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And there's a better taste of Egypt for you :-) 

I Would Walk 500 Miles

Walking toward the Old City

Today was a big day for walkin'. Our internet connection is a little spotty right now, so pictures and a post are coming soon!

Happy Sunday! (Well, Monday I guess...but the walk happened on Sunday....anyway...)

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Apparently photobucket is blocked at the Jerusalem Center, so I will just display some of my favorite pictures from Sunday's adventure. Hopefully someday I'll be able to post them all...for memory's sake.

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We started the day off bright and early

Outside on the first floor of the Jerusalem Center. Notice the Dome of the Rock
just the right of us.

...Fanny-pack style. 

Outside the first floor of the Jerusalem Center. Fanny-packs are encouraged for security
purposes. And fashion of course.

After getting our money exchanged

JC students outside of Aladdin's (pronounced Ah-la-deen).

We spent most of our time touring the Jewish Quarter of the city. We saw the Western Wall,

The Western Wall has both a male and female entrance. The men's side for worshiping is twice as big as the women's side. Most Jews walk to the wall, say a prayer while swaying back and forth, place a written version of their prayer in the wall, and then slowly back away from the wall. Notice all the tiny slivers of paper that fill each and every crevace.

Said hello to some soldiers, 

It is very common to see Israeli or Palestinian soldiers walking around the city with large guns by their sides.

Walked along the western exterior of the Old City, 

 

Got some great pictures of the beautiful view, 

This is picture was taken on the western wall while looking North. Toward the top of the frame you can see a steeple which represents the Church of the Ascension. It is believed that Christ ascended to heaven from that point.

And then mosyed on over to the Dome of the Rock. 

It is believed that underneath the Dome of the Rock lies the place where Abraham (almost) sacrificed Isaac (Ishmael if you're Muslim).  The Dome is not a mosque--it is a shrine, a place only Muslim's may enter.

Not to mention, we did do a little shopping.

A typical market street in the Old City. This particular street leads to the entrance of Jappa gate.

I was able to buy some legit Israeli sandals from an excellent vendor. 

The sandals were originally 125 sheckels. With a little bargaining I got them for 65. Not too shabby for my first purchase.

Overall, our day in the city was a success! I feel a lot more comfortable getting around; however, I'm always careful to never leave the center by myself (that's for all you paranoid relatives :-) ). Also, the center has a rule of 3: no leaving with out at leat two people joining you. 

An arch outside The Tower of David.

 

There you have it. My first BIG excursion to the Old City. There are many more to come! 

Up next, a summary of my first field trip with Dr. Muhlestein's Old Testament class!

This is the Moment

"This is the moment,
When all I've done -

All the dreaming,

Scheming and screaming,

Become one!

This is the day -

See it sparkle and shine,

When all I've lived for

Becomes mine!"

A view of dawn from my balcony 

The above image is what I get to look at every morning around 6 o'clock. Beautiful, isn't it? What you're looking at is the Eastern side of Jerusalem. Our entire group went on a walking tour of it this morning. We also toured parts of the Old City and one sliver of the West side. Overall, the city seems relatively clean compared to other places I've visited (NY, Rome, Venice, St. Petersburg). The people dress pretty nicely, and all the buildings are made of white stone.

There's a lot of the city to still behold, so many pictures will come in the near future. For memory's sake I wanted to jot down some of my first impressions:

1. lots of white/cream colored buildings
2. Western Jerusalem has a lot of European influence
3. Lots of long coats and scarfs (I definitely want to buy some :-) )
4. black hats
5. A lot of mothers with young children
6. The streets in the Old City are small and completely lined with shops. The merchants were all friendly, and I'm excited to go back and check out more of the merchandise.
7. Spices smell good
8. Pastries look tasty
9. Little kids helping shop owners
10. Yummy bread sold all over the streets

We have a few more activities/orientations planned for the day, so I better get back to my post. More updates coming soon!

peace&blessings.

Good news: the blow dryer and straightener work (for any who were wondering. I mean, that's clearly the most important part of this whole things, right? Ok, vanity check=done).