The Jerusalem Countdown

Another long day put in here in Jerusalem. I started off by heading back in the direction of the Old City, but went on to the Mount of Olives. The Mount is another big one for the religious folk, but is really worth it for the awesome views it affords of the the Old City. There is a lot to see on the Mount, namely a church built over the spot of Jesus' betrayal, the Garden of Gethsemane, a Muscovite-style Russian Orthodox church,  and the Chapel of the Ascension, where Jesus is said to have risen up into Heaven. There is also a huge Jewish cemetery located on the side of the mountain. Jews want to be buried in this location because it is believed to be the spot the Messiah will come to, and then raise all of the dead from their graves. I figure with the sheer number of graves located there, when the Messiah raises all those people, it will at least be quite a spectacle. He better hurry up and get on with it though, I am pretty sure the hotel I am staying in is all booked up. Again, the highlight of the area is the great view it gives of the Old City, particularly the Dome of the Rock mosque.

After a little rest I set out again and explored a little more of New Jerusalem, making my way down the location of all the important government buildings, including the Knesset (Parliament) and Supreme Court. I read that you need to call ahead for an appointment to see the Knesset, and I seriously considered pretending to be part of a Polish tour group that had just arrived. I decided against it though, I didn't really need to go in anyway.

From there I went on to Yad Veshem, the Holocaust memorial of the city. This proved to be a bit tricky, as it is way out in the boondocks. I asked some locals, and they didn't even know how to get there. Luckily a nice lady, who was actually from Tel Aviv, was going in the same direction and helped me get there in one piece, using the city's bus system. She for some reason also gave me a couple pieces of taffy. I think I am past worrying about strangers trying to lure me into a trap now, and I am glad I don't, the taffy was pretty damn good.. "I carry it around for my friends". A little strange but, I am not going to judge. Yad Veshem is quite interesting, there is both an indoor museum and several monuments on the campus grounds.  Some parts worthy of mention are an eternal flame that burns next to a crypt containing the ashes of Holocaust victims and the Hall of Names, where there is an ongoing effort to compile as much data as possible about every Holocaust victim.

It doesn't sound like a lot, but it took the whole day....I just got back into the room. 

Stay tuned.....