Published on Jun, 2023
This was one of the 3 tours we took with Abraham, I was impressed with all three, I was a little nervous going into the West Bank but we had no trouble at any of the checkpoints that we went through. Our guide, Tamer, gave us a whole new perspective on life in Palestine. At first what struck me was how ordinary it was, people walking around, buying food, shopping. Tamer seemed to know everyone, he showed us some of the typical foods-bread, shawarma, and bought us some delicious croissants to try, We visited where Yasser Arafat was buried, then stopped at Jericho which itself was not that interesting but what was interesting was the Israeli military protecting a group of Jews from Israel. There might have been a grenade blown up nearby. But no one flinches. Just life in Palestine. He shows us some video of a gunfight. Says everyone is shooting in the air.
In Bethlehem we stop at the Church of the Nativity. There's a huge line for the grotto, the local guide says go to the exit, maybe a few of you can sneak past the guards. I don't know what happens if I'm caught but I walk on by and go down into the grotto, careful not to get in the way of people who hav waited for hours. I'm the only one that makes it down.
Lunch, included in the tour, is served in a lovely spot, a chicken and rice dish.
Our final stop is the separation wall. We see the Banksy art and art from local artists. A young boy tries to hand me a card, I saw I have no money but he persists. More uncomfortable than the grenade going off.
Fascinating.
