Day 9: JERUSALEM - PALESTINE: BELÉN AND HEBRÓN
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Today we have to get up early, today is a special day because we will know two of the cities of Palestine that we most want to visit: Bethlehem and Hebron from Jerusalem.
We have breakfast as always in the breakfast room of Abraham Hostel and shortly before 7.30 in the morning, we return to Jaffa Road, this time to the bus station, near the Damascus Gate, from where buses leave Palestinians
Today is sabbath until sunset and that still shows as soon as you go out.
Jerusalem still asleep ...
Before arriving at the Jaffa Gate, we follow the orientation of the walls, on the left and continue along until we reach the Damascus Gate. This does not take us more than 5 minutes and in this area we already notice how little by little the city is more awake.
Muslims continue their normal life despite being sabbath.
To get to the checkpoint that will take us to Palestine since Jerusalem, we can do it in two different ways.
We can take line 21, which leaves every few minutes from the bus station, near the corner of Nablus Rd.
This one goes straight to Bethlehem, avoiding the main checkpoint of Belen.
Another option is to take line number 124, which stops on the Israeli side of the main checkpoint of Belen, walk through the control and take a taxi to the other side.
We opted for the latter. It is the most "authentic", it is the transport of Muslims and Palestinians and that is what we are looking for.
The idea is to cross the control and hire a taxi that will take us first to Hebron, tour the city and then take us to Belen, where we, after visiting the city, will take another taxi that will take us back to the checkpoint and make the route in reverse.
Another option if we are not going to visit Hebron is to book a bus tour in Spanish or this one that also includes a guided tour of the city of Jerusalem.
And circling this route, we are at the station, looking for bus 24.
It is at the end of the platforms, it is easy to find it and we take it by the hair!
We pay 5.20 shekels per way and person. The bus is small and somewhat dilapidated, but today we are not looking for any comfort.
We could have also taken bus 21, which is going to Belen, but leave at a checkpoint within the city and we would not see the "apartheid wall" ... and today we are looking to see it.
It took about 30 minutes to cross Jerusalem and get to the checkpoint that will take us to Palestine.
As soon as we got off the bus, we noticed a strange sensation. We had imagined this moment several times in our trip to Israel and Palestine, but it is one of those things that you cannot imagine until you live them.
We find a landscape, for us bleak, that we fail to understand.
Today we will not talk about politics, nor do we understand enough to be able to do so. Today we will explain our feelings in the face of a conflict that we cannot understand at moral and ethical levels.
We do not intend to explain anything other than our feelings about something totally immoral.
Today, December 29, we have to cross a wall, lifted by man, to follow our path ...
Much to learn ... Many walls to tear down ... Bethlehem and Hebron from Jerusalem
We pass the control quite quickly, showing our passports, answering some questions and going through a scanner ... Something very fast, but that allows us to observe Palestinians repeating, who knows how many times, this ritual.
We look at their looks, they seem sad, but at the same time, when they look at us, curious temples of their lives, they give us a smile.
How true is it that they say that the most disadvantaged are the most grateful ...
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Once we have passed to the other side of the wall, we find a multitude of those yellow taxis that we will not stop seeing today and they begin to approach us offering excursions, round trips to and from Belen…
We try, politely, to say that first we want to walk around the area a bit and then we will go to hire some for today.
Logically it has been an attempt, because as soon as we turn we see how one of them follows us a short distance, explaining what we could do today and that he would show us as the best of the guides.
While we walk the wall ... that wall of shame ...
The same ... Palestine
Separation. Palestine
Walls to tear down ... Palestine.Bethlehem and Hebron from Jerusalem
We go through a part of the wall in silence, almost unable to understand what we are seeing and as today, you can consent to this.
Que… ? Palestine.Bethlehem and Hebron from Jerusalem
The Wall ... Palestine.Bethlehem and Hebron from Jerusalem
After several stops to attend the taxi driver and exchange speeches like the Spaniards and the Palestinians with brothers, we haggle like “old wolves”, but there is no way to lower the 300 shekels he wants to take us to Hebron, wait for us to visit the city and then bring us back to Belen, from then on we take another taxi that returns us to the checkpoint.
