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| Bethlehem skyline from our hotel window |
We left Jerusalem from the Arab bus station near the Damascus Gate, taking bus #21 to Bethlehem. The two cities are fewer than 10 kilometers apart, but it's like traveling into another world. As we approached Bethlehem, Eden and I were immediately struck by the hulking concrete barrier that separates Israel from the West Bank (although the kids were oblivious, and were more concerned with what snacks we had for the half-hour ride). We were also uncertain about the path of the barrier - it doesn't travel in a straight line and instead twists and curves confusingly over a hilly landscape. But more on that in another post.
Walking through the heart of Bethlehem to our hotel, it felt like we were in a different country. The signs were all in Arabic, there were few if any Israeli license plates (cars from the West Bank have different plates), and the streets were decidedly more chaotic, with pedestrians jostling back and forth across the middle of the road amongst honking taxis and trucks. And unlike in Jerusalem, where tourists seem to be everywhere, we encountered very few foreigners on the city streets (Bethlehem's famous churches are filled with tour groups from all over the world, but few tourists venture any further into the town). Jeremy asked why there were no sidewalks and why the cars were driving so close to the pedestrians. As we approached our hotel, he also asked about the Palestinians and what the differences were between Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. We did our best to explain the situation to him, but in his eyes I think it raised more questions than answers. Talia was focused on other issues, asking "why did someone leave a broken chair in the road?"
We checked into our hotel, where the woman at reception was sewing a "Merry Christmas" needlepoint sampler for her home. The majority of Bethlehem's residents are Muslim, but the city does contain a substantial population of Palestinian Christians, which is not surprising given its history. Our hotel room was "plainer than plain" (in the words of our guidebook), but the staff was very friendly, the breakfast buffet was great (dinner not so much), and the view from the large window in our hotel room was incredible. Indeed, a good part of our sightseeing in the late afternoon and early evening involved nothing more than drinking Palestinian beer (Taybeh Brewing Company) and gazing out our window while the kids watched Tinkerbell on TV (in English, with Arabic subtitles).
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| Sunset view from our hotel room |
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| Sunrise view from our hotel room |
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| A different view from our hotel room |
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| Morning view from the hotel restaurant |
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| Nighttime view from our hotel room |
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| More from our window: minaret, with the site of a vast Herodian mountaintop palace in the background |
We did venture beyond the confines of our hotel room to wander the lively city streets and to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the small souk (traditional market), which was full of life and color (and meat!). Jeremy particularly liked the friendly dude who sells sweet, delicious tamarind juice from a large golden juice dispenser adorned with flowers.
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| Want some meat? |
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| I call this one "Market Scene with Hanging Meat" |
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| Jeremy likes meat |
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| The tamarind juice dude |
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| Service with a smile (for only 1 shekel!) |
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| Enjoying the lively atmosphere |
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| Street scene in Old Bethlehem |
As you may know (or as you might have gathered from the pictures out our hotel window), Bethlehem boasts numerous beautiful churches, from various historic eras. The most famous (and most visited) is the Church of the Nativity, which reputedly stands on the spot of Jesus' birth. According to our guidebook, it is the oldest continuously operating church in existence, having been commissioned by the Emperor Constantine in the year 326. The massive exterior is surprisingly unassuming, but the original mosaics are stunning. There's also a variety of interesting historic buildings scattered about town.
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| Part of the exterior, Church of the Nativity | | |
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| 4th century mosaic, Church of the Nativity |
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| St. Mary's Syrian Orthodox Church |
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| The "Milk Grotto" Chapel |
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| Don't know the name of the church, but it's pretty and it looks old |
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| Historic building in Bethlehem |
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| Looking up at the Lutheran Christmas Church |
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| 19th century Mosque of Omar |
The return trip from Bethlehem was not as simple as the short bus ride to get there. We had to take a taxi from our hotel to the Palestinian side of the barrier, then pass through a security checkpoint on foot, and then board a local bus on the other side back to the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. At one point, I took Jeremy aside to explain the situation again to him. He listened, said "I know Dad," then quickly turned his attention to racing Talia on the checkpoint railings. Ah, the carefree years of our youth...
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| Palestinian side of the barrier |
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| Get your passports ready! |
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| Back on the Israeli side |
Walking through the heart of Bethlehem to our hotel, it felt like we were in a different country. The signs were all in Arabic, there were few if any Israeli license plates (cars from the West Bank have different plates), and the streets were decidedly more chaotic, with pedestrians jostling back and forth across the middle of the road amongst honking taxis and trucks. And unlike in Jerusalem, where tourists seem to be everywhere, we encountered very few foreigners on the city streets (Bethlehem's famous churches are filled with tour groups from all over the world, but few tourists venture any further into the town). Jeremy asked why there were no sidewalks and why the cars were driving so close to the pedestrians. As we approached our hotel, he also asked about the Palestinians and what the differences were between Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. We did our best to explain the situation to him, but in his eyes I think it raised more questions than answers. Talia was focused on other issues, asking "why did someone leave a broken chair in the road?"
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