Jerusalem II

In the wee hours through Fergus's snoring came in an Ultra Orthodox Jewish person, our fourth room mate but only for that night as he took off early in the morning as well. I woke up feeling a bit refreshed and ready to tackle the day despite the hardships of yesterday. I planned on buying some clothes to cover the remaining week but for now all I had on me were the same clothes from yesterday and a pair of slippers. There was going to be a lot of walking too so I made sure to prepare for the day by having a free hearty breakfast, courtesy of Abraham Hostel. It was a cozy place, there were a lot of people and they had a nice buffet going on. I helped myself to some cereal, fruits, hummus, and bread before hitting the streets of Jerusalem.

I walked towards the old city, too broke to take the tram. I enjoyed seeing the city while it was still in that morning calm state, the breeze still comfortably chilly and the sun not too hot. I passed by a pianist performing on the street and found my way to the New Gate. The Old City, the first place I came into contact with when I arrived in Israel. The circumstances felt a bit dire before but now it still seemed like I didn't make it unscathed nevertheless I was quite excited and stepping foot back into history felt a bit surreal. The Holy City was vastly empty on this side of town, walking along the ancient streets and seeing the historical architecture all around was an experience. I planned my route so that I would hit all the quarters of Jerusalem. There were four namely the Armenian, Jewish, Christian and Muslim quarter. A holy city shared by these four cultures as well as the three major Abrahamic religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, leaves no doubt in my mind on just how unique and important this city is. From the New Gate, I went to Jaffa Gate which was one of the eight gates of the Old City.

I found myself in the Armenian Quarter first, made more plain by the display of Armenian craftsmanship of painted plates and such around the various shops. I passed by the Tower of David which I tentatively skipped because I thought it required payment and the Cathedral of Saint James which was also closed so I walked along the pavements until finding a bench where I sat and reflected.

I proceeded to Zion Gate next which was part of the Jewish Quarter, I went out and followed some signs that led me to the place where the Last Supper was held, and near there was the Tomb of King David. I went inside to see that there were some Super Jews praying around the tomb. I creeped out and looked around some more before heading back inside and exploring more of the Jewish Quarter. I would say that this part of the Old City was most beautiful due to the flowers and it just looked a bit more taken care of. The vibes and the prices here were very different though I suppose it would be that way for each quarter. I found myself in the Jewish market of Cardo, I also tried to explore the Hurva Synagogue but they were charging money which was quite weird as the Christian churches were free for all, I guess it's the cultural difference. I still got to take a peek so I was satisfied.

The Christian Quarter was where I felt most at home as I had much exposure to the religion as a child. I went inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which was the holiest site for the Christians as this was where Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead. The church was quite old but huge, it was different to the standard structure of churches and it was more akin to a castle with different sections scattered around and even an underground portion. Like a bonafide tourist, I fell in line and somehow blended with a Korean tour group and were let in a few at a time to see and pray to the special spot. I was quite satisfied after that. I checked out the Muristan Market as well as the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer which was unfortunately closed. I followed the path of Via Dolorosa which was said to be the part of the road taken by Jesus as he carried his cross.

I was now in the Muslim Quarter, ready to visit the holiest and most popular spots of Jerusalem. I wanted to visit the Little Western Wall first but was turned away two times as it was only for Muslims. Following the horde of pilgrims on the main road led me to the entrance to the Wailing Wall but first having to pass through several security checkpoints. I saw a group of Jewish people going around in a circle while holding hands which was probably a tradition for them, perhaps it was a Bar Mitzvah for the little ones? I didn't want to appropriate their culture by wearing a kipah so I opted to use my hat and check out the wall. This wall is pretty much what separates the Jewish people from the Temple Mount which forbids them entry as it is too holy for them. The wall is the closest thing they have to it so they end up congregating here to pray. I had a hard time finding the Temple Mount but after going around and asking for directions, I found the wooden bridge leading up to the sacred grounds. I was attracted to the nearby Al Aqsa Mosque but was quickly told off not to enter. I tried to take some photos of the Dome of the Rock with its iconic golden domed roof. I was lucky to be able to get amazing shots of it without any people as well as using the arches as an amazing frame. I went around it to get shots from various angles and using the various arches as a frame but was later told that we had to leave as they were going to be opening it for the Muslims and it was going to be closed to visitors now. I was more than happy with what I got and went back and found myself at a dead end so I went back to find another exit and found myself in the familiar streets of Via Dolorosa again. It was definitely time for lunch and I craved for something Israeli, I ordered some classic falafels and hummus from a Muslim restaurant that also had free wi-fi and took a while to rest my legs because the day was far from over.

