Pauline
Forums Admin
We have been here for a week! Only two days left in Jerusalem, then we head to the Dead Sea.
Today we went to Bethlehem in the West Bank. I researched it on the Trip Advisor forums and decided we could do it ourselves, instead of on a tour, and by bus, instead of by taxi. We walked from our apartment down to the Hebron Road where we caught a West Bank bus. These buses run from a station near the Damascus Gate of the Old City into the West Bank. They are not part of the main Jerusalem bus system, Egged, and you cannot use your Rav Kav card but instead pay the driver.
Two buses go to Bethlehem - the 234 to Checkpoint 300 and the 231 to the Hebron Road, a 20 minute walk to the main Bethlehem sites (Manger Square, Church of the Nativity).
We took bus 234 which goes straight east on the Hebron Road and stops in front of Checkpoint 300 and the huge separation wall. It cost 4.70 NIS each for the bus. The bus was modern and clean and not crowded. They run frequently - we waited only a few minutes. We got off the bus and walked through the checkpoint. You go through two unmanned security gates. And then you are in the Palastinian Territories. I've read about the taxi drivers that hang around here and hassle you to get business, but it was nowhere near as bad as I have read. One or two taxi drivers called out to us. Another one followed along with us telling us we needed a cab as it was a two hour walk to Manger Square (it is a 40 minute walk). I found a page online that shows you exactly how to walk from the checkpoint to the Banksy Walled Off Hotel. We walked it in 10 minutes.
The hotel is a few feet from the Separation Wall and it is covered in graffeti - more like artwork than regular graffeti. We went into the hotel, spoke to the people there, visited the museum (15NIS each), walked around the art gallery. After 10 minutes of chaos outside (yes, I was pretty nervous about being in the West Bank), it was cool and calm inside.
We had planned to walk the 40 minutes to Manger Square but after our short walk I could see it would not be a nice walk. The sidewalks are not good for walking - uneven, cracked, they disappear - and you are in the middle of a busy city. I asked the hotel to call a taxi for us. We paid the hotel, not the taxi, 25NIS, and waited a few minutes. The taxi took us to Manger Square.
We went into the Church of the Nativity but did not line up to see the grotto where Jesus was born. The church was packed and the line was very long. We walked around Manger Square - restaurants and shops with a parking lot in the middle. Then we walked up to the Milk Grotto (turned white from Mary's brest milk), but did not go into it. Again very crowded.
We walked back to Hebron Road - about 30 minutes along pedestrian lanes lined with shops. Busy but fun. The tourist crowds don't make it here. I could not figure out where to get the bus, the 231 back to Jerusalem, but asked some women and they pointed us to the stop where a bus was waiting. They bus went through a lot of neighborhoods and came out on Highway 60 where it drove to the checkpoint (a different one from the one we came in). Everyone stayed on the bus and an Israeli customs officer, followed by a soldier with a weapon, walked through and glanced at people's passports. I don't understand the system but I think Palastinians have visas which they show at the checkpoints. It was all pretty quick and the bus continued back to Jerusalem. We got off at the stop where we had got on 2 1/2 hours earlier.
So, we did it. I don't have a lot of interest in Christian religious sites and that is what Bethlehem is all about, but this was an opportunity to see the wall, and see the West Bank.
Lunch back at the apartment (we bought falafel and those long sesame bagels in Bethlehem). Then we took the bus to the Old City and went in the Damascus Gate (Muslim Quarter). We went to the same cafe that we went to last time, where a very friendly guy served us a good coffee (I had Arabic coffee, Steve had espresso) and we could watch the people go by.
Then we dived into the crowds and walked for way too long along narrow, crowded streets lined with shops. It is fun but it feels claustrophobic after awhile. At one point a large group of pilgrims carrying a huge wooden cross were in front of us.
We got to the Church of the Redeemer (where we were headed) and climbed up the tower for an excellent view of the Old City and beyond. Thanks @joe for recommending this. BUT it was 178 steps up on a stone circular staircase which started out narrow with a low ceiling and got worse. The last 130 steps were very tight. I have issues with claustrophia and we started up and I had to call it off. Then we looked at the excavations below the church and walked around a bit and I worked up my nerve and we did it. Once you are up there it is fabulous. The light was perfect and we could see into the West Bank and past it to Jordan. It was not spacious up there, but there were only a few people.
Back into the lanes of shops and out to Jaffa Gate. Then we walked up Jaffa Road (to find an ATM to stock up for our time in the Negev). By now it was 4:30 and starting to get dark. I like the Jaffa Road. It is pedestrian with the Light Rail running in the middle. The sidewalks are wide, the shops interesting and there are a lot of cafes and restaurants.
We walked along another shopping street and found a Wallace Statue, like the ones in France! We saw one in Uzes. Then we hopped on the bus and took it to First Station and walked home in the dark from there, stopping only for pomegrante juice.
