Trip 5

From Ramalla --> Bethlehem --> Jerusalem

Highlights: Seeing the birthplace of Jesus. Laila getting to do her first serious shopping (well, highlight for her maybe).

Lowlights:  Not being able to enter el Asqa on Mount Moriah to see the el Asqa mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Quick little trip down to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity and the three different crosses that adorn the top (Armenian, Orthodox, Catholic).  We had a tour guide take us around inside and explain the sites -- including the place Jesus was born, his manger, and the altar where the wise men offered their gifts.

Laila then stopped and shopped.  She figured that the more she bought from one store, the better the price she would get.  As it turned out (and this was borne out later in the trip numerous times), the fact that Laila was Arabic enabled us to get fantastic deals over regular tourists.  To put it mildly -- tourists get soaked.  Prices were usually 3 to 4 times what we would have paid.  Plus since Laila is Arabic, she was able to haggle even better deals.

We drove up to the Mount of Olives, just across a valley from Jerusalem's old city.  The scene was breathtaking and quite staggering.  The amount of history in just that one view made our head's spin.  I actually had to turn on the video camera so I could get everything our guide told us about the different sights.  Very cool.

We entered Jerusalem by the Yaffa Gate (between the Jewish and Christian Quarters).  Since it was Saturday, the place was packed (it being the Jewish Sabbath).  We ate and then headed for el Asqa on Mount Moriah (this holds the el Asqa mosque and the Dome of the Rock.  Push, shove, bite, kick, yell, elbow, smile, sweat, complain.  That sums up the trip to el Asqa.

Once there they wouldn't let us in.  Mostly because I'm not Arabic and they didn't believe I was Muslim -- since I don't speak Arabic.  We also got there after tourists were allowed in and since it was the Jewish Sabbath, they were wary of non-Muslims entering.  Pretty disappointing and humiliating.  To get over it, Laila shopped and I ate a delicious popsicle.

Mc Donald's: 9    Burger King: 3