Uphill Both Ways

Ah, the Old City. It is where our hotel is located here and it is where Michelle spends a lot of her time while Jeff is in class. It’s also our place just to hang out after supper in the evening. With so much time spent here, we wanted to help you get to know it a bit more…

The Old City Jerusalem is divided into four quarters - the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. These are named according to the ethnic affiliation of most of the people who live in them as well as the religious sights found in each location. Michelle & the kids have spent the last two days touring the Jewish Quarter. It is there we walked around the Cardo - the main street of Jerusalem in Jesus' time, dating back to the 6th century. It is there we also got to witness a parade of people celebrating with drums, singing, and banners as they heading to the wailing wall with a 13 year old boy for his Bar Mitzvah. It was quite a sight!

We wish you all could be here to understand what the old city is really like. It is set ontop of two valleys so there is LOTS of walking and it alwasy seems to be uphill. We are not sure if words can accurately describe the chaos and beauty of it all happening at the same time. The streets are about 8 feet wide (not a lot of room at the best of times, nevermind trying to maneuver a double stroller through it all), packed to the brim with people all yelling back and forth sounding somewhat angry, (but it is just the passion that Middle Eastern people use to talk about anything – we have seen a few minor fist fights though!). Off in the distance you can hear the Muslim call to prayer being piped through the city. At the same time some stereo somewhere is blaring some Middle Eastern music and every shop owner is trying to get Michelle’s attention saying ‘’Hey pretty lady – a really good price for you (one person even said today that his prices were comparable to Wal Mart).” And the smells – you get every smell imaginable, from palatable spices to strong incense to stinky garbage and diesel exhaust as tractors make their way through the streets picking it up.

When we say every street is packed to the brim we are not exaggerating – people are everywhere, from hordes of people on a mission trying to weave there way through to little ladies sitting on the side selling spices or some sort of green leaves out of garbage bags (or those leaves legal?), to raw meat hanging on hooks, to police and army guys with machine guns resting on their sides. There is absolutely NO sense of order, and yet everything runs so smoothly and has for many, many years. The kids are really enjoying it as well, as Reese has made it her mission in life to find every cat in the Old City and Carter has even played a bit of ball throwing with a young boy.

Well, as we sit and finish this before bed the noises are beginning to tail off as the Old City sees another day come to an end. But as it does, another day of chaos and beauty is about to begin. And we are loving every minute of it.