A young child offered me an olive branch, which I refused as it was an opportunity to milk me. Took some getting rid of, but they have to learn that Scots are mean.
Continued on the new dual carriageway towards the Dead Sea, and took a diversion along the old road towards Jericho, where we got a view of a hidden monastery in the wadis of the Judean desert, along with herds of goats with seemingly nothing to eat.
It was also a ‘retail opportunity’: a couple of lonely Arabs with a camel (no photo, thanks) and Keffiyeh for sale. I succumbed to the latter – cheap for a good sun-protector! Picture shows me at the stop-off point modelling the Keffiyeh. Arafat liked to wear it over one shoulder to make the shape of Palestine.
Back to the dual-carriageway and on to Jericho where we went to see the Tell. Jericho is the oldest continuously inhabited ‘city’ in the world, around 7,000 years old.
However, the site was pretty barren. Interpretive signs were bare, and artefacts all removed to the Israel Museum.
The teleferique there took us up to another monastery in the nearby mountains – but we got there just after closing time. At the top station café we had a cool drink and admired the gathering dusk over the green panorama that is modern Jericho. Amin got offered a Hookah from the café owner, and enjoyed a peaceful puff. It was tobacco, but didn’t smell as offensive as it usually does to my sensitive nostrils.
Back at the taxi as darkness fell and off we went. However, there was a long queue at the checkpoint outside Jericho: the Israeli army don’t mind inconveniencing Arabs setting out at the end of their day of rest. Amin managed to jump the queue, but it still took about 25 minutes to get through and headed back to the hotel.
Amin recommended a café at the Damascus gate, but in the end I couldn’t be bothered walking that far. As it was the Sabbath now (Friday after sunset) there was no point going into Jaffa Street, so I stayed at the YMCA and had a reasonable Western dinner at their 3 Arches restaurant.
6 comments:
Elaine how nice that you are traveling! I would love to see Israel and all the Holy places and have some sense of what it must've been like back in the time of Christ. I mean it is modern now but to know he was in the same places, etc. ...awesome.
Are you Scottish? My Maternal Grandparents were born in Scotland. MacDonald and Lawson on maternal grandfathers side and Cunningham and Tayler on maternal grandmother's side. (Tayler could be with an O ..I have to ask mom.)
I still have relatives in Scotland but my mother didn't keep up contact with her cousins, etc. - relatives in Canada too..but same thing...lost touch.
Merry Christmas Elaine. :)
Another interesting installment. Again, thanks for sharing. The picture of the "hidden monastary" was very interesting, all the other photos too.
Oddd. it dosnt look anything like you in that photo... wanted to say hello, and that ive got falaffels for lunch!
Anna :)
To Seaspray = it is so good getting for me to get these blog posts from elder son. It is almost as though I were travelling myself.
Yes, I was born in Edinburgh, but moved away as a young adult and never returned.
Oh...I am sorry ...i missed that. Still as you said...very nice. :)
Ever thought of waxing those legs? Mind you, you're getting about a bit for someone who struggles to get off the floor...
Love
A mystery charity cyclist
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