Today's travels to Jerusalem required a very early start. We woke up in Geneva around 4 AM so we could leave the apartment and make the 4:40 train to the airport to make our 7 AM flight to Tel Aviv. This was all a very easy process and nothing really of note except that people loved to stand up and walk around and talk on the plane. There were a good dozen people standing at any given time. But, the four hour flight was simple enough and we landed in Tel Aviv where the weather was a balmy 75 degrees!

We boarded a shuttle and arrived at our hotel in Jerusalem about a half hour later. However, at the checkpoint on the road to Jerusalem, an army checkpoint officer boarded our bus and singled me out to show my passport. It was a little nerve-racking as she had her AK-47 around her shoulder but all was well. We soon learned as we walked around town that it was common for the young enlisted men and women to carry their weapons on their person as they walked home so we are starting to get used to it!

The Harmony Hotel is a nice boutique hotel within walking distance of many of the sights. After settling in we walked to an open market about 15 minutes away. It was a traditional market and it was busy! Everything from meats to fruits to breads as well as clothing, trinkets and candy were sold at this market. We sampled several stands and purchased some dried fruit and some spices to put over rice. Not sure what spice it is exactly but it tasted great so we couldn't resist!

We returned to the hotel for happy hour and played a game of pool. We intended for this to be quick but it turns out we are both quite bad at pool! Guess we'll need to practice some more this week. Then we were off to the Old City and the Western Wall for a tour of the tunnels below. We arrived at the Old City through the Jaffa gate and had to go across the entire Old City to arrive at the start of the tour. The streets are all made of cut stone that is worn smooth. There are small shops everywhere as we descended the hallways to the Western Wall.

The tour started in a small cavern with an interactive display where the tour guide took us through the many iterations of the Temple Mount and surrounding city. Then it was off to see the tunnels. What you can see from the outside of the wall is just part of how tall the wall originally was in Herod's time. We continued to go down further and further to see a whole other city below. The whole thing was incredible. There were tunnels and arches to support the city above. We were able to see where the wall had been rebuilt as various empires came through - Romans, Muslims and many others - tearing down parts, rebuilding other parts. We viewed parts that were as old as 2100 years to as recent as only a few hundred years. It was really spectacular.

All along the tour we encountered different prayer rooms. The Western Wall is the closest to the most holy part of the original Temple Mount thus why it is now the most holy place. This area is open 24 hours a day and used all 24 hours. As we left the tour and headed home around 9:30, many men, women and children were arriving at the wall to offer their prayers. It was very interesting to watch and the history was fascinating.

Tomorrow we learn even more about the city as our tour guide takes us from Mt Olive through the Old City. We can't wait to learn more about the history of this ancient place.

Kevin