Due to my recent computer problems I haven’t been able to relay the information about the recent bloggers delegation to Israel that I was a part of. Well, it’s time I start letting you all know how it went. The pictures for Day 1 can be found here.

So much of my travels has focused on fantasy. I have traveled to Disney World and Universal Studios where I fought with Peter Pan and rode a bike with E.T. I have traveled to Vegas where I slept in an Egyptian pyramid (made of glass, of course). I have been to many museums that try to recreate history with elaborate exhibits. Traveling to Jerusalem is the opposite experience than my previous travels. In Jerusalem, the past isn’t recreated in the modern. The modern is fit into the past. ATMs are chiseled into thousand year-old walls. Modern commerce with credit cards and cellphones are placed in markets that have not changed in hundreds of years. The city is as modern as any other but its facade is what you expect from a city that has been conquered by every major religion many times over during the last couple millennium.

The Old City

We started the day at Mount Scopus overlooking the old city of Jerusalem. The sight is beautiful but also somewhat strange. I think about the history of this area and how much war has taken place to claim the small piece of land that stands before me.

The streets of the old city are lined with cafes and shops. It’s what you would expect from such a heavily trafficked tourist area. The majority of people walking around are tourists and at times you forget that you’re on such a valuable piece of real estate. The Jewish quarter, the quarter we spent most of our time in, was bustling. At times it felt like Times Square. Lots of noise. Lots of movement. Annoying tourists taking pictures of everything. Very few bathrooms. It felt like home.

What I find most interesting in Jerusalem was the quieter areas of the old city. The narrow corridors built long before roads were made for cars. Everything is still intact from thousands of years ago. You can tell that this city was built out of necessity and continued to grow as needed. The architecture is very unique as well. Everything is made out of Jerusalem stone which aids the feeling of deja vu when navigating through numerous narrow streets.

We walked through the narrow Arab shuk (marketplace) where you can buy every type of backgammon and chess set known to man. As a child of the internet, I hate haggling in person. Tell me the price and I’ll tell you if I want it. This marketplace works like the days of old where every person gets a different price and the cost of the product will be based on your ability to fight and persuade. In other words, it’s a tourist trap. Then again, the whole city feels like a tourist trap.

The Kotel (Wailing Wall) stands as the centerpiece of the Jewish quarter. The wide open space and intensity of those praying at the wall provides the opportunity for all that visit to reflect upon their own lives. It’s a place of modesty and a place of respect. Regardless of your beliefs or where you come from, the feeling at the Kotel is something worth experiencing.

We only  spent a couple hours in the old city and I’m sure we only experienced a small part of its uniqueness.

Machane Yehuda

Machane Yehuda is a vibrant marketplace filled with every food you can think of ready for the buying. The vendors are friendly and it felt more like where the locals shop than other marketplaces that I had visited in Israel. The fruits looked fresh. The baked goods smelled great. And if I hadn’t just eaten lunch I would have spent lots of money there.

The day was quite enjoyable and felt like a good solid day of touring. Had a quick drink at the end of the day with Loren and Michelle Feldman. Day 2 got a lot more exciting so stay tuned for future posts.