. but it was a good idea to have done as she adviced.

Got up at 6.30p, and after litteraly gulping down my dinner I took off at a trot to the HS church. I had thought the church was closing at 8.00pm but actually it was not closing till 9.00pm. so prayed the rosary, and took some photos. then when 9.00pm came around wached the closing of the door ceramany. After that it was lovely to be able to pray, contemplate, read my JM book. it was fantastic, so glad I had done it. I had been wavering about the fact that I was going to have to come back at midnight on my own. On a saturday they open the doors at Midnight as the Armenians have a service. normally they do not open the doors till 4.00am I am told. Then I had a tube light moment and put a message on our family group chat asking Shan and Troy to take my call at midnight or thereabouts and talk with me on whats app while I walk back to my accomodation. They agreed, but yet I was worried to start with, then once the doors were shut that went out of mind and I enjoyed the prayer time. It was lovely because I was able to move around, sit and pray, visit Golgatha which is reached by steps , this is where Jesus was crusified, here you can kneel under the alter and touch the place that Jesus was crucified. Then go to the Holy Sepelcure, and pray there along with the few inside the church. The Tomb of Jesus signifies nit just his death, but also his resurrection. For me it means learn to look forward more than dwelling in the past. Went and sat in St Helenas Chapel, Adams Chapel, the Finding of the Cross Etc.

When the doors were opened, came out and rung the Whanau, and not one, not two, but three people took my call. Thank you my family. I had the camera pointing out, so they could see who was coming towards me. Arrived at the door to the convent safetly and there were some otheres just leabing, so managed to get in without much issues. Then saw that Shan was at pottery, so so glad to see Shan back doing what she loves, to nature her artistic and relaxing side. Had a catch up on the roof top of the convent showed everyone the skyline of Jerusalem city at night time, and now finishing this and then off to bed.

It's past 1.45am now and I am off to bed now, as I have Sunday mass to attend at 7.00am. 🙂

You are my Lord, you are my God, you are my Saviour, you are my Brother, you are my friend, you are my Shepheard.Read more