First Day

I arrived at St. George's Cathedral yesterday around 5pm. My two flights, with lay-over, the line at customs at the Tel Aviv airport and the drive from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem amounted to 17 hours of travel. I was exhausted last night and only had enough in me to take a brief look around, have a chat with Anna and Lois, two women who work at St. George's College, and then I fell into bed.

My room was underneath the children's school and apparently under some construction...so it was noisy falling asleep and waking up! I have since changed rooms and am settled into the Cathedral tower! It's a two-story flat and will be quite comfortable for my stay.

This morning I enjoyed my first Palestinian-style breakfast, which is offered daily by the Cathedral, and which I ate in the garden. I puttered around the Cathedral/College grounds for a bit, taking some pictures and walked up the street about 10 minutes to Damascus Gate. I sat watched people for about half an hour, only walking through the market roads to where they split: one heading toward the Christian quarter, one heading toward the Jewish quarter.

I walked with Anna this afternoon, back up through Damascus Gate and she gave me a lovely introduction to the Old City. It is phenomenal how you literally fall upon the Western (Wailing) Wall!! We entered the market road toward the Jewish quarter and as you come out of (I call it a tunnel...but it's like a covered market filled with stalls) you find yourself at the Western Wall. I hadn't expected that, so I was stunned when I realized where we were.

Western Wall: smaller than I expected in person (I don't know how big I thought it would be!) and exceedingly less crowded than I'd expected. Prayer/touching the wall is segregated by sex and the women's portion is noticably smaller. I will return early in the morning, when the crowds are low and the sun not so hot.

Perspective is a funny thing. Reading in the tour books or looking on line, I didn't understand how close things are to each other. Al-Asqa Mosque and Dome of the Rock are directly behind the Wall and you access them via a bridged walkway over the Wall.

We walked through the Jewish quarter (a LOT of stairs heading upward) and made our way toward the Christian quarter and BOOM, there's the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Very busy around early afternoon, so we made a very quick tour around it, went up through the Ethopian chapels (which are just to the outside of the Church).

I noticed while we were walking the number of Israeli flags sticking out of previously-owned Palestinian homes.

It is definitely hot here during the day.Covering up my arms and shoulders is difficult (not because I refuse, but because my body says "what the heck are you doing!?"