Tomorrow we pick up our rental car and drive out to go hiking, or at least that is the plan.
Today we went to Bethlehem in the West Bank. I researched it on the Trip Advisor forums and decided we could do it ourselves, instead of on a tour, and by bus, instead of by taxi. We walked from our apartment down to the Hebron Road where we caught a West Bank bus. These buses run from a station near the Damascus Gate of the Old City into the West Bank. They are not part of the main Jerusalem bus system, Egged, and you cannot use your Rav Kav card but instead pay the driver.
Two buses go to Bethlehem - the 234 to Checkpoint 300 and the 231 to the Hebron Road, a 20 minute walk to the main Bethlehem sites (Manger Square, Church of the Nativity).
We took bus 234 which goes straight east on the Hebron Road and stops in front of Checkpoint 300 and the huge separation wall. It cost 4.70 NIS each for the bus. The bus was modern and clean and not crowded. They run frequently - we waited only a few minutes. We got off the bus and walked through the checkpoint. You go through two unmanned security gates. And then you are in the Palastinian Territories. I've read about the taxi drivers that hang around here and hassle you to get business, but it was nowhere near as bad as I have read. One or two taxi drivers called out to us. Another one followed along with us telling us we needed a cab as it was a two hour walk to Manger Square (it is a 40 minute walk). I found a page online that shows you exactly how to walk from the checkpoint to the Banksy Walled Off Hotel. We walked it in 10 minutes.
The hotel is a few feet from the Separation Wall and it is covered in graffeti - more like artwork than regular graffeti. We went into the hotel, spoke to the people there, visited the museum (15NIS each), walked around the art gallery. After 10 minutes of chaos outside (yes, I was pretty nervous about being in the West Bank), it was cool and calm inside.
We had planned to walk the 40 minutes to Manger Square but after our short walk I could see it would not be a nice walk. The sidewalks are not good for walking - uneven, cracked, they disappear - and you are in the middle of a busy city. I asked the hotel to call a taxi for us. We paid the hotel, not the taxi, 25NIS, and waited a few minutes. The taxi took us to Manger Square.
We went into the Church of the Nativity but did not line up to see the grotto where Jesus was born. The church was packed and the line was very long. We walked around Manger Square - restaurants and shops with a parking lot in the middle. Then we walked up to the Milk Grotto (turned white from Mary's brest milk), but did not go into it. Again very crowded.
We walked back to Hebron Road - about 30 minutes along pedestrian lanes lined with shops. Busy but fun. The tourist crowds don't make it here. I could not figure out where to get the bus, the 231 back to Jerusalem, but asked some women and they pointed us to the stop where a bus was waiting. They bus went through a lot of neighborhoods and came out on Highway 60 where it drove to the checkpoint (a different one from the one we came in). Everyone stayed on the bus and an Israeli customs officer, followed by a soldier with a weapon, walked through and glanced at people's passports. I don't understand the system but I think Palastinians have visas which they show at the checkpoints. It was all pretty quick and the bus continued back to Jerusalem. We got off at the stop where we had got on 2 1/2 hours earlier.
So, we did it. I don't have a lot of interest in Christian religious sites and that is what Bethlehem is all about, but this was an opportunity to see the wall, and see the West Bank.
Lunch back at the apartment (we bought falafel and those long sesame bagels in Bethlehem). Then we took the bus to the Old City and went in the Damascus Gate (Muslim Quarter). We went to the same cafe that we went to last time, where a very friendly guy served us a good coffee (I had Arabic coffee, Steve had espresso) and we could watch the people go by.
Then we dived into the crowds and walked for way too long along narrow, crowded streets lined with shops. It is fun but it feels claustrophobic after awhile. At one point a large group of pilgrims carrying a huge wooden cross were in front of us.
We got to the Church of the Redeemer (where we were headed) and climbed up the tower for an excellent view of the Old City and beyond. Thanks @joe for recommending this. BUT it was 178 steps up on a stone circular staircase which started out narrow with a low ceiling and got worse. The last 130 steps were very tight. I have issues with claustrophia and we started up and I had to call it off. Then we looked at the excavations below the church and walked around a bit and I worked up my nerve and we did it. Once you are up there it is fabulous. The light was perfect and we could see into the West Bank and past it to Jordan. It was not spacious up there, but there were only a few people.
Back into the lanes of shops and out to Jaffa Gate. Then we walked up Jaffa Road (to find an ATM to stock up for our time in the Negev). By now it was 4:30 and starting to get dark. I like the Jaffa Road. It is pedestrian with the Light Rail running in the middle. The sidewalks are wide, the shops interesting and there are a lot of cafes and restaurants.
We walked along another shopping street and found a Wallace Statue, like the ones in France! We saw one in Uzes. Then we hopped on the bus and took it to First Station and walked home in the dark from there, stopping only for pomegrante juice.
Tomorrow we pick up our rental car and drive out to go hiking, or at least that is the plan.
