As morning starts, breakfast was less than American. Pita, cucumber, an oddly chunky hummus and Nutella. I elected to eat less and hope for a filling lunch. Our bus ride took us to the Old City where we were dropped off across the Mount of Olives by the Dome of the Rock. This is an incredible area dedicated to Muslims. The area is much more flat than all of the surrounding areas. Long ago, when this Mosque was built, the people would build it up for a closer place of worship. Security getting in was almost like an airports security. All of our bags were checked through the x-ray machine and metal detectors would sound in the event we had metal. Upon entry in the Holy Area, some of the girls were not modest enough. Katie's skirt was white rather than black and was asked to change into more modest attire. As a male, the dress code is much less strict than it is for women. We investigated the area although were not able to walk into the Dome as it is reserved strictly for Islamic people.
It was very interesting walking from the religious places into the streets of the old city where the area is populated with tourists and or people selling to tourists. Our next stop was to the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall, a large prayer place for many Jewish people. We were given a long lecture about the wall and were reminded to be respectful of those who are praying. The wall is divided between a men's side and a women's side and for the men's side is significantly larger than the women's side. Men are required to wear some form of head garment be it a yamica or a hat. People enter the wall area and many Jewish people rock back and forth to pay attention to their prayers to god. Many young men have their Bar Mitzvah in the area and because the women cannot enter the men's side, they peer over the dividing all between gender sides.
After the Western Wall, our tour headed to the Southern Wall of the temple in the Jerusalem Archaeological Museum. This is where it is said that Jesus frequently walked. After watching a very hokey video, we walked through the old Roman city where many merchants and religious people are said to have walked. After about 45 minutes of being talked to standing in the heat of the sun, we sat and ate a less than satisfactory lunch. Bologna in pita after being in my hot backpack for hours was nasty, not more cucumber and no more fake meat! I drank the nectar of apple juice, ate an apple and half a cliff bar. We were then going to Hezekiah's Tunnel.
In the City of David, long ago a well was dug to draw water out of the ground without having to leave the city walls. The fresh water spring ran through a long cave in which we waked through. There were no lights so we had to result to flashlight, which were sold for 4 shekels (about one dollar) a piece, more about that later. The cave had water that reached to the Middle of my thigh and the cave was as small as four feet high, The only way to get through is to bend very low. Most of the time, the water was only ankle deep. After 45 minutes in a pitch black cave we were out and left back for the college.
My day was not a good as I expected. Our tour guide (Father Andrew) has been extremely rude to many members of our group and in the morning did not prepare us for the day ahead. He did not tell us to leave extra room for our lunch which we needed to pack and recommended not to wear swimming trunks for the Tunnel. We were expected to purchase flashlights for the tunnel as well and were not told to bring money. The smallest bill I had was a 50 shekel note which would not be a good thing to buy a four shekel light. The part that made me the most angry for most of the day was the fact that he rudely talked to Irene (one of our youth leaders) about how she should not instruct him ho to run the course, that she had no place. Her simple suggestion was that he talk less about each site while standing in the direct sunlight. She was extremely offended and did not attend the course for the rest of the day. I remember most today standing in the sun or being outraged.
Tomorrow will be a better day although I don't know if it will be less depressing. We are going to visit to Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum). Until then.
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