"Jerusalem:- The Magical Mystical Tour " a Jerusalem Travel Page by Ekaterinburg

As part of Worldmeet 2008, organised by VT member Fruitlover (Avi), I finally got to visit Jerusalem. Two days is not a long time for a city as complex as this but because the programme was so well planned and absolutely no time wasted, I suspect we saw and experienced as much as most people do in a week. On Thursday morning we started off in East Jerusalem, with the holy sites around the Mount of Olives, then continued to the Mormon University and Mount Scopus for further panoramic views of the city. At lunchtime we passed through the Jaffa Gate into the Old City and left as a thin sliver of moon was rising over the Western Wall. Dinner was at a Middle Eastern restaurant downtown and a gastronomic adventure for those of us unused to this superb cuisine. Friday morning we visited the Israel Museum then the ancient City of David. Here the brave and intrepid waded through the 2,700 year old Hezekiah's water tunnel and the claustrophobic admired the views across the Kidron Valley to Silwan. Lunch, a traditional Shwarma, was enjoyed al fresco on Ben Yehuda Street in West Jerusalem and people split up to do some exploring of their own. Later that evening we took a long walk round Ein Kerem and at 7.30, set off to eat Shabaat dinner at the home of VTer Gila Brand. So with expert guidance, it is possible to experience the very best of Jerusalem in two days. Thank you Avi for organising this fantastic adventure. Thanks also to Una S for helping to make it all go so smoothly and to Martin S and Gila Brand for inviting us into their homes and feeding us. Jerusalem and what followed - the Judean Desert trip, Masada and the Dead Sea - was what we had been promised, the absolute trip of a lifetime.

Almot everything about Jerusalem is magical. What I loved most were the tree-studded hills, their houses glittering white in the relentless sunshine. This was what I had expected Jerusalem to look like and I couldn't believe how unchanged parts of it were from images I had carried in my head since childood. The crenalated walls that surround the Old City and the skinny green palm trees climbing upwards as if to peek over the top, make you feel that this is an enchanted city. Inside it may be crazy and crowded but the dense throngs of people, so many of them dressed to reflect their religion, the cobbled alleys, frenetic streets and exotic souqs, all throw up a barrage of sights, sounds and smells that assault your senses in more ways than you thought possible. Jerusalem is steeped in history and mystery. Combine this with streetscapes straight from the bible, incense, menorahs and calls to prayer and you have a very potent mix. To those who live there this is just everyday life but for the visitor it's very difficult not to get a little hyper about it all. In extreme cases this manifests itself as Jerusalem Syndrome but fortunately none of us got quite that carried away.

The whole religious thing in Jeruslaem is overwhelming and even hardline atheists are affected by it. Three major religions have a huge prescence here, so brace yourself for churches,mosques and temples aplenty. One of the best descriptions I've read of this comes from the Israeli poet Yehuda Amihai. He says: " The air over Jerusalem is saturated with prayers and dreams, like the air over industrial cities. It's hard to breathe.' Again maybe that's true for people who call Jerusalem home but for visitors, it's just all part of what makes it special. But if you do find this aspect hard to live with remember there's a very secular downtown waiting to be enjoyed with loads of things to see and do. Jerusalem caters for all tastes and it's a city I wanted to go back to even before I'd left.