Hello everyone, we're back in Jordan now after a quick side-trip into Israel. It was difficult to get there, but well worth it and definitely a highlight of the trip so far.
We made the border crossing at the King Hussein / Allenby Bridge which takes you from Western Jordan to the West Bank (yes that West Bank) in the Palestinian territories. Security was tight and actually less organized than I had imagined...but still very intimidating with every soldier carrying machine guns or an Uzi very casually. After scanning bags through an x-ray machine, they searched just about every single person's bag. For me, I got all the dirty laundry, CD's full of photos, boxers, books, and even a little stone statue I bought in Egypt spread out onto a table and swabbed for traces of explosive materials. It was a bit embarrasing as I hadn't done laundry in awhile...
From there, it was on to the passport check - where I was asked by an Israeli border officer about the presence of a Syrian visa in my passport, what my plans were in Israel, how long I had been traveling, and for what purpose. From what others tell me, we got off pretty light on the questioning, and it was less intimidating because the border officer was very cute... They only allowed us a 7-day visa as opposed to the normal 3-month visa...but at least they let us in. Overall, the process took about 4-hours.
The bus ride through the West Bank was very uneventful, but the rudimentary housing and lack of development made me very present to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. A gentlemen we had met told us to enjoy Jerusalem - while we could get in easily, he could not as the Palestinians in the West Bank are not allowed into Jerusalem. No easy answers here.
For me, walking into the Old City in Jerusalem was like entering a living storybook of all the images, names, places that I've heard of but never seen. I am awed by the sense of all that's happened here and the fact that just about every street has something that's holy to someone. On the same street you can see Hasidic Jews with men in their black suits and distinctive hats and women with covered hair, elbows, and knees, a church group from the United States, Eastern Orthodox priests in their black cassocks, a group of nuns in full habit, Muslim women covered with head-scarves, and police and army in and out of uniform.
It is easy to see why this has been the most contested city on earth over the centuries. There's just so much that's important to all the different religions in the same place. On the same morning, Deanna and I visited the Temple Mount, Wailing Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Temple Mount is the 3rd most holy site in the Islamic faith (after Mecca and Medina) - where Mohammed ascended to heaven. The Wailing Wall is the last remnant of the first and second Jewish temples (where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son) and the holiest Jewish site in the world. You can see many of the Hasidim (orthodox jews) praying with head against the wall and stuffing notes in the cracks of the wall as there is a belief it is a direct communication with God. The Church of the Holy Sepuchre is at the end of the path through the city Jesus walked to his crucification.
All of which is in stark contrast with West Jerusalem - a very hip, fun, ultra-modern place. Bars, restaurants, shops with pumping techno music, Israeli girls and guys in tight clothes wearing mp3 players and talking on their cellphones. We ventured to the New City with a great Kiwi guy we met crossing the border and a girl from Atlanta visiting Israel and proceeded to the "King of Shwarma" for one of the best meals I've had in awhile and followed it up by a visit to a local wateringhole. A very fun evening. We've met a lot of great people in Jerusalem, including quite a few that are immigrating to Israel or voluntarily entering the military here because they believe in the cause. Something I'm not sure I understand, but I wish them the best.
From Jerusalem, we headed back into Jordan for a few day-trips based in Amman. First, we took the obligatory trip to the Dead Sea. At 400 meters below sea level, it's the lowest spot on earth with 30% salt content (the ocean, by comparison is 3%). And of course tried to walk on the water (you can't), take pictures with all four limbs and head sticking high out of the water (you can), swim around (which we did but learned the hard way leads to 30% salt water in your eyes and mouth -disgusting), and rub mud on ourselves (theoretically theraputic but definitely oily, oily, oily). The real treat was seeing fully-clothed local women doing the same things.
A second day-trip from Amman brought us to Jerash - a well-restored ancient Roman city which (being the historically challenged individual that I am) brought back images from Gladiator and all great Roman movies past. The great thing about this ruin in contrast to the others I've seen (like in Rome) was that the entire city was still there and unblemished with modern structures built in. We stood between the colonnade in the cardo (main thoroughfare) and as I looked around I could see the hippodrome, temple of Zeus, an amphitheater, public fountain (nymphaeum), baths, and a huge temple to worship Artemis. Basically 360 degrees of Roman ruin views...very cool if you're into Roman history. Not so cool...taking a mini-bus to a bus to a mini-bus to a service taxi and walking the last bit to get back home. Somehow "getting there" and "getting back" seem to never be the same path in reverse here...or the same cost.
Okay, tomorrow we're off to Syria. We've registered with the state department website and hidden all of our Israeli money. If I don't write again within the next three weeks or so, send in George and the boys. Just tell them there might be oil near Damascus.
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