Pilgrimage Day 2

Greetings from the Holy Land! Today was another beautiful day in Jerusalem, sunny and 18 degrees (they use celsius here). We started off our Sunday morning with a combined Arabic/English Service. Then it was off to the Old City, with our Guide George and our Deacon Nael. The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by walls built by Sulieman the Magnificent and there are many doorways through which you can enter. We entered the city through the New Gate, where we went to a money changers where we changed our american dollars into shekels. We made our way throught the streets of the Christian Quarter (thank goodness we had a guide), past the home of the Latin Patriarche to the Jaffa Gate (the only gate large enough to let cars into the Old City). At the Jaffa Gate we climbed up onto the city's ramparts - the top of the walls once used to defend the Old City from invaders. We walked around a large part of the city and climbed down in the Muslim Quarter at the Herod/Flower Gate. Then we walked around the outside to the Damascus Gate (This sounds confusing - you really need to be here). The Damascus Gate is a riot of sound, color, scents, and people. It is a giant outdoor market where you can buy almost anything you can imagine. We headed into the city to have lunch at a Palestinian Restaurant across from the fifth station of the cross. We had what is considered the "best hummus" in the world, we tried two different kinds as well as falafel, pita bread, and a relish tray. We ate around the corner from a table full of Israeli soldiers. Apparently everyone here can agree on what good food is . This restaurant caters to muslims, jews, and christians. After lunch we changed our agenda a bit and went to the Western Wall instead of the Old City of David. The Western or Wailing Wall is huge beyond what you can imagine. It is the holiest site for the jewish people. The men and women have separate sections at the wall, so we split up to pray. We were able to say our prayers to God right here in Jerusalem at the remaining wall of the Temple! Alleluia! We walked back through the Damascus Gate to the college, and dinner, and evening reflections with Nael.

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