London, then home!

It's our last morning in Jerusalem. We fly back to London this afternoon, have a farewell dinner, and then fly home tomorrow morning. A long trip but a lot of fun -- we got to see so many amazing, out-of-the-way places and such smiling, friendly people. So this is the last post. See you soon!

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Bethlehem, and the Church of the Nativity

Bethlehem is the city where Christians believe Jesus was born, and the Church of the Nativity was built on the very site. Not much to look at from the outside, but very holy to Christians.

The church has been rebuilt over the years with the effect of raising the floor, so to see the site of Jesus' birth you go down into an underground grotto.

This sixteen-pointed cross marks the spot where Jesus was said to have been born ...

... and nearby is the spot where the manger was said to be. Not sure how they know this, but to believers that doesn't matter.

 

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Palestine

We're on our way to Bethlehem this morning. Bethlehem is located in the West Bank, in Palestine, and we get a first hand education about the continuing strife between the Israelis and Palestinians, especially when we pass through a checkpoint and through a wall built by the Israelis to separate the Palestinians. Though both sides have a legitimate point of view about this conflict, you can't help but be awed and dumbstruck to see the wall that's been built and see the graffiti demanding the return of the homeland of the Palestinians.

We visit a Palestinian refugee camp, the entrance of which is marked by a giant key. When the Palestinians left their homeland, often they left by locking their homes behind them believing they'd return shortly. The key has become a symbol of their desire, and insistence, to return.

The refugee camp is really a slum, with ongoing additions to handle the population. No building codes here -- it is a UN mandate area.

The kids, as always, are adorable.

Palestinians have to carry ID cards everywhere and are subject to horrible indignities as they have to cross multiple checkpoints just to get to/from work each day. As I said, there are clearly two sides to this story, but it's clear who has control and who doesn't. And it's really sad.

 

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