Bethlehem, Palestine

No trip to Israel would be complete without passing through the checkpoints in the giant metal wall (twice as high as the Berlin wall and 45km long) which surrounds Palestine. So, we ventured through the metal detectors and passed the armed guards and headed to Bethlehem as a day trip from Jerusalem. It may sound crazy to some but we never felt in danger. The town of Bethlehem is far different from it's neighbouring city of Jerusalem, which lies only 15km away. In stark contrast of Jerusalem the modern buildings, bustling shops, pristine streets and green parks give way to simple brick buildings, dry desert and many closed shops. Life in Bethlehem is not like Jerusalem but the costs are the same as we are told by our taxi driver friend who begged us to take a tour with him so he could pay the bills. It was a heart wrenching sight to see a smart, university graduate with a family driving a cab and having to make ends meet by begging tourists to spend a little extra money and take a tour. Since the wall has gone up, tourism in Bethlehem has dropped considerably and the unemployment rate soared to 50%. Louey lives with his family of three, mom and dad, and 5 siblings in a single house. He is the only one bringing in any income these days and like many others is having a hard time making ends meet. After talking us in to taking a tour up to the Herodion (a palace of King Herod) he took us to visit his family and 5 month old son. We had tea and talked a little about life in Palestine. He holds no anomosity towards anyone, he just wants peace and freedom he says. After tea we returned to Bethlehem to visit the birthplace of Jesus. A huge church stands over the sight and if you patiently wait in line you can visit first hand the spot where Jesus was laid in a manger. How they know this we don't know and didn't ask! Another interesting thing about Bethlehem was the shops that sell Christmas decorations all year round. A short tour of the town and some of the shops and we were heading back to the checkpoint. We bid good-bye to Louey and wished him all the best. Thus ended our brief tour to Palestine.

Pictures:
1- City of Bethlehem
2- Spot were Jesus was laid in manger
3- Ornate olive wood carving
4- Beautifying the wall with artwork
5- More art on wall
6- The wall