Day 14 Sunday

 Back on track. Blogging at the end of a marvellous day.

It all started with a walk outside the city walls before breakfast looking for some money. As I don't have any particular talent that would get donations from passers-by on the street, this means an ATM. Looking for an ATM machine to get out some shekels from my ANZ travel card has proved a bit problematic as the mainly can be found in money lenders hops that unfortunately close down outside work hours. The only normal ATM machine I found in the Jewish quarter was out of service. Oh well. At least I got a few steps up. 10000 steps a day is my aim from now on on this pilgrimage

After breakfast a few of my fellow pilgrims and I went in search of a different experience of Church by going to mass I the Armenian Catholic Church down the end of our street. Now we went to this church on the first day in Jerusalem where we had a tour from a voluntary .. or should I say very willing guide ... who raced us through and held out his hand at the end. We were expecting a two hour service in a strange language with a lot of smelly incense. Instead we encountered a 40 minute - quick - service that was in about five different languages including English. It also included some very loud singing from the wife of  the organist who had been coming to the same church for 50 years. In fact it seemed, at times, these two were running the show, as they often cut the priest off with their responses and songs, in an effort I think to make sure as much as of the mass as possible was in Armenian. I am not sure who was the winner in the end. Probably us, the congregation, as the mass was over in very quick time.

 This is us, after mass, in the coffee shop outside.

After mass attempt no. 2 for an ATM but none that would take a VISA card ... or at least my VISA card.

Too much writing - short and sweet advises another guest here I met in the coffee room here tonight.

Later in the afternoon our Jewish guide Jarrod ... remember him ... the hottie - according to another pilgrim, not me ... took us on another tour of the city showing us the parts we had not seen and helping us understand how this city works. 

 Jarrod and the gang in the Christian quarter. The people who live here are mainly Arab Christians. Surprised????

With out going into it too much, here are a few facts I remember.

37000 people crammed into one square km of land making it the most densely populated area of land per sq. km in the world. Manhattan , he said, only has an average of 24000 per sq. km. 

27000 of those people live in Muslim quarter. Yet no Muslim is represented on the council ... Their choice... Nor in the Israeli government ...once again their choice.

Many more facts but I don't wish to bore. Time for some more photos.

 The main entrance to the old city from the west - the Jaffa gate - that combines the Middle eastern market, known as the "Sauk", with the modern Mediterranean style accommodation. 

 A part of the Jewish quarter that was rebuilt around the 1970s after Israel reclaimed this part of the city following the six day war.

In the evening we went on an impressive tour of the tunnels of the western wall and got to see up close how incredible Herod's expansion of the Temple Mount was. These pics were taken using the magic button on friend Fr Richard's cool camera. The photos looked far more dramatic on this setting.

 This is actual Roman roads. "What have the Romans ever  done for us? " quote form L o B.

 Jarrod touching the Western Wall from inside the tunnels. hopefully that's enough photos for you to judge for yourself about whether Jarrod is a hottie or not. ( talking to you  Heather - I have some video for you if you want it. He speaks pretty passionately)

In the classroom most of tomorrow so a few of us are going to attempt to do a full lap of the city from the outside in under an hour from 6 am. Wish me luck.

PS . 17250 @10.43