Israel and the Palestinian Territories would be nothing without the people that call it home.
The first of whom I met was Roy. He was the wonderful host of his 1month old hostel. He is well travelled, speaks several languages and is a delightful dope. Whom I think, has got himself into more than he bargained. Working 24 hour days as host, hotelier, handyman, cook and bottlewasher. Roy is Jewish and made us all feel at home with his laid back attitude and his willingness to share the significance of upcoming events of his religion. Answering questions about his city and his country with politeness (I was so worried about my dress that when I walked out of the hostel I felt like a Mormon amongst the uber cool TA's!). If you are going to Tel Aviv make sure you pop and see him. He would welcome you warmly and always has room - I ended up on the couch at his flat after I called in unexpectedly! Say you know me.
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Maureen inside Christ Church, Jerusalem |
Maureen was a retired Nurse now living in Jerusalem devoting her life to Christ Church in the walled city. Maureen was born to an Iraqi Jewish mother and a Church of England father in the English Midlands during the Second World War. She became a nurse and after time in Australia and Qatar moved to Jerusalem to be closer to the Lord her Saviour. I spoke to Maureen about her finding of god as a small child as she pleaded to die and again years later to reassure her her path was to help and obey.
Maureen introduced me to a Russian pianist who proceeded to preach to me about her playing being a sharing of faith of which I was not convincingly sharing in (how very perceptive of her). She was indeed a very good pianist.
After this intense discussion where I was left with rather a bad taste for being an "unbeliever", Maureen insisted on taking me to the Western Wall which I was very open to. She explained some of the detail of Jerusalem like the holding of the Holy Mount by the Arabs (Muslims) and there was a clear dislike for the Arab people in the tone of her conversation. I like to listen to people and ask simple questions like "whats that" and "why"and "when". This proved effective; teaching me that the men in different hats at the wall belong to different orthodox sects of Judaism. That many Americans get free trips as a right of Jewish passage to return to Israel - explaining the large numbers of college graduates twanging through the streets with their dangling shirt tails - threads attached to mens shirt tails as reminders to pray. And a women should never touch an Orthodox Jew while on her period. How Maureen knew this of me I haven't a clue but I made my first faux pas with our Western Wall tour guide. Maureens company was greatly appreciated and she later called the hostel to invite me to the Mt of Olives on the Thursday before Easter.
On Easter Friday I went to the information center at the Jaffa Gate and the lovely girl on the desk explained she was a Jerusalemite. She had been raised in the US after moving there at the start of the 1st Intifada in the lates 1980's only to return recently with her Dad still living in their US home. She explained 60% of her village were returned ex-pats, making for a very odd mix of tourist locals. She was proudly Muslim (not least for being paid extra time for the Jewish holidays along with her Athiest work mates!) but did not wear a burka or a headscarf despite being just a few hundred metres from the Temple Mount. This was the moment I realised I had not seen a single Burka in my adventures through Israel. Ponder that for a moment please.
On my trip to Bethlehem in my hunt for Christmas decorations I met a lovely old man called Jack. Jack was the owner of a Souvenir shop in Manger Sq opposite the Church of the Nativity. He spoke to me about his interest in the work of infamously secretive Bristol Political graffiti artist Banksy. When I mentioned I wanted to know the price of the Olive Wood nativity scenes he asked if I would like to see his specially designed and commissioned Banksy inspired works. Alas it was brilliant and I was sold on the idea alone of a political nativity to show the tone of my visit. I hope you think its as genius as I do when I have it on display in Gore for Xmas this year! We also spoke about the West Bank residents only international route being via Jordan so the introduction of Easyjet flights could only benefit Palestinians given their lower economic environment. I warned him they don't serve food which Jack thought was just rude!
I can't write a post without mentioning and in part thanking the other crazy characters of my trip - mostly fellow travellers who shared the road with me. Joe the Classical Conducting, Jewish New Yorker and Michelle the Jewish American living in Ireland who over Falafel and Gelato gave me a good low down on the week I was about to experience religious wise and shared stories of her mothers escape from Nazi Germany by posing as a nanny and reciting her rosary (she had attended Catholic High school). Fragrant Igor the Consulate of Slovakia in Israel whom I shared some lovely Israeli Sav and delicious fish with our mutual friend Jarek at Gucca. Marvelous Mathias who was setting off on 6 months in Asia. We spent a day together exploring the streets of Jerusalem and discussing the Holocaust from his perspective as a German and our shared discovery that we like Formal, traditional churches rather than new age mumbojumbo. So many of my experiences in Jerusalem were shared with Matthias so you will see him mentioned often. He really made the Holy city bareable when the chaos and frustration with everything being closed could have really got to me. The Crazy Serbian with no name who shared the bus with me back from Bethlehem and told me how you can make a life trading Cuban cigars and Siberia's very own 16 years as a "walled" country with no way to leave (and his sneaky escape). Flon, Brendan and Paul from NZ and Frenchie Etienne who I had dinner with in Tel Aviv who shared travel stories and nodded off at the table and ate frozen yoghurt above an underground club.
Priveledged to share my stories and experiences with these few really enriched my experience and made me realise how much I love to travel. Thanks peeps x
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