I arrived into Israel today around 3PM. Ben Gurion Airport is very nice. There is a central hub area where there are plenty of restaurants for people to eat at before their respective departures. In the center is a fountain lying below a glass dome. The first stop was the “passport check.” I was feeling very nervous and had been conjuring up a story to tell them for some time. The lines were short and I arrived at a counter with a not so nice looking woman behind it. She asked what flight number I was on. I answered. She asked what my reason for visiting Israel was. I said that it was mainly for religious reasons and to see the holy sites, but I also said that I was on vacation and had always wanted to come to Israel. She asked if I was by myself. I said “yes… crazy right?” She laughed. She asked me where I was staying. I answered, “the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem.” She then asked how long I would be in Israel for. I lied and said four weeks and that I was staying the first two weeks in Jerusalem and the second two in Tel Aviv and Haifa. She said that my earrings were very beautiful. I told her that my friend bought them for me in India. She was very kind and wished me a pleasant visit.
It did not take me long to spot my driver. He was a small, 30-something Arab man with a kind smile. He immediately helped me with my bags and I followed him to his taxi. The heat in Tel Aviv was instantly evident and I was curious to know if I would be able to handle it. Luckily the taxi driver had good air conditioning so I was able to cool off and enjoy my first drive through Israel.
My first impressions were regarding how monotone the landscape was. Everything seemed to have a gray hue to it… the rocks, the grass, the trees, the houses, etc. Most of the towns are located up on the tops of hills. My driver, Hamir did not speak English super well, but we were able to have a bit of a conversation. He was impressed by what little Arabic I knew. Hamir lives in East Jerusalem and although he is not married he “has someone who drives
him crazy.” He has a brother who lives in Ramallah. Hamir said that everyone in Jerusalem is so political that it can make your head explode. I can only imagine. He decided to take me a back way to show me some of the Arab sections of Israel. At one point he pointed at a wall, but it was not the separation barrier, but rather a wall that surrounded was used as a means of keeping Jewish towns separate from Arab ones. As we drove towards Israel I was able to spot several IDF vehicles stopped on the sides of the roads. Most that we passed involved IDF officers interrogating Arab citizens. Hamir decided that he wanted to show me more “politics” so he took me past a prison (one of many he says). It was amazing to me how much the walls of the prison looked like the walls of the separation barrier. Nearly identical I’d say.
My first glimpse of Jerusalem and I was in awe. The white stone flats and businesses blanketing the hills… the slightly dusty air...the people. We passed through a Jewish section first (in West Jerusalem). There were young Jews, old Jews, orthodox Jews, children with dredles, etc. It was beautiful. It did not take too long to arrive at my hotel. The hotel is awesome! The outside is unreal and the lobby is beautiful with its arches and Christian art. The room albeit simple is everything I could hope for. The view out my window points in the direction of the Mount of Olives and the old city. Amazingly stunning! Jerusalem, here I am.
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