Jerusalem- a divided city which throbs with history, co-habitation, and modernity.
We spend but a few days here but found a city of contradictions. We were not on a religious pilgrimage but instead on a historic tour through the Middle East. This distinction seems important as, at times, I did feel like an outsider gawking at those whose devotion to their faith (whatever this may be).
Border crossing:
Crossing into Israel from the King Hussein / Allenby Bridge in Jordan was an event! We caught the bus from Jordan and headed into what was possibly the longest queue for processing. After about 3 and a bit hours, we were out and onto a bus into Jerusalem. Patience is advised if you are going this way – make sure you have some snacks and bottled water too!
What to see:
We amped through the myriad of covered streets in the old town to make our way to some key sites: the Wailing Wall, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Dome of the Rock.
Our first port of call was the Wailing Wall. Finding your way around is really easy as there are signs which point you to the main attractions. Upon arrival at the Wailing Wall, we separated to the male and female sides. There are only a few places I’ve visited that gave me the same sense of spirituality that the Wailing Wall did. Whether this was a result of seeing the people praying, hoping that their prayers once inserted into the walls would be heard, or see the strange baracaded ramp up to the Temple Mount to the right, I’m not sure. Either way I enjoyed the solitude and while I stood at a respectful distance, I felt quite moved here.
Our next stop was to be the Dome of the Rock but it is only open to tourists a certain times.
We now followed the well-marked signs to find the start of the stations of the cross on the Via Dolorosa. As a young girl I loved praying the rosary with my grandmother so retracing Jesus’ final steps was rather significant for me. Each station is clearly marked so you can follow along with ease.
The last stop is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where the final few events of Jesus’ life unfolded. Here I was blown away by the rituals of the pilgrims – from washing the stone where Jesus lay with their tears to lining up for hours to touch the stone from which he ascended to heaven. This church is chaotic. It is a warren of smaller shrines, each dedicated to a different faith – Armenian, Catholic, Orthodox, Egyptian Coptic to name a few – all seemed to fight for space. It was far different than I imagined- cramped, dark, and so busy. In my head I’d imagined a holier version of St Peter’s in Rome – open, light and well designed.
On our second day we went on a walking tour of the city, one of our favourite ways to explore! On this tour we stopped in on the Armenian quarter, strolled past the church where the Last Supper supposedly occurred, the old city walls attacked by Roman Emperor Vespasian, Herod’s city walls, roof top walkways with amazing views of the Temple Mount, back to the Holy Sepulchre and Wailing Wall, and along the way had the most insightful and entertaining commentary from our knowledgeable guide. The advantage of a tour like this is that you pay as much as you can or want. As a traveler this can be a great way to stretch your money and, my goodness, those guides are some of the best you’ll come across as they are working hard for their tips!
Toward the end of the tour I realised that I was going to miss out on seeing the Dome of the Rock unless I left early and hurried through the labrythine streets to get in the line. Darryl stayed on the tour and I ran! I arrived in time with only my wallet and camera – alack, I had forgotten my headscarf! I joined the queue hoping for the best. After going through security- you must have photo ID – I headed up the ramp, purchased a scarf to cover my arms, and started to explore. As a non-Muslim, I couldn’t enter the mosque itself. The mosque sits on one of the most important sites in all three religions – Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. According to Jewish tradition, it is the centre of the world from which God gathered the soil to fashion Adam, the first man. Here where Abraham bound his son Isaac. Various temples were located here, including that sacked by Roman Vespasian and Titus during the sack of Jerusalem, but most importantly for Muslims, this is where Abraham ascended to heaven. Currently, Jews cannot access Temple Mount so instead pray at the Western Wall, the Wailing Wall, as it is as close as they can get to the Foundation Stone and holiest site for their faith.
On top of the mount it was peaceful. I didn’t get the same feeling as I did at the Wailing Wall as I was torn between ensuring that my tablecloth like covering was covering me and marvelling at the architecture. I could walk through the Dome of the Chain and around the Dome of the Rock. I loved seeing this and staring at the Mount of Olives in the background. Beautiful and totally worth it!
Accommodation:
We stayed in our first ever Air BnB in Jerusalem. We had great views and a nice compact apartment. Everything was in walking distance – we could stroll to the old city, grab breakfast and coffee on the go, and amble downtown to dine. While the apartment was not the most exciting in comparison to the five star luxury of Amman, it was clean and adequate.
Shopping and dining:
Via Dolorosa – all along this street are a mix of tourist shops and more up market stores. We spent a great deal of time at a jewellers talking about fine vintage watches (my husband loves them) and even looking at buying diamonds, all of this with the customary mint tea and sense that we were welcomed guests. We didn’t buy anything but thoroughly enjoyed our time.
Old City – the bazaar of the old city has the usual mix of souvenir, music, scarves,shoes, and leather ware. Also, close to the key religious sites you can buy various religious icons. The vendors were not pushy and while we only bought a post card or two, we did enjoy looking around. F you are that way inclined, save some money for the assortment of sweets in the street you’d exit the Dome of the Rock from. Enough here to rot your teeth thoroughly.
Our other shopping stop was the Mamilla Mall. Here is a mix of high end chain stores and fine art. We enjoyed our time here (possibly me more so than Darryl) although we bought very little – just some costume jewellery.
When out in the old city we ate lunch at small cafes, enjoying great kebabs (the falafel was outstanding!)
We are one night in our apartment and another at Burger Burgers on Jaffa St. Wow! Aside from a language hiccup (where we ordered massive meals) we just loved this food. From the freshness of the burgers to the condiment bar where we could add gherkins and other pickled goodies to our meal. We meandered back to our apartment feeling sated.
Getting around:
Jerusalem is a very walkable city. Bring good shoes and enjoy this city! We did catch a taxi from the bust stop up to our accommodation. It was very expensive and the driver charged us an assortment of fees. We hired a car to give us flexibility to explore outside of Jerusalem. Parking was easy to find and relatively cost effective. We did have to pay for overnight parking but the building was secure so we could rest easy. We drove around Jerusalem, including up to the Mount of Olives, and the only thing I’d recommend is taking your time as the hilly city and narrow streets could be a challenge (especially if driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road as we were).
The Peterson Odyssey 