A travel in the places where Jesus lived.. Trip to Jerusalem, Israel
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08. 12. 2007 Jerusalem (Israel)
This walk in the beginning there was a little worried for the many difficulties that we encountered along our route: from visa bureaucracy, controls, customs etc..
But these concerns are those that eventually make a trip more exciting. Are the right spices and ingredients that make a difference then.
Our dear friend Ahmad is timely to take the driver at our hotel as agreed. To start with.
After about an hour we arrive at the Jordanian border. We pay the fee shortly after release and we are crammed into a rickety bus while crossing a desolate strip of land three kilometers long, the so-called "no man's land" until reaching a barrier with many guards, barbed wire, cameras, plainclothes but armed with machine guns ultra technology. Do not forget that Israel has the most powerful army in the world, even more equipped than the American one!
We checked and rechecked, several body checks, then everyone is subjected to a real interrogation. "Why did you come to Israel?" Where you gonna go? Know someone here? How long will you be here? With whom did you? How long have you know every single person who is here with you? Where did you meet? And so on ...
Of course if you live in this country by air will prevent all formalities that we have endured!
So many questions that eventually burst, a little disoriented, forgetting to stress that I did not want the Israeli stamp in the passport (some countries do not allow you to enter their territory if you have a visa stamp or customs of Israel, then you can ask To let you put in a separate part)! All forget ... Well, we redo the passport once in Italy!
After many formalities is to take our new driver. Our "tour" consisted of two cars, two drivers and two guides. Respectively one Jordanian and one Israeli since both are forbidden to cross the border of others.
Start an exciting entry into Israel. Our guide, the sympathetic and well-trained Samer explains in detail all the places we are going through and those who visit. Crossing the Desert of Judah, and our first stop is the Mount of Olives.
As Samer told us all the stories of those legendary places and made us fans with its emphasis, I thought to myself: "Anything but Lonely Planet, here we would like the Bible!"
We visit the place where occurred the Assumption, the Last Supper (which was worn the famous "Last Supper"), Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified), the Holy Sepulchre (where he was buried) and many others that made me come every time the goose bumps in the true sense of the word ... I am not so religious ...
What a great feeling to think that in those places where we walked at that time, 2000 years ago are so great things happened that would change the world!
I was disappointed not to have documented how much you had before going there, I would certainly appreciate more.
Certainly the thing that excited me was the "Wailing Wall". See those boys, shaved hair and long sideburns that hung over his ears, with those weird clothes, headgear type skullcap who prayed with such force, such force and intensity, with one hand against the wall and the other which kept a prayer book ... Aloud, each on his own, struggled while shouting his prayers to heaven. Those boys of my age screaming so vehemently sacred verses. Those children, sitting, bored faces, next to the parents who prayed. Today is Saturday, inter alia, and this day is sacred to Jews. Does not work, it does nothing except pray. It 'may not even have a car, you should walk to the "Wailing Wall" and please, men and women on one side from another.
We also see the famous "Golden Dome" Mosque in Jerusalem, and after several check points we can get into Palestine, in the town of Bethlehem where Jesus was born!
Suddenly everything changes here. Not seen or written Jewish people with long sideburns but it is all in Arabic, they reappear again with women wearing veils and burkas but those are just a few miles from Jerusalem.
Anachronistic to see that show that great wall that separates Israel from Palestine. All these roadblocks, those military special forces who roams around the tourists armed to the teeth ...
Throw down the Berlin Wall and here they are building another. History does not always teach!
We continue our exploration of the once famous "Manger" (where the ox and the donkey barely warmed baby Jesus came into the world) and the Grotto of the Nativity. Emotions are continuing at a pace frenetic activism.
It's getting late! Our border is already closed (as we already knew), we leave the Holy Land through another border to the north, two hours' drive from the previous close to another memory biblical city of Jericho. We must hurry because we can not even minimal risk, tomorrow morning we return to Italy via Amman!
We arrive just in time even if the bureaucracy and customs controls not abandon us.
Big sigh of relief as we are on the other side! But the day is long!
A bus takes us to the Jordanian border. The military tells us that we should pay another entry fee very expensive. Uprising! Nick and I are trying to resolve the issue diplomatically, but in vain. Eventually I can call our contact Jordan: Ahmad, after the many adventures it takes away from trouble ... But once the day is still long though it is the night ...
We see two girls with two large back packs ... They came from Israel after having traveled through Yemen and Oman! Matt!
After care of all formalities, Ahmad asks us a favor but you will waste more time!
Finally we start with two taxis. Let's take a step to the two Hungarian girls. Soon, our car turns into a nightclub itinerant Arab. Very loud music while we dance although we are tight as sardines (in 4 behind a surrogate of our Fiat 127 Arabic). Sometimes the volume drops because there are the ubiquitous checkpoints ...
We arrive in Amman at midnight and immediately ran to thank the great Samer we organized a wonderful tour!
Eva and Aniko night with us, infiltrated, tomorrow have the return flight to Budapest ... Prepare a camp bed with lots of blankets and pillows and carpets on the street around Amman ...
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