So, I'm leaving Jerusalem and going to Ram'allah tomorrow, so I can stop playing tourist and start playing researcher. Ram'allah is about 12-15 miles north of Jerusalem, but the bigger issue is the Qalandia checkpoint: following the 2000 Al Aqsa intifadeh--a Palestinian protest/insurrection movement spurred by Ariel Sharon's assertion of Israeli rule over the Temple Mount--and subsequent suicide bombings in Israel, the Israeli government decided to seal off the Palestinian population in the West Bank by building a wall/fence around it. There's a lot more to it than that, but I'm going to leave it at that for the moment because my point is trying to get through this barrier--which, depending on where you are, is fence, 24-ft tall concrete wall, and/or border crossings with tighter security than you find at the airport--is a pain. Not so much for me, but for whomever is transporting me.
I've arranged for one cab to drop me off at the Qalandia checkpoint, then I walk across, and will pick up another cab (hopefully) to take me the rest of the way to Ram'allah--or, specifically, to the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center guest house, where I'll be staying for the next five weeks.
How does this have anything to do with the title of this post? Well, after talking with Mary, I decided to go on a quick shopping trip in the "New City" area of Jerusalem--the part of town on the exact opposite side of the Old City from where the Mount of Olives (and my hotel) is located. And rather than tromp through the Old City crowds and congested, convoluted streets, I walked around the Old City, to an outdoor shopping mall I had seen a few days back. That trip was a total bust; the only places open on a Friday afternoon (post-noon is the Muslim sabbath, while sunset on Friday marks the beginning of the Jewish sabbath) were restaurants and one art gallery. So I turned around and headed back, only to find a hot dog stand. The guy running it had what I like to call a "desperation ponytail," so naturally I assumed he was an immigrant from America. He wasn't, and so he didn't understand (nor had the ingredients to make) a "Chicago style" hot dog. But that didn't matter much--it's not every day that you get to have a hot dog in Jerusalem on the sabbath, and so I very much enjoyed my hot dog & pepsi.
Today: hot dogs in Jerusalem. Tomorrow: felafel in Ram'allah.
Inshallah
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The place you are staying looks interesting. You will have to tell us more about it as you are there.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos and glad you are able to get edible food.
What is the cat population like?
Are you able to communicate well? What is the transportation system like, using taxis?
ReplyDeleteCats... I've seen a few. Not nearly as many as Damascus. In Bethlehem, I saw a very well-fed, well cared-for long hair cat hanging out on the sidewalk next to a nice house. The strays/ferals aren't as furtive as the ones in Syria, but they definitely don't want to have anything to do with people.
ReplyDeleteAs far as communicating, in most cases I run into people whose English is better than my Arabic--though they seem very pleased that I know any Arabic (despite how badly I butcher it). And I'm primarily using buses--there are very few places I can't get to using a bus. Going from Ram'allah to Bethlehem (via Jerusalem) cost 23 NIS ($6) round-trip, whereas a taxi just from Ram'allah to Jerusalem would run at least twice that. So I'm being a cheapskate & using the buses.
Those are beautiful pictures, that you have in the other part of your blog.
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