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We tell him several times that it is a lot, but he continues to insist, until once we pass the taxi ranks with him following us, we observe that an older man, also follows us, with a kind smile ... And with the look he calls us ... When we approaching tells us that he makes us that tour of 150 shekels.
When the former hears it, he addresses himself and us shrieking.
I love Tourist ... Palestine
At this moment I start to get nervous, since I don't like this kind of situation and although Roger tells me that it is part of the "game", it does not convince me.
So I try to accelerate the passage and when we ride in the taxi of the lord of the smile, we are approached by a couple of young taxi drivers, telling us not to listen to the previous one and that this is a better taxi driver.
In the end we have chosen well ...
And with that somewhat confusing feeling of anger and joy at being on the way, we travel the first kilometers that will take us to Hebron.
It took just over 30 minutes to reach Hebron and park in the back area of the Tomb of the Patriarchs.
At the moment we arrived we were approached by several young boys, offering as guides to show us the city and the reality of the city.
They ask us for true “fortunes” for doing so, but the lord of the smile (name with which we have baptized him), gathers them in front of us and after exchanging several words with them, pushes one towards where we are and tells us that this is the best and that for 50 shekels will take us to know the city.
We do not know if it is much or little, but we do not care too much, if the lord of the smile says so, we will listen.
And so we go with our companion to the old town.
Hebron It is one of the jewels of Palestine, with a beautiful old town, although tragically turbulent, a souk that invites you to stroll through it and a few interesting monuments.
In the Islamic tradition, Adam and Eve lived here after being expelled from paradise.
Here is the Tomb of the Patriarchs, the common grave of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, along with their wives, that motif makes it a sacred place for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.
It is incredible that something that should provoke links, is actually a cause of religious violence, showing itself in its crudest reality in the Baruch Goldstein massacre in 1994.
He, during the Ramadan festival, opened fire on the Palestinians while praying in the mosque.
He killed 29 men and boys and wounded more than 200.
Religious settlers consider Palestinians strangers in their Promised Land ...
Entering the Souk ... Hebron.Bethlehem and Hebron from Jerusalem
Souk ... Hebron. Palestine
The souk of Hebron It is an authentic jewel that we are discovering little by little, always attentive to the words that our guide directs us, explaining to us the situation that is being experienced in these moments in the city.
Images in the Souk. Hebron
One of the things that distinguishes Hebron from other Palestinian cities is the presence of Jewish settlers in the center, where we can find up to 5 settlements, along with some older ones on the outskirts, which divide the city into 2 parts.
The H1, which covers 80% of Hebron and it is under Palestinian control and H2 which is 20% and is under Israeli control.
Something really impossible to think about today happens here, it happens right now in Hebron.
Meshes in the Souk to prevent the waste thrown by Jewish settlers from falling. Hebron
A little colorful in the Souk. Hebron Palestine
The H2 zone, controlled by the Israelis includes the Tomb of the Patriarchs and parts of the old town, which are the ones we are going through now, with around 40,000 Palestinians and 500 settlers.
As they explain something to us, for us truly inexplicable, we do not stop looking sideways and upwards, seeing, in almost all places, unequivocal signs of the conflict that is lived in Hebron day after day.
Our young guide takes us down a narrow street, up some stairs, where we are going to stop at a Palestinian house, where they allow us to go up to the roof to see this part of Hebron from another perspective.
Hebron roofs. Palestine
From here we can see the Israeli checkpoints and water tanks, so different for the Palestinians from those of the Jewish settlers.
Water tanks on the roofs of houses. Hebron
In this part of the city tour we find very mixed feelings.
That crush we had in the country disappears at times. It is difficult to explain. We knew the visit to Hebron It wouldn't be easy, but we didn't think it was that difficult.
There are not many people who get here. Hebron It is not usually on the itinerary of tourists or travelers. Only occasionally, you can see buses that park close enough to the Tomb of the Patriarchs so that the rest of Hebron It is not perceived.
Is it true those who say? Heart that does not see, heart that does not feel? We are seeing it, we are living on Hebron We wanted to know.
Even if they are only a few hours away, we are here, we are in those streets, with those people who live in fear, who live exposed to whatever 500 Jewish settlers want, who think they are entitled to this land. On a land that is not yours.
