jmanpc
5,000+ posts
CA.com Nostalgist.
Woke up early this morning at 6:30 to go check out the temple mount in Jerusalem. Ate a pretty crappy breakfast-- the Israelis **** at breakfast. They put out salads and vegetables and Jell-O molds of fish. And there's no bacon. But I digress.
Showed up this morning at the Temple Mount, got to check out the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, two of the most sacred sites to Islam.
Al Aqsa mosque
Dome of the Rock
Mosaic on the outside of the Dome of the Rock
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimmering shade of maroon. Could it be? No. It's a mirage. HOLY CRAP! IT'S TRUE! A DR PEPPER!!! I shelled out 12 shekels for it (2.5 Euros) but it was completely worth it. The best Dr Pepper that had ever caressed my lips. All 23 flavors were partying in my mouth.
Then, we went to the Western (Wailing) Wall. I wrote some names on a piece of paper, said a prayer, and left the paper in the wall, as has become customary.
We got to walk through Hezekiah's tunnel, which for those who need to know the context, is a tunnel dug beneath Jerusalem by Hezekiah before a siege because it would give the Israelites direct access to water and the Assyrians couldn't cut it off. So, it's about 3 feet wide and 5 feet tall, with water up to your shins most of the way. We walked the length of it, about 1/2 mile or so... and most of it in complete darkness. It was insane.
Ate a lunch of falafel and shawarma, and took a virtual tour of Jerusalem. Then, we chilled out on the stairs outside the gates of ancient Jerusalem.
Our douchebag tour guide, Yossi
Rating:
***** out of 5
Showed up this morning at the Temple Mount, got to check out the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, two of the most sacred sites to Islam.
Al Aqsa mosque
Dome of the Rock
Mosaic on the outside of the Dome of the Rock
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimmering shade of maroon. Could it be? No. It's a mirage. HOLY CRAP! IT'S TRUE! A DR PEPPER!!! I shelled out 12 shekels for it (2.5 Euros) but it was completely worth it. The best Dr Pepper that had ever caressed my lips. All 23 flavors were partying in my mouth.
Then, we went to the Western (Wailing) Wall. I wrote some names on a piece of paper, said a prayer, and left the paper in the wall, as has become customary.
We got to walk through Hezekiah's tunnel, which for those who need to know the context, is a tunnel dug beneath Jerusalem by Hezekiah before a siege because it would give the Israelites direct access to water and the Assyrians couldn't cut it off. So, it's about 3 feet wide and 5 feet tall, with water up to your shins most of the way. We walked the length of it, about 1/2 mile or so... and most of it in complete darkness. It was insane.
Ate a lunch of falafel and shawarma, and took a virtual tour of Jerusalem. Then, we chilled out on the stairs outside the gates of ancient Jerusalem.
Our douchebag tour guide, Yossi
Rating:
***** out of 5