The Mount of Olives was my next destination so I went out the Old City again via the Lion's Gate, passing by St. Anne's Church but not being able to enter it because it was closed for lunch time. On the way, I passed by a place proclaiming to be the birth place of the Virgin Mary so why not check it out. It had a tiny church and a tunnel that led further underground. I followed it and ended up in a small cavern with an altar. It was very cool and quiet here so I took the time to meditate and appreciate the calmness of the space. The Tomb of the Virgin, Garden of Gethsamane and a lot of others were also closed at this time but I made a mental note to come back and check them out after chilling at the summit. There was also a taxi driver who tried to get me to go touring with him an exorbitant prices but I was able to turn him down pretty well. So began my hike up the Mount of Olives, the inclines definitely tired me out but I kept going at it, passing by numerous people until I approached a Jewish cemetery overlooking Jerusalem, the Grave Light of Life. Rows upon rows of rectangular tombs cascading down made for an impressive sight. I happened upon the Tomb of the Prophets next and was kinda curious so I went inside which turned out to be private property and they were charging some money to see the tombs of Zechariah, Haggai and Malachi but I wasn't interested in paying so I went outside and took a break by the staircase, feeling the wind and getting cooled down. There was still a lot of time before the places started to open so I made sure to spend as much time as possible to relax. I went up and found a shop that offered rooftop views so I bought an ice cream and after a bit of haggling with the clerk, I got to rest at the roof for free. I greatly enjoyed the ice cream after a hike but still there was a lot of time to spare and time passed slowly. I could still see the golden dome of the Temple Mount from the top of the mountain. I got a bit impatient and went ahead to check out the Church of Ascension as there were some tour groups going in. There was an empty square with a tower in the middle, aside from that nothing to write home about. I made my down and got to visit the Pater Noster Church next, its church had an amazing windowpane with a view of Jerusalem. I wanted to visit the Mary Magdalene Church but it was closed today, but I finally got to visit the Tomb of the Virgin, it was a dark and solemn place, the devotees there were very emotional, a woman was in tears. Finishing the Mount of Olives, I made my way back in the Old City again, taking the Herod's Gate out this time to reach the Garden Tomb. This one is a bit of a controversial place as they claim that it was here Jesus was buried and resurrected instead of the Church of Ascension. They had free tours and made some pretty convincing biblical arguments, I quite enjoyed the whole experience. After a successful day of exploring Jerusalem, I made my way back to the hostel.

It was interesting to see Jerusalem in a new light, I felt like I understand and appreciate it even more now as I walked the streets outside the Old City. There were still a lot of Super Jews up and about, it really felt like they lived in another world despite being in the same city. I stopped by the old market again, finally purchasing a white long sleeved shirt and a sports short to be used the next day. I also bought some brownies and Korean cup noodles for a sad dinner. The noodles being too spicy for me, much regrets were made with that purchase. Fergus was all the way out in Jordan today visiting Petra so I was able to bond with Oscar a bit. Having a history teacher for a teacher was such a huge win for me, most of the information I got about Israel came from him to be honest, which made exploring it even much more fun. I slept earlier than usual today since I was waking up around 2:00AM later to catch the day tour.Read more