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Part two of a trip to the Middle East in 1996: Jordan, Syria and Israel.

Israel and Jordan - Part two

Dougburnett
2003-11-22 12:38:15

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Sunday, May 12, Jerusalem

I was standing outside the Damascus gate on a hot, sunny afternoon. Through the gate, in the old city, were the sites I had come to see: the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I had just arrived from Syria where I had spent a week wandering the souqs, visiting mosques and touring archeological sites. I was planning to hang around Jerusalem for a few days, maybe see Akko in the north and then head to Petra in southern Jordan. That was the plan, anyway.

My first task was to find a hotel. I had decided to stay in East Jerusalem, so I headed down Salah al-Din street into the heart of the Arab district. After checking out a few places, I settled in at the National Palace (250 NIS). My room was large and quiet, but the hotel was a little farther away from the old city than I liked - oh well, my feet would pay the price for that decision.

It was getting late and I was hungry, but I just couldn't resist a quick look around the old city. I entered through the Damascus gate, directly into a teeming market area. I'm afraid my first impressions were not all positive. The lanes were full of activity: there were Israeli and Arab shoppers, porters with their loads, and masses of tourist - more than I had seen this trip. Every third merchant seemed to be selling some kind of religious kitsch and they were right in your face, wanting you to visit their shop. At strategic corners there were Israeli military check points - a reminder, if one was needed, of the tension here.

Despite my initial shock, it didn't take long for the old city to win me over - it is simply marvelous, almost beyond description. The first thing I noticed was the people. I have never seem so many different kinds of dress in one place: Orthodox Jews with black suits and hats, Christian priests and nuns in earth-tone robes, Muslims in white gowns and ...