"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." Matthew 28:5-6

On Tuesday we traveled for 9 hours on a ferry from Santorini to Athens, spent the night, then hopped on a plane the next day from Athens to Tel Aviv, Israel with a layover in Cyprus. We rode in a sherut (service taxi) and arrived in Jerusalem at 2:00 AM, worn out and ready for bed. We were a little nervous for our first time in the Middle East, having just met two American women in the Athens airport who rerouted their trip due to the recent missile launchings on southern Israel. We decided to go anyway. And boy, am I glad we did. Israel has been my favorite country so far.

Walking the streets of Jerusalem truly felt like I was stepping back in time. Even though the city had been built, destroyed, and rebuilt numerous times, I still felt like I was seeing the city as it was when Jesus had walked its streets. Walking along the stone alleys accessible only by foot we passed countless vendors selling jewelry, scarves, pillows, hookas, nativity carvings, and crowns of thorns, people wearing everything from jeans to jihabs (head scarves), and various types of food that I have never seen before. I had delicious hummus, however, it did not agree with my stomach and made for an uncomfortable busride when we were heading to Nazareth. I will spare you the details, but it involved jumping out of the bus and sprinting into the woods...

Jerusalem is divided into three sections: the walled Old City, which is divided into four quarters (Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian); East Jerusalem which is predominantly Arab, and the Israeli New City. Steph and I spent our time in Jerusalem in the Old City. Our hostel was just inside the Jaffa Gate in the Christian Quarter (there are 7 gates, or entrances through the walls, into the Old City) which had a cave-like feel with stone walls and arches and a fabulous view from the rooftop. We left the Old City once for a daytrip to the Dead Sea (more on that in the following blog).

We first saw the Western (Wailing) Wall during a 3.5-hour walking tour on Thursday but returned on Friday to see the mass turnout of Jews for their Sabbath (Shabbat). The Wailing Wall is the only remnant of the wall built by Herod in 20 BC to support the temple which was later destructed. The "Wailing" stems from the sorrow of this destruction.

We visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is believed to be built where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. While this was extraordinary to see, the highlight for me in the Old City was Via Dolorosa (Sorrowful Way), the street where Jesus walked carrying the cross. We even saw two groups of people retracing Jesus' steps carrying a cross. We also visited the church where it is believed to be where the Last Supper was held.

Steph and I wanted to reach the top of the Mount of Olives, which is just outside the Old City, but had been warned to either go with a group or take a taxi as there have been rumors of unpleasant experiences for females. We exited the Old City and started negotiating a price with a taxi driver. I noticed that there were four armed soldiers talking among themselves just down the sidewalk from us. All of a sudden I heard them start yelling and I turned to see them all sprinting after a car. I started backing away as soon as I heard them all c ock their guns and surround the car with their guns aimed. These were not hand guns, mind you. The taxi driver kept assuring me everything was ok. Riiiiiiiight. We saw the driver get hauled away in handcuffs. No idea what that was about.

We hopped in the taxi driver's car and he took us up to the Mount of Olives where we had a nice view of the Old City. The Mount of Olives is where Jesus was arrested and later ascended to heaven. We also saw the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, but the highlight for me was the Garden of Gethsemane which is a small olive grove. Some of the olive trees date back to Jesus' time. Absolutely amazing.

Unfortunately we didn't get to walk around the Dome of the Rock (they have weird visiting hours and we always seemed to miss it), but we were able to see the golden dome from our hostel.

If you know me at all, you know that I am not a shopper. Little did I know that this would all change at Jerusalem's markets. Steph and I spent too many hours perusing and buying at the markets in the Christian Quarter, so much that we made friends with multiple shop owners, some of whom invited us in for tea. Everyone we met in Israel so far has been extremely kind and hospitable, hands down the nicest people we have met on the trip!