O Jerusalem

I'm in an internet cafe on Via Dolorosa, where the man himself carried his cross to his own crucifixion... possibly stopping to check his email and play some Warcraft on the way. It's a narrow winding street in the Christian Quarter of Old Jerusalem. I arrived in Jerusalem on Friday and made it quickly to the apartment of a friend of a friend who I had organised to stay with. It's nice and close to town so I did a bit of walking but turned back when it started to rain. There were people coming for dinner. It was a mixed group including a few Israelis, an Irishman, a German girl, and myself. There was plenty of food, Israeli wine and beer, and inevitably a guitar that was passed around for renditions of Irish folk songs (not just by the Irishman). People came and went and at about 1am it was decided we should go out. So we walked to a club in a lively part of town (despite Shabbat), and drank and smoked and danced to pumping Reggae music. It was close to 6am by the time we left the club, walking back home via a Yemeni fast food place. I remember it being tasty, but not so much later when it reappeared as vomit... Yes, it was a big night, and a cruel blow to my guts given the recent food poisoning. I was in bed until almost three in the afternoon on Saturday, but finally felt obliged to do some more conventional sight-seeing. I walked to the Old Town, surrounded by a high wall but divided cleanly into Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Armenian quarters, etc. Old Jerusalem strikes me as a bit of a shitfight. Most of its tiny streets are lined with stalls selling souvenirs, JC sandals, Jewish skullcaps (kippahs), and so forth. The sellers are aggressive bordering on insulting. One of them called me a "perfect Jew" because I was ignoring him. I went first to the Jewish Quarter, which I expected to be quiet considering Shabbat (which continues from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday). The stores were closed but the streets were filled with people nevertheless. And down by the Western Wall (aka, the Wailing Wall) photography was outlawed for Shabbat so tourists were getting sneaky. I got in trouble myself when I inadvertantly started walking toward the women's section of Wall. I was dressed pretty casual (thongs, jeans, t-shirt) so I felt a bit disrespectful I guess... It's the most significant site in the Jewish faith and if you stand back in the plaza it seems a tad perverse that it's become such an attraction to clueless non-Jews such as myself. People were so offended by the request that they not take photos. I weaved back out through the Arab markets, had a great dinner involving the best hummus I've ever tasted (or maybe it was just because I hadn't eaten in so long). Shops that had been closed all day opened at about 6pm and were back to business as usual. But I had an early night. Today I've returned to the old town, planning to catch a bus to Bethlehem. It appears to be more trouble than I first thought. Bethlehem is controlled by the Palestinian National Authority, so a trip there would necessitate a border crossing and potential hassles. Israeli nationals aren't even allowed there, and it's not exactly clear where to get the bus from. Meanwhile I've been fart-arseing around in the old town most of the day and I think I've left Bethlehem too late, for today anyway. Further up Via Dolorosa you can see the Church of Sepulchre where Jesus was sentenced, and the other way is where the Virgin Mary was allegedly born - all of the Old City is peppered with such landmarks. Groups of evangelical Americans pass up and down carrying big crosses and singing Christian songs, trying hard to have a spiritual experience amongst the madness. Nearby is the Muslim Quarter and the Dome of the Rock. I went to see it but was turned back because I'm not Muslim - only Muslims allowed on Sundays. It's fair enough I guess. I sat outside the Damascus Gate for half an hour, watched people flow in and out of the city. On that side, East Jerusalem, it's predominantly Arab and a world away from Jewish parts of the city. Yeah, it's an amazing place. So tomorrow it's either Bethlehem or the Dead Sea, or possibly both!