The sun had already leapt from the horizon when we left Tel Aviv for the border with Jordan. We raced to cover as much distance as possible before the sun climbed high over the scorched desert on the road ahead.

Jerusalem marks the dividing line between two climates and two cultures: an arid, flesh-withering desert on one hand—the beginning of the Palestinian West Bank—and a relatively cool and verdant region sloping down to the Mediterranean and Tel Aviv on the other. The dividing line is the Central Mountain Range.

We crawled slowly up to altitude. The road appraoching the West Bank was lined by high metal fences adorned with curling razor wire. There was no shade to be seen save from the roaring automobiles, trucks, and occasional gas station.

Andrew had made what appeared to be a direct route to Jericho and the King Hussein Bridge, but several of the roads had razor wire stretched across them. I had to improvise on my GPS; batteries were nearly dead, and I felt faint from the heat. Several other roads I tried to take were blocked by checkpoints where I was turned back to seek another route. ‘Arabs Only,’ they said.

Finally, at 850 meters, I was passing Jerusalem. I saw the signs for Mt. Scopus and the City Center, but blew past on my way over the hills. As I began to descend into the west bank, I sailed through several checkpoints, lower and lower; six-hundred meters, five, two-hundred… A hot Easterly began to blast me from the front My lips cracked and my eyes stung… it was an apocolyptic landscape, charred and broken.

We had taken this same route several weeks before, going the opposite direction. It took us past the ancient site of an Orthodox Greek Monastery and along the edge of a deep, arid gorge with a footpath on the opposite side that led to what must have been a hermitage carved into the cliff face.

…

The sun was not far distant from the horizon whence we’d come that day when we finally crossed the border by bus-taxi into Jordan, so we decided to take the bus to Amman. Normally we would ride, but after all, the Middle East was only a side trip.

So long, Israel!

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Comments:

1. The Beatles – They say it’s all so simple

   “…Love, love, love
   Love, love, love
   Love, love, love

   There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
   Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
   Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
   It’s easy

   There’s nothing you can make that can’t me made
   No one you can save that can’t be saved
   Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
   It’s easy

   All you need is love
   All you need is love
   All you need is love, love
   Love is all you need Love, love, love
   Love, love, love
   Love, love, love

   There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done
   Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung
   Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
   It’s easy

   There’s nothing you can make that can’t me made
   No one you can save that can’t be saved
   Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time
   It’s easy

   All you need is love
   All you need is love
   All you need is love, love
   Love is all you need …..”

   Hug & prayer & Love & Health
   Missssssssssssssssssssssss
   Michal
   :)

   — michal · Jul 06, 10:27 AM · #

2. you suprise me!!!
   can i write my free post about you?
   think about that.
   love

   haim

   — haim bar · Jul 06, 12:41 PM · #