"Palestine - My Home For Four Years " Top 5 Page for this destination Palestine by Laurina

Palestine Travel Guide: 343 reviews and 1,080 photos

Girls on their way to school - Palestine

PALESTINE UPDATE
Eyewitness accounts from friends in Ramallah:

<a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/18236/">Breaking the Fear - June 29</a>

<a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/.184601/article/204/7/">The Invasion of My Hometown - March 15</a> </center>
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They are destroying the town I lived in for three years... 

But once a upon time it was a lively and thriving city... 

I lived in Ramallah for three years and in Jerusalem for one year. I lived amongst Palestinians and all of them, 3 million, call their home Palestine, and so do I! Hopefully, one day "Palestine" will be official, just as "Israel" is today. 

I often visited Israel, but most of the time I spent in the West Bank. Having no car or freedom of movement due to the recent intifada also made it difficult to travel to Israel. Not to mention the checkpoints... 

I will add more information as time goes by about all the neat little things about Palestine. I can't avoid touching upon the political situation, but I also want to show you all what it was like to live in and travel around Palestine, including the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem (the Arab sector of Jerusalem), and I'll also talk about my excursions to Israel proper. 

The picture above was taken by my friend Joan who visited Deir al-Sudan a small village near Ramallah. These girls are on their way to school. This was taken a couple of years ago. In villages you will see even young girls with veils, but most of the time it's just as normal to them as it is wearing jeans to westerners (and they also wear jeans of course!). In Ramallah though many women walk around in western attire without the veil. 

Of course, most of the things I talk about are pretty much a no-go these days. But perhaps if you're planning a trip to this wonderful little country in a couple of years... 

Enjoy!

Pros and Cons

Pros:Palestinian hospitality
Cons:Difficult to move around due to the Israeli-imposed closures and curfews
In a nutshell:A tragic but wondrous place...

Last visit to Palestine: Sep 2001
Intro Updated Jun 26, 2004
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Reviews (13)

Flag of Palestine Local Customs (3)

Palestinians love their flag. (Who doesn't?) During the first Intifada they were banned from waving or showing it, so... more travel advice

Smokin' the Night Away... Nightlife (2)

Oh, honestly, can't remember if this photo was actually taken at Stones, but needless to say, smoking the... more travel advice

Palms of Date Things to Do (3)

Drive past a date palm plantation in the Jordan Valley. Desert landscape and palm trees and the moon rising over Jordan... more travel advice

Controversy! Off The Beaten Path (1)

Actually, when people DO visit Palestine (in this context I'm referring to the West Bank and Gaza) they cannot avoid the... more travel advice

Restaurants (1)
Hummus and Falafel galore!
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Comments (146)

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SLLiew Jan 9, 2009 at 10:59 AM

Thanks for sharing your experience in Palestine. It is very educational.
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mfas2000 Jun 16, 2008 at 12:41 AM

visit my newly formed Palestine page..regds
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rob12c Jun 10, 2008 at 2:53 AM

hey loved your tips. really makes me want to visit palestine which i hope to do some day.
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JohnniOmani May 8, 2008 at 7:41 PM

Amazing you certainly understand the people. I too lived in a tiny village in the Middle East (Oman for 3 yrs) and my experiences are unforgettable. Lovely people. Jz
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Sininen Dec 29, 2007 at 9:20 PM

You sure have lived in some very interesting places. May there be peace in Palestine one day. Happy Birthday and Happy New Year from Finland!
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mikarov99 Dec 16, 2006 at 11:41 PM

Very intersting, i hope one day Palestine can find the peace. Salam Falesteen
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RoRo83 Dec 10, 2006 at 7:12 PM

I really admire you, keep up the good work!
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Whoopi Feb 19, 2006 at 10:52 AM

Great page - you captured the spirit of Palestine and the positivness you find in all the suffering. Good job!
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kymbanm Feb 2, 2006 at 8:45 AM

thanks for sharing your experience in Palestine w/ us here :)
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Noor1203 Mar 28, 2005 at 10:20 AM

Salam 3aliki, mauqa3 mumtaza! atamanna an aqam fi fales6een keman.. it must be a moving experience. Thanks for sharing.