Chilly Sunday Evening

Jerusalem. My hotel, in the lobby. An old, plaster and tile building that would remind you of an old but dignified and lovely church. The lobby of the Austrian Hospice. Everyone here speaks German, so I am doing my best to try and communicate. I tried some rudimentary German, and someone brought me a croissant with taco sauce and then tried to shine my shoes. So, I will have to work on the lingo.

Early this morning while making our descent, far ahead, I could see the Mediterranean ending and the coastline appearing. Israel! I could easily see the long ridge of Mt. Carmel running out to the shore in the north near Haifa (immediately I thought of the Old Testament, remembering that Elijah once stood on top of that mountain, and there it is. THERE IT IS! No Elijah in sight, but, I know where he would have been! RIGHT THERE, where I am looking). Slightly beyond and plain as day was Mt. Hermon to the north on the Israel/Syria/Lebanon border. Completely snow-covered and majestic, it looked like Mt. Rainier does looming over the cityscape of Seattle. Then it struck me again how very small this country is. As if you would be able to fly into the Twin Cities over Lake Minnetonka, see the Albertville Mall to the north, the whiteness of Buck Hill to the South, and the St. Croix River in the distance with the hills of Wisconsin, and say, "here is all of the Twin Cities, right within my view". The analogy certainly pales, I know, as Jesus never fed four thousand at the Rose Gardens, and King David and Moses never stopped by Minnehaha Falls for a drink or a battle with Assyrians or Canaanites......but you get the idea.

On the ride to Jerusalem, I couldn't help but think that if it weren't for the Hebrew signs, you'd think you had landed in Orange County and were driving from Santa Ana to San Diego. It looks almost exactly like Southern California. Hills, modern freeways, billboards.....I kept internally laughing --this is a clone of ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA! Just a few more trees and vegetation on the hills to make it look not quite as dry, but otherwise, that's all.

After a short ride, and a few mountainous curvy roads and truns -- Jerusalem appears. The city is larger that I thought....spread out, at least until you come to the old-walled portion where I am. It would best remind you of San Francisco, as opposed to let's say New York. That is the feel I've had so far in encountering the metro area of Jerusalem. Busy, spread out, crowded, and everything alabaster white, peach, and light brown. Everything is stucco or stone. You can tell you are not in the U.S., but not as strikingly foreign as I had imagined. Again, more like an older San Francisco neighborhood wherever you go. And buildings and apartments on all of the hills, wherever you turn, which is another reason it feels like S.F.. Picture being on a cable car on the top of a hill looking out toward Coit Tower. Same type of feel.

Of course the the old city is different. I was dropped off on the north side of the walled city at the Damascus Gate. (Good YouTube video, looks exactly like what I experienced:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw1cCGkXyqc

A huge gate. It looks as if you have pulled up to a huge medieval castle with walls that spread out in each direction for blocks. And a HUGE impressive medieval gate. (With soldiers and machine guns, all over, of course.) But....wow. Very ancient. One of the seven gates into this historic part of the city, and one of only seven ways you can get into the city. You are truly walled in. Israeli solders in olive uniforms everywhere. Policemen,soldiers in blue uniforms. Everywhere. Everyone with guns. Machine guns. Probably loaded. Army vehicles everywhere, and yet a very calm and relaxed midday. Save for the abundance of.....machine guns. Everywhere. Machine guns.

Then, a 1/4 mile walk through narrow cobblestone streets that are SO Middle Eastern. A real flavor of the city. Narrow alleys, covered passageways....it is so amazing. Like Canal Street in New York, but with a truly international and distinctive flavor. Palestinians with headresses and robes and burqas and Jews with hats and shawls and prayer robes and black suits walking through the narrow and dark street, and......me.

(See another YouTube video I found that captures this just perfectly. Picture me schlepping my suitcases through this mess/maze two hours ago and you have it:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yn2mCDpVQc

A little while ago I was startled by amplified wailings for an Islamic call to prayer. Now THAT is unnerving at first listen. All of a sudden it sounds like the summer tornado sirens around are all going off......but in the voice of a variety of mournful Arabic wails. There are several of them coming at you from all different angles. Loud. Haunting.

Check out another video from the roof of this hotel. Turn up your speakers to high and imagine you are in the lobby below with me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYvliUCWH0Yhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoAt3Ub6fLE