Only five more nights. I have to keep telling myself that. Only five more nights. Then I get my own room. Saving $1400, I guess I can put up with it.
Moving on.
So had a slight disaster last night - my lovely 64gb USB stick that Stu got me for Christmas died. It had one of the backups of all my photos. It was also the one I was going to send home with the parents later. Not happy. It detects it briefly when you plug it in, but then it drops out of windows again, and the led flashes non-stop on it for as long as you leave it plugged in :(
We had an early start today - on the bus at 7:30. This is so we could queue to go through security to get onto the temple mount. Queued for about three quarters of an hour. They did a visual inspection of bags (probably looking for Bibles which are forbidden), and then an xray. At one point there was a sign, obviously posted by Jews, saying that entry to the temple mount is forbidden according to Torah law. It's kind of weird that us Aussies can get in whereas most Jews can't I don't think (or possibly choose not to in case they step on where the holy of holies was). In fact the whole city is this weird and very delicate balance of Jews and Muslims.
Sign warning Jews not to enter the Temple Mount
Security station for the Temple Mount
So got go up the ramp next to the wailing wall (rubbing it in much?) and onto the temple mount. Of course the most spectacular thing there is the gold-leaf Dome of the Rock. Only muslims are allowed inside though.
View of the Wailing Wall from the walkway up to the Temple Mount
Western walls of the Temple Mount
Photo by Dad
The Dome of the Rock
Photo by Dad
Roof of The Dome of the Rock
Tiled decorations on the Dome of the Rock
The Dome of the Rock
Photo by Mum
Walked past the Golden Gate and then out of the temple mount.
The Golden Gate
Northern walls of the Temple Mount
Photo by Dad
Eastern walls of Jerusalem at El-Ghazali Square
The tour group just outside the Temple Mount near St Anne's church
Continued walking to the pool of Bethesda and had a look in St Anne's Basilica.
Excavations at the Pool of Bethesda
Excavations at the Pool of Bethesda
Poppies at the Pool of Bethesda
Excavations at the Pool of Bethesda
Inside St Anne's Basilica
Photo by Dad
Then into another church - Sisters of Notre Dame of Zion I think - on the site of the Antonia Fortress to look at old cisterns and also an excavated street of Roman vintage.
Drainpipe outside St Anne's Basilica
View along Lions Gate Street
Photo by Dad
Struthion pool
Ancient street
Photo by Mum
Mosaic of Jesus and the cross in Sisters of Notre Dame of Zion
And then it was to follow the path of some of the Stations of the Cross. This was a pretty cool walk through narrow alleys of shops.
Via Dolorosa sign
Fourth station of the cross
Third station of the cross
Fifth station of the cross
Did you mean Palestine?
Walking down Via Dolorosa
Seventh station of the cross
At the end was The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian quarter that houses seven denominations (mostly various orthodoxes) in the one building. This church is on one of the proposed locations of Golgotha, and houses a stone slab said to have been used for the treatment of Jesus' body after the crucifixion. hrmmm.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Photo by Dad
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Photo by Dad
Tombs in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Stone of Anointing. Supposedly where Jesus body was treated after his crucifixion
A mosaic depiction of Christ's body being prepared after his death
Continued walking to an Armenian restaurant for lunch. This was sooo much better than yesterday - no crowds, food was brought out to us, and a very relaxed setting.
Jaffa Gate
Finally back to the bus to battle crazy heavy holiday traffic out to the holocaust museum. Very sad place. They only gave us an hour and a half there, but could easily have spent a *lot* more time there. In fact, our next stop had to be cancelled because we were so late because of the traffic. So we just headed back to the hotel. So not sure why we had to be so rushed. They could have given us more time there :(
Yad Vashem - The Holocaust History Museum
Skylight over one of the galleries at Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum
Memorial column at Yad Vashem
Stones at Yad Vashem
When we got back to the hotel we headed straight out again in search of somewhere that sold USB memory sticks. Eventually found a place and bought two 16gb sticks for 149 and 159 shekels.
View towards the western walls of Jerusalem
View towards the Palestinian walls
Then had to do battle with parents over "laundry" space. Only five more nights, only five more nights.
Can hear fireworks going off. Can't see anything from here though..
Distance covered on the GPS: 28.4 km
Steps walked: 14905
Photos on the Canon: 232
Photos on the Sony: 36
Videos: 3