ARRIVING IN JERUSALEM

Travel Quote

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends."
Maya Angelou

Where do I start?  I have asked myself that question several times this morning upon awakening and wondered where to begin my blog.

Our British Air flight landed at Tel Aviv  Ben Gurion Airport late evening and our luggage had not,   which of course is one of the perils of travel.  One cannot assume that your belongings will do the same! We caught a Sherut from the airport which is a mini van that only leaves when it is full.  It is cheaper than a taxi.  Driving through the neighbourhoods was an experience and a half!  Clearly driving in Jerusalem is full of challenges including when you come to a narrow part of the road where drivers have to decide who is the one to back up and allow the other driver through.  The driver did slow down for a porcupine crossing the road - Andy's first time ever seeing a porcupine.  Then the driver had  given the wrong piece of luggage to a rider so we had to return to the same neighbourhood to drop it off.  Hmm....I wonder if it was my carry on!  Our next challenge was to find our apartment where we are staying at for the next few days before our pilgrimage begins.  I wanted to discover a residential area where local Jewish families live and this apartment location certainly did deliver!  The landlord mistakingly emailed me the wrong directions.  It is in such an obscure location that even the bus driver who delivered our late luggage was unable to locate it.
One can imagine the confusion of trying to locate the correct apartment with the wrong directions, knocking on doors of people we do not know.  They must have been feeling bewildered to find Westerners at their door asking for directions to an apt.  I have to say  that was partly a fascination for me despite the fact we were in a state of jet lag.   From my viewpoint at their doorway,  seeing inside homes here is so vastly different from our Western Culture.  

Patio door of our apt.

Inner Courtyard access to our apt.  All bikes and strollers are  chained to the railing.

Side Street to our Apt.

Our local bakery

Local supermarket is a 10 minute walk from the apt.

My first post in my blog included information about the cost of living in Israel.  From what I have observed this morning from our grocery shopping trip, costs are  higher than I first indicated in blog number one.

Our first night in Jerusalem.  We enjoyed the company of these girls and
sharing the Middle Eastern culture of Hookah pipe in peppermint flavour. There was a pulse to the 
nightlife that was friendly and  alive.

Having appetizers at an Arabic restaurant in the Muslim quarter.   So yummy.

Our back yard joins our neighbour's yard.  The kids just got a puppy dog named Dolphy