The reality that Hebron lives. Palestine
There are streets that have literally closed to the passage and today can not be traveled. Many shops, most have closed.
Armed Israeli soldiers are on the roofs and corners of the streets.
Resident Jews often walk the armed streets, singing songs against the Arabs ... This happens today, in 2013 in Hebron. It's hard to defend something like that. It is impossible. Whatever the cause, whatever the reason. Does not matter. It is impossible.
Open Shuaba Street !!! Hebron Palestine
Hebron Palestine
As we move away from the souk, the street gets wider and the sunlight enters. Before us we see a building, almost in ruins, that indicates that it was one of the most important hotels in Hebron. Today totally abandoned ...
Lights and Shadows in Hebron. Palestine
We arrive at the point where we are a kind of fence, on which we ask our guide. He tells us that we have reached the famous street, which he has taught us before from the roof of the Palestinian house, which they have closed.
A closed street, a street closed to the Palestinians in their city, in their Hebron, in his land ...
One of the realities of Hebron. Palestine
Shadows in Hebron. Palestine
Hebron surveillance. Palestine
As we move forward, our hearts and souls shrink more, thinking and trying to understand what can happen to someone's head to do something like that.
We do not want, as we have said before, to talk about politics, nor do we believe that it is necessary, because nothing can explain this situation.
Shops closed in Hebron. Palestine
“Dead” streets in Hebron. Palestine
There are moments in the city tour, in which the meshes and fabrics that cover the streets of the souk are left only in meshes and sometimes, almost as if it were a miracle, they are not full of waste. And that lets the light through, lets the sun go ...
Light in Hebron. Palestine
But those moments of light only last a few minutes and then we are again covered by meshes and fabrics that do nothing but protect ourselves from the acts of some people who believe they own the lives of others.
Shadows in Hebron. Palestine
Hebron Palestine
It's hard to smile in this city. on the faces of its people you can see a look of resignation, typical of those who have already done everything possible, but keep fighting. And his only way of doing it is to endure. Resigning to being strangers in your own home.
Hebron Souk. Palestine
We see Palestinian houses, in which they have added another floor for Jewish settlers, who at the same time make life impossible for Palestinians living below, throwing debris, garbage, gasoline ... Some of these Palestinians hold on, put bars in their windows ... bars To your own home.
Palestinian house with one of Jewish settlers above. Hebron Palestine
We arrive at a point where our guide tells us, with some resignation, that he does not have access, it is zone H2, but that he recommends that we pass and that when we leave, we explain that we have seen. Let us explain the reality of Hebron.
We say goodbye to him, with some sadness and wishing him good luck.
When giving him 100 shekels, he looks at us with glassy eyes, saying that he cannot accept them, that he had stayed with our taxi driver that would be 50. We assure him that we want to give them to him and that if we do it is why he deserves it.
With these words and a handshake we cross the control to enter the H2 zone, while he returns to his streets of Hebron.
Checkpoint in Hebron. Palestine
As soon as we cross the checkpoint we cannot believe what we have in front of us. The most absolute loneliness.
If before Hebron I was injured, in this area, Hebron has died.
Premises in Hebron. Palestine
Soledad ... Palestine
As we move along the street, we reach a point where the floors of Jewish settlers are seen, so different, so strident in the whole ...
Houses of the Jewish settlers. Hebron Palestine
Estate?. Hebron Palestine
We go all alone on the street, we look back and forth and nobody is seen. Where are the people who have appropriated these lands? This is a question that will remain unanswered. Like many others today ...
Walls, barriers ... Hebron. Palestine
As we move along the street that our guide pointed out to us, the truth is that it has no loss, it is all straight, we are more alone and more aware of what the city of Hebron. Before, in the souk, we saw, felt, but now we have nothing, just the street. All closed.
H2. Hebron Palestine
Hebron Palestine
The only people we meet is with a group of Israeli soldiers who look at us with some amazement, imagining that they think what we are doing here. We can say that in these hours, since we arrived at Hebron We have not met any tourist.
Unique in the H2 area. Hebron Palestine
Walking the streets of the H2 zone in Hebron. Palestine
Hebron Palestine
And suddenly, when we thought we were wrong, we see just in front of the Tomb of the Patriarchs, but wanting to pass the control that separates us from it, the soldiers, apart from asking our religion and why we visit, do not They say we can't go there ...
