Jerusalem once more

Almost all my tour mates are leaving Jerusalem the next day, so there was a strong desire to get as much as they could get out of the city. Me, I had 3 more days, though 2 might've been sufficient. After returning from Bethlehem, our van dropped us off at Jaffa Gate. Most people wanted to see more the Jewish Quarter before Shabbat. The thing to remember about Shabbat is that shops and restaurants close up around mid-day Friday to allow for preparations. Public transit also shuts down, as we'd learn making getting around more tricky. If you have a flight on Saturday, your only option is a private taxi costing $80 USD, so take heed and stay an extra day if you can.

I spent my afternoon lining up to see Jesus' Tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was only half way around when I arrived, so I thought it wouldn't take long. But it did, an hour and a half long. The line was very wide and everybody had to funnel in as they got closer. Perhaps because it was the end of the day, there were also a few prayer and incense sessions that added to the wait as well.

I was very fortunate to find myself in the middle of a Russian group. When the 1st songs sounded, I had no idea what was going on, just that we had been progressing 1 foot every 10 minutes and then nothing. I asked a tall Russian lady and she wasn't sure. As time ticked by, I grew more antsy, especially because I'd made plans with the rest of the group to meet at the Western Wall.

It was also very stuffy in line. People are sardined in, and you couldn't fall over even if you fainted. Giving up, I made my way out of the line, only to realize how close I was. What I'm about to do next, I'm not exactly proud of. I went back to the line, located the Russian lady, and asked if I could rejoin them. She asked why I had left, but I couldn't exactly answer, and she was kind enough to let me back in.

As we finally approached the front of the line, her tour leader called for only members of her group to go inside the tomb. My new friend ushered me to her other side, "hiding" me from the leader so that I could slip in with them. It was very sweet of her, and I couldn't thank her enough. When I got inside the tomb, I added a little thank you prayer for her being there. I really don't know if I would've been up for lining up all over again, even if it was another day. The tomb inside is beautiful, but no pictures are allowed. Perhaps only 4 people could be in the inner chamber, so no photos helps speed things up.

Following that, I made haste for the Western Wall. The crowds were gathering and both the men's side and women's side were filling up with worshippers. Groups of men and women were also dancing in circles respectively. We watched for awhile before heading off. It's quite a different experience than during the day where the primary action is to put one's hand/forehead against the wall in prayer, and leave a written prayer in the cracks.Leggi altro