10th June 2006 - Jerusalem
It’s hard having a Jesus moment when you are clutching your wallet and being urged on by a bossy lady tour guide.
The days outing to Jerusalem from Ashdod lived up to expectations.
I don’t think it matters what religion you follow (if any) but this place doesn’t fail to impress most visitors – and we were no exception.
The actual old city occupies a small area of land in the midst of its modern counterpart. The modern Jerusalem is set on hills just short of the west bank – a desert area reaching away west towards the Dead Sea and Jordan. Looking down on that arid landscape from the heights of Jerusalem, you have to wonder how anyone can make a living or exist out there.
The old city is made up fo four quarters. Jewish; Muslim; Armenian; Christian. Here is a shot of its city walls. The Jewish quarter is on the bottom left, the Muslim quarter to it’s right. The Christian section in the top right quarter, and the Armenian quarter to the top left.
In the middle of all four is the Rock Mosque – it’s the gold domed building in the photo.
They say it is built right over the place where Mohammed took off to speak with other earlier prophets, and additionally the place where the Jewish last (second) Temple was located, and also the place where Christ was crucified.
The fact all three religions wish to worship basically at the same spot, has caused issues over past centuries. It still creates some issues today.
We did not see any of them as we trouped around after our bossy lady guide Ricky on a one day see-it-all type visit to the city. As we’ve learn on the rally, each tour guide can’t help but spin the history to suit the country they represent. Ricky was good – but no different.
However, her explanation of the city locations – given initially from a vantage spot looking down at the old town – brought all those Bible stories you heard as a kid back to life. It seemed strange to look down on a church located where (they say) Jesus and his disciples had their last supper. And the Garden of Gethsemene. Or the location of his prison prior to crucifiction. And indeed the hill where the dirty deed was done.
As I said when I started this entry – it would have been nice to have a Jesus moment somewhere – but it was not possible for me in this bustling place – especially as we felt like we were seeing it at 100 miles an hour.
I’ve seen more churches in the one day than I think I’ve visited in the last decade. Orthodox Churches like this one built on the hills overlooking the old city. I’m sure its built on an exact location of something important – but don’t know what.
We walked though bigger places like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – where they have churches built inside other churches – and all jostling to claim to be a specific place that was relevant to some part of Christ’s life.
We visited on a Sabbath day – so we were restrained by the Jewish Religious Police from taking photos at the Wailing Wall. This wall – less then 50 metres from the Mosque of the Rock - is the most holy Jewish location as it’s the closest to where the last Temple was built (and destroyed).
But despite all the OTT wailing and bobbing whilst prayers are made, one can’t help being impressed with the devotion shown not just by those Jews there, but also by Muslims and Christians in their respective Houses of God, in following their faith with such devotion. Don’t get me wrong – it’s no for me – but impressive never-the-less.
We walked from the 5th to the 8th stations of the cross.
If it was the same route Jesus took I’m sure he did not have the volume of cheap tacky tourist rubbish we had to view on sale from the stalls and open fronted shops en-route.
I mean, who would, even if they were unbalanced, buy a pal a replica Crown of Thorns?
I could by cynical and think Ricky took us that way as we magically arrived at one uncles restaurant (just in the Muslim quarter so OK for it to be open) and another uncles tourist shop alongside (yes, same crap as in the street stalls, just higher prices). The afternoon was taken with more walking and ooohing and aaahing (some of the orthodox stuff does make you oooh)........,
(and some of the Catholic Churches do make you aaah....)
Then the Israeli National Museum (Dead Sea Scrolls etc), before the bus ride back to Ashdod.
I’ll personally not forget Jerusalem – but if you ever plan to visit, my suggestion is you spare it more than the one day!
The beer on the bar terrace overlooking the boat on our return could not have tasted better.
Last night the local municipality hosted a nice meal in a n Ashdod restaurant – a few sips of the hard stuff in the cockpit at midnight saw me sleep like a babe.
And today we slipped the ten miles down the coast to Ashkelon without even removing our fenders or hoisting the mainsail.
You can tell we’ve become cruisers, can’t you?
JOHN