We try to reason with them and ask them why we can't cross there, but they keep insisting, without giving us a valid explanation that is impossible.
Just when we are turning around to look for another checkpoint we hear a scream calling us. It is our guide, who after crossing some words with the soldiers, makes us cross the fence telling us not to pay attention to them.
And thanking him again, he tells us that he has seen how today the soldiers were a little weird and knowing that he had told us to go out there and that we could not, he had come to look for us.
Now we have to make one of the visits to Hebron religious, the Tomb of the Patriarchs, but we see that it is already past 11 in the morning, the entry deadline and our guide tries to strain us a couple of times, talking with the boys at the entrance, but he does not get it.
Tomb of the Patriarchs. Hebron Palestine
The truth is that after living what we have lived, although it does not sound very good, we are satisfied.
We have seen and lived what we wanted, for what we had come to Hebron.
We are satisfied.
Before returning to the taxi, we ask the guide where we can buy some Palestinian scarves and he explains that if we want, his father has a store, which has had to close for everything explained above, but that he has the key and if we like them those he has, he can sell it.
And there we go and live to open a store for months closed by the conflict in Hebron, full of dust, that when opening the door, for a few minutes, seems to recover life.
Buying our handkerchief ... Hebron. Palestine
And after this, we return to the parking lot where we leave the man with the smile and his taxi, we say goodbye to our guide, changing some coins that he took from euros to shekels, which we knew he could not change in the bank and we made him a favor.
It's a little less than 12 in the morning and we are on our way to our second stop today in Palestine, Belen.
Belen It has a splendid old town and today we want to explore it with the tranquility that lets us know that we have a few hours before returning to Jerusalem.
We stop in front of the Chapel of the Grotto of the Milk, where we say goodbye to “our” lord of the smile, paying the 150 shekels plus a good tip and wishing him good luck in life.
The Chapel is very close to Manger Sq. And is not too well known, but we have enough interest in visiting it.
It is made of stone and houses a white rock inside that, supposedly, carries the milk to the mothers' breast and increases the fertility of women who swallow a piece of the calcareous substance.
According to legend, Mary and Joseph stopped here to feed the baby on their flight to Egypt. A drop of milk fell on the red rock, making it white ...
Chapel of the Grotto of the Milk. Belen. Palestine
Entering the Chapel of the Grotto of the Milk. Belen. Palestine
The Chapel is lonely and serves as a moment, to order our feelings, so found after the hours spent in Hebron.
Chapel of the Grotto of the Milk. Belen. Palestine.Bethlehem and Hebron from Jerusalem
Detail of the Chapel of the Grotto of the Milk. Belen. Palestine
Leaving the Chapel of the Grotto of the Milk, I begin to notice that I have some fever and I am not quite well, I do not know exactly if I need to eat or rest, but I feel tired and with some fever, so we go straight Manger Sq. to look for a restaurant that they recommend in the guide where they can rest and eat something.
Christmas tree in Manger Sq. Belén. Palestine
We go around the square and find the Square Restaurant, where apart from having free wifi, we eat great.
We ordered 2 sandwich, a soda, a water, plus a coffee and a cappuccino for 103 shekels.
Eating in the Square. Belen. Palestine
Here we are a little more than an hour, resting and I getting a bit of that last minute fever that has left me a little bit crushed.
From here we go straight to the Church of the Nativity, but we find that it is very crowded and we choose to approach the Church of Santa Catalina.
Church of Santa Catalina. Belen. Palestine
This is where the famous Mass of the Rooster is broadcast to everyone.
Mosaic in the Church of Santa Catalina. Belen. Palestine
This time we have not been able to live it here, but we are clear that one day we will return and who says it will not be to be in Belen Christmas Day.
We take this time that has given us to find the full Nativity, to walk Manger Sq. With more tranquility and through the old town.
Manger Sq. From the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Finding myself much better after taking a pill and filling my stomach, we do some shopping before returning to the Nativity, this time to visit it yes or yes.
Nativity. Belen. Palestine
The Church of the Nativity in Belen imposingly marks the place where Jesus was born, although skeptics doubt that the "star" points to the true place.
Nativity. Belen. Palestine
When we see the Door of Humility, for many times we have seen it in photos, that pinch in the stomach that we had these days in these days comes back Jerusalem and that today, in Hebron We have felt again but for other reasons totally different.
The Gate of Humility was originally larger, but the crusaders made it smaller to prevent attackers from entering with horses.
Gate of Humility in the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Going through the door you access the ship, deep and dark.
Interior of the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Over the centuries it has undergone reforms, such as a new floor, under which the original mosaic floor of the 14th century of Constantine rests, today visible through wooden hatches.
Original soil of the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Ship and Door of Humility. Nativity. Belen. Palestine
The gigantic red and white limestone columns, extracted from the surroundings, may be the only remains of the original structure.
Nativity columns. Belen. Palestine
Nativity Details. Belen. Palestine
To the right of the Gate of Humility there is an entrance that leads to the Armenian Monastery, where six monks live who meet the needs of the 300 Armenians of Belen.
Front part of the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Nativity. Belen. Palestine
At the front of the ship, stairs descend to the Grotto of the Nativity.
It is said that Jesus was born in this place.
Access to the Grotto of the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Another image of the access to the Grotto of the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Once inside, after making a queue that is gradually advancing, we find a small, illuminated space in which people show their faith again.
Grotto of the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Detail of the Grotto of the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Grotto of the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
The exact place of Jesus' birth is marked with a 14-pointed star, where after you bend over, you can introduce your hand and touch the rock.
14-pointed star in the Grotto of the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
On one side of the Grotto of the Manger we find the Chapel of the Manger or the Belen and represents the nativity scene.
Chapel of the Crib. Belen. Palestine
After being in the Grotto of the Nativity for a reasonable time to allow people to continue entering, we return to the main ship with a slightly strange feeling.
We are in one of the most sacred places of Christianity and yet we have not felt that pinch that we feel other times in some places of Jerusalem.
Leaving the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
Saying goodbye to the Nativity looking at the Gate of Humility for the last time. Belen
Just outside the Nativity we find several situations that make us smile, one of them is a nun who does nothing but walk around the enclosure, Ipad in hand, taking pictures of everything that moves ...
Monjita with her Ipad to not lose detail!Bethlehem and Hebron from Jerusalem
Another of the images we have is that of a wedding, with which we stayed several minutes, trying to capture all the details we can.
Wedding in the Nativity. Belen. Palestine
We still want to go around the city of Belen before we have to cross the checkpoint again that awaits us on the way back.
Belen. Palestine
Food stalls in Bethlehem. Palestine
One of corn ?. Belen. Palestine
We look at the time and seeing that it is almost sunset, we decide that it is time to take a taxi and return to the city that continues to stay after so many days.
Until next time ... Bethlehem. Palestine
The taxi leaves us at the checkpoint for 20 shekels (we didn't really want to haggle) and we return to passport control, metal arches and some questions, this time without that desire to go through the door that, this time , will return us to Israel.
A few meters apart ... A totally different life,
Checkpoint in Bethlehem. Palestine
The Apartheid Wall, this time from Israel. Israel
We return to take that bus 24 that goes back the same way as this morning and leaves us at the Bus Station in front of the Damascus Gate.
It's almost 6 in the afternoon, when sabbath ends for the Jews and they haven't opened the bars or restaurants in the city yet.
So we have to do a little time, touring Ben Yahuda with more tranquility than usual, looking for the moment of opening of the premises.
Still seeing it, we don't understand how they can open everything from shops to restaurants on a Saturday at 6 p.m. But it is like this…
Today we are tired, today has been a hard day, full of emotions that we ended up in an Italian restaurant, which we found by chance where we had a plate of pasta, a rissotto and two soft drinks for 159 shekels.
Today is our last night in Jerusalem and that makes us look back on Jaffa Street as we approach the Abraham Hostel.
Today we say goodbye to the night in Jerusalem thinking of Palestine. Today our dreams are especially dedicated to Hebron Y Belen.
Palestine and Israel.Bethlehem and Hebron from Jerusalem
Day 10JERUSALEM (CENACLE) - TEL AVIV
