Jerusalem

After an interesting arrival at the Israeli boarder where people were quickly exiting the building, we had to explain to the girls that even boarder crossings have 'fire drills'. Relief was ours when we met our guide who took us to many well known sites outside and inside the old city walls.

Our first stop was the Mount of Olives where the Church of Gethsemane is located. This is where Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem. And, right next door is a beautiful garden where Jesus was captured by the Romans. The Olive trees in this garden are thought to be over 900 years old.

We visited the Wailing Wall (Western Wall) of the city built by King Herod the Great in 19 BC. This is a holy site for Jewish people-- believed to be the place where their temples once stood. It is also important to Muslims because it is believed that Mohammad ascended to heaven from the Dome of the Rock right next door. Though closed because it was a holy day, we walked around the 'City of David' where he is memorialized. This site is also said to be the location of the Last Supper.

The next morning we had a walking tour inside the city walls. It is a labyrinth of streets jam-packed with shops and restaurants, and people of different faiths. The old city is divided into four quarters: Muslim Quarter, Christian Quarter, Jewish Quarter, and Armenia Quarter. We spent most of our time walking the stations of the cross ending in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where we saw the rock where Jesus was crucified and the tomb where he was buried. Our short visit here was barely enough time to see the highlights. Truly a city like no other, it is well worth